(All
photographs by IlluminArts Photography)
Kristin & Bryant Funston of
Las Cruces, NM
Married June 30, 2006
Durango, Colorado
Bryant and I love Durango, where we vacation all the time, so when it came time to find a location for our wedding, we knew Durango Mountain Resort was it.
How long to plan wedding: One year.
The Budget: $12,000
Number of Guests: 125 with 100 flying in from across the country.
Difficulties in planning Destination Wedding
Fortunately, we have family in Durango so they were able to help with a lot of the details. I had my Mother attend the Durango Wedding Expo. We were on the phone with each other during the entire show. She was able to meet with vendors, gather brochures and leave deposits. I also utilized the Western Colorado Wedding Guide.
Biggest planning challenge
Out biggest challenge was trying to get everything (the dresses, decorations, favors, etc.) from Las Cruces, NM to Durango, Co in only two vehicles. Also, we ordered rose petals and centerpiece flowers from an online source, and they arrived two days later than they were supposed to (they arrived the night before the wedding, thank gosh!). Apparently, it was hard for them to be delivered to the resort.
The Theme
It was a traditional wedding, with a little Colorado flair. Yellow and with lavender accents were the colors used to match the wildflowers.
The Décor
Decorations were minimal. I wanted a very simple, but elegant wedding. Centerpieces were floating roses heads in large bowls placed on mirrors with candles and flower petals strewn all over the tables. Lots & lots of rose petals were down the aisle for the ceremony. At the “altar” we had two large pedestals of very large, colorful wildflowers. We took our bouquets and ceremony pedestals and placed them inside for added decoration during the reception.
The Flowers
I had a bouquet of about twelve calla lilies. My bridesmaids had yellow and lavender roses. Bryant had a boutonniere of one single calla lilly to match mine, and the groomsmen, fathers, grandfathers boutonnieres all matched the bridesmaids with roses. The mothers and grandmothers carried single long stemmed roses with ribbon tied around it.
The Favors
We bought mints from Hobby Lobby and wrapped them in lavender tulle tied with yellow ribbon.
Special Touches
1. Bryant wanted his favorite song, ‘the Eye of the Tiger’ played at the beginning of the ceremony. I said no way. But as a surprise I had the song played during the recessional. All the guests were laughing and Bryant was so surprised. It was awesome.
2. We also had Bryant’s father marry us. We didn’t want someone we didn’t know to do it, and it was a nice way of including him into the ceremony.
What went Wrong
There was a miscommunication about when we would be arriving to decorate the day of the wedding, so we got locked outside for an hour or so up on top of the mountain and no cell phones. I didn’t stress though, we made it a mini party out on the deck!
Best thing about the Day
Being able to see all our fiends and family, and watching our extended families merge together for the first time.
What would you do Different
1. I wish I would have eaten more cake, I only had one bite and it was so good!
2. We should have hired a videographer.
The Rehearsal Dinner
We had the rehearsal dinner at Cascade Village with a cowboy theme. About half of our wedding guests attended the dinner. Everyone dressed up like cowboys, and it was so much fun.
My Advice
- Have Fun. Planning should not be stressful, this is supposed to be the best day of your life! Don’t let it stress you out!
- Stick to your budget and stay organized
- Listen to others’ advice, but ultimately – this is YOUR wedding, so do it how YOU want to!
Honeymoon: Carnival cruise down West side of Mexico.
RECOMMENDED WEDDING PROS
 Thumbs Up
Photographer: IlluminArts Photography. They were a godsend! Drew and Amy were so helpful and they definitely went above and beyond. They managed to help decorate the reception area and take the most beautiful pictures at the same time! Amy even helped do my hair. But above all that, their pictures are beautiful, and I would hire them again in a heartbeat! Venue: Durango Mountain Resort. They were great….they even helped out in the finance department, by allowing me to hold my wedding on a Friday (which is cheaper than a Saturday) and by letting me use a menu from their lunch menu. We wouldn’t have had our wedding at any other location!
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The Photo
Album
All photographs by IlluminArts Photography
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