I'm terrible at writing for my blog so I'm trying something a little different and I asked Courtney and Mox to share their love story with us! Here goes....
From the Bride: I actually don't remember meeting Mox the first time. It was the 3rd of July and I was subbing for a friend on Mox's kickball team. The group went out for drinks after the game and I do remember fireworks, but not the kind that Mox had hoped for! He remembered me and somehow we ended up with a bunch of mutual friends a few days later celebrating Mox's birthday. A month later I was a regular on the kickball team and we began to hang out as a team on a weekly basis. It wasn't until the end of August when a group of us all went to the Mumford and Sons concert at Red Rocks that I knew I really liked this guy - who doesn't want a gentleman to walk her to the porta potty! We had already shared our first kiss before we had our first official date together in early September. From the very beginning, it was all so comfortable and so natural to just be ourselves together - I didn't even freak when he bought me a ticket to meet his family in Minnesota only a month or so after dating - something he's never done with any other girl! He said I love you first but we both were already madly in love and though we never really talked about it, we both just knew that this was it. On Memorial Day weekend 2014, I was recovering from bronchitis and begrudgingly agreed to take a hike above Lake Dillon. It was above the lake where he proposed and I was so taken back, I tripped over a rock and nearly tumbled down the mountain! Of course I said yes!
After an engagement party, a trip to New York, India, Thailand, and China - the wedding planning began. We knew we wanted to have the wedding in Colorado and to make it somewhat of a destination, so we decided to scope out the Western Slope. We instantly fell in love with the area. After seeing only two venues, we knew that Maison la Belle Vie was the one - it was large enough to accommodate our huge family, yet quaint enough to feel intimate and cozy.
Mox and I both worked together on nearly every aspect of the wedding, from the DIY save the dates and invitations, to the small details like the homemade lavender soap favors! I know grooms who sit back and allow their brides to take the reigns, but Mox being so involved made the entire process so easy and fun! Someone actually said to me "I don't know whether to be worried or impressed about how laid back you are!" We tried to enjoy every minute of the planning - the countless hours we spent punching holes and gluing together invitations (all the while drinking red wine from the venue, of course!), the painstaking process of reupholstering our vintage chairs (an amazing $10 find at Goodwill), sweating bullets while potting herbs in the parking lot of our Grand Junction hotel the day before the wedding, and even the "worst" part of any wedding planning - the cupcake tasting:) We could not have seen our vision come to fruition without the help of my bestie Danielle (who needs to follow her calling of being a wedding coordinator extraordinaire). She spent the morning filling the mason jars with lavender bundles, stacking the lemons, lining up the place cards, setting the gorgeous sweeheart table and every other little detail. One tiny snag - our wedding officiant's office flooded and our marriage license was destroyed. So weren't official until after the honeymoon! If that's the worst that could happen I'd say the day was a success.
It couldn't have gone any smoother otherwise! A wedding will go where it wants to go based on the tone set by the bride and groom - the little things that every bride thinks will matter, in the end, work out exactly the way they are supposed to. At the end of the day, I got to marry my best friend and that's the most important thing of all!
Vendors for the day included:
Bridal Gown: Blue Willow by Anne Barge, D'Anelli Bridal \\ Hair: Estilos II \\ Makeup: Nicolette Holstrom \\ Bridesmaid & Flower Girl Dresses: David's Bridal \\ Jewelry: Charming Charlies \\ Groom & Groomsmen Attire: H&M \\ Floral Design: 3 Leaf Floral \\ Lavender: Sprigs and Sprouts \\ Cake & Cupcakes: Pattie's Tiny Cakes \\ Venue & Catering: Maison la Belle Vie Winery \\ DJ: DJ Ryan Griz Entertainment \\ Officiant: Paul Paiva \\ Libations: Fisher's Liquor Barn \\ Photography: Carrie Johnson Photography
Congratulations Mox & Courtney!
xo
Carrie