Erin and Cory’s wedding vision called for a natural, organic wedding in a timeless setting, and the couple fell in love with Cherokee Ranch & Castle the moment they set eyes upon its gorgeous stonework and lush pastures. Isabelle Kline Design created a romantic ambiance with a reception tent awash with greenery, and an outdoor ceremony overlooking the picturesque Colorado surroundings. Erin paired her Justin Alexander gown with a family heirloom sapphire ring as her “something blue”, and Cory donned a custom tuxedo from Trumaker. Every beautiful moment and the truly stunning setting were captured beautifully by Danielle DeFiore!
In their own words
How did you meet?
We met at a local bar downtown Denver. Erin was out with girlfriends celebrating her new “single†status. That obviously did not last long!
What is your proposal story?
We were going to Napa, CA with our close couple friends. We flew in a day early to explore San Francisco since neither of us had been. Cory knows my love for the beach, and brought us to Baker Beach which is at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge. He proposed there which was so fun and special since my new married name is Baker.
What was the most important to the two of you while planning? Was there anything that you chose to splurge on or skip?
We really wanted our guests to not have to worry about a thing and to be able to enjoy a weekend in Denver. So we chose Memorial Day weekend, as neither of our families live here and about 60% of our guests were flying in, so they could have a long weekend to travel. We chose a hotel downtown so everyone could enjoy the city, but knew we wanted to provide transportation down and back from the castle which is about a 30 minute drive. That was a pretty big expense, but worth it to us. Also, a videographer was more than we anticipated, but so worth the money. Our wedding video is so gorgeous and captures the day so perfectly. Our photographs were also very important to me. As soon as I saw Danielle’s website, I knew I was going to have her capture our wedding day. She is amazing.
What were your favorite parts of the day?
It rained all morning (it NEVER rains in Denver—let alone for hours at a time!!) so I was pretty bummed. We put my Grammy’s rosary beads on the door handle of the hotel room, which is apparently supposed to bring good luck. Well, when the bridal party limo pulled up to the castle, seriously blue skies met us. The sun was shining for our ceremony and we were able to hold it outside. I still can’t believe how it worked out.
Do you have any advice for couples planning their weddings now?
Prioritize what’s most important to you both and plan your budget accordingly. Know that you will **probably** go a little over your budget, but it will be totally worth it. I also tell brides now, do whatever it takes to budget in a videographer. We knew we would cherish our photos, but didn’t realize how much we would love the video, too!