If you have ever visited Wyoming, you know how beautiful it can be. Add to that it’s scenic backdrop, and it truly makes for a perfect spot for a wedding. Ashley and Kurt’s wedding is sweet and personal. The Ivinson Mansion adds that perfect touch of rustic charm. The details only highlight how dedicated Ashley, Kurt and their families were to making their big day memorable, and Rick and Stephanie of Ardent Photography were there to capture it all beautifully!
What (or who) helped you most in your planning process and/or on your wedding day?
Our family was incredibly helpful throughout the planning process and on our wedding day. My mom especially helped us stay organized and ensured not even the smallest detail was overlooked. There were many other supportive family members and friends who helped us run errands, prepare decorations, pick out attire, and complete many other tasks to make certain the day went smoothly.
What was the most important thing to you when deciding who to work with for your wedding?
When deciding on vendors, it was most important for them to care about us and the business we were giving them. We didn’t want to be just another “number” to them. We greatly appreciated those vendors that took the time to get to know us, and used their expertise to help us achieve the type of wedding we always dream of.
Did any of your vendors do anything special for you before, on, or after your wedding day that you would like to share?
All of my vendors were wonderful to work with, and it seems each one brought something special to our day. Mountain Valley Bridal helped me find the perfect dress and bridal party attire, and ordered us some extra ties and shoes last minute. Mary from the Laramie Plains Museum offered some great tips on how to best utilize the historic grounds. Boni at Dan D Party Corner special ordered sparkle organza overlays to bring a blue accent to our tables and helped us acquire some last minute tables cloths. Ruth at Fresh Flower Fantasy helped us create beautiful floral centerpieces for our tables, after months of trying to come up with something on our own. She also cleverly incorporated a piece of my Grandma’s jewelry and an airplane charm from my Grandpa on my bouquet, so they could both be with me in spirit as I walked down the aisle. Rick and Stephanie of Ardent Photography did a wonderful job capturing every detail and emotion of the entire day, and even agreed to stay an extra hour to capture some events when dinner ran longer than planned. Our family friend Janet Christenot, of Creative Wheat, used her amazing talent to create a beautiful and unique cake topper made entirely out of wheat! Finally, our guests enjoyed themselves, feasting and dancing the night away, thanks to Altitudes’ wonderful catering, Liz’s delicious cakes, and awesome music by George from Rock on Wheels.
What was your favorite thing about your wedding?
Everything! After months of preparations, things finally seemed to come together to create a beautiful, memorable day! We were blessed with gorgeous weather, and the love of family and friends, many whom traveled hundreds of miles to help us celebrate. Kurt and I tried our best to incorporate things that were important and meaningful to us into our big day. We loved the idea of a simple, but elegant wedding theme, with just a touch of country. To achieve this we choose an outdoors wedding in Laramie, Wyoming, the place where our love story began as University of Wyoming college students. Growing up on a Montana ranch, and Nebraska farm, Kurt and I are both country kids at heart. Therefore, we decided to use wheat as an underlying theme in our decorations, and even used a 50’s vintage wheat truck as our parade vehicle after the ceremony! We choose our favorite color, a Montana Sky blue, for the bridal party attire and used baby blue and ivory accents in our decorations. Ironically, blue also happens to be same color as our Yogo Sapphires ring stones, which are unique to Montana. Ultimately, all of these elements helped create a truly special day.
What is your best piece of advice for other brides?
While there’s no denying wedding planning can be stressful, don’t forget to also make it fun! It goes by fast, so do your best to cherish every minute of it. Be sure to take the time to enjoy your family, friends, and especially that one person that you’ve chosen to spend your life with because the memories you’ll make on your wedding day will last a lifetime!
Did you all catch the wheat elements incorporated into their details? What a fun theme for details! Are any of you planning on having a specific theme to your details like this wedding?
