The Dress

When it comes to wedding dress shopping, every bride is different. Some brides come in with a specific vision in mind and leave with exactly that. Others come with an idea of what they’d like but leave with something totally different. In some cases, brides arrive at our Denver bridal shop with an open mind. In this case, Tessa was the latter! She didn’t have a specific style or look in mind: she just wanted to look elegant and put a massive smile on her hubby-to-be’s face.

After trying on just a few different dresses, Tessa found the one — Sottero & Midgley “Zelinda”. It was elegant, romantic, and fit her so beautifully! The gold underlay added a unique pop of color, which made the gorgeous lace detail stand out even more. To complete her wedding day look, she added a Pronovias lace jacket and graceful Bel Aire Bridal veil. On her wedding day, she wore three different looks: the ceremony look with the jacket and veil, the dress and veil without the jacket for the start of the reception and, finally, just the dress on it’s own! It was so fun to transform into three unique looks for her special day.

When she was shopping for her wedding dress, Tessa was originally planning to get married on a mountain top in Colorado. When the plans changed to a tropical clifftop wedding in Saint Lucia, she worried about whether or not the style would be fitting for a destination wedding. However, there are no rules when it comes to your dress! If you want to wear a full-on ballgown at the beach, go for it! Your wedding is your one chance to wear a wedding gown — wear what you’ve always dreamed of. In the end, Tessa was SO thrilled to have worn that dress in Saint Lucia. She received so many compliments from her guests and the photos turned out perfectly.

The First Look

Tessa will never forget the look on her soon-to-be-husband’s face when he first saw her. They met up on a lush green lawn surrounded by the Piton Mountains and the Caribbean Sea — is there anything more romantic? Tessa and Aaron were so giddy and excited to marry one another, that it’s no surprise that seeing his smile when he turned to gaze at her for the first time in her bridal gown was a favorite moment she’ll never forget. The joy was so overwhelming, they even forgot that the photographer and videographer were right there too! It was as if it was just the two of them, together in that moment, while the rest of the world melted away.

Breaking Tradition

For Tessa and Aaron, traditional wedding rituals were not a priority. Instead, they wanted the entire wedding to be a representation of them individually and as a couple. As a result, everything reflected just that — from the colors, to the location, to the nontraditional reception. Opting out of including bridesmaids and groomsmen, they also did without a rehearsal dinner.

Their personal touches were evident in their ceremony and vows to one another. On top of that, they curated personalized welcome bags for their guests, filled with St Lucia-inspired goodies!

Weddings can be just as unique as the two of you. We love seeing the personal and fun ideas our brides have used to customize their special day!

Any advice for future brides?

“Be kind to yourself and hire a great wedding coordinator. Neither Aaron or I felt stressed before or the day of the wedding because of Michele; she was wonderful. I simply showed up happy and in love and only focused on one thing – my absolutely amazing husband-to-be. Have fun and be playful together. All the planning and the events of the special day should not be about anyone or anything but the two people saying “I do”. People may not always understand or like your choices, but know who you are and what you want. Own your day and bring the joy!” – Tessa

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