The Manor House Wedding | The Bridal Collection Real Bride

Share about your dress shopping experience.

As Shannon envisioned  her wedding day, the most important aesthetic aspect was the wedding dress. In fact, she chose her bridal gown before selecting her venue, color scheme, cake and catering. Shannon wanted the dress to inspire the rest of her wedding day. When she made an appointment at The Bridal Collection, she was open to different designers and styles; however, there was one specific Lazaro dress she had her eye on. After trying on a few dresses, she ended up falling head over heels for the  Lazaro – style number 3413,   “Everything about it, from the glitter to the horsehair detail to the ball gown silhouette and train, felt like the over-the-top, princess gown I’d always dreamed about wearing,” Shannon says.

“I’m so thankful to The Bridal Collection staff for encouraging and empowering me to make the decision when it felt right, rather than rushing me. I also loved their suggestions and help in personalizing the dress; I ended up removing the gold sash and replacing it with an ivory ribbon that felt more ‘me’.” However, Shannon saved the original sash from the dress and her dog, Penny, wore it on the wedding day!

Did you have any personal touches incorporated in your special day?

Shannon and Craig worried less about the traditional “rules” of planning a wedding and focused on their wedding day as a reflection of the two of them as a couple. One of Shannon’s closest friends officiated the short and sweet wedding ceremony. Occasionally, their precious dog, Penny, let out a few anxious barks as she stood with the bridal party. When the bride and groom kissed, the pup nearly dragged a groomsman to the altar because she wanted to be part of the celebration!

Instead of giving wedding favors, Shannon and Craig asked guests to vote for one of three nonprofit organizations — they pledged to donate to the winning cause on their guests’ behalf. Shannon was thrilled when the winning organization was the Ronald McDonald House, since she is a nurse at Children’s Hospital Colorado and witnesses each day the impact the organization makes on her patients and their families. Contributing to such a wonderful cause on behalf of friends and family felt like a personal, lasting way to celebrate their marriage.

Since they aren’t big dessert fans, Shannon and Craig opted to cut a pizza rather than the traditional wedding cake. As you can imagine, their guests loved grabbing a slice before heading back to the dance floor!

We love how creative and unique our brides are. What are some personal touches you added to your wedding day? Let us know in the comments.

Any advice for future brides?

When asked to share advice to future brides, Shannon had some amazing things to share. “I didn’t have a wedding planner, but throughout the process I found all of the classic planning advice to be true: do as much as you can as early as possible, learn to delegate, and budget well. But most importantly I learned that although stress is inevitable, being engaged is a special chapter of life that you don’t want to waste being lost in wedding planning. It’s easy to get caught up in details when you’re flooded with Instagram posts, bridal magazines, and promotional emails showing over-the-top, sometimes unattainable weddings that may leave you feeling envious or overwhelmed. Try not to let the stress of planning a day overshadow the joy of building a life together.

Identify what matters to you (and what you can afford) and don’t feel bad skipping traditions or details that don’t feel like “you.” We had guests RSVP online, didn’t have ceremony cards or menus, and left the reception in an Uber to free up budget for other aspects that mattered more to us (like my dress!) Whatever is important to make the day yours, focus on that and try not to worry about what you see in other weddings. Don’t feel bad if you can’t afford the elegant table settings you saw on Pinterest or skip a night of planning to go on a date with your fiance. This is your day, but it’s also ONE day in the start of your life together.

And on the day, not everything will go according to plan. Somebody will show up late or you’ll forget your custom “Mrs” dress hanger (guilty) or something will break or your flower girl will refuse to wear her shoes. None of that will take away from the love you’ll feel as you become a wife, or the joy you’ll feel being surrounded by those who mean the most to you. Have a glass of champagne and enjoy the ride!”

Thanks for sharing about your wedding day and for the encouragement, Shannon! We wish you and Craig the best in your life together.

Vendors:

Dress Designer: Lazaro

Bridal Store: The Bridal Collection

Venue: The Manor House

Photographer: Caitlin Alysse Photography

DJ: Jammin’ DJs

Floral: Sara Mica Design

Suits: Men’s Wearhouse

Pizza: Lil’ Ricci’s (Ken Caryl)