Although famous for its role in a scary movie, few things are more beautiful than a wedding at The Stanley Hotel. Read more about our bride Kate’s special day!

Where it all started

It all started when Kate noticed John in a friend’s social media photos. He certainly caught her eye, and she knew she HAD to find a way to meet him. Unfortunately, she hadn’t spoken to their mutual friend in awhile, so she didn’t know how to go about it. One day, after a helpful glass of wine, she worked up the courage to direct message John. Luckily, he was equally interested in her, so he asked her on a date. 

A year later they moved in together. They both had insanely long commutes in the DC area. It didn’t take long for the lengthy drive to get old, so they discussed relocating. After dating for a year and a half, John got a job offer in Colorado. They jumped at the opportunity! At this point, the topic of marriage had been discussed. The major life change helped expedite the process for them — they knew they wanted to be together forever. 

Before they moved to Colorado, they went on a trip to visit John’s sister in Newport, Rhode Island. After a few days had passed, Kate decided that if John was going to propose on this trip, it would have already happened. From Newport, they traveled to Portland, Maine, where Kate’s brother and his wife got married two years prior. She knew the park was somewhere in the Portland area, but couldn’t for the life of her remember the name. Kate had mentioned to John that it was one of the most beautiful places she’d ever seen. On their way to lunch, she recognized the entrance to the park! She insisted they stop after lunch so she could show the park to John. Little did she know, John had something up his sleeve. He got down on one knee in the exact location Kate’s brother was married. It was a very sweet gesture, because Kate’s brother and his wife live overseas so they couldn’t be there to celebrate with them. This was a special way of including them!

Estes Park Wedding at The Stanley Hotel

Kate wanted her wedding to be fairly simple, because The Stanley Hotel and Estes Park are stunning on their own. In fact, she didn’t even use decor for the ceremony – the backdrop was the gorgeous mountain view! She loved the historic feel of The Stanley Hotel. The wedding reception space was the Billiard Pinon room which features gorgeous woodwork, reminding her of an old library. This inspired Kate to use old books for centerpieces. She knew she wanted some sort of light featured in their centerpieces. John thought to cut off the tops of Jameson bottles (which are green – one of their wedding colors) and put candles inside. The lit candles added to the romantic, intimate feel. Finally, Kate wanted to add their own personal touch, so she used photos from their travels on the table numbers.  

The best part of planning a wedding for Kate was seeing all of her hard work come to fruition. She spent an entire year making big decisions and choosing small details. When the wedding day finally arrived, it was all worth it. “All the little bumps along the way didn’t really matter anymore because I was marrying my best friend and everyone seemed to have a fantastic time!”

Wedding dress shopping in Denver

Prior to visiting The Bridal Collection, Kate had been to a Denver bridal shop where she wasn’t given much direction for which wedding dresses to try on. Ultimately, she ended up disliking every dress. She didn’t know which bridal gowns looked good for her body and overall vision. After that unsuccessful attempt to find the dress, her parents flew out to join her for her other appointments. 

First stop was The Bridal Collection. Jordan, Kate’s bridal stylist, immediately understood Kate’s overall vision for a wedding dress. As Kate and her parents picked out a few dresses to try on, Jordan also pulled bridal gowns that she thought would look fantastic. After Kate tried on a few more dresses of a similar style that just didn’t work for her, Jordan stepped in. She suggested a fit and flare wedding dress by Madison James. This sleeveless bridal gown features trailing lace appliqués, a gorgeous high neckline and a fabulous fitted silhouette. It looked stunning on Kate and would look perfect for her wedding at The Stanley Hotel! She says “I tried it on and felt spectacular in that dress. I never in a million years would think a style like that would look good on me, but after trying it on I knew I had to have it! I even cancelled my next appointment because I knew I didn’t need to look any further. Thank goodness for Jordan and The Bridal Collection or else I might have been disappointed in my dress choice!”

Advice for future brides

“I STRONGLY recommend considering a first look!! I was way more anxious than I anticipated on the day of and having the first look calmed my nerves and helped me be at ease for the rest of the day. It also helped give us a little bit of time to ourselves on a very crazy day! Also, I know this is going to sound impossible, but try to take a deep breath. This is your day, don’t fret about anything/anyone else. Focus on you and your future spouse. Lastly, try to find some time to yourselves if possible! Our photographer helped with this and I appreciated it so much! We had some time together before the ceremony and then again before being introduced.”  

Book an appointment to find a bridal gown for your special wedding day!

Happily Mr. & Mrs.

Our number one tip for wedding ceremony decor: just use the mountains!

Kate’s Madison James wedding dress features a gorgeous train that needed to be shown off.

Every bride needs to take a twirling photo in her wedding dress. 🙂

This Estes Park wedding venue has endless history and gorgeous architecture.

Perks of having your wedding at The Stanley Hotel: endless photo spots!

Inspired by the venue, Kate used secondhand books as table decor. We love how it turned out!

The old world charm at The Stanley Hotel is breathtaking.

On the back of each table number is a photo from one of Kate and John’s many travel adventures together.

Kate and John celebrated with their friends and family for a night to remember!

Vendors:

Venue – The Stanley Hotel

Photographer – Alyssa Reinhold

Dress – The Bridal Collection (Madison James)

DJ – Stage One Events

Hair/Makeup – Belle Shea Salon

Day of Coordinator – Mountainside Events 

Cake – Colorado Rose Cake Company 

Flowers – Hobby Lobby (made by the bride!)