The Story of the Best Day Ever…Ours!

I have been meaning to blog about my amazing wedding (aka The Best Day Ever) to my best friend, my husband, since before I actually got married.  I had planned to blog about all of the DIY stuff that I did to get ready and save money for the wedding.  In fact, a couple of my DIY things that I made for my own wedding inspired a new wedding business.  More on that later…I have been waiting for the photograph’s, then once I got them, I was recovering from a second ankle surgery. I’m finally on the mend and so excited to share the story of our “Best Day Ever”.

We got married at Mt. Princeton Hot Springs in Nathrop, Colorado on Saturday, October 24, 2015 at 4 pm in the afternoon. It was a beautiful afternoon. The sun was shinning bright and the snow capped mountains made it feel magical out. There was so much love surrounding us that day (and all weekend) that we felt like nothing else in the world mattered, except the love that we shared with our family and friends that weekend.

Mhphotoshoot.com |Mt. Princeton Hot Springs, Nathrop CO, Colorado Weddings
Snow Capped Mountains above Mt. Princeton Hot Springs.
Mhphotoshoot.com |Mt. Princeton Hot Springs, Nathrop CO |Colorado Weddings
Mt. Princeton Lodge Welcome sign at Mt. Princeton Hot Springs.

 

A little less than a year before our wedding date, I fell on the ice and broke my left ankle in two places. I had to wear a cast and be non-weight bearing for about 3 months, then I started physical therapy. About 5 weeks into physical therapy, I wasn’t getting better and actually was having much more pain. After going back to the doctor and finally getting a CT Scan it was determined that the bone wasn’t healing and I needed surgery to basically screw my bones together. I had that done in May and started the recovery process all over.

Fast forward to October. I’m in and out of the boot, did another round of physical therapy and still was having a ton of pain and not able to walk well. Another trip to the doctor and finally an MRI determined that I had a torn ligament, stretched tendon and some cartilage damage. This all needed to be repaired. It was way too close to our wedding date for me to under go another surgery. So instead, I opted for a cortisone shot and alternating between wearing the AirCast boot and normal shoes. The weekend of the wedding, I was in the boot more than normal shoes. I wanted to be able to walk down the aisle on my own. Which, thankfully, I was able to do, as my beautiful friend, Cyndee, sang “One Thousand Years” by Christina Perry.  That song was perfect to walk down the aisle toward my future.

Mhphotoshoot.com |Mt. Princeton Hot Springs, Nathrop CO |Colorado Weddings |That Vintage Bride
Walking down the aisle with blue shoes on!

We planned our wedding ourselves and I definitely knew the theme I wanted and how I wanted the day to play out. The theme was “Vintage Elegance”.  I shopped many thrift and antique stores to find the perfect decor, linens and serving dishes all at bargain prices.  We were on a pretty tight budget since I had been injured most of the year and not able to work all that much. Amazingly, being very resourceful, we were able to pull off a very elegant wedding for more than 100 people for much less than the average wedding costs these days. I did do a lot of the “work” myself with the help of my fabulous friends.

I made the boutonniere’s, corsages, my brides maid’s bridal bouquet and my bridal bouquet. I used vintage buttons and brooches for everything I made. My bouquet was very special to me. I used my Nana’s costume jewelry that she had given to me a few years before she passed away. She was a florist her entire professional life, so I know she would have loved how it turned out. Every time I look at it, even now, I think of her and smile. I also inherited her “gold tooth” and wanted to incorporate that into the day somehow. I put it in an organza bag and pinned it to the underside of my dress. My friends who were in my cabin with me getting ready found that pretty funny. I, on the other hand, couldn’t contain my tears. I so wish she could have been there to see me marry the man of my dreams.  A man she loved very much too.

Mhphotoshoot.com |Mt. Princeton Hot Springs, Nathrop CO |Colorado Weddings |That Vintage Bride
My beautiful bridal bouquet that I made out of vintage brooches and buttons!
Mhphotoshoot.com |Mt. Princeton Hot Springs, Nathrop CO |Colorado Weddings |That Vintage Bride
The groom’s boutonniere that I made out of vintage buttons.
Bridal Corsages |Colorado Weddings |That Vintage Bride
Bridal corsages that I made out of silk flowers, pearls, vintage & new brooches, lace and ribbon.
Mhphotoshoot.com |Mt. Princeton Hot Springs, Nathrop CO |Colorado Weddings |That Vintage Bride
Attendant boutonniere.
Mhphotoshoot.com |Mt. Princeton Hot Springs, Nathrop CO |Colorado Weddings |That Vintage Bride
My Nana’s gold tooth that I pinned to my dress!

It was very important to us that our wedding was a family affair. We don’t live near any of our families and don’t get to see them nearly enough. Instead of having our friends stand up for us, we asked our niece and nephews to be our attendants. Their ages range from 4 years old to 12. None of them had ever been in a wedding before, so it was pretty exciting for them. They all did a great job and (I think) had fun. The location of our wedding is a resort hot springs with cabins and hotel like rooms. All of the kids stayed in cabins and really enjoyed the cabin stay along with swimming in the warm pools. Even though it was cooler out, the water was amazing. My husband and I are both avid hot springers and we love to soak. We had been to many hot springs during our courtship but Mt. Princeton Hot Springs is by far our most favorite here in Colorado. We are planning an anniversary trip back up there for our first anniversary!

Mhphotoshoot.com |Mt. Princeton Hot Springs, Nathrop CO |Colorado Weddings |That Vintage Bride
Ring Bearer’s carrying an Irish Vowing stone & cute sign.

I have so much more to share about our wedding. I will be posting more photograph’s and more information about how I made and planned everything so that we and our guests had the best time ever on the best day ever!

Venue location:  Mt. Princeton Hot Springs, Nathrop, Colorado

Photo credit:  James Hoang of MHPHOTOSHOOT – http://www.mhphotoshoot.com

Bridal bouquet, boutonniere’s, and corsages – http://www.etsy.com/shop/ThatVintageBride

Wedding March sung by: Cyndee McGovern – she sang, “One Thousand Years” by Christina Perri

*Little Miss Idea is a personal blog written by Meg Meg also runs a bridal planning and creative business – That Vintage Bride.  Email:  ThatVintageBridge@gmail.com for more info or pricing.

Spring Cleaning – your contacts to shredding your papers!

Rocky Mountains, office view
View from my office on a cloudy day.

March has started off very mildly here in the West. The weather has been warm and the flowers are already starting to bloom. Proving that a new season is upon us. Spring. Spring is one of my favorite seasons. It’s a time of rebirth in so many ways.  It’s a great time to do some Spring Cleaning.

Many people use the start of the spring season to do the dreaded “Spring Cleaning”. This normally means cleaning out closets & cabinets, scrubbing blinds, baseboards, floors and cleaning up the outside areas so they are ready for the outdoor activities that are just around the corner. Most of the time, this is hard work and not all that enjoyable. I participate in the dreaded practice of “Spring Cleaning” too, but this year instead of the dreaded ritual, why not mix it up a bit?

I think Spring is a great time to get your personal house in order but it’s also a great time to get your business or work house in order too. When was the last time you updated your contacts and made sure the email addresses, mailing addresses, phone numbers and names (who in your network has gotten married or divorced and changed their names recently?) were all correct? No one loves updating their contacts, but if you just sit down and do it, it won’t take as long as you think.

Spring is also a great time to purge old files, clean out your desk drawers, dust and clean up your work areas (don’t forget the shelves and any work tables or credenza’s). If you don’t have a shredder, there are companies that will come to your office and pick up or shred your files onsite for a fee. Click here for info on local shredding companies. If it’s not relevant or needed information, get rid of it. Less paper is better these days.

Since Spring is a time of rebirth and flowers starting to bloom, I like to spruce up my work station and add a vase of flowers or a green flowering plant to my desk or filing cabinet. It makes me happy to work in a space that is neat, tidy and decorated with flowers and other inspirational things that bring a smile to my face as I’m working away. My view out my office window makes me very happy and when I’m working, I usually have my blinds open so when I look up from what I’m working on or just need a quick break, I can enjoy the view (see the photo at top of post – my office window view).

If you live in an area where the winter is harsh and you hunker down, Spring is a also a great time to reconnect with people that maybe you haven’t seen all winter personally and professionally. Make plans to get together with those people in your life that you haven’t seen since the Holidays.

If you are a small business owner, this is a great time to plan a March Madness Happy Hour or a St. Patty’s Day brunch or open house at your office or local pub. Connect with your clients and ask them to bring a friend along, you never know who may need your service or product again or introduce you to a new client.

I hope your Spring fills you with new fresh ideas that will translate into abundance for the rest of the year!

*Little Miss Idea is a personal blog written by Meg Does – Meg Does offers Marketing & Administrative Services to Small Business Owners, Real Estate Agents & Entrepreneurs.  For more information on how Meg Does can help you with your professional needs, please email Meg at LittleMissIdea@gmail.com or leave a comment.