Kate and Spencer's hometown wedding at the Riverside in Boulder was a long time coming! They were one of many couples forced to postpone their wedding because of the pandemic. One of the unexpected joys for me professionally of postponements was getting to know my couples longer, and often better, throughout the wait!
- Kate and Spencer first inquired with me in October 2019.
- The following week we met for beers and they decided right away to book me.
- We met for their engagement session that November.
- In the spring of 2020 they emailed me to say that they were postponing their August wedding until the following year.
- That winter they bought a house.
- In April 2021 I stopped by for photos with their dog Eddie on their brand new front porch.
For their last pre-planning meeting we met at Sanitas Brewery, and while we couldn't believe the day was finally and truly just around the corner they were also the most prepared couple I've ever had in my life. They had a wedding day schedule that literally included not just the hour and minute of the day but also the second. (Which was actually an Excel error that we laughed so hard about.)
When September 25, 2021 arrived it was a hot day with cloudless skies. Kate was getting ready at the St. Julien Hotel with her mom and her three bridesmaids. The first thing I saw when I entered their room was Kate putting bandaids on her feet from the high heels she wore to their rehearsal dinner. She laughed and shrugged it off, ready to dance the night away on bandaged toes. One of the best things about this couple is their attitude towards life. Calm, flexible, positive, and fun. Kate is kind and easy to talk to, and Spencer's laugh is contagious. They are caring with each other and a joy to photograph.
The sun was high in the sky when Kate's wedding gown went on. Her dad came to see her in her dress for the first time, and her older brother Sam snuck a look too! He would later officiate their wedding. The group of us - bridesmaids and Kate's family - went downstairs to the St. Julien courtyard to take photos while Spencer popped into the same hotel room to put on his finishing touches. When he was ready, we brought him downstairs and left him to wait at the base of a gorgeous metal staircase in the hotel lobby to see his bride for the first time. His reaction? Priceless.
Once everyone was together the wedding party packed up and headed to the venue in their cars. Kate and Spencer had opted to walk the four blocks between the hotel and the wedding venue along the Boulder Creek Path. After my band-aid story you'll have to respect Kate for wearing floral Manolo Blahnik stilettos on the walk to the Riverside.
At the venue Kate wandered upstairs to hide away as their 90 guests arrived and took their seats for the ceremony. Surrounded by flowers from Sturtz and Copeland, Kate and Spencer were finally and officially married. Well, more or less officially... you'll see in the photos below that we went to the rooftop after the ceremony to sign their marriage license. Kate's dad had brought a fantastic bottle of Pappy Van Winkel to celebrate. Once the wedding party had toasted the newlyweds they went downstairs, leaving Kate and Spencer with their family to enjoy a glass of whisky. Their family slowly finished their drinks and filtered downstairs. After a while I went back up to see if Kate and Spencer were ready to come see their guests and caught a photo of them kissing alone on the rooftop. It's one of my favorite candid moments of the day.
The Riverside staff and Spencer's mom Nancy had been working hard during cocktail hour. They transitioned the ceremony space into a dining room while guests had cool drinks on the shaded patio. When everyone was invited back inside the room had been completely transformed. From there, we enjoyed a seriously delicious dinner, cake that Spencer's mom baked, and toasts from family and friends. Guests were once again invited to the patio for toasts while the Riverside staff completed the third transformation of the interior space: into a dance floor.
VENDORS
Venue | The Riverside
Florist | Sturtz & Copeland
Caterer | The Riverside
Bride’s Attire | Tara Lauren gown from Lovely Bride Dress Shop
Hair & Make-Up | Rachel Wise
Groom’s Attire | Bonobos
Rings | John Atencio
Band | Diamond Empire Band
