Our Snowy Colorado Elopement

4.20.17

Arie and I hiked up Maxwell Falls in Evergreen Colorado to say I Do. To say the least..It was so worth it. 

We spent the night at the Highland Haven creekside inn. It was a warm and cuddly place with really yummy food, and very kind people. Here is a write up about our day, our very personal and special day together! Please remember I am NOT a writer! Lol

We arrived in Colorado on the 19th after driving 16+ hours straight through from Indiana! We went straight to Maxwell Falls to check out our location for the next day. It was only my third time visiting and Aries second. (We choose this cliff in particular because it has made a huge impact on my life since I first saw it.) After hanging out there for most of the day our room was finally ready for us so we went to the Highland Haven to shower and relax after our very long drive. Later that evening we drove around Evergreen checking out restaurants for our day-of-meal. We ate at Key's on the green, a local golf course and had some of the best food of our life. We'd found our pick! So on the 20th, after some much needed sleep we woke up, ate breakfast in this cute dining area in the Highland, then set out for our wedding cake. Believe it our not but the Walmart in Evergreen is made to look like a cabin, and we got the exact wedding cake I wanted for $7.99! (after some arguing with the baker because she didn't like how simple my cake looked) We had a lot of time to kill before the photographer was due to show up. So we took the most beautiful drive and just kept driving. We ended up at the Red Rocks Amphitheater, we hung out and shopped around there then headed back. It was really a relaxing day for me. Once our photographer, Doug from Twig and Olive arrived we opened up our Frank Sinatra and started getting ready. from here on are all the photos that help tell the story a little better then I can! Arie and I got ready in separate rooms then did a revel outside up a Hill. I will never forget the moment I first saw Arie! It almost felt like I was in the Movie "Up" weirdly enough, I think it was his bowtie.<3 

We then went inside the dining area at the Highland and had photos done in there. The coffee I had was defiantly Decaf because by this time I'm already wired through excitement.

We left for the ceremony (It had already been raining off and on since 3pm) Waited for the rain to calm down the started our hike up. It was only about a 17min hike. Once we got to the cliff we set up for some shots then got ready for the ceremony. The moment we started was so surreal for me. Time stopped and there wasn't a sound. Just us and giant snow flakes falling. No wind, no other people, no animals. Just us (and the Photographer and the Officiant). The cords come from a Celtic tradition called Hand Fasting. Each cord stands for something, Trust, Passion, Love Ect.

Our hands are to be tied together and not taken apart for the night. (Which we did so we could hike back lol) We then started the hike back getting a few photos on the way. We were having so much fun doing so we took the wrong trail back and ended up on the road farther back from where we parked. Soaked and cold at this point we picked up our food from the key's and then had dinner at our cabin. We had our first dance to "My best friend" by Tim McGraw. This is the ice breaker song we danced to back in sophomore year. Ice breaker because thats the moment we went from friends- to more then friends. 

When we walked in there was a bucket of ice with Champagne in it next to the Log we are holding with our engraving on it, a gift from the Highland Haven.