Andrew and Lizzie's Wedding in Denver, Colorado
Modern Summer Gold 4 wedding vendors
6/14/2019 74 1
A&L
14 Jun, 2019
The story of our wedding
How They Met"Hi Lizzie! Nice to e-meet you."It was late October 2014, and Andrew and Lizzie were both active on Hinge, an online dating site that connects people through mutual Facebook friends (or in their case, through three degrees of separation on Facebook).Andrew's first words stood out to Lizzie: they were straight-forward and friendly, free from the painfully awkward openings typical of online dating. After a few casual conversations, Andrew asked Lizzie on a date.About a week later, on Nov. 8, they met in person at the new restaurant Stoic & Genuine at Union Station. Lizzie spotted Andrew at the bar when she arrived; just like his opening words to her, Andrew had a confident energy that put Lizzie at ease.That night, they talked about their favorite books and films while sharing granitas and appetizers. Andrew impressed Lizzie with his knowledge of literature and obscure film; Lizzie intimidated Andrew with her interviewing skills (she eventually eased up). The conversation flowed easily and neither of them noticed the time passing. It was a perfect, understated first date.After that first date, Lizzie and Andrew saw each other several times a week, trying new restaurants, going to movies and concerts, and even wandering around Ikea on a snowy afternoon. Before long, they were dating exclusively.Over the next four years, Lizzie and Andrew shared many meaningful experiences together. They traveled around Colorado on ski vacations and summer camping trips, visited family in Wisconsin, Montana, Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, and Washington, D.C., traveled for Lizzie's half marathon in Napa Valley, and took a long vacation to Argentina and Uruguay.They moved in together in February 2016 and got engaged on November 19, 2018 in their apartment — just a block from where they met at Union Station.Choosing the Wedding VibeAndrew and Lizzie wanted a meaningful ceremony followed by a fun party with friends and family. To that end, they focused on the elements that would most help them achieve that: a stellar group of people (many of whom were great conversationalists), delicious food, an unfussy but charming setting, and music that would keep people dancing all night long. An idea quickly took shape: What if they had a short, meaningful wedding in a downtown Denver location followed by a cocktail party at their friends’ bar, with pizza and Motown music? It gave the wedding the personality of a high-brow, low-brow mix — a little bit like Lizzie and Andrew themselves. This personality guided all their decisions for the wedding, from the laid-back decorations to the dramatic ceremony music.Event planner Alison Bartholomew, owner of Onyx Arts and Events, provided day-of coordination as well as high-level thoughts during the planning. Alison was a great pick, as she understood Lizzie and Andrew’s desire to keep things personal and slightly off-the-beaten-path.Their Favorite part of the WeddingRachmaninov’s “Rhapsody on a Theme from Paganini” swelled as Lizzie and Andrew took their place at the end of the aisle. The crowd stood and for the first time, Andrew and Lizzie saw all the smiling loved ones who had traveled from near and far to be there. Just as the music soared to the upper octaves of the piano, so soared the spirits of the happy couple.Heeding advice from friends who told them to pause and appreciate the day, Lizzie and Andrew stood intentionally present during their customized 15-minute ceremony. With readings from Lizzie’s brother Joe and Andrew’s father Don, they welcomed the wisdom and well-wishes as they legally entered into marriage — their favorite part of the day.The Best Story from the WeddingLizzie and Andrew’s wedding day began with the news that they would soon have a new niece.
Continue reading »Andrew’s brother’s wife had gone into labor two weeks early. Andrew’s brother Brian missed the wedding (he was a groomsman) as he welcomed his second child, a baby girl born at 7:51 p.m., just as the speeches were starting. Lizzie’s brother made a special announcement when Brian appeared at the party an hour after the birth to wish congratulations, get some pizza and cookies for his wife, and take a celebratory drink with his brothers.How They Kept Things PersonalIt was important to Lizzie and Andrew that their wedding did not feel cookie cutter. Here are some things they did to make their wedding feel extra personal:
They got married in their neighborhood. Lizzie and Andrew wanted their out-of-town guests to know the neighborhood they call home. They chose the art galleries at 1412 Wazee Street for their ceremony, which was within walking distance of the hotels, Union Station, and their apartment. Bonus: the second-floor ceremony space had gorgeous views of the Rocky Mountains amidst a downtown backdrop.
They chose an unconventional wedding venue. They held their cocktail party reception at The Englewood Grand, owned by Phil and Erika Zierke, friends of Lizzie and Andrew who bring love and creativity to everything they do. The space is long and narrow, which meant there was no assigned seating. This encouraged more spontaneous conversation and didn’t make anyone feel stuck in one place. Erika decorated the space using decorations provided by Lizzie and flowers supplied by a wholesale florist. The overall effect was charming, intimate, memorable, and very fun.
They skipped the typical party favors and instead gave away succulents that also served as table decorations (they wrote haikus on table tents that encouraged guests to take the plants).
They hired a photographer who excelled at taking candid photos. Keely Skyy — a photographer and cinematographer who works for Lizzie’s production company — took only a few posed photos, as the couple wanted someone who could blend into the background and focus on the unfolding events, rather than spend precious time on too many staged photos.
Lizzie and her mom made gifts for hotel guests by baking cookies, stuffing them into paper sandwich bags, and tying with gold ribbon. They distributed the bags to hotel guests along with a weekend itinerary.
They made custom invites. For their save-the-dates, they used a photo of Union Station taken by their friend and photographer Scott Dressel-Martin; they formatted and printed the postcard with Canva. A graphic designer friend designed their wedding invitations, perfectly blending their classic-meets-modern aesthetic, and included a detail that nodded to the beading on Lizzie’s dress.
They directed the speeches. Knowing that a wedding speech could make or break the vibe in the room, Lizzie and Andrew gave each of their five speakers a different topic, gave them time limits, and strongly encouraged them to prepare and practice. This ensured that each speech was unique, meaningful, and concise. In the end, the speeches elicited laughter, tears, and everyone’s undivided attention.
Instead of hiring an officiant who didn’t know them, they asked their friends Max and Kristen Winkler to officiate the wedding. Because of the Winkler’s preparation and thoughtful words, the ceremony felt custom-made for Lizzie and Andrew.
Though they had a secular ceremony, Lizzie and Andrew included readings from their families’ religious traditions.
They chose non-traditional wedding music played through a speaker. Selections included songs from favorite composers Philip Glass, Sergei Rachmaninov, Claude Debussy, and George Gershwin. Keeping with the high-brow/low-brow theme, they walked back down the aisle to Kool and the Gang’s “Celebration.”
Instead of exchanging personal vows publicly, Andrew and Lizzie wrote letters to each other that they read privately during a first look at an Airbnb home.
Andrew and Lizzie's vendor team
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