Leading up to the wedding day, typical brides are down right narcotic about what the weather just might be. Stressing over a storm system on the other side of the country, freaking out about cloud cover that they can not control. Rain is typically the end all be all of the worry producers. Joey Walker & Stephen Collins’ wedding day was graced with rain, graced because up unto that point, the area had been having a super dry summer. As life would have it, the skies opened, the couple & guests embraced the quenching of the earth and rain was celebrated along side the couple. Yellows & grays supplemented the already lovely Lyon’s Farmette, while rustic elegance was the overall feel for the day. The couple cemented their day, binding their love in a Buddhist ceremony while rain drops kissed the tops of the heads of those their to celebrate.
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Novella of the Bride…
Joey has her MA in Counseling Psychology, and loves NY Times Crossword Puzzles, yoga, hiking, cooking, and meditation. Stephen is the CEO and founder of a 3D software company in Boulder, who loves to study history, to be active, hike with the dogs, and he makes a mean Margarita! Our relationship began when Joey was a hostess at The Kitchen Cafe in Boulder, CO, and Stephen was a regular patron. We slowly got to know each other, and over time (and one marathon conversation), found that we had many shared passions, similar worldviews, and both had the hope to start a family someday. We share a deep love of our families and friends, and find that spending time with those we love enriches our relationship and gives us lots of support.
The theme was really taken by the beautiful natural atmosphere of the Lyons Farmette. We wanted a rustic elegance, that was very simple and beautiful. The colors were yellow, cream and grey, and stripes kept showing up as a stylistic theme. We wanted our wedding to feel like a cozy and intimate gathering, although we had about 150 guests. Food is a major shared passion of Stephen and mine, and we wanted the meal to play a big part of the night. Our caterer was fantastic and incorporated produce from The Farmette, as well as sourced all ingredients locally. Special touches were our Buddhist wedding vows, and the fact that it poured rain from our cocktail hour on into the night! It had been a notoriously dry summer in Colorado, so we like to think that our wedding rain helped out the land! The farmers had tears in their eyes because they were so grateful for the rain. Our guests said that the rain was actually their favorite part- so thank goodness we had rented a tent at the last minute, or else everyone would have been drenched!
We chose the Lyons Farmette because we wanted to be outside and enjoy the natural beauty of Colorado, as well as giving our guests a unique experience. We loved the Farmette because of the precious animals, luscious vegetables and colorful flowers. But honestly, what made the location so special, was the kindness of Betsey and Mike, who are the owners. Not only did they invite us in their house when we toured, we sat with them as they ate their pancakes and eggs, and then got a tour of their home, which is on the property. They were engaged and loving from the start, and we felt that we had such true supporters in them. They helped us so much, and we will forever be grateful to them!
Joey’s {bride} mother passed away not two months before the wedding, so it was a very painful time- although the paradox of joy was also felt, by the support of other family members and friends.It seemed as though everyone who could offer to help, did so. Afternoons were spent around the dining room table, filling goodie bags with jelly beans for the guests, and folding the handmade programs. Also, one of the bridesmaids offered Salsa dance lessons to the bride and her father for their special father/daughter dance. It was a lesson to remember and brought lots of laughs.
Bride’s Favorite Moment: “When I close my eyes and envision my favorite moment, I recall the feelings that I had when my father walked me down the aisle. It was such a pure, emotional moment, and I felt that my mother was there too. When I walked down the aisle and saw Stephen’s face smiling at me, I felt full of love and joy, and so happy that we had our closest friend’s and family there to witness us on that day. It was a profound experience of letting go and feeling so grounded during my transition to becoming a wife!”
We loved each and every one of our vendors so much- and the lasting friendshps that we made with them is truly what aided in making our wedding such a huge success. We felt so connected to everyone that was with us, and are so grateful that we can call them our friends. Choosing to go with vendors that we had instant connections with really made planning so much easier. We felt like everyone had our back!
Vendor Love
Venue: Lyon’s Farmette
Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier
Bridesmaid Dresses: BHLDN
Shoes: Tory Burch
Hair Stylist: SideDoor Salon
Caterer: eat PRIVATE CHEF & CATERING co
Baker: Nathan Miller
Florist: Living Interiors
Musicians: Kevin Sousa
Band: Conjunto Colores
DJ: DJ Michael Jones
Photographer: Ashley Davis Photography