An Evening of Surprises in Downtown Denver
Meghan & Phil | July 21st | Denver, Colorado
From the bride, Meghan:
I think once I found the dress, a couture ball gown designed by Romona Keveza, everything else just fell into place. The dress seemed to require a unique, formal venue and KT’s at The Opera House seemed the perfect location for the reception. We asked of all guests that were attending to wear black to carry out the black and white wedding palette.
I wore my grandfather’s wedding band and my mother’s pearl ring, which was a gift from her mother who received it in 1926 from her uncle who was a pearl dealer.
My soft white bouquet filled with ivory garden roses, lisianthus, and dahlias was the perfect complement to the pearl tone of my dress. 
I wrote personal notes to Phil on slips of paper cut from a Chipotle bag. As each of my eight bridesmaids met Phil at the altar, they handed him a note. On one I wrote, “I’ll always let you order Chipotle!” Quoting Shakespeare, another said, “When I saw you, I fell in love, and you smiled because you knew.” I watched from the back of the church as Phil laughed and wiped tears from his eyes as he read each note.
We choose tall square vases with purple hydrangea, deep red heart roses, peach tulips, hanging amaranths, and trailing ivy to create the soft garden look of flowers spilling out of the vases. Lower arrangements of the same accented other tables accompanied by votive candles.
As a surprise, I had our cake designed in the shape of our boxer Maverick, lying in a field of white spun sugar flowers that matched my dress. It was so fun to see the surprise and delight on Phil’s face when they dropped the sheet to reveal our smiling puppy, life sized!
It was a special moment when we danced our first dance to Ray LaMontagne’s “You’re the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me.” Then, Phil stood with my mother, tears in his eyes, as I danced with my dad to “I Loved Her First.”
Following the last dance, we adjourned to The Edge at The Four Season’s Hotel for the final call. Downtown Denver is so beautiful at night and it is just a couple blocks walk to the hotel from the Opera House.
My advice: Find your dress first. Once that is done, the other decisions seem to come more easily.
Meghan’s RECOMMENDED VENDORS
Photographer: Van Buren Photography. Katie was amazing! From the engagement pictures in downtown Denver to the stunning shots in Chessman’s Park to the romantic ones at the Opera House, she caught just the right vibe!
Event Planner: Colorado Wedding Company. My family was still in the Chicago suburbs while we planned the wedding so having Paige and CWC guiding us through the planning was instrumental in keeping us all calm and enjoying the process. They exceeded our every expectation!
Cake: Elegant Bakery. Chef Janusz eagerly embraced our decision to use our boxer puppy as the wedding cake. He really caught Maverick in his typical pose when he created this cake! It was a hit with everyone.
Guest Lodging: The Four Seasons provided a perfect location for our wedding weekend.
Ceremony: Church of the Risen Christ // Reception: The Ellie Caulkins Opera House // Wedding Gown: Romona Keveza from Felice Bridal // Bridesmaid Dresses: Lela Rose Design // Hair & Makeup: The Parlour // Men’s Wear: Men’s Warehouse // Invitations: Paper Guppy // DJ: Dance Trax Entertainment // Transportation: Sunset Limo