1. Real Weddings

A Vintage, DIY Wedding at Town Pavilion in Silverthorne, Colorado

For their wedding, Melissa Eaton (25 and works in merchandising) and Dustin Hill (24 and works in sales) looked to the beauty of the Colorado landscap

For their wedding, Melissa Eaton (25 and works in merchandising) and Dustin Hill (24 and works in sales) looked to the beauty of the Colorado landscape and their love of all things vintage to inspire the day’s vibe. “We both enjoy being outdoors and love living in Colorado, so we wanted to make sure our wedding took advantage of the beautiful mountain scenery,” Melissa says. They did this by hosting the affair at the Silverthorne town pavilion, starting the day with an outdoor ceremony overlooking the river and mountains, before heading inside for an evening of celebrating. Handmade details were key in giving the day personal flair and the couple spent the months leading up to the wedding handcrafting everything from the flowers for bouquets and centerpieces to the wedding arch and signs. Antique elements like a typewriter for the guest book and a cheerful color palette of mint, gold and pale pink played up the vintage theme. “It was amazing how many of our friends were also our vendors,” Melissa says. The couple’s photographer, planner and DJ were all childhood friends, and Melissa’s former coworker, who owns a cupcake business, baked all the cupcakes for the dessert table. A tip for the taking from Melissa and Dustin: “Our advice would be to breathe and enjoy the process of planning as much as you can. It gets extremely stressful, but try not to take it out on each other. Remember to enjoy your wedding day and don't worry about if everything is perfect.”

“We both enjoy being outdoors and love living in Colorado, so we wanted to make sure our wedding took advantage of the beautiful mountain scenery,” Melissa says. The Silverthorne Town Pavilion did just that, the ceremony site affording stunning views of the natural landscape, including the nearby river and mountains.
To find the perfect wedding dress, Melissa visited Amanda’s Bridal in Arvada, Colorado. It was there that she found a beautifully embellished design by Mori Lee in a mermaid silhouette that perfectly complemented her hourglass shape. And though she had originally had her heart set on a keyhole back, she couldn’t resist the fun vibe of the gown’s strapless neckline. To give her the best of both worlds, Melissa’s consultant was able to find a shawl that she could wear during the ceremony.
While Melissa and Dustin had a candy bar after a barbecue dinner, the couple decided to stick with tradition and had a small cake made for a cake cutting. The two-tier confection was covered in a layer of ruffled fondant and topped with a playful wire heart boasting their first names.
Melissa and Dustin tapped into their creative sides after deciding to give the wedding a personalized flair with DIY details, hand-making everything from the signs to the wedding arch and bouquets. In the months leading up to the wedding, Melissa scoured local thrift shops for fabric to transform into flowers for both the bouquets and the centerpieces.
While Melissa got busy handcrafting everything from the flowers to the signs, Dustin took on a few DIY projects of his own. With the help of Melissa’s father, Dustin made the wedding arch for the ceremony from locally sourced tree branches and decorated with tulle panels and burlap bows. The arch meshed perfectly with the couple’s rustic, vintage theme, while complementing the ceremony’s natural setting.
Melissa and Dustin chose a playful pink, ivory and mint color palette for the reception, both giving the Silverthorne Town Pavilion a cheerful vibe, while tying into the wedding’s vintage theme. The couple decorated the reception tables with pale mint table runners and arrangements of fabric flowers displayed in small wooden crate vases, which Melissa handcrafted herself.
While Melissa opted for a classic mermaid-style wedding dress by Mori Lee with glam beaded embellishments, she went for a more vintage-inspired style for her accessories. A birdcage veil instantly introduced an air of retro glam to her bridal look, while a pearl bracelet and necklace added a note of timeless elegance.
When it came to choosing the bridesmaids’ dresses, making sure they were cool and comfortable was key. Melissa chose a strapless, floor-length gown from David’s Bridal for all of them to wear, the flowy chiffon fabric making it easy for them to move around, while standing up to the summer heat.
Both Melissa and Dustin admit to having a serious sweet tooth, so incorporating a candy bar into the reception was an obvious choice. The couple stocked a table with their favorite sweet treats, including mini chocolate bars, nuts, Twizzlers, Skittles and mini cupcakes, for their guests to enjoy after dinner.
Playing off the wedding’s vintage theme, Melissa and Dustin decided to ditch the traditional guest book for something a little more fun -- and retro. They set up a vintage typewriter on the guest book table and asked their guests to type their well wishes and advice onto personalized notecards.