An Intimate Bohemian Wedding at the Bristlecone Inn in Estes Park, Colorado
While Megan Mills (29 and a nurse) and Tom Myers (29 and a ramp agent for Southwest Airlines) had originally planned to throw a large wedding in their home state of Kansas, the pair quickly realized that an intimate, laid-back affair was way more their speed. “We had always dreamed of a destination wedding, and took a trip to Colorado on the one-year anniversary of our engagement to scout locations,” says Megan. “We fell in love with Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park, and came home knowing we would be married in the mountains with just our closest friends and immediate family.”
Sprague Lake in the Rocky Mountains provided a picturesque backdrop for Megan and Tom’s ceremony. With the site boasting such breathtaking scenery, the couple ditched the idea of additional decor, allowing the beauty of the natural setting to take center stage. They wrote the entire ceremony, including their vows, from scratch to reflect their unique story and personalities. “I loved seeing Tom in that beautiful setting and cried all the way through our vows,” says Megan. “After a group photo, we capped the ceremony by having each of our guests take a shot of Myers Magic Mist, a special liquor recipe from Tom’s family.”
The historic Bristlecone Inn played host to the reception, which kicked off with lively lawn games and signature drinks featuring Myers Magic Mist. Floral Design of Europe and Pink Champagne Events helped transform the charming interiors of the inn into a whimsical, romantic scene with wooden tables draped in lush eucalyptus and peony garland, flickering candlelight and hand-calligraphed place cards that guided guests to their seats. “I even took a section of the garland home with me on the drive back to Kansas because I just couldn’t part with them,” says Megan.
Though far from home, Megan and Tom brought along a few family heirlooms to give the decor an extra sentimental touch. Their one-tier cutting cake was decorated with a 70-year-old cake topper that had belonged to Tom’s grandparents and the crocheted table cloth that adorned the dessert table had been handmade by Megan’s grandmother.
A bit of advice from Megan: “I think the fact that we had a small, destination wedding truly reflected us as a couple. Though it was difficult not to have our entire families with us, our choice to have a small wedding felt right since neither of us enjoy being the center of attention and we didn't want a traditional wedding. My advice to future couples would be to go with your gut. Make choices that you actually want to make rather than what other people expect of you. You only have one day to get it right, so don't waste your time, money, and energy on something you don't truly love.”