Outdoor Colorado wedding at historic cottage with triangle arch 

Carmen and Kate’s outdoor August wedding in Laporte, Colorado took place at a historic cottage called Rist Canyon Inn 

“It was quaint, charismatic, beautiful, and right outside of the town that we fell in love in,” the couple writes.

“We were so fortunate to have the most supportive community surrounding us throughout our relationship from our closest friends to many of our family members, so we wanted our wedding to celebrate ALL the love.”

What advice would you give to engaged LGBTQ+ couples?

Don’t feel pressured to please anyone else when it comes to your special day. This was very difficult for us, but we had to remind ourselves that more than anyone else it is going to be the two of us that are reflecting on this day most, so create the day how you wish to reflect on it. For some, that means eloping and for others that means a huge wedding. For us, it was an intimate wedding with only our closest family and friends. When we look back we have no regrets because everything we did was the way we wanted it. With LGBTQ+ weddings it can be difficult to plan because there are many different voices, questions, and criticisms about what it is going to look like. Be gentle with those people, but set boundaries. LGBTQ+ weddings are already non-traditional, so see it as an opportunity to take full advantage of that! 😉

What advice do you have for vendors and venues working with LGBTQ+ couples?

We were so lucky to find Rist Canyon Inn, whose owners were very kind and incredibly inclusive. They had all of the proper language down in their packets, treated us just like any other couple, and understood that there might be some sensitivity with family. We suggest that any vendor do the same.

Also, we recommend that they invest in wedding coordinators that know what they are doing. The coordinator we had was beyond amazing and it put all of us at ease during the more stressful times leading up to the wedding day. They made us feel so comfortable and it was noticed by all of our friends and family. We share our experience with everyone who will listen. That is good for business and it was definitely good for our hearts.

What challenges did you face as an LGBTQ+ couple planning your wedding?

As with most LGBTQ+ couples, some family members can be a challenge and that can be painful. We understood that not everyone would be accepting, but we got really good at setting boundaries so that we could keep an open heart for them as they challenge their own belief systems and where they come from. We have lost friends and family because we have chosen to be who we are and that will never be an easy thing to deal with. But, we choose to keep moving forward and choose love even for those that do not accept us for who we are.

Did you encounter any pleasant surprises as an LGBTQ+ couple planning your wedding?

So many! Particularly the support and enthusiasm of all our vendors —especially our photographers, Autumn and Griffin. Having memories of the most memorable day of your life is not easily expressed! They crushed it to say the least. From the first meeting to the day of our wedding to receiving our package with our USB drive and prints, Autumn and Griffin made us feel comfortable, special, and overwhelmed with gratitude for capturing the essence of our relationship and the relationships we have with all of the incredible people we have in our lives. We cannot thank them enough and highly recommend them to anyone seeking engagement and wedding photography. Also, a huge shoutout to our florist, Jodi, who specializes in locally sourced, sustainable flowers. Her company is called Flower Tribe.

Search our directory of LGBTQ+ inclusive vendors.

FEATURED VENDORS

Photographer: Autumn Parry Photography

Venue: Rist Canyon Inn 

Florist: Flower Tribe 

Planner: Pink Diamond Events 

DJ: Mountain Event Services 

Attire: Vera Wang 

Caterer: Juli y Juan’s Kitchen

Hair and Makeup: BeYouTiful Art

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