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Lauren and Cyrus shared a special wedding weekend with their guests including a rehearsal at the Napa Reserve, a wedding ceremony at Kunde Winery in Sonoma and a wine tasting tour to finish the celebration.

The wedding day began with preparations at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn.

Lauren shares, “Cyrus really only had one request of our whole wedding, that it was to take place in Northern California. Cyrus went to school at Santa Clara University and he really fell in love with the area- I can’t say I could really complain, it is gorgeous there. When we went through the process of selecting a venue, we went to a few places but there was only one where I felt that we were really in wine country. Kunde’s rolling hills with vines sold it to me. I told Cyrus, “You wanted Northern California, this is it plus some!”

There was some stress leading up to our big day; it was forecasted to be very rainy all week long. My dad passed away when I was in high school, but I still talk to him as if he is here, especially on significant days in my life. I asked my dad for a favor, “If there is any control of the weather up there, please send me the weather that you want me to have on my wedding day” – I wasn’t specific, just a simple request. The day before our wedding, the news had headlines of “San Francisco’s Weather Door is Officially Open” and “Impending Bomb Cyclone Hovers for this Weekend.” I was very focused on our friends and family not having to sit in any rain, let alone a bomb cyclone. When we woke up the next morning, the sky had opened up and there was even sunshine!

When we were driving to the venue, our wedding party was in awe of how gorgeous all of the fall colors looked. Then, when we arrived for the ceremony, the sun was really shining. Our ceremony was my favorite part of the day. I felt like my dad was right there with us and had sent the sun to really show off – that was always his style.

It was so special for Cyrus and me to hear our vows that we had kept secret from each other.

Beyond the ceremony, my favorite parts were being able to surprise Cyrus all night long with meaningful parts of our relationship woven into our wedding. We both always wanted a very classic timeless wedding, but I made sure to add in some subtle touches that are really us – our signature drink names, his Toro nigiri sushi groom’s cake, and “bottle service” from the night we met complete with champagne and pancakes. Even our string quartet played a Drake song when he came down the aisle. It was so much fun seeing Cyrus’s face light up through the night at so many of our inside jokes being represented subtly on our wedding day.”

The ceremony included Persian traditions. A mirror brings brightness and gives the couple a view of themselves with their support system – their wedding guests. Kaleh ghand (sugar cones) were rubbed together over the heads of the bride and groom to bring sweetness into their life and marriage.

Lauren and Cyrus shared their first dance to XO by John Mayer.

After the first dance, we snuck out to the vineyard for some golden hour photos.

After dinner, the sky got dark, the twinkle lights came on and the dance floor opened.

Congratulations Lauren and Cyrus!

Photos from the rehearsal dinner are coming soon.

Check out their Aspen engagement session here.


Special thanks to the team:
Coordinator: Blissful Events
Hotel: Sonoma Mission Inn
Reception: Kunde Winery
Officiant: Nilou Weddings
Catering: Park Avenue Catering
Florist: Vo Floral Design
Cake: Krumb Cake
Shuttle: Pure Luxury
DJ: Jeff Mitchell
Tent: Hensley
Lighting: Fiesta Lighting
Dress: Galia Lahav, Stanley Korshak Bridal Salon
Suit: Ralph Lauren, Suit Supply
Hair & Makeup: Paige Pelfrey Makeup, The Powder Room
Stationery: The Phantastic House
Rings: Cartier
Videographer: Gently Crafted Films
Photographer: Jessica Schmitt Photography

I met Kate and Justin at a favorite place of theirs, Meyer Ranch Park, where there are big beautiful groves of aspen trees. The yellow was brilliant and one of the last places we could see the gorgeous fall leaves.

Kate shares, “Justin and I have known about each other since the sixth grade and became a part of the same friend group in early high school. We dated other people, we hung out within our group, we skirted around each other until something changed. Towards the end of senior year we were making excuses to hang out more and more until I finally asked him on a date. So we went to Applebee’s because Justin had a gift card, and saw the Kingsman movie. Super romantic, right?! (Haha) That cold and clear March night we had our first kiss next to my beat-up, old, blue Ford Bronco under the stars and sparks flew. I still think about that kiss sometimes.

We thought it would be a summer fling then we would both be off to different colleges. But we stuck together. We made the two-hour haul back and forth between Fort Collins and Denver nearly every weekend for five years to be with each other and had mini adventures every time. Whether it was seeing movies, searching for Hot Wheels treasure hunts, watching Av’s games or even doing nothing at all, we laughed and grew together.  It became clear pretty quickly that we fit together seamlessly and our relationship felt so natural and good. That’s really the best word to describe our relationship: Good. That simple, comfortable word and every time I look at Justin I’m wrapped in that warm emotion and reminded that life together is good. 

After college, living together, and being together for over six years, I was certainly tapping my foot waiting for the question to be popped. I had a feeling it would happen soon, but I didn’t know when.

July 4, 2021, started like a normal summer holiday. We spent the morning soaking up the sun by our apartment’s pool, went out to a burger place for lunch, and made our way to a local park to play some catch and hang out. I should’ve known something was up when Justin wore a button-up shirt to simply play catch at a park and especially when he asked about our favorite memories together over burgers and fries. I answered something like “The time we went to Mexico” and “Going to game 5 of the Avalanche playoffs against the Flames where we won in OT” and “Oh! Our first kiss. That was a good one.”

Eventually, we made our way down to this pier and with an epic sky half covered in dark rain clouds and half bright in sunshine, Justin pulled out a ring and got down on one knee. He says afterwards that he had all these cool things he planned to say but all that went blank and he just said, “You are my best friend and I love you so much. Will you marry me?” It was perfect. 

Our story is not a “love at first sight” story. Meeting in the awkward phase in middle school made sure of that. It was a gradually growing friendship that took a chance and immediately felt right. Almost seven years later, I am more in love than ever with my best friend and looking forward to a beautiful, laughter filled, good life together.”

Congratulations Kate and Justin!

We had sun, flurries, and blizzard conditions all in one day for Steph and Steve’s wedding in Breckenridge! It was an amazing day with incredible views and lots of love.

Steph shares, “Steve and I love Colorado. Both of our older brothers live in Denver and we take a trip out to see them at least once or twice a year. Last year in August we went out to Palisade and had an awesome family weekend visiting the wineries and having some great laughs. Our Airbnb had this super creepy gnome in the yard so it became the joke of the weekend. We all kept hiding it in different places for someone to find (hence Brian and Anthony gifting us our own zombie gnome for our wedding!).

After leaving Palisade, Steve and I headed to Breckenridge, which was a first for both of us. We instantly fell in love. The quaint, unique shops, delicious food and cocktails, and of course the views made it feel so special. Hearthstone became an instant favorite spot where we went three times in two days. We ended up celebrating our welcome dinner there with our family the night before the wedding.

For the proposal, Steve had a whole plan that quickly went south due to Covid restrictions. He planned on proposing at Sapphire Point, but it was unfortunately closed. He quickly had to find a backup spot the morning of the proposal. Someone from our hotel suggested Blue Lakes so, after several hours of transportation issues, we started heading there… and then came the downpour. I suggested turning around and going back but Steve was adamant about us going there and having our picnic he so carefully packed for us. So on we went in the pouring rain for our picnic. It started to slow down as we arrived and was just drizzling so we decided to push on. Thank God we did. The rain stopped and we found this beautiful, secluded area right next to the lake where we built a Little Rock sculpture together and then Steve got down on one knee. I was so stunned I forgot to say yes right away, but then shouted “that’s a big fat yes!” while jumping into his arms.

Fast forward to wedding planning and having to make the difficult choice to forgo the big wedding due to all of the Covid issues we saw our friends having. We decided it was fate to elope at Sapphire Point and we wanted to bring along those closest to us – our immediate families and our bridal party. Our vision for the weekend was an intimate, personalized ceremony followed by a house party, totally our style. We love music, dancing, and sharing good food and drinks with our loved ones and we did exactly that. We wanted the location to be the highlight and we selected the villa based on its Tuscan look and awesome bar and patio areas. The menu was a joint collaboration influenced by Steve’s brother, Brian Hubner, and his friend, RJ Harvey, who are phenomenal private chefs in Denver. We wanted it to be an experience and have things on the menu that were a little different from typical wedding menus, almost like elevated BBQ.

My favorite moment from the day was when Steve and I were delivering our vows we had written to each other. It was raining and then snowing that morning, but during our ceremony it was beautiful, as if the clouds parted just for us. As Steve was reading his vows, the sun came out and there was a bluejay behind him in the tree. The moment just felt so ethereal, like it was all meant to be. I remember feeling this deep emotion like there was so much love surrounding us that you could see and feel it. It was beautiful. I also had a blast playing flip cup later with our friends and family and singing and dancing all night – it was by far the best day of my life.”

Steve shares, “It’s hard for me to pick just one favorite moment from the day so I’ll share my top two that came to mind. First would be when we finished our “I do’s” at Sapphire Point and we finally got to celebrate with friends and family. I remember everything looking so scenic and the way things turned out with the weather was just amazing. It was one of the happiest moments for me to be at such a beautiful place surrounded by the love of my life and the people closest to us. I’ll never forget that.

Second, another top moment for me was when we got back to the villa and were able to finally sneak off for a quiet moment together. Our private chef set aside a nice plate of all the good stuff from cocktail hour that we couldn’t wait to get our hands on, having barely eaten all day. The food was absolutely delicious and I remember being able to finally take a breath and relax for a moment with my wife. Although we spent the last couple of hours together during our ceremony, taking pictures, etc., we really didn’t have a chance to just talk and take everything in. It was a much needed moment alone and gave us the quick recharge we needed before the party really got started.”

Congratulations Steph and Steve!

Special thanks to the team:

Venue: Sapphire Point
Venue: Private home
Caterer/Chefs: RJ Harvey, Flavor Geek and Brian Hubner, 2 Taste Catering
Hair and Makeup: Rachel Wise, Wise Artistry
Vow Books: TheCozyComfyHome on Etsy
Ring Box: MUUJEE on Etsy
Shot Ski: Blank Canvas by Potter on Etsy
Mugs: GlamCoDesign on Etsy
Bride’s Dress: Stella York, The Bridal Manor, Sewell, NJ
Groom’s Suit: JoS. A. Bank
Videographer: Hillhound Productions
Photographer: Jessica Schmitt Photography

Noelle and Patrick love the aspen trees! We went to the Kenosha Pass area to capture them in all their glory for their engagement session.

Noelle and Patrick met in Denver in March 2017, introduced by a mutual friend (and future maid of honor). Patrick was new to town and their relationship flourished as they bonded enjoying the beautiful outdoors in Colorado.

Noelle shares, “Fast forward to July 2021 when Patrick and I were back in my hometown of Babylon, NY, enjoying a casual walk to town to meet my parents for dinner. Patrick popped down on one knee and proposed at the local docks. Surrounded by my family in the town I grew up in–I couldn’t have been more excited.

The big day is scheduled for October 15, 2022, at the Loeb Boathouse in Central Park in NYC. Patrick and I will be thrilled to be joined by our families and friends to tie the knot and begin the next chapter of our lives together as Mr. & Mrs. Blusanovics!”

Congratulations Noelle and Patrick!

Sarah and William came to visit Colorado from Atlanta and celebrate their engagement!

William shares, “Our lives intersected because of a shared interest. We met while taking part in the same powerlifting group. The group met a few nights a week and there was never a shortage of laughs between the two of us. It wasn’t until the program eventually ended that we started spending time with each other outside the gym. It was immediately apparent what a great connection we had. Not long after, me, Sarah, and her two cute rambunctious dachshunds moved to our own place in a quiet neighborhood in Smyrna, GA. As time has passed we’ve started building plans for our future and have decided to officially tie the knot in November. We can’t wait for our wedding and will be celebrating with our close friends and family for a garden ceremony and reception in Decatur, Georgia.

Who knows where we are heading next, but we’ve been eyeing the mountains of Colorado for our next home. We wanted to explore the area further and took the opportunity to have our engagement photos taken with the beautiful backdrop of Evergreen Lake.”

Happy engagement Sarah and William!