A Casual Rustic Wedding at Hillside Gardens in Colorado Springs, Colorado

Ashley Weaver (29 and a nurse) and Shannon Solomon (40 and a construction business owner) met in Manitou Springs, Colorado, when Shannon replaced the roof of the house she was subletting. Shannon proposed at Ashley’s graduation from nursing school. The couple chose to get married Hillside Gardens in Colorado Springs, Colorado, for its swoon-worthy gardens. “Its a unique venue tucked in the middle of the city with Pikes Peak as a backdrop,” Ashley says. “There are gardens and fountains and secret paths to wander around with antique statues and figures scattered throughout the property.” They also loved the milk truck converted into an outdoor bar for cocktail hour. For the wedding, Ashley wore a vintage wedding dress that she found on a pre-owned wedding dress site. “I found my dress at a boutique in Florida that had gone out of business and was trying to sell their leftover merchandise,” she says. “The dress had never actually been worn or altered but had only tried on in the store. I went against my gut instinct and ordered it. As it turned out, the dress arrived and it was perfect.” Loving the natural gardens and mountain backdrop, the couple kept their decor to a minimum with a gray and plum color palette accented with aspen wood and succulents. At the end of the night, Ashley and Shannon sent guests home with columbine seeds (Colorado’s state flower) with a stamp that said, “Let Love Bloom.”