A Vintage-Inspired Wedding at The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado

Katy Quissell (34 and a PhD candidate) and Sean Martin (33 and an assistant professor) met in a doctoral seminar at Cornell University. The dated for three years before Sean proposed. He recreated their first date. “The only reason I didn't suspect what was coming was because he did it on the same day he defended his dissertation,” Katy says. “I thought we were going to our special places because he kicked ass on his defense, and we had a ton to celebrate with everything he had just accomplished. But instead of making the day about him, he made it about us. He got down on one knee at Maxie's, and I lost my business. The whole restaurant was clapping, and they brought us champagne, but neither of us really noticed because we were so emotional.”Katy grew up in Colorado and wanted to get married outside somewhere with vintage details, gorgeous views and lots to do. With so many out-of-town guests, the couple had a wedding weekend, not a day. They had a bowling party friday night, hiking trips Saturday and the wedding Sunday. The couple got married in the late morning followed by brunch. “We opted for this less traditional format because brunch is the best meal ever invented, Colorado often gets afternoon thunderstorms and we wanted to be outside without worrying about the weather and brunches are classy but much less formal than sit-down dinners, and that fits our style better,” Katy says. “Brunch also has some of the best cocktails, who doesn't like mimosas and bloody mary’s? We also served omelets, bacon, potatoes, fruit, pastries, coffee and tea.” The theme was 1920s vintage. “It was inspired by photographs of my grandparents' weddings,” Katy says. Their main color was blush pink, which they accented with champagne and gold for a classic vintage vibe. Plus, they fit perfectly with Katy’s favorite flowers, peonies, the venue and her vintage Johanna Johnson wedding dress.