An Intimate Mountain Wedding at Garden of The Gods park in Colorado Springs, Colorado

Lindsey Dierenfield (26 and Army National Guard Combat Medic) and Patrick Yarusso (30 and a US Army Heavy Wheeled Mechanic) met in boot camp. Patrick proposed on Christmas Eve in front of his immediate family. “It was such a great moment,” Lindsey says. “I was very surprised and also very emotional.” Lindsey and Patrick are both active duty Army, and in lieu of a bigger wedding, they opted to have a very private, intimate elopement ceremony at the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. The couple kept everything simple. They hiked to their ceremony location, so Lindsey wore black Doc Martens and Patrick wore Converse sneakers. She carried a garden-inspired bouquet made by VIE Boutique & Floral Studio and they had Coca-Cola, homemade egg croissant sandwiches and mixed berry salad for the after party. Instead of a cake, they enjoyed their favorite donuts for dessert. “We wanted it to be about us and the promises to one other, and not get swept up in the planing and stress that comes with a big wedding,” Lindsey says. “It ended up being the best decision we made.”