1. Real Weddings

Evonne & Paul: An Outdoor Wedding in Breckenridge, CO

Evonne and Paul married next to a river just outside of Breckenridge. The Bride Evonne Bentley The Groom Paul Tocco The Date September 19 Evonne Ben

Evonne and Paul married next to a river just outside of Breckenridge. The Bride Evonne Bentley The Groom Paul Tocco The Date September 19 Evonne Bentley traveled the U.S. without ever finding Mr. Right, but once she put down roots in Denver, she found the man of her dreams right across the street. Paul Tocco worked at a wine store across from the florist shop where Evonne was employed, and the two connected while Paul helped her choose a bottle of Chianti. Eleven months later, he proposed during a weekend getaway to Vail.

Thomas Barlow, a friend of the bride's who is also a sculptor, designed their cake, which Evonne describes as an amazing creation of divinely decadent chocolate and creme brulee cakes, tiered at various levels, with logs and bees and trees surrounding.
For the ceremony, Evonne and Paul hired a mandolin player and violinist. At the reception, the DJ spun a mix of rock and '80s hits. I love to dance and spent most of the reception on the dance floor. Paul had to drag me away to greet guests!
Since Evonne had worked for her florist when she first moved to Colorado and met Paul, the entire staff (who were also all wedding guests) went above and beyond when it came to bringing the bride's vision to life. I left it up to them to create what they felt most beautiful and appropriate. The only guidelines I gave were fall colors -- browns, reds, yellows, and oranges -- and wild, with nothing too neat, Evonne said. When I finally saw the flowers, I cried. They were more beautiful than I ever imagined! Each bridesmaid bouquet was slightly different, and Evonne's bouquet brought all of the different flowers together in a hand-tied, loose-flowing design including dark burgundy calla lilies, Black Bacara roses, orange cockscomb, chocolate cosmos, green seeded eucalyptus, and lots of berries. The reception tables boasted metal bowls filled with mangos, pears, apples, and exotic flowers like cymbidium orchids, protea, and gloriosa lilies. The buffet tables were adorned with tall glass cylinder vases filled to the top with fruits and flowers.
For their honeymoon, Evonne and Paul took a weeklong road trip down to New Mexico, staying in Santa Fe and the Gila National Forest. Afterward, they spent two weeks relaxing together in the home they'd just bought a month earlier.
Evonne and Paul exchanged vows beneath a tent set up beside a river. Though it was a bit windy, it was cozy inside the tent with the sounds of water, birds and nature outside, the bride remembers. Following the ceremony, the tent was transformed with a dance floor and tables set for the reception. (Knot Note: Two Rivers Ranch no longer does weddings.)