A mile high city bride shares her big day with Visit Denver.
VISIT DENVER: WHY DID YOU WANT TO HAVE YOUR WEDDING IN DENVER?
Allyson Dodge: My husband and I had just moved to Denver and we wanted to show off our new home. We looked all over the state and eventually came back to having the downtown area (off the 16th street mall) be our base of operations.
VISIT DENVER: WHERE WAS THE WEDDING HELD AND WHY DID YOU PICK THAT SPOT?
AD: We got married in a private room upstairs at Tamayo Restaurant and then went outside to their upper deck/terrace. We chose Tamayo because I'm from Texas and my family adores Mexican food and margaritas. It's the second wedding for both my husband and I and we weren't taking ourselves too seriously. And if you haven't been to Tamayo's upper terrace/deck, you're missing out. They have fantastic views of the mountains. Lastly, it was in close proximity to our hotel off 16th Street Mall. After the reception, everyone went bowling at Lucky Strike.
VISIT DENVER: HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE AT YOUR WEDDING?
AD: About 60 friends and family.
VISIT DENVER: WHO OFFICIATED AND HOW DID YOU FIND THAT PERSON?
AD: When we starting talking about having our wedding here, we discovered that Colorado is a self-solemnizing state - no need for an ordained minister. So we wrote our own vows and ceremony script, we assigned speaking parts to different family members. The night before the wedding we had a trivia contest on who knew us the best and the winner got to "pronounce us" man and wife. Hilarious.
VISIT DENVER: IF YOU HAD TO PICK ONE THING, WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF YOUR DENVER WEDDING?
AD: The weekend we got married was that crazy sports "perfect storm" last October when the Rockies won the division finals and the Broncos and Avalanche were also playing in town (and it was the Race for the Cure), so the energy level downtown was incredible. There were a ton of people and our families just loved experiencing that vibe. On Sunday, we hosted everyone at our house in the Highlands for a brunch, so we truly completed the "Tour de Denver."
VISIT DENVER: DID YOU USE VISIT DENVER IN YOUR PLANNING PROCESS?
AD: I researched our home base hotel and where to have our Friday night dinner and Saturday wedding. I even sent the link to the family and friends who were coming to the wedding for ideas on "what to do" in their downtime in the downtown area. Plus, it gave them a good overview of what was happening in Denver.
VISIT DENVER: WHAT TIPS WOULD YOU GIVE OTHER BRIDES PLANNING WEDDINGS IN DENVER?
AD: The best advice I got was from my own (now) mother in law. She said it was easier on out-of-town guests if there was a central geographic hub where everyone could walk/cab/bus easily to and from. She was right. By establishing a hotel off the mall and all of our dinners and activities off the mall, it was easy for everyone to get around and check out new home. No one had to drive a rental car all over the place in a strange town. And then I didn't have to feel like I needed to baby sit out-of-towners!
DID YOU KNOW? VISIT DENVER can help you plan your wedding - for free!
