Fay + Cody | A summer microwedding in Grand Lake, Colorado during Covid

Their Story

Fay and Cody met online and fell in love! Cody was ever the gentleman and helped Fay through the death of her grandfather which started their relationship off on a deep and intimate level. 

They found they both are an active couple that enjoys the same adventurous things like traveling, ziplining, and going on road trips. Besides their fun adventures, they find fun in their daily lives too. They are able to balance each other out, Fay adding a touch of seriousness and Cody adding a dash of goofiness.

About their relationship, they have said, “We both feel like we are better people together than we are as individuals.”

Before meeting “the one,” Cody never thought he would get married. After four years together, he surprised Fay by proposing on Christmas Eve, a tradition in his family that Fay, as a history teacher, loved!

The Planning Process

The planning process started off a bit rough. Although she knew she always wanted to get married in Colorado, planning from afar meant a ton of Googling without getting anywhere. Eventually, after feeling overwhelmed and a bit paralyzed by decisions, Fay’s googling led her to Custom Weddings of Colorado! 

Turns out, they were as happy to work with us as we were with them! They found having someone else to keep detailed, organized lists were able to take the pressure off them. This was especially true as the pandemic hit and their jobs and questions about the wedding from family became overwhelming. Fay said, “I could always say ‘Wendee is taking care of that.’ It calmed me and everyone else down to know I had a professional on my side!
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Fay and Cody found they both wanted a small wedding so that they could share their love only with those who mattered the most to them. This opened up space in their budget to splurge on things that mattered most to them and fun activities!

The Wedding Day from the Brides Point of View

“Our wedding was at sunset. Our family and friends arrived the day before so we could all spend time together and turn it into a mini-vacation for them. We all went out on the town the night before. We stayed at a small hotel that has a variety of room types and my mother in law made breakfast for everyone and my mom had brunch snacks in her room, so we all just wandered around room-to-room.  Small groups would go shopping, take a small walk away, or went off to play on the beach of the lake where we got married at later.

​Everyone was really relaxed and both families were forging new relationship with each other. Celine was our on-site coordinator and she was wonderful. Once she arrived she made sure that everything that needed to happen was going on. All I had to do is sit back and get my hair and makeup finished while drinking champagne. She sent everyone to from the hotel to the ceremony site on time and then finished coordinating with me as my dad drove me to the ceremony. The photographer had met earlier and had the location on the beach and where to take pictures all planned out. She directed everyone where to go and made sure that everything was ready for the first look, ceremony, and cake cutting. The wedding was everything that I wanted it to be! We headed back to the hotel for dinner in their private dining room. We celebrated late into the night and were all able to walk back to our rooms when we were ready to call it a night.

I had been torn on whether to do the first look or not. I tend toward tradition and Cody didn’t seem really excited to see me dressed up. (He says I always look good) We decided to do it and I am so glad we did. The enjoyment I felt walking up behind him and the intimacy of that moment was really special! While he is still being reluctant to admit how special it was, the pictures say it all and we both really enjoy that moment more than I can explain. 

​Second, when we were taking pictures after the ceremony I dropped Cody’s ring in the grass and couldn’t find it! We were both hunting through the grass and I was panicking. We have always joked that Cody would lose his ring within a week and here I had lost it within the hour! There were some people walking by and they joined in the hunt. Our photographer got some really great candid shots of the incident that I really will cherish. By the way, we did find the ring after about 10 minutes.”

The Professionals

Fay and Cody were beyond pleased with the wedding professionals that were part of their day. The cake was exactly how they wanted it in looks and in taste. After providing the florist a list of what they like and what they don't, the flowers were even better than they could’ve imagined. Fay would change absolutely nothing about the bouquet.  

Their photographer, Jenifer, was able to loosen up Cody who typically doesn’t enjoy getting his picture taken; so much so that he was coming up with pose ideas! Afterward, the couple was told by loved ones that those were the best wedding photos they’ve ever seen. 

Their officiant was able to include traditions from both sides of the family while matching their values as a couple.

About Marriage

Their secret to a good marriage? Communication! They stress the importance of being honest and getting things off your chest before it snowballs beyond your control. They attribute the fact that they have never had a serious fight to their amazing communication skills

Advice for Engaged Couples

When it comes to advice for newly engaged couples, Fay said “It is totally worth it to have a professional help you! The decrease in the amount of stress alone is worth the cost! Also, I am fairly certain that I saved money by ensuring the quality and value for the price I spent on the vendors. I had my dream wedding and I know it wouldn’t have happened that way if I hadn’t had help.

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Intimate Wedding Package  |  Photography:  www.VillaniPhotography.com 

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