Megan and Carl’s love story is like something out of an epic novel, and their wedding is a reflection of their out-of-the-ordinary, adventure-filled, and romance-despite-the-odds tale. Little White Dress Bridal Shop is truly honored to have played a role in Megan’s happiness on her journey to marriage, and we have the privilege of sharing Megan and Carl’s incredible story.
Tell us about the story of your wedding. What made you decide to get married in such a unique and far-away location?
Carl is originally from Montana while I was born in Utah, but we met in Namibia in 2007 as Peace Corps education volunteers. When we got engaged during a trip to Australia in 2011 we immediately knew we wanted to return to the place where we met to exchange vows and introduce the incredible country of Namibia to our closest family and friends. Shortly after we got engaged our parents threw an engagement party and we announced to our family and friends that we planned to wed on August 26th, 2013 at the Sossusvlei Lodge in Namibia, and if they had any interest in an African adventure that we would love for them to join us. We budgeted, planned and coordinated for just over two years. In the end, forty of our closest family and friends, traveling not only from Utah, Montana and other parts of the States, but also from Europe and Australia too, all came together in Namibia. It was literally a dream come true.
Megan continues: The landscape around the Sossusvlei Lodge is expansive and open, pierced with island mountain ranges. Our ceremony took place 20 minutes from the lodge, in the middle of nowhere in this vast landscape, and was held at sunset. Planning the ceremony had been the most difficult part for us because we wanted it to be personal, meaningful, unique and a true representation of our shared values and commitment to each other. A lot of time and effort went into the ceremony program, which we were so excited to share with our guests.
I was really lucky to find your store and I will forever be thankful for Tayler helping me find a dress I loved so much! Since I don’t live in Colorado, I visited a couple of stores locally in Salt Lake and also in New York City, but always left feeling disappointed. I took a chance flying to Denver based on the excellent reviews Little White Dress Bridal Shop had online and it was the best thing I ever did. LWD not only carries beautiful and unique lines, but the overall experience with staff was so personal and positive. I am so grateful. When my mom and I entered LWD, it didn’t feel like I was just another of the thousands of brides looking for a dress that day. Rather, Tayler and Malea not only made us feel welcome and comfortable, but they were also excited and invested in me finding something I loved. Tayler, Malea and the others at LWD reminded me how significant and exciting it is to find your perfect wedding dress. I tried on many different styles and brands at LWD, but when I tried on the Jenny Packham “Eden” gown, I knew I’d found the dress.
What were some of the most memorable parts of your trip leading up to the wedding?
In the two days before the wedding, guests enjoyed hiking the windswept dunes and photographing wildlife, indulging in delectable food and being consumed by a twinkling, vast, endless night sky.
The team as Sossusvlei Lodge planned a rehearsal dinner at Desert Camp, which is the sister campsite to the Sossusvlei Lodge. Namibia is known for its incredible night sky, which is what everyone enjoyed while alongside a bonfire, enjoying ceremonial toasts with delicious South African wine. It was intimate and perfect.
Sossusvlei is one of the most famous places in the world to take a hot air balloon ride, and many guests planned to do so the day before the wedding. Unfortunately, a violent windstorm prevented that from happening on August 25th, so the only possible day was the actual wedding day. Along with 20 other guests, we arose at 4:30am to catch sunrise from a balloon. The rainbow-colored balloons were magnificent as they were slowly heated and filled by huge bursts of fire in the pre-dawn light. We spent our wedding morning silently floating over the Namib Desert, the landscape scarred only by the mysterious fairy-circles below.
What did you do for your reception in the desert?
After the ceremony, Carl and I were driven in a buggy behind the rest of our guests and we had little idea what to expect, and since night had fallen, we could see no detail beyond the headlights of the buggy. We parked, and were told to walk around a large rock formation, and we would find everyone waiting for us. As we rounded the rock formation, we saw that the walkway was lined with flickering candles inside paper bags that wound their way up a mountainside. You could hardly tell where the earth ended and sky began beyond the glow of the candles. The ceremony and reception were truly magical. Many of these guests remarked that they never would have considered traveling to Namibia, but it ended up being the best journey they’d ever had. We could not have dreamed up a better way to start their lives as husband and wife.
Megan and Carl, we cannot thank you enough for sharing your beautiful story with us! We wish you a lifetime of happiness together and many more adventures to come. Many, many thanks also to their photographer Dror Eyal, based in South Africa, for graciously sharing their absolutely stunning photos with us.
Venue: Sossusvlei Lodge in Namibia (Megan said, “All of the ‘magic’ of our wedding is because of Christelle and her team, and the care that they put into our wedding.”)
Bride Suzanne chose the very special Beauty gown by Claire Pettibone from Little White Dress Bridal Shop for her outdoor mountain wedding in Crested Butte, Colorado. We were thrilled to see her wedding to Anthony featured in Rocky Mountain Bride Magazine, because their wedding epitomizes what is so unique and beautiful about Colorado weddings. Plus: have you ever seen a more stunning back on a wedding dress?!
Photographer James Michael Lang shared with us the images of Suzanne and Anthony’s wedding, and we are delighted to share a selection from their gorgeous day. Enjoy!
At Little White Dress Bridal Shop, we are always humbled and honored when a bride travels from a different town, city, or state to come see us. Over the years we’ve had brides come from all over Colorado, many different states, and as far as London to find their wedding gowns at Little White Dress.
But bride Milena was a first for us: she traveled all the way to from Brazil just to find her wedding gown at Little White Dress. We were thrilled to be able to give Milena the dress of her dreams – the Azalea gown by Jenny Packham - in time for her wedding. And we absolutely adored working (sometimes via Google Translate!) with one of the sweetest, most gracious brides we’ve ever had.
Milena was kind enough to share photos from her fabulous São Paolo wedding (we’re still wishing we could have taken her up on her invitation to join in the celebration!) and she spoke with us about her incredible journey to make her wedding dreams come true.
Where do you live and where was your wedding?
I live in São Paulo, Brasil, and my wedding was in a beautiful place called “Bar des Arts.”
What made you decide to come all the way from Brazil to Denver to find your wedding dress? Had you ever been to Colorado or the United States before coming to Little White Dress Bridal Shop?
I saw my dress in the internet, in the website of Jenny Packham, but they took about 5 months to make the dress, and I didn’t have this amount of time because I really wanted to marry in August. I started looking on the web for every store in the world (really, in the entire world) to find the dress. I’m very lucky to find Cate Malone at Little White Dress. In the very first conversation she does every possible thing to help me, and she found the dress in my size in time for my wedding. I didn’t think twice because Cate was so wonderful, kind and reliable – I make the reservation, pack my bag, take my mom and get a flight to Denver.
I had already been in US another times, including Colorado. I stayed in Telluride in my vacations (with my fiancé, we love snowboarding). It is amazing, we really love Colorado and other places in USA. Your country (and the people we meet) is special.
How did you know that the Azalea gown by Jenny Packham was the perfect dress for your wedding?
I just know!!! When I saw it in the internet I imagined immediately how perfect it was going to be. The dress was perfect, exactly what I always imagined. So, I knew I had to find the dress. And in the moment I tried it on in Denver with Cate, it was more beautiful than I expected. It was worth everything.
How was your experience with Little White Dress Bridal Shop?
I can not tell you how many times I thanked Cate for everything she does for me. Because for me the most important thing (after the fiancé, of course ;) ) will always be the dress. And she made that happen. Cate was calm, kind, attentive and she knows exactly what she’s doing. I said to her, “Come to my party in Brasil, it’s going to be incredible!!!” I think it was too far to travel, but, we are expecting her to visit in Brasil!!!!
What are some special wedding traditions in Brazil? In the United States, traditionally most brides do not want their fiancé to see them in their wedding gown before the wedding ceremony – is this also true in Brazil?
Yes, of course! In Brasil some brides stay one week far away from their fiancé, just to make the day more excitement. But in my case just in our wedding day we don’t see! He was very curious about the dress because all my friends just talking about this and how I go to Denver to buy it. So, he knows it is going to be special. And I’m sure he loved it, I saw in his eyes.
In Brasil we also say to our bridesmaids to use the dress they like. I ask my bridesmaids to not use black, white or short dress (because my wedding was in the night), and it is common to ask the bridesmaids to not use the same color of my mother and the mother of fiancé. But besides that, of course, the bridesmaids can wear the dresses they prefer. Another tradition in Brasil: you can have how many bridesmaids you want. I had many because we have too many and good friends!
What was your favorite part of your wedding day?
When I entered the hall with my brother and my dog (he is the most beautiful and peaceful dog). I just heard all the people say, “Ooooohhhh so cute.” And I look in the eyes of my husband. I know in this moment, it is worth everything. I was completely glad with the people I love.
We wish Milena and her new husband Edgar all the happiness in the world! We are so honored to have been part of their wedding!
Elizabeth and Kevin’s August 2, 2013 wedding was like being transported to Downton Abbey for a beautiful evening, complete with a castle-like setting at the Highlands Ranch Mansion, Rolls Royces, and the most luxurious vintage-style touches. Elizabeth is a special bride for us, as she is the lovely daughter of Donna Savoy, a woman many LWD brides are familiar with. Donna is not only Colorado’s premier bridal gown alterations seamstress, she has also been a friend of Little White Dress Bridal Shop for several years now.
We were thrilled when Elizabeth found not one, but two gorgeous wedding gowns at Little White Dress: the first, an absolute show-stopper, the Bardot gown by Matthew Christopher, and the second, a sleek Art Deco silk reception gown by Elizabeth Fillmore. Elizabeth also wore a veil by Love Veils and accessories by Paris by Debra Moreland from Little White Dress.
The day’s fabulous details included the wedding cake, inspired by Elizabeth’s Matthew Christopher gown, and individual mini cakes for each guest, both by Intricate Icings. We were honored to attend this beautiful wedding – and trust us, those mini cakes were as delicious as they look!
With pops of color against the urban palette of an architectural setting, and the prettiest lace dress you ever did see (if we do say so ourselves!), Laura and Dan’s wedding at the Denver Art Museum is the perfect mix of urbane-meets-arty and romantic-meets-modern. Add fine art photography by Chowen Photography, and their wedding is the picture of personality and sophistication.
Laura chose Eloquence by Claire Pettibone, a delicate gold vintage eyelash lace gown, from Little White Dress Bridal Shop. The Eloquence gown is inspired by Claire Pettibone’s grandmother, Anna Mae, who was quite the stylish 1920s bohemian. Something tells us that Anna Mae would have approved of Laura’s choice of gowns for her uniquely stylish Denver wedding!
