Longmont + Lyons, Colorado Winter Wedding

Kelsey and Ryan got married in March. Their ceremony took place at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in lovely Longmont, Colorado. Their wedding reception took place at Lionscrest Manor in Lyons, Colorado.

When we first met up over tacos at CYCLHOPS Bike CANtina here in town, I had no idea what a fitting spot that would turn out to be. As I learned later on, the two starting dating in part because they are both mountain bikers. And, as it turned out, we headed back to Cyclhops on their wedding day to enjoy a post-ceremony shot (okay, beer for the bride and no alcohol for me in the middle of wedding day)(maybe once the reception is over!). I was just enjoying meeting two cool people who love the outdoors too!

Keep reading/scrolling for more from Kelsey and Ryan’s wedding, including images from St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church and Lionscrest Manor.

St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church

The ceremony took place at Longmont’s St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church. The couple actually met at this church, so how fitting to have their wedding there. I love it!

Kelsey got ready in a room with large windows. I love photographing brides in this space–the light can be pretty and dramatic too.

Lionscrest Manor

The wedding reception took place at Lionscrest Manor in Lyons.

Although it was a sunny March day, the brisk mountain winds started blowing. I was glad Kelsey had the perfect shawl to help keep her at least slightly warm!

Upon arriving to the wedding venue from the brewery tour (which, again, had a stop at Cyclhops, as well as Shoes and Brews), we took formal portraits. When they were over, the bridal party and wedding couple headed to this super cute shed. That’s right, a shed. Let’s just say a little bit of whiskey may have been consumed!

During cocktail hour, I especially loved the Trail Mix bar. (You had me at trail mix.)

So let me back track a little now…the wedding had a loose outdoorsy theme. Rock cairns were the table centerpieces. The rocks used were from hikes that the couple had taken while they were dating. Each table was named after a meaningful, outdoorsy spot.

Kelsey had the most beautiful bouquet…perfect for a winter wedding. Whites and greens made a bold statement thanks to the size of the bouquet. A few succulents appeared in it. Succulents also decorated the wedding cake as well.

(Yes, I did intentionally pair the Trail Mix Bar sign with the happy couple doing their grand entrance. I read it as “Yay, Trail Mix!!!!”)(But really, the photo on the right is from Kelsey and Ryan’s Grand Entrance. The stairs help make this venue have a great spot for a grand entrance.)

The toasts and speeches were sweet. Ryan’s sister had some great advice to give during her speech. It has been a few months since the wedding, so I could be getting it wrong. But I remember her saying that you should never complain/talk badly about your spouse to others. I have to say, I think that this really is fabulous advice.

Kelsey’s dad made me chuckle during his speech. I enjoy hearing what families and friends have to say about my wedding couples. I often learn a lot about the couples, and it makes me feel extra blessed to be chosen to witness and document their wedding day.

Dancing is one of the main reasons I love, love, love weddings. I always say that if people danced more, the world would be a better place. I love that Kelsey and Ryan had their first dance outside by the huge fountain. I also had experimenting with camera settings to capture some of the rowdier reception dancing.

I can’t end this blog post without thanking Kelsey and Ryan. THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

And, thanks to the other wedding vendors/contributors (since it feels weird to call a church a vendor) who made the wedding as wonderful as it was. Some of them are listed below:

Father Frank with St. Francis of Assisi
Wedding Dress Designer – Maggie Sottero
Wedding Dress Store – Sandra Rose in South Dakota
Groom’s Attire – Rented from the Bridal Connection
Caterer – Jubilations
Florist – Painted Primrose
Second Photography – Shelli Quattlebaum

This blog post about what to do with a large gap of time in between your wedding ceremony and wedding reception features many photos from Kelsey and Ryan’s wedding. They had the best little brew tour to fill up the time!

And this blog post features another St. Francis of Assisi wedding. (Although the wedding reception for this one was held at the Plaza Convention Center in Longmont.)