Lexi + Nick | Della Terra Wedding Photography | Estes Park Colorado Photographer

February 21, 2022

Hello all! I hope you had a fantastic weekend, and are not suffering from a case of the Mondays 😉 Or perhaps you have President’s Day off today…even better! To kick off a week of blog posts, I bring you Lexi and Nick’s Della Terra wedding photography. This was such an awesome wedding to document. Covid restrictions were starting to lift, so they were able to have the larger wedding celebration they dreamed of. Their wedding was very much family-centered. You could definitely tell how important their family is to them. Lexi’s uncle was their officiant, and also carved their unique ocean inspired ring box. Lexi’s sister-in-law made their creative and beautiful, monogram cake. All of their family chipped in with planning and setup to help make this fairytale day a reality!

Lexi and Nick’s wedding was very detail-oriented and they thought of every last thing to spoil their guests. I would say they even DIY’d more things at their wedding than I did at my own. Which was A LOT of things LOL! Everything from the ladies’ wedding bouquets and mason jar floral centerpieces, the cool acrylic wedding signage, the keychain escort cards, and unique vow cards. Everything was so beautifully thought out and executed. Besides all the wedding details, there were many parts of the day that I loved! Lexi did three first looks…one with her mom, her dad, and then with Nick. Lots of tears of joy, laughter and hugs.

Their ceremony was also so unique and personalized, and it was a wonderful way to celebrate their relationship journey so far!

Lexi and Nick also did a “flash mob” surprise dance during the reception. It was AMAZING! And if you remember, I am a dancer for over twenty years, and I also taught and choreographed dance for over seven years as well. I knew they were doing the surprise dance, but this was on a whole other level than I was expecting. Bravo to these two, and their wedding party…so entertaining! Other parts of the day I must note were their great throw blanket wedding favors (customized with their wedding date), the fiber optic glow wand exit at the end of the night, and Lexi’s unique, floral wedding dress. She rocked a stunning Hayley Paige gown that was inspired by the designer’s own wedding dress. I have never seen a dress quite like this. The colorful, hand-painted floral appliqués accenting a cascading tiered skirt definitely created the WOW factor!

sparkly wedding high heelscolorful wedding dress hanging with mountain in background bride having a first look with her mom at Estes Park wedding bride doing a first look with her dad at Estes Park wedding bride and groom first look on bridge during Della Terra Colorado summer wedding bride and groom first look on Della Terra Mountain Chateau bridgecouple kissing on bridge during Estes Park spring wedding photos at Della Terra Della Terra wedding photography during late spring by Estes Park Colorado photographer Plum Pretty Photography
This is one of my favorites from Lexi and Nick’s Della Terra wedding photography. I always love playing around with veils, for some creative wedding photos. Especially super long veils like Lexi’s!

unique veil photos at Della Terra Estes Park spring wedding portraits couple kissing and veil flying during Della Terra wedding photography in Estes Park forest wedding pictures at Della terra in Estes Park Della Terra wedding photography during late spring by Estes Park Colorado photographer Plum Pretty PhotographyDella Terra wedding photography during late spring by Estes Park Colorado photographer Plum Pretty PhotographyDella Terra wedding photography during late spring by Estes Park Colorado photographer Plum Pretty PhotographyDella Terra wedding photography during late spring by Estes Park Colorado photographer Plum Pretty Photographyunique wedding party photos at Della Terra Mountain Chateau wedding party dressed all in black during Estes Park summer weddingbridesmaids in long black dresses and colorful tropical bouquets bride in ballgown spinning flower girl on dance floor at Colorado summer weddingunique bridal party photography inspiration in Estes Park couple dipping near outdoor pond during Della Terra wedding photography in Estes Park group hug of groom and groomsmen during Estes Park Colorado wedding DIY wedding details at Estes Park outdoor weddinggroomsmen skipping down the aisle during Della terra Colorado wedding bride walking down aisle at Della terra outdoor wedding ceremony couple saying vows during outdoor summer wedding ceremony at Della Terra in Estes Park Colorado first kiss at outdoor Della Terra Colorado wedding ceremony bride spinning with mountains in background during Della Terra wedding photography mountain wedding photography inspiration at Della terra in Estes Park couple under bride's veil during Estes Park Della Terra wedding photography DIY wedding reception details at Estes Park Colorado weddingthrow blankets as wedding favors at Colorado mountain wedding first dance at Della Terra wedding reception groom dipping bride during first dance at Della Terra Mountain Chateau wedding reception bride and groom and wedding party doing surprised choreographed dance at Colorado reception father daughter and mother son dances at Colorado reception outdoor wedding reception dancing photos in Estes Park Colorado

Not every photographer will capture nighttime portraits for you. But when couples are up for it…I always am too! I think it added some fun variety to their Della Terra wedding photography gallery.
couple kissing under waterfall lights during Della Terra nighttime wedding photography nighttime Della Terra wedding photography by Estes Park photographer Plum Pretty Photo fiber optic glow wands wedding exit at Della terra Colorado wedding reception exit

Since these blogs are always from my point of view, I like to relive the day from my clients’ perspective too. Hear about Lexi and Nick’s wedding inspiration, planning challenges and tips, and how the day came together for them below.

What was your most anticipated part of the day?

Lexi – The most anticipated part of the day for me was seeing Nick for the first time. Planning the whole wedding, I knew what to expect around every turn, but the one thing that always remained unexpected was the emotional aspect of the whole day.

Nick – The most anticipated part of the day for me was the ceremony. Anticipation is defined as anxious, excitement, and good feelings. As the ceremony began, I was feeling all the feelings, and couldn’t wait to see my forever begin.

 

Did anything unexpected happen? What was the outcome? 

Lexi – There was a point in time when we were getting items organized the night before the wedding and I noticed that I was missing the jars for the sand ceremony. after looking through everything, we ended up having to make a last minute trip to the grocery store to buy mini vases to replace what we supposedly left behind. Turns out, they were sitting in another guests room the entire time!!!

Nick – On the day of the wedding, I had a groomsman forget his cufflinks, and then got ready too early. Definitely unexpected, but we made it work!


What ended up being your favorite part of the day?

Lexi – The best part of the night was probably our flashmob. Those that know me well know that I am not a dancer, but the fact that everyone around me was cheering me on and willing to be part of it was amazing, and I loved every second of it!

Nick – Honestly, there is no way to choose a favorite part, because I got to spend the entire day celebrating with the love of my life, surrounded by the people that mean the most to both of us. What more could you ask for?

 

What advice would you give to future couples for their wedding? 

Lexi – Don’t forget to take a moment during the reception to sit with your partner and take everything in. The night goes by fast, no matter how much time you think you have, but the moments will live forever in your memories!

Nick – Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Everyone around you is there to make your day run smoothly, and will move mountains to make it happen!

 

Were you nervous? How did you squash the nerves?

Lexi – Honestly, I was just anxious about how everything that I had planned was going to go. Knowing that I had my ENTIRE family doing everything they could to make things happen made the nerves begin to calm, and then as soon as I saw nick, my nerves flew away. He has been and always will be my happy place.

Nick – I was not nervous at all. Lexi and I have been together for what seems like forever, and I knew two weeks in that this day was going to happen. How could I be nervous if I have had 8 years to prepare myself for the greatest day of my life??

 

What was the biggest surprise on your wedding day?

Lexi – The biggest surprise to me was that we had about half of our wedding guests join in on the flash mob. I knew that our wedding party and their significant others would be part of it, but had no idea how many of our guests would feel the beat of the music enough to want to join in! What a cool surprise!

Nick – The biggest surprise on the day of the wedding was that nothing got in the way of us celebrating. It was supposed to rain, and it sprinkled in the morning, but ended up subsiding for the entire rest of the evening!

 

What inspired your wedding decor? Did you have a theme in mind?

Our wedding decor was inspired by Lexi’s love for the ocean and Nick’s love for nature. The colors were based off of the “galaxy orchid” that we came across when we got engaged.


Tell me about some of your favorite wedding details and how you came up with them!

One of our favorite wedding details was the ring box. Lexi’s uncle is a wood carver. We gave him a shell that he attached to a hand carved log, connecting the love of the ocean and the mountains together, as he did when he married us! He made the most extravagant ring box we have ever seen. The love that went into creating this is unmeasurable.

 

How did you feel at the end of the day?

Lexi – I felt all of the emotions, i was ecstatic that we were finally husband and wife, i was exhausted from planning the wedding, i was over the moon happy when thinking about it all, and honestly wish that there was more time in the day so that our wedding day never came to an end.

Nick – I felt loved, from all aspects. A day this fun is a day that i wish i could relive for the rest of my life.

 

What are you most looking forward to as a married couple?

Lexi – I am looking forward to growing our family, and being able to spend every day with my person.

Nick – I cannot wait to start a family with the woman of my dreams.

What did you like most about working with Plum Pretty Photography?

Melissa was able to make every dream we had for photography at our wedding become a reality. We wanted mountain and beach pictures, and she was able to help create a package for us that included literally EVERYTHING we could have ever asked for.


Why did you pick the venues that you chose?

The venue we chose was something from a fairytale. Della terra is the perfect venue. It included breakfast, we were not rushed, we were catered to the entire time we were there, we got a hot tub, and had everything we needed right there! No need to have a separate venue for a reception or ceremony.

Which part of your wedding did you want to WOW your guests?

The venue honestly did most of the heavy lifting when talking about wow-ing the guests, but the part that we planned to WOW the guests was the way that the wedding was orchestrated. We are one of the last to get married on Lexi’s side, and almost the first to get married on Nick’s side. We wanted to plan a party that was just as much a party to kick things off and an event that allows us all to “go out with a bang.”
 

What was the biggest challenge you faced in planning your wedding?

We did not have many issues arise when planning, but did struggle with natural disasters. There was a fire that came within .5-1 mile of our venue about a month before the wedding. Covid happened right after choosing a wedding date, which led to many conversations about possible date changes, mask mandates, vaccines, and all around logistics behind getting married during a pandemic. We ended up getting married in the sweet spot where restrictions were actually beginning to lift and we were able to have the wedding of our dreams without anything getting in our way!

 

Did you go on a honeymoon? If so, tell me about it!

We did go on a honeymoon! Our honeymoon was full of fun in California and us enjoying post-wedding bliss. Nick and I spent some time at universal studios (specifically for Jurassic park, harry potter, and rollercoasters) and SeaWorld to experience marine life, but mostly just took time to be us, play Pokémon go together, enjoy the beach and just relaxing before returning to normal life again. Having a newlywed session on the beach allowed for our final combination of beach and mountains, and the end to our wedding. It was a dream come true, and we truly couldn’t ask for anything more!

 

Thanks again Lexi and Nick. What a truly awesome day! It was my true pleasure to capture your Della Terra wedding photography. I wish every wedding day could run this smoothly and be such a joyful celebration. One more post of this wonderful couple coming to the blog very soon. Their newlywed session on the beach of Carlsbad, California. We had such a blast together…again!

 

Lexi & Nick’s dream team:
Primary photographer: Plum Pretty Photography
Assistant photographer: Maria Brock Hanson
Ceremony & reception venue: Della Terra Mountain Chateau
Wedding Coordinator: Brianne Leigh Weddings
Caterer: Jubilations Catering
DJ: Gotta Dance DJ’s
Cake baker: Tasia Foss – Frosted Fairytales
Hair & make-up: Estes Park Bridal
Officiant: Mike Donovan (Bride’s uncle)

For even more beautiful Della Terra wedding photography, check out Briana & Kevin’s winter wedding HERE!

  1. Mike says:

    What a wonderful series of memories from your special day Lexi and Nick!

    Love always,

    Uncle Mike