Lauren & Sean - Love Is A Vanilla Scoop
With Lisa Hunter, Colorado Wedding Officiant - at River Bend in Lyons
The Soul Of Lauren & Sean’s Wedding Ceremony:
The Beauty Of Balance Is In The Vanilla Scoop
Being a busy and ambitious career-focused couple, Lauren and Sean’s journey has required learning about balance. How to do it all, have yourself and have your relationship too?
These two had such an intentional and conscious wedding passage - in preparation for marriage, we truly explored this question which is not an easy one to answer in our go-go-go culture.
In fact, they discovered that rather than finding “an answer”, this really is an ongoing learning process. The commitment to the ever-unfolding learning is what keeps the relationship growing.
For their ceremony, we came up with a fun metaphor about the art of finding balance in work, life and relationship - the Vanilla Scoop. You can read more about it in their photo story below, plus see the ceremony elements that they picked to express the joy of their connection and the adventure of being on this learning journey together…
Meet The Couple
First let’s meet our bride and groom and their playful wedding crew!
Setting The Scene
Lauren & Sean’s ceremony was at River Bend right next to the lively St. Vrain River and it’s walls of million-year-old red rock. A truly special spot for a wedding.
These two adorned the entryway with meaningful photos and an acoustic band played as guests got seated, then the wedding party walked, then Lauren walked with her dad down the aisle.
Ceremony Highlights
We started with something unique that fit with the theme of balance and making sure to not miss the present moment - we had everyone take a deep breath together, and then a deep exhale.
In Lauren & Seans’ own words which I shared with their guests: “We love the idea of us and our guests taking a deep breath and a deep exhale right when we start because it’s such an important thing to us in our life together - to be centered and present as much as we can in every moment, and the breath does this for us. As you inhale, finding a moment of stillness and really be in that moment, and on the out breath, exhale all the random busy thoughts you might be having, bringing you again more into the moment.”
Two readings were woven throughout the ceremony. Lauren & Sean’s mothers read a passage from the Velveteen Rabbit that explains how to become REAL - by being loved by someone for a long, long time.
Two friends shared another reading that jogged Lauren & Sean to remember all those little mundane (yet remarkable) moments along the way that are the real process of a marriage.
We must also highlight another very important member of the wedding party - Lauren & Sean’s dog!
I got to tell a story about an aha moment in Lauren & Sean’s relationship when they realized that, despite all the yummy toppings on the sundae that they were eating, it’s the simple scoop of ice cream at the foundation that brings it all together and makes the whole thing taste good.
Then they related this wisdom to their relationship: you only have so much energy, and if you get too caught up in all the “toppings” of life (career, material objects, doing amazing things), you can forget to put time and attention into the Vanilla Scoop - the love and connection that are at the heart of your relationship.
It was the perfect lead-in for their soulfully written vows and their ring exchange, immersed in remembering their connection and what it’s all really about.
During their wedding passage, Lauren & Sean also focused on the importance of their community and the intricate web of friends and family who support them.
To emphasize this, they not only made vows to each other, they had their guests make vows to them - to support, to challenge them lovingly, to cheer them on and to always remind them of who they truly are.
As the entire group of guests repeated vows back to us, Lauren and Sean soaked in the love. Then it was time to make their way back down the aisle.
Married!
Congratulations, Lauren & Sean!
May your wishes for your future all come true. May you follow a path that is designed for you and by you, not one prescribed by society. May you live in the moment, content and satisfied with where you are and where you are about to go. May you travel and adventures and bring dreams to fruition. May you live simply and with absolute commitment to the most important connection of all - the core connection between the two of you. So much love, Lisa.
Photos: True Photography & KT Langley Photography
Videography: Globetown Media
Venue, Coordinator & Furniture: River Bend
Florist: Farmette Flowers
Decor: Bride
Caterer: A Spice of Life
Bakery: The Long i Pie Shop
Musicians: Grass It Up & Bride’s Father
Wedding Dress: Anna Bé
Bridesmaids Dresses: Show Me Your Mumu
Hair Stylist: Melissa Boyer
Transportation: The Boulder Lift
Officiant & Ceremony: Lisa Hunter
*If you were a vendor and want to be linked, please reach out to us!
Lauren & Sean’s Testimonial For Lisa
“Lisa was amazing! We were looking for an officiant that could give us the connected, personal, engaged, memorable ceremony that fit our relationship and our personalities. We got that very thing. She was incredibly thorough in learning all about us first and then was able to speak to our story seamlessly. She even added some special touches to tie it to the natural scene of our venue and the yogi in me. She really cared and was such an important part of our day. I also think it was a great ceremony for our guests who truly felt like a part of the experience - exactly what we told Lisa was most important to us.”
-Lauren & Sean
Now Let’s Make Your Amazing Ceremony
Lisa Hunter, Colorado Wedding Officiant. Photo: Allison Ragsdale.
To chat about your ceremony, you can send a message using the form below. We’ll meet via phone or video call to get to know each other and answer all your questions, plus I’ll fill you in on how a wedding passage journey with me works.
We’ll also talk about your ceremony. I bring lots of ideas, and we’ll explore the many choices for ceremony elements, plus the spiritual or non-spiritual style that fits for you.
This is a fun, creative session. By the end you’ll have a clear picture of this most important part of your day. The session will help you decide if you’d like to work with me, and there is no pressure :)
Looking forward to it! Much love, Lisa