Drink Donkeys, Champagne, and a Colorado Wedding
Koley (she/her) and Julie (she/her) didn’t waste much time once they finally met. A Tinder match, a first date that stretched into six hours, and a few years spent building a life filled with hiking trails, national parks, new homes, and plenty of adventure eventually led them to Lyons, Colorado, where they celebrated with the people who had shaped their love story all along.
Their wedding was bright, joyful, and deeply personal, with handwritten river rock place cards, a display honoring their guests’ own marriages, Drink Donkeys serving cocktail hour, and a dance floor that somehow made room for both a fire truck siren and a family tradition set to “Rattlin’ Bog.”
How did your story begin?
Koley: In 2021, Julie moved to Montana from Florida to be a wildland firefighter, and after a brief stint in Idaho with family, I had just returned to Bozeman. Looking for love – or maybe just trying to cure boredom – we matched on Tinder that summer.
Julie shot her shot and asked me out on our first date… and then, nothing. She had been assigned to a fire in an area with no service, so she trekked down the mountain each day to see whether I had responded. After two more follow-up texts, she finally managed to seal the deal.
We met at a tacos and tequila restaurant for “a drink” and ended up spending the next six hours together, bouncing from restaurant to bar. Completely infatuated from the start, we spent the fall hiking, going to the pumpkin patch, hammocking in the park, and YAPPING for hours and hours.
Over the three years since, we’ve celebrated career promotions, lived in five different homes, blended our fur families, explored multiple national parks, met each other’s families, moved to a brand-new state, Colorado, and exchanged a ring to symbolize keeping the adventure going forever.
Did you face any challenges while planning your wedding?
We were incredibly fortunate to have a fun planning process! One thing we had to our advantage was having a long time between our engagement and our wedding day to really think through what we wanted and tackle wedding planning a little bit at a time.
The biggest challenge was deciding that I would take Julie’s last name, McPherson. I figured that if I was already changing my last name, it would be the perfect time to change my first name to my chosen name, “Koley,” rather than my legal first name. Although I have no regrets, this process was long and expensive! My advice to anyone else is to plan your budget accordingly and start early!
What made your venue feel like the one?
We fell in love with Lyons RiverBend‘s stunning outdoor views. We wanted a venue that represented our sense of adventure and deep appreciation for nature. The gorgeous rocky cliff and adjacent river really sealed the deal, even from just viewing the website.
We found the venue online before moving to Colorado, and it only took a brief tour for us to confidently choose it as the place we wanted to start the rest of our lives together.
Do you have any advice for managing a wedding budget?
Make a list of your top priorities before spending anything! Decide what elements of the day are most important to you as a couple and put your money toward making that vision a reality.
For us, the venue, food, and overall guest experience were our top priorities. We saved money by doing DIY décor, having our friends and family assemble the bulk florals while Wild Posies Floral created my bouquet and boutonniere, and designing our own save-the-dates, invitations, and signage. Our fabulous wedding planner, Sweetie Pie Weddings, also provided an Excel spreadsheet that made it a breeze to track our budget and expenses.
How did you create your guest list?
We started with a rough list of everyone who was most important to us and separated them into categories (friends, family, coworkers) to help us keep track. We then added plus-ones where anticipated and left a handful of “TBD” spots, as our engagement was over a year and a half before the wedding date and we knew new friends were surely in our future!
We’re so glad we did this because moving before the wedding introduced us to a whole new community. Luckily, the venue’s capacity far exceeded our guest list, so we didn’t have to worry about a hard cap on guest numbers.
How did you choose your photographer and videographer?
Our wedding planner, Sweetie Pie Weddings, made a personal recommendation, and we are so glad she did! We wanted to capture candid, real moments throughout the wedding, and Alpine Vows did an excellent job documenting genuine emotions in real time.
Our desired style was bright, light, and joyful, which they captured beautifully. It was also important to us that they had experience working with queer couples so we could feel fully comfortable being ourselves in front of the camera. We couldn’t have asked for a better experience!
What inspired the look and feel of your wedding?
Our goal was for the day to feel vibrant, colorful, floral, and joyful! We wanted our love to feel contagious to all of our guests. We didn’t want a single “stuffy” moment!
It was us and our Pinterest board against the world! We also found a lot of inspiration from other weddings on social media, especially the DIY side of TikTok.
Did you take on any DIY projects for your wedding?
Yes! Our absolute favorite DIY was a ceremony display featuring photos from our guests’ own weddings with a sign that read, “For those who have walked before us, remember that feeling.” It was such a special way to honor the people in our lives who have been positive examples of love and marriage.
We also handwrote everyone’s name on a river rock for their seating assignment, and our bridesmaids assembled all of the bridal party florals on the day, while Wild Posies Floral created the bridal bouquet and boutonniere.
We designed all of our own stationery and signage, including our save-the-dates, invitations, welcome sign, bar sign, and seating chart. It made the day feel even more like us, and we still display our bar sign on our bar cart at home.
Lastly, we used a five-tier bookshelf to display photos of loved ones we’ve lost, alongside river rocks sharing their names and relationship to us, so our guests could understand who they were and why they were so special.
Tell us about finding your wedding outfits.
Koley: I originally went to Bespoke Bride Boise just to “look” and ended up finding the dress of my dreams! It was really special to have my mom, sisters, and best friends there with me for such a fun moment.
I’ve struggled with body insecurity for years, so feeling beautiful and bridal was a huge relief early in the planning process. Originally, I had planned to change outfits for the reception, but nothing made me feel as confident as my dress, so I ended up rocking it all night!
Julie: I got a recommendation for The Suit Shop from another lesbian friend who had recently gotten married and chose to wear a suit. I had an amazing experience with the team, who helped me find the right fit and color.
I was going for a sleek, classy, androgynous look, which I achieved with the help of some custom tailoring to fit my body type. Choosing to wear green suited my personality and the overall vibe of the wedding.
Can you walk us through your wedding day?
It truly was the perfect day.
We started the morning with a quiet cup of coffee by the river before getting ready with our closest friends and family. Before the ceremony, Julie had the idea to simply hold hands around a corner without seeing each other, a moment we’ll cherish forever. Guests were welcomed with champagne, a guest book, and a display of their own wedding photos to honor the many examples of love in our lives. Julie walked down the aisle with her mom to the Colorado Symphony version of “Stable Song,” while I walked to an acoustic version of Brandi Carlile’s “You and Me On the Rock,” performed by our close friend Jake Kvale, the same song we got engaged to. We saved our first look for the aisle, exchanged personal vows, included a ring-warming ceremony, listened to a reading from Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, and sealed it all with a kiss.
Afterward, we celebrated with champagne and our family tradition of singing along to “Rattlin’ Bog.” Cocktail hour featured Drink Donkeys, signature cocktails named after our three pets, and portraits while our guests mingled. Dinner on the patio at Lyons RiverBend featured a taco bar from McDevitt Taco Supply before heartfelt speeches, the shoe game, our first dance to “Basic Channels,” and an Anniversary Dance with more than 30 married couples on the floor. Julie’s fire captain and crew even surprised us with a fire truck siren before we closed the night with “Crowded Table” and one final “Rattlin’ Bog” celebration.
Many of our guests stayed with us at WeeCasa, the tiny home village beside the venue. When we returned to our tiny home, we found it covered in printed photos from our four years together. It was the perfect ending to a day that left us feeling incredibly grateful for each other and for the friends and family who have supported and celebrated our love every step of the way.
What moments from the day will stay with you forever?
We did our first look and personal vows at the altar, so we weren’t going to have the chance to see each other before the ceremony. It was Julie’s spontaneous idea to simply hold hands around a corner so we couldn’t see one another but could still feel each other’s presence. It was such a special and calming moment to share privately before professing our love in front of all of our family and friends.
Our post-ceremony celebration with our bridal party was another favorite. We have a family tradition of playing “Rattlin’ Bog” during celebrations – we sing, dance, stomp, and drink. Our DJ played it again as the final song of the night, and the dance floor was absolutely euphoric.
We also loved having the beverage burros greet our guests during cocktail hour. It was such a fun and adorable surprise.
Sitting at our sweetheart table and looking out at all of the people who had come together to celebrate our love story is a memory we’ll never forget.
The speeches were another highlight. Our friends and family shared the most heartfelt and downright hilarious stories, and we couldn’t have felt more loved or more seen.
Finally, the Anniversary Dance was incredibly special. Watching all of the married couples dance together felt like getting a glimpse into our own future.
Were there any vendors who went above and beyond?
All of them! Seriously, we couldn’t have had a better team helping bring our day together.
Niamh from Sweetie Pie Weddings was outstanding. From our very first meeting, she genuinely cared about making our day perfect. Her organization, attention to detail, and focus on celebrating our love made wedding planning an absolute joy.
Bailee and Jake from Alpine Vows Photography and Videography made the best day of our lives even better while capturing memories that will last forever. Every image was thoughtful, emotional, and beautifully edited. Looking through our photos truly feels like reliving the entire day.
Sarah and Chris from Lyons RiverBend made the planning process feel seamless. Our guests couldn’t stop talking about the beautiful scenery and flawless execution of the day. They’ve truly thought of everything.
Captured by Alpine Vows
Caterer McDevitt Taco Supply
DJ Howe Eventful
Dress Boutique Bespoke Bride Boise
Florist Wild Posies Floral
Hair & Makeup The Makeup Chair & Hair
Miscellaneous Farm at Sparrow Hill
Rental Company Harvest Table Company
Rings CustomMade
Suit Designer The Suit Shop
Venue Lyons RiverBend
Wedding Planner Sweetie Pie Weddings
