MOODY HOTEL WEDDING RECEPTION IN DENVER, COLORADO

it seems only fitting that a couple who met on new years eve, would celebrate their wedding at a swanky hotel wedding reception in denver, colorado. #aandbabe callie and riley met on nye. an instant spark and the shared responsibility of being the sober drivers for their friends that evening led these two to a wonderful conversation. callie adds, “we met at a local dive bar on nye. we both didn't want to go out so we were the sober drivers for our friends that convinced us to go have fun.” 

their initial conversation was enough for them to plan an impromptu date the very next day. starting off the new year with a date, callie and riley quickly learned that they had even more in common than they initially thought. “we found out that we were neighbors in the same condo complex.”

wedding reception with black details

since callie and riley had always been in sync, planning a wedding together came quite effortlessly. callie knew she didn’t want to wear white, so they agreed that they’d both wear black on their wedding day!

black wedding dress

when looking for a black wedding dress in denver, co, callie discovered a modern denver dress shop that catered to a range of wedding visions. finding a&bé bridal shop denver, callie was smitten with this cool bridal brand and the designers carried. alena leena wedding dresses in particular caught callie’s eye. intrigued by the contrast of contemporary wedding dresses with intricate timeless gowns, callie gravitated towards the more simplistic silhouettes alena leena bridal offers.

landing on ‘monstera’ dress by alena leena, callie made it her own by ordering the wedding gown in black. this custom black bridal dress inspired much of the wedding wardrobe as well as the reception decor.

black bridesmaids dresses

not only were callie and riley dressed in black, they wanted their guests to look the part too. “we decided we would both wear black & even asked our guests to wear black! it was risky but turned out beautiful.”

callie took bridal party photos with her guests and bridesmaids. their black bridesmaid dresses added to the hotel reception’s moody aesthetic. her bridesmaid dresses were a mix black long sleek gowns, fun cocktail-length dresses, and sequin bridesmaid looks.

contrasting colorful wedding flowers

while callie and riley kept their reception decor minimal, striking elements like their vibrant florals and disco ball accents added a modern twist to their mostly dark and moody reception color palette. callie purposely added color through their wedding flowers to prevent their black attire from feeling too thematic. “we didn't want it to look super gothic or halloween-y so we incorporated bright florals and decor.”

happily ever after reception theme

these bright accents not only made their reception space feel more balanced and welcoming, but it also served as a perfect nod to their happily ever after reception theme. vintage books were stacked in piles, providing rustic pops of pink, orange, and gold to tablescapes and more. the fairytale reception theme could also be seen on the couple’s seating chart sign that read ‘happily ever after dinner’.

by infusing their own personal touches and not conceding to wedding norms, callie and riley created a reception that was truly custom. cozy, chic, and quite the evening of fun, we’re obsessed with every element of their big day!

dress designer: alena leena / bridal shop: a&bé denver / photographer: olivia martinez / venue: the rally hotel / beauty: elise carlson, marissa ambrosino, and erica stillwell at evolve hair salon and sam klaver at lou & co salon / florals: kasie altamura