Emma and Aaron weren’t about to end their festivities with just one backyard wedding! While they officially tied the knot in their cozy Denver backyard wedding, the massive celebration they’d always envisioned was held in the next year in the fall at The St. Vrain in Longmont, CO. After a downsized wedding due to COVID restrictions, this up-sized one was a blast!

Emma wore a different dress than her simple, straight-line gown from 2020. This new dress, found at Lovely Bride Denver, had a plunging (yet still very tasteful) v-neck, a mermaid flair, a low-cut back, and a unique lace overlay in a gorgeous pattern. She was beautiful in both dresses, but this one certainly fit the grander day. While Emma slipped into her deep green velvet heels, Aaron slid into his own green velvet suit. So deep in color it was nearly black, this classy, unique touch, where both bride and groom wore a bit of the same material, was one of my favorites from the day!

Once they were ready, we headed outside for the first look. In front of The St. Vrain, Aaron kissed Emma and spun her around. The joy on their faces was immediately evident—these two were so excited to get married for the second time! Then, we walked down the street to the Callahan House, which had a lush garden for us to use for bridal party photos. Emma’s bridesmaids wore an array of jewel tones in velvet, ranging from deep maroon to sapphire to gold. The flowers from Madelyn Claire Floral also had a jewel-toned color scheme of deep maroons, garnets, and oranges that reminded me of Emma’s previous bouquet. This was a nice thread to keep through both weddings, and one that will make both sets of images look beautiful side-by-side!

The ceremony itself, held inside The St. Vrain, was a vow renewal since Emma and Aaron were already married, making the ceremony short and sweet. They tied their favorite book, The Alchemist, into the vow renewal beautifully by reading a passage. “The passage discusses love in a way that truly connects with both of us,” Emma said. After the ceremony, I took a few portraits of Emma and Aaron, then off to cocktail hour we went!

Since they couldn’t include Quinn, their border collie/poodle mix, they served espresso martinis at cocktail hour to represent Quinn’s high energy. The high-energy vibes translated right into the reception, where Emma and Aaron spent nearly all of their time with the guests. “We’re both hosts at heart,” Emma told me. “We want it to feel like an extension of ourselves and our home.”

And it truly was a party! Emma changed into a short white dress with white sneakers so she could enjoy the dance floor, and Aaron rapped to one of his favorite songs while everyone hyped him up and cheered him on from the dance circle they formed. The guest started a limbo line, too—it was an epic dance floor!

The night ended with a sparkler exit outside The St. Vrain. It was a happy moment for the couple but a bittersweet one for me—I felt as if I’d been with Emma and Aaron through so much. From hearing about their engagement in Hawaii, to their engagement session in Rocky Mountain National Park, to their first wedding in Denver, to the big official wedding at The St. Vrain, I truly felt that I’d been on an epic journey with these two. And they really did make the most of a challenging situation. Right before the wedding, Emma said, “Looking back on it now, we are thankful that we got to get married in an intimate setting with our closest friends and family and get to celebrate our wedding again in a bigger way, almost close to our one-year anniversary!” I couldn’t agree more.