Q&A with the bride and groom, Shayne & Amber:

How did you meet?

We actually met while skydiving.  Shayne worked as a videographer and instructor, and I was a licensed skydiving jumping for fun.

Tell us a little a bit about your wedding (your vision, color, style, and location choices).

The basis for our wedding was FUN and US.  There were no color schemes, we just brought candles, plants, and rocks from our home to decorate with.  We wanted it to be a casual lake weekend, where we just happened to exchange vows (privately), and then had an excuse to party with our friends a bit.  It was a blend of an elopement (in the morning) and a reception later in the day.

Tell us about your attire choices.

My dress was my favorite color, grey.  Shayne wore a floral tie which we both loved, khaki colored slacks, and earthy off-white shirt with a vest.  We simply just looked for an outfit we loved and felt good in.  My dress was under $100.  As you can tell, we cared more about having fun activities like paddle boarding, tubing, pinatas, sack races, and booze than what we were wearing.  :)

What was the most important to the two of you while planning? Was there anything that you chose to splurge on or skip?

Haha, another theme here.  FUN was the most important.  We wanted it to be super laid-back and not feel wedding-y. We also didn't want the spotlight to be on us, especially when exchanging vows and making important and private promises to each other. The wedding attire for our guests was "express yourselves", which some sure did.

What were your favorite parts of the day? (memories and stories)

Exchanging vows privately in the morning at sunrise on the shore of the lake, taking our paddle boards out together in our wedding attire (and not falling in), playing with our dogs, and seeing so many of our friends in one place playing games and enjoying the mountains.  Another highlight was tubing into our party with friends on a gigantic flamingo tube.  Throughout the rest of the day, people continued to take them upstream and tube down.  It was awesome.

What did you do for favors?

Trail mix to-go.

Please describe any DIY, handmade, or personal details.

We hung pictures on strings along the ceiling of the barn.  There weren't just pictures of us, but all of our friends and family, favorite hikes, etc..  All of the "decorations" were things from our home... candles, rocks, gemstones, etc.

Do you have any advice for couples planning their weddings now?

Don't feel like your wedding day is already laid out for you based on industry standards.  Create your own.  Celebrate in a way that feels like YOU and reflects YOUR relationship.  Stop trying to make everyone else happy and accommodate their desires.  :)