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I have heard a lot of good things about River Bend, the new rustic wedding venue brought to us by the same people who own The Farmette in Lyons, Colorado. And what I heard about it being beautiful and unique was true! The first thing that struck me about River Bend is just how large and open it is. If you want to bring out of town guests to Colorado and give them a magical outdoor experience with the beauty of nature surrounding them this would be a good place to offer that. There are so many wide open grassy spaces to walk through and a breathtaking view of tall redstone cliffs all along the river. Their ceremony space is situated with a view of these dramatic cliffs but is far enough away from the river that it doesn’t drown out the acoustics for the ceremony. They have a huge sail cloth tent for the dinner with the option of being open on all sides on nice days and can be closed when the weather takes a turn for the worse. And perhaps my favorite thing about this place is that they have a huge riverside patio with beautiful cafe string lights strung up overhead to provide just the right amount of ambience (and also helpful for us photographers!) while dancing beneath the stars. There is even a row of adorable tiny houses where guests can stay once the party winds down.

Amy and Jon and their guests definitely made good use of the space. Amy prepped for the big day in the glamping tent (complete with chandeliers!) on one side of the property while Jon and his friends lounged in the adorable cottage over on the other. The guys cracked me up when they decided to jump into the river for a quick bath together instead of doing individual showers. And their adorable little doggie Eli had a blast running around all over the property as they both got ready. Amy was a little nervous so we orchestrated a sweet little first look before the ceremony and then it was time to walk down the grassy aisle. Jon works for Avery Brewing Company and I thought it was a pretty awesome touch that they had brewed a special beer called “Riverbend” just for their wedding day. They toasted with their special brew during the ceremony right before their first kiss as man and wife. After the ceremony and dinner I noticed lots of guests making good use of the relaxation areas they had set up all along the banks of the river with rocking chairs and overstuffed armchairs. The bar, which was set up beneath a gigantic evergreen tree was also rocking. But appropriately the most crowded area with most of the action was the dance floor. Amy and Jon and all of their friends and family partied on that patio next to the river like there was no tomorrow. It was such a fun wedding for a couple who everyone wants to be friends with!

One last nice portrait to finish up the story:)

Amy’s grandparents win the longest married couple dance. This is one of my favorite wedding traditions.

 

Head over to the WEDDINGS section of my site to find more information!