Ashley & Kevin
Mary’s Lake Lodge, Estes Park, Colorado
February 3rd, 2018
Ashley was born + raised in Michigan; a land of sugar sand, orange sunsets, + long winters. But when she + her best friend, Carissa, decided they wanted an adventure, they moved out to Colorado after falling in love with Fort Collins. The summer of 2015, Ashley arrived. One warm Sunday morning, she showed up at the church Carissa had found, Two Rivers, and started volunteering the next week.
She was making coffee for everyone in the kitchen, and while people slowly trickled in, a random guy stuck his arm through the window + eagerly said, “HEY, I’m Kevin”. Clearly his eye had been caught. Ashley met him + didn’t think anything of it, but once she finished making coffee + sat down in church, the only seat left was next to Kevin, naturally. “He folded me a tiny airplane + I thought it was really cute,” Ashley squealed.
“A group of friends went out to lunch after church, and she brought a salad to the fried chicken place we were eating at, so that was my first impression of her,” laughed Kevin.
“Instead of getting Ashley’s number, I got Carissa’s because I was a coward, and they thought I had a crush on Carissa. After some ample Facebook stalking, I messaged Ashley + immediately asked if she wanted to go on a hike the next day. In hindsight, that’s exactly what a serial killer would do, so Ashley politely declined. We exchanged numbers instead, and I asked her out for a coffee. Ashley insisted we get beer, and I decided I really liked her.”
The first date was at a classy bar called the Mayor, followed by some hammockingin the park. “I didn’t know if we were on a date anymore, so I asked and Ashley confirmed,” Kevin added. They had a few more dates, and one night found themselves on the roof of Ashley’s house watching the stars. Kevin asked Ashley to be his girlfriend. And the rest is history.
“Our dating has been amazing. We’ve worked through so much mentally + emotionally,” recalled Ashley. Kevin whispered with a wink, “she has a mean right hook”. “One fight lasted a few months because we’re both very stubborn, and we had to decide if it was the end, or if we were going to fight through it. I went through with trying to end it, but realized my love for him was worth the fight. And because of that, our relationship is so much stronger.”
Two summers later, Kevin recreated their first date. Instead of asking Ashley if it was an official date, he asked her to be his wife. And Ashley literally fell on the ground. While saying yes, of course.
They had always dreamt of a snow-covered mountain wedding, so they crossed their fingers + picked February 3rd. All their family + friends gathered in Estes Park to celebrate a couple so full of life + character. At last, prayers were answered and the snow began to dance ever so gracefully around the lodge while Ashley + Kevin said their handwritten vows. It was as if the world stopped in its tracks while the two danced back up the aisle, basking in the beginning of a beautiful new chapter.
It was a morning full of high-energy preparation + gusting winds, as if the world wanted to mirror the force these two are capable of. But the moment Ashley walked down the aisle, everything was still.
After playing in the snow as husband + wife, everyone gathered fireside in the lodge to cozy up + celebrate.
It was a wedding full of squeals, smooches, and sore feet as the dancing came to an end.
February was perfect,
overflowing with endless love,
and the Figurski’s got the enchanted white winter wedding of their wildest dreams.
THE WEDDING TEAM:
Venue + Caterer: Mary’s Lake Lodge
Second Shooter: Audrey Larson
Planning, Coordinating, + DJ: The Homestead Collective
Second Shooter: Emily Mae Photography
Videographer: A Little Long Distance
Dress: Encore Bridal
Hair: Carissa Buhl Surface Artist
Dessert: Mary’s Mountain Cookies
