After eloping at home in November 2020 with no formal written vows, Sonora and Jermaine made up for it in the presence of their closest friends and family a year later at the beautiful Table Mountain Inn in Golden, Colorado. They told us, “It was deeply moving, especially because every single guest (all 20 of them!) knows us personally and has been a part of our lives before and after we met.”

The couple met on OKCupid, feeling a connection the very first time they spoke, and had their first date a week later. Incorporating all the things they loved in their wedding, Sonora told us, “I really wanted the planning process to be authentically ‘us’, so we didn’t set a theme. We went with rose gold and blush colours, and were inspired simply by our love – warm, sparkly and timeless. We wanted to throw a party for our favourite people after a year of not being able to spend quality time together.”

With a $5000 budget, the venue was their biggest expense, with the photographer coming in second, however Sonora explained, “These were our top priorities, and had the most flexibility, in terms of budget. We saved a lot of money by deciding to only invite close friends and family and our vendors were amazing about providing us with payment plan options. Our wedding was technically a ‘budget’ wedding, but really was exactly how we envisioned it from the get go. We don’t feel like we missed out on anything we wanted due to budget.”

Choosing the right photographer to capture the day can be a big decision to make, however Sonora continued, “There were so many magical moments. I loved getting ready with my mom, sister, our daughter, Jermaine, and Jermaine’s daughter, and I loved having our photographer, Emily, there to witness and capture the joy-filled and giddy moments. Emily’s presence and attitude added so much to the energy of the day. She kept us on track and added so much sweetness and humour.”

“A big highlight of the evening was the INSANE sunset which we were fortunate enough to catch on the way down to the venue after portraits on Lookout Mountain. Emily pulled over and took gorgeous shots of us running down the road backdropped by the fiery Colorado sky.”

Wedding days feel like they fly by in a heartbeat, and Sonora and Jermaine offered us this excellent advice, “Plan extra/rest time into the day. Add an extra 15-20 minutes to each step of the day as well as specific periods JUST FOR REST, relaxation, and connecting with each other away from guests.”