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A Bolt of Lightening Struck at the Exact Moment of This Couple’s First Married Kiss

By Shayna Seid | Photography by 

Katherine Joy Studios

Lily Elizabeth Neubert, who just helped launch White Peacock, which specializes in high-end tabletop bridal registry, and David Tyler Neubert met in Los Angeles, when they were both working for Pandora Radio. After more than a year of dating, she decided she was ready to move back to her hometown of Denver and asked him to join her. He said yes, and after two years of being in Colorado, he got down on one knee to ask Lily to marry him at her family’s mountain property in Granby. 

While on a beautiful, snowy hike, she said, “Yes!” The just-engaged couple then hiked down to the lodge, where her entire family and his parents were waiting. “I couldn’t stop crying—aside from our wedding day, this was the most special moment of my life and the first time both sides of our families met,” Lily says. That day, David’s mom gifted them beaded Hawaiian leis that David’s grandparents had been married in, while they were living in Waikiki. They decided to display the special and sentimental necklaces at their rehearsal dinner. 

The bride knew she wanted to get married in the high country that she loved growing up in so much, and Strawberry Creek Ranch is only five miles away from her family’s property in the mountains. “I wanted guests to dress like they were on a ranch, and I’ll say everyone really stepped up with bolo ties, cowboy hats, and boots. It was awesome!” Lily says.

To tie all of the day’s printed materials together, Etiquette Design Company made sure elements from the invitations and custom postage made their way on day of items. And Beet & Yarrow was in charge of complementing the already naturally beautiful space with florals. Ali Willhelm, of AW Events, stepped in to help plan and execute everything seamlessly. 

Knowing she was having a mountain wedding, Lily wanted a simple, timeless, and elegant dress. She ended up with the fist gown she tried on at Emma and Grace Bridal Studio in Denver, which was a beautiful Kelly Faetanini creation. The bride-to-be and her girlfriends FaceTimed her mom, who was traveling, and they all decided it was “the one.” To elevate and add drama, a cathedral-length veil was added, and Lily accessorized with her mom’s Tiffany & Co. diamond earrings. Beauty was handled by her friend, Katie Kenny, who gave her a super natural look.

The groom looked handsome in an Angelico blue suit with a white shirt and no tie, while his groomsmen all put on navy suits from The Black Tux. To accompany the bride, bridesmaids wore champagne colored Jenny Yoo gowns.

On July 20th, 2019, after their first look, Lily and David decided to read letters they had written earlier to each other. “This was the highlight of my day,” she says. Then, the bride walked down the aisle to meet David and her uncle, who officiated the beautiful ceremony. He based the service off of interviews he had done with the couple, where he asked them both what they most loved and respected about each other and what their dreams, promises, and hopes were for the future. As a sign from above, when the two shared their first kiss, a huge bolt of lightening struck. “I laughed after the fact because we got married in a stretch of Colorado that was my late grandfather’s favorite place, and it felt like it was his way of applauding,” the bride says.

Nature continued to roar through the reception with a rain storm so loud guests moved their chairs closer to Lily’s parents for their speech before dinner.Our 190-person wedding all the sudden became super intimate. I felt like it set the tone for the rest of the evening,” Lily remarks. To feed all their guests, Mountain Crust’s pizza truck catered the delicious dinner with fresh pizzas being prepared on-site. 

Once the rain cleared up after the meal, everyone headed outside and gathered around the newlyweds for their first dance to “When the Stars Come Out” by Chris Stapleton. “It was one of the songs we listened to when we were on our first date at the beach in Santa Monica. It always stuck with us as our song,” Lily says. Then the DJ, s’mores, and fresh cookies kept the energy high all night, and the pair made their sparkler exit to Devil’s Thumb Ranch, where they spent the following few days relaxing.