Derek & Loren

About the Wedding

When Loren and Derek envisioned their wedding day, they wanted more than a celebration. After years marked by healing, caretaking, and love, their flower farm wedding served as testament to what it means to be truly grateful for life and for each other.

A Love Rooted in Resilience

Four years before the wedding, Loren was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Derek stood by her side as her caretaker and constant source of strength. Just as the couple began to regain their footing, Loren’s mother began her own battle with breast cancer. A year after Loren's recovery, her mother's double mastectomy paved the way for her healing, too.

“Our wedding really was this celebration of love, life, resilience, and how connection can create spaces for healing," Loren shared.

A Venue with Meaning

The couple chose a flower farm with an 1800s schoolhouse as their venue. It's a connection to bride Loren's background, as she's spent over a decade in education and is in the process of opening a new school in Colorado Springs.

Intentional Design for Connection

Every detail of Loren and Derek’s day was crafted with intention. The couple hand-thrifted 200 mismatched plates for the reception. “We considered table designs that facilitated conversation and opted for a family-style, farm-fresh food arrangement that allowed people to look eye to eye as they passed food and almost held hands in this sacred communion of sharing a meal,” Loren said.

Honoring Family

Loren changed into her mother’s original 1980s wedding gown, transformed into a playful lace mini dress, for late-night dancing. She made her entrance on the dance floor wearing the reconstructed mini wedding dress while her mother led a line dance, inviting every guest to join in.

The couple took wedding portraits with Loren's dad's beloved car, in a nod to his post-family-illness motto: “Life is short, buy the dream car.”

Derek honored his late father by wearing his wedding band, while his mother officiated the ceremony.

Timeless Style Meets Garden Party Whimsy

The couple’s wedding day style was effortlessly elegant. Derek and his groomsmen wore black shawl lapel tuxedos with black bow ties, with Derek subtly standing out by wearing a white pocket square.

Loren’s bridesmaids glowed in mismatched pastel and floral sundresses, capturing the lighthearted garden party wedding vibe that carried through the day. Loren’s veil, delicately adorned with floral details, mirrored the beauty of the flower farm and completed her look.

Guests embraced the theme, arriving in colorful sundresses and cheerful attire that seemed to blend right into the vibrant gardens surrounding the venue.

A Celebration of Life and Love

Loren and Derek’s wedding was a reflection of everything they had endured and everything they now celebrate: love, family, and the power of connection and community to create spaces for joy and restoration.