Real Weed Weddings

Courtney & Shayan - Oct 10, 2015

A beautiful fall day in Steamboat Springs, CO, Courtney contemplated her vows…

…as Shayan, COO of BudandBreakfast.com, “the Air B&B of cannabis friendly lodging,” set up the Cigar & Herb bar. Due to his line of work, choosing a venue was the most difficult part of getting married, but after having a magical experience while staying at the Bella Vista Estate with Courtney last May to film a promo video, the two of them fell in love with the venue and were ready to set the date!

Palo Santo, a sacred wood with the same cleansing properties as sacred sage was burned to cleanse and purify the next chapter of Courtney’s life and the rose petals were lovingly placed on the newlywed’s beds. It was officially time to try on her dress…

…and she was stunning!

The lovebirds were blindfolded and lead to one another for their first look.

Loved ones gathered outdoors…

…while two guitarists ushered guests in.

According to Sal Albert, Property Manager at Bella Vista, “Courtney and Shayan chose to stand at the fire pit with a simple alter and intimate bridal party. Mother nature did the rest. After some laughs, tears, memories and mostly cheering, this Colorado wedding in October could not have turned out more beautiful.”

Courtney & Shayan were pronounced man and wife…

…and it was time to get the party started!

A tent was set up for the reception with fine food and a traditional alcohol bar…

…but it was the Cigar and Herb bar that stole the show!

“Toast, the head budtender was an incredible source for the guests” said Sal. “He invited anyone to ask questions and present the normalcy, dare we say, luxury, of the situation. I watched him grinning all night, calling out to eager guests, “Yes, the Bud Bar is open!”

No one was lurking there during speeches or anything (like you usually see at alcoholic bars). There was a sense of respect for the guests who didn’t partake at all times, and it worked perfectly. Not one staff or family member felt offended throughout the night.

From rolling up “I Doobies” to setting up lasers after sunset, the Herb and Cigar Bar was the highlight of the party at just the right times!

Folks were happy to try something they hadn’t since the ’60’s, and Toast was making sure people knew the difference between dabs and edibles.”

A beautiful day morphed into a beautiful night where the marriage of cannabis and alcohol were gleefully celebrated alongside the beautiful bride and handsome groom. Courtney & Shayan cut their cake…

and two could not be happier to be joined as one!

PHOTOGRAPHY: Letitia Smith, White Light Exposure | VENUE: Bella Vista Estate | GROOM: BudandBreakfast.com

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Bella Vista Estate

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by Niki McDonald

Chandra & Sam - June 27, 2015

A Washington Weed Wedding!

Before the big day…

Sam and Chandra took a little photographic engagement stroll down memory lane, revisiting all of key moments of their relationship; starting with the dispensary where they met, Trees Collective in North Seattle.

When Chandra walked in in search of recommendations to aid with some medical issues she was having, Sam was quick to jump up and help the cute girl! By the end of their ten minute conversation, he invited her to go see his band perform. She couldn’t make to the concert, but made up for it and they’ve been inseparable ever since!

Sam proposed on New Years Eve date at Kerry Park in Seattle. Truth be told, Chandra was not feeling well that night and had to be lured out by a string of lies and the promise of pizza! When the fireworks starting going off over the Space Needle, he popped the question and Chandra said YES!

To celebrate, the two heading off to a NYE party at the home of their future groomsman, Matt, the co-anchor of the canna-news podcast, Cannasaurus Rex.

Since their venue would not allow for cannabis on site, the couple got creative with how to incorporate their cannabis by including it in their florals. A local grower friend cropped their signature strain - Mothers Tongue. According to Matt, the flavor profile was absolutely mind-blowing! “Within the first ten seconds the flavor profile changes from kushy, to diesel, to sweet, to pine and so on!”

The father of the bride created custom ring boxes for the couple which they filled with beds of cannabis to provide padding for their rings! Chandra, whose name means “moon light” in Navajao and “moon” in Sanskrit was gifted the moon box which Sam filled with a bed Blue Dream. Sam was gifted the tree box for his love of plants and was gifted his favorite strain, Grapefruit Diesel, by his bride.

All groomsmen proudly wore cannabis boutonnieres made of Mothers Tounuge to show their support for the budding industry that joined Sam and Chandra together in the first place!

The blushing bride gathered her bud bouquet as she prepared herself to walk down the aisle!

After much anticipation, the couple finally said “I do!” Coincidentally, they also both vowed to “always save you greens!”

Cannabis flowers were even incorporated into the whimsical woodsy reception theme!

Instead of a traditional toasting glass, the couple personalized a “toking glass” to commemorate the day! Sam purchased a bong from Big D Industries in Vancouver and customized it at a local mall!

As cannabis consumption was not allowed on site, the couple had to keep discreet and employ a few workarounds in the secret gardens of the venue!

All in all, it was a beautiful day for a beautiful couple! Sam will continue to pursue the passion that brought him to his wife, working as a highly skilled 502 farmer in Washington - happily sharing his green thumb with all those in need!

Photography by: Island Jenn | Reach Sam for your 502 Farming Needs: [email protected]

Whitney & John - August 8, 2015

Oregon’s FIRST LEGAL CANNABAR! Contrary to “lazy stoner” stereotypes, the party raged into the night with a fun and active dance floor!

Maria & Eric - May 30, 2015

This canna-couple sported an Eco Friendly Hemp & Silk Wedding Dress, Bud Boutonniere, Hemp Hors D’oeuvres, Cannabis Florals in the Bride’s hair and a clock on the “munchies” table set to 4:20!

Jenny & Ryan - July 12, 2014

A cannabar complete with budtender, volcano vaporizors and resting and roaming musicians, all under one waffle shaped tent in rustic Colorado.

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by Niki McDonald

Whitney & John - August 8, 2015

On a sunny Saturday morning on the grounds of her childhood home in the woods of West Linn Oregon, a beautiful bride waited patiently for her big day to begin.

Tables were adorned with stunning florals and greens under an enchanting tent…

…as the outdoor ceremony took place,

joining one lucky man and one lovely woman as husband and wife!

Across the way at a Christmas Tree Farm, the reception area with a bar and dance floor was set up on one side of woods…

…but just across the way…

…the groom had prepared a special surprise for his wife and their guests;

Oregon’s FIRST LEGAL CANNABAR!

John, a master grower out in California chose to serve thirteen strains along with handmade glass bowls and hired Nectar Cannabis to budtend.

Whitney and John cut their cake and danced their first dance as the sun set on the main entertaining area.

As night fell in the woods, the cannabar across the way welcomed all guests who chose to celebrate their union with cannabis!

Contrary to “lazy stoner” stereotypes, the party raged into the night with a fun and active dance floor!

This beautiful and historic night will forever have its place in Oregon history!

Photography by: Jessica Hill Photography | Event Planner: Bridal Bliss | Cannabar by: Nectar Cannabis | Florist: Zest | Live Band:Pressure Point

by Niki McDonald

Kelly & Chris - July 4, 2015

A home grown cannabis bouquet, designed by the bride and groom was the first sign of freedom on Independence Day, 2015.

The wedding took place on the couple’s outdoor cannabis grow; a property deep in the mountains of Colorado. Having played in the same land growing up, it was a truly a nostalgic and momentous day for the bride.

The groom faced the intimate group of wedding guests…

…with the bouquet of cannabis flowers as his bride was escorted to him for their “first look.”

Chris turned around to see Kelly and the magic began!

Deep in the woods…

…the ceremony took place.

When Chris read his vows to Kelly, he recanted their personal journey that they’ve shared to come to this very day. “By the time he got to the end, there was not a dry eye in the crowd.”

In addition to poetic words, a crystal was incorporated as a powerful energy cleanser and amplifier. “They are claimed to balance your chakras resulting in an elevated mood, memory boosting, de-stresser, more confident demeanor while calming the mind. The spiritual stone is linked to a higher conscience, aiding spiritual development.”

The two were finally joined as one…

…and celebrated with a ceremonial smoke; with glass pipes made by the groom.

Entertainment included drumming in the enchanted forrest setting, digging for gold and big block Jenga with personalized blocks that celebrated the occasion at hand.

Entertainment included drumming in the enchanted forrest setting, digging for gold and big block Jenga with personalized blocks that celebrated the occasion at hand.

…was topped with Independence Day fireworks at night. The fireworks lit up the couple as they blossomed in the background sky.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY: Pasiflora Photography

by Niki McDonald

Lauren & Brad - July 12, 2014

If you can figure out how to build and run a High Times award-winning marijuana concentrates laboratory in Colorado, you can figure out how throw an epic weeding!

Lauren & Brad’s trail blazing weed wedding was talked about in The New York Times, Huffington Post, & People Magazine! Here is a look into what made their special day so innovative and historic:

Upon arrival at the hotel, guests received a welcome goody bag with some of Brad & Lauren’s favorite marijuana based gifts: Apothecanna Calming Creme and Lip Buzz Chapstick, a hand rolled joint of Cherry Diesel, a lighter, munchies and a bottle of water to keep guests hydrated while toking at elevation.

Lauren and Brad chose green and white as their wedding colors and kept that theme throughout all decorative pieces of the wedding. For her bouquet, Lauren wanted a clean look of all white flowers with a pop of green, which was achieved by using cannabis flowers.

The bride and groom sported fresh buds right off the plant, from their home garden, in their boutonniere and bouquet, arranged by Plum Sage Flowers.

Even the groomsmen sported fresh homegrown bud boutonnieres!

In addition to the beverage bar, the cocktail hour offered a hookah lounge in the beautiful outdoor setting.

A cigar roller rolled both tobacco & cannabis cigars.

Wedding guests from The Faulty Pelican, another one of Brad’s businesses that buys and sells high-end functional glass art, took it upon themselves to set up a mobile dab station!

Lauren & Brad may have been married by their life coach, but they did have a glass Rabbi pipe you could smoke out of!

Upon entering the reception, the guest retrieved their place settings, which were individually potted cannabis plant clones in little terra cotta pots with their name and table.

Every table was named after one of their favorite strains: Tangerine Haze, Cherry Diesel, Maui Wowie, Skywalker OG and Blue Dream.

Marijuana flowers were also incorporated into the table arrangements.

Selected guests also received Sweet Grass cannabutter baked cookies at their table!

People who hadn’t smoked in 30 years rediscovered their love for cannabis and had a great time!

Despite the lazy stoner stereotype, there was no trouble brining the party to the dance floor!

While Lauren and Brad enjoy wine in addition to weed, they are really just flavor connoisseurs at heart. Brad is a sommelier of cannabis extracts, pairing cannabis flavors to menus in his spare time. Their company, 710 Labs, was founded on the principle of figuring out how to extract the most flavor possible from the cannabis plant, concluding terpenes are best extracted using butane as a solvent.

Skywalker OG by 710 Labs Photo via 710labs.org

While 710 Labs is only in CO at the moment, they plan on expanding out of state in the near future!

In the spirit of finding happiness in doing what you love, Brad and his business partner recently launched Green Life Consulting to help interested entrepreneurs enter the cannabis industry. One small piece of the business is cannabis-related party planning!

Given the thorough level of detail to the cannabis arrangements displayed at their weeding, we’d say that Green Life Consulting seems HIGHLY qualified!

Bec Koop of Cannabis Concierge Events along with Denise & Andrea of Lollylah Wedding Photography, orchestrated a refined and sophisticated weeding photo shoot that blew away the common perceptions associated with cannabis use. The photos tell a visual story of subtle elegance, using cannabis as the beautiful flower it is. Here are some specific examples of how they incorporated it stylistically:

Eco Hemp & Silk Wedding Dress Courtesy of Janay A Eco Bridal:

Subtle placement of cannabis in hair pieces:

Custom made hemp jewelry:

Cannabis flowers in the bouquet:

Bud Boutonniere:

Vape pen used by the groom:

Hemp used for decorative elements in the Aspen Grove vignette:

Subtle placement of cannabis in floral arrangements & other design elements carefully laced throughout the set:

Cannabis leaf design in the pizzelles used on the place settings:

Hemp Berry Smoothies with decorative cannabis leaves:

Clock on the “munchies” table set to 4:20 😉

They opted not to include cannabis infused food because Colorado regulations for edibles are extremely strict. Commercial edible shops cannot sell a cannabis infused wedding cake or any food that is not clearly marked and portion controlled but these treats look plenty good on their own!

The venue is a cannabis friendly bed and breakfast located on private property. By Colorado law, cannabis use can only be on private property.

A beautiful day for a beautiful bride and groom.

Creative Design and Planning: Cannabis Concierge Events | Photography: Lollylah Wedding Photography | Venue: Meadow Creek B&B | Florals: Buds and Blossoms | Wedding Dress: Janay A Eco Bride | Hair and Makeup: Brytanie Dotson | Food & Catering: Chef Tiffany Tomaso-Kelly | Invitations and Stationary: Avec La Vie Creations

by Niki McDonald

Jenny & Ryan - July 12, 2014

The words “we’ll be having a weed bar with bud tenders” rattled out of their mouths just as naturally as they mentioned the florist they had chose.

Johnna Patton had never been asked to plan a weed wedding before, but when a San Francisco based couple hired Distinctive Mountain Events to plan their special day in Colorado, her first thought was “how fun!”

Medicinal marijuana was legalized in Colorado back in November of 2000, and so the taboo of marijuana has dissipated over time. A few days into planning one of the most unique weddings Johnna’s had the pleasure of orchestrating, she finally had her first fear: What if someone needs to lay down? The answer? Prior to meeting Johnna, the couple had made arrangements with the venue to have a giant dome they called the “Shady Waffle” driven out from their home in San Francisco to their venue in Colorado. The Shady Waffle would host some lounging beds, so that if anyone felt like dozing off, they could do so with comfort!

Whether or not recreational marijuana is Johnna’s personal speed, she believes that “everyone should have the choice to choose how they recreate! A hit off a volcano bag is about equivalent to a gin and tonic.”

The event itself was truly “high end.” It was a perfectly elegant day that went off without a hitch. There were no negative reactions to the bud bar. “If you didn’t want to smoke, you could drink, go to the oxygen bar or just enjoy the grounds of the beautiful private ranch and the bluegrass band”.

For those living in states that have not yet legalized recreational marijuana and cringe at the thought of cannabis at an occasion of class, Johnna says “If you don’t believe it can happen, you just haven’t been to one. There wasn’t anything low end, sneaky, dirty or ugly about the experience. It just happened. I don’t think anyone flinched.”

Distinctive Mountain Events is a full service wedding and event consulting firm specializing in the design, implementation and fulfillment of unique Colorado weddings. While this particular wedding has been their only 420 event so far, they are certainly open to planning more canna-friendly events. While Johnna admits, “it’s hard to find a venue as liberal as the public is” where there’s a will, there’s a way!

Event Planning: Distinctive Mountain Events | Photography: JOE KUSUMOTO PHOTOGRAPHY

by Niki McDonald

Candice & John - July 16th, 2015

Six years ago, Candice’s father hired John to join the kitchen staff at his restaurant in Buffalo, NY and Candice fell in love! After dating for six years, they were finally married on July 16, 2015 in their new home state of Colorado.

While the couple’s move was a complete leap of faith, they couldn’t have made a better decision. They left their jobs in NY to build careers in the cannabis industry! A subject of a Bloomberg Business article on jobs in the legal marijuana space, John was hired as a trimmer by Medicine Man Denver in April of 2014 and within six months worked his way up to become lead trimmer! Candice started as a budtender at MM Denver in Sept of 2015 and is now a manager at their newest flagship location; Medicine Man Aurora!

A year before moving to Colorado, Candice and John were in a serious car accident that took a hard, physical toll on John. Smoking marijuana became the best form of pain relief. Indicas seemed to help, but he couldn’t be too picky about what he got back home in NY where even possessing marijuana paraphernalia at the time was an offense punishable by law. When John moved to Colorado, he was able to get his medical card and the caliber of cannabis he was able to medicate with was astonishing! Candice, who uses cannabis to help manage her anxiety, was blown away by the difference in quality between legally regulated cannabis of Colorado and the black market marijuana back in Buffalo. One of the cutest pre-wedding gifts Candice received to help her manage her anxiety about the big day was from a friend on the morning of her dress shopping day:

“Our wedding was truly the most perfect day.” said Candice. “The sun stayed shining and every plan turned out perfectly!”

The morning was powered by Starbucks.

“We were married in a public park, so we were not allowed to serve marijuana on site,” but at the post reception afterparty, some of Candice & John’s co-workers managed to surprise them with their three favorite Medicine Man strains: G6 #3, Ghost Train Haze, & Lemon Head!

Being able to recreate with cannabis as a couple was a true “exhale of relief!” With so many nerves in the air, the recreational retreat was the exact thing that Candice needed to take the stress off the day and enable her to focus on the moment.

They couldn’t be more thankful for the family of co-workers they’ve acquired over the 18 months they’ve lived here. Kala Williams, who runs the front desk at Medicine Man Denver, was their officiant, while Pete Vasquez, the GM of MM Denver stood in place for John’s best man who passed away earlier in the year.

Contrary to the lazy stoner stereotype, Candice and John were able to enjoy a marathon of a day! Their post reception afterparty was in Manitou Springs where they continued the party into night!

The Williams family, who owns and operates both Medicine Man Dispensaries & Medicine Man Technologies have welcomed Candice & John into their family. Not only do they now have a Colorado family to celebrate Thanksgiving with but John, (along with all tenured MM employees) was gifted stock in Medicine Man Technologies to help set up a nest egg for their future!

Candice and John plan to remain in Colorado and continue budding with the industry!

by Niki McDonald

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