Ari & Bryce’s wedding almost didn’t happen.
A terrifying and near-tragic accident almost put the day on hold. But, this resilient couple didn’t let anything, not even rocks, stand in the way of tying the knot!
Rocks have played a major role in Ari and Bryce’s relationship.
They met in 2014 at their local climbing gym. Despite their busy schedules (Ari as a nurse practitioner and Bryce as a law student preparing for the Bar), they ran to the mountains every free moment they had and fell more in love with each new adventure.
After Bryce passed the Bar, they headed out to Colorado for some serious rocks, adventure and a surprise proposal on top of Uncompahgre Peak!
With the mountains in their hearts and a new rock on Ari’s finger, the couple quickly jumped into wedding planning, and Ari fell in love with a special pair of J’Adorn Designs rocks! (Yes, yes… crystals are rocks!)
She saw the custom earrings we made for another J’Adorn Bride and asked if we could recreate a pair for her. We were thrilled to revisit the design. Her earrings are a custom twist on the Gold Crystal Vine & Opal Teardrop Earrings we carry in the Jewelry Shop.
Two weeks before the big day, with the details well in hand, Bryce and his groomsmen headed out to Smith Rock State Park for a weekend of climbing the rocks.
On their last climb of the trip, Bryce took a 40 foot fall and sustained injuries to all four of his extremities, which left him temporarily wheelchair bound. Miraculously, he did not suffer any permanent spinal or brain injuries!
But, with just a handful of days to go before the wedding, his surgeon suggested they consider postponing the big day.
After a quick breakdown (because, of course, how heartbreaking!), Bryce and Ari decided that delaying their wedding just wasn’t going to be an option. And their family and friends rallied around them to make sure their day would happen!
They held their rehearsal dinner at the skilled nursing facility where Bryce was recovering, and with the help of his brother, Bryce and Ari were still able to have a first dance… wheelchair and all!
It really is so easy to get caught up in the glitz and minutia of a wedding and forget what’s at the foundation of it all. We love the perspective Ari brings…
“Dealing with such a near miss just days before our wedding helped us to realize that our wedding wasn’t about all of the little details that I had been stressing over weeks before. In the end, all that mattered was that we had each other.”
We feel so honored to have one of our pieces play a small role in the kind of wedding that reminds us all that weddings are about celebrating the beginning of a real flesh-and-blood life together. A life of ups and downs, of betters and worses. And NOT about the details of throwing a party.
We are especially tickled to learn that Ari’s version of these Gold Crystal Vine & Opal Earrings were so loved by one of her best friends, that she will be using them as her “something borrowed” for her upcoming wedding!
If Ari & Bryce’s story captures your heart the way is has ours, go ahead and check out their wedding video. Bryce’s cousin (Kyle Vandever Productions) created it to share their beautiful story.
Photos of Bryce & Ari’s wedding by: BriAnne Elizabeth Photography
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