Blog — The Mannclan

How do you even begin to describe the most amazing day of your whole life?

November 18th will be remembered like no other.

These images you are about to see were captured by Haley Rynn Ringo. When Austin & I began searching for a photographer, Haley was one of the first to come to mind. Here’s why….I have sat next to Haley for years at WELD Dallas watching her edit images. I noticed something unique in her work that I didn’t always see in every wedding photographer. Haley has a unique ability to pull out the subject’s personality. Not every photographer can do this well. Many want to recreate moments they see happen.

The moments she captured were perfectly timed, tack sharp and beautifully lit. Haley’s personality shines when she’s shooting. I knew if there wasn’t a dance party going, she would make it happen. She’s a great director and makes you feel so comfortable in front of the lens. She knew practically everyone of our family / guests by the end of the weekend.

This was Austin & my first professional photoshoot since we started dating in 2011 and I don’t have the words to describe how happy I am with these photos.

We chose Dunton Hot Springs after some friends of ours (shout out to the Russell’s!) told us of their amazing experience there. I had never heard of it before and only wished I had learned of it sooner. Nestled deep in the Colorado mountains…Dunton was an 1800’s ghost town but today has been remodeled into an all-inclusive 5-star, Relais & Chateaux resort tucked deep in southwestern Colorado. It sits at 8700 feet and hosts a variety of activities including three natural hot springs on site which are open 24/7.

You can rent a cabin for just a night or rent out the whole town for an event or wedding. It sleeps a max of 44 people in the winter time which at first was hard for me to imagine a wedding that small. But I am so grateful we chose to have such an intimate wedding…It allowed our guests (mainly family) to spend three days truly getting to know each other. We never did a site visit so when we showed up to the secluded destination for the first time just two days before our wedding, we were a little anxious. Thankfully, Dunton was far beyond what I imagined it to be. You better believe I knew every single cabin and detail from the photos I studied online. What surprised me though is how much closer the footprint of the town is than I expected it to be. All of the cabins are in a nice proximity to each other instead of super spread out. I fell in love at first sight.

Dunton’s history and aesthetic vibe set it apart (you feel transported to another world the moment you arrive) but the thing that stands out most is the service you experience from the Dunton Staff. They make you feel like royalty the entire time you are there. From the moment you pull up, they take your bags from you and pretty much won’t let you lift another thing until you leave.

Your jaw will drop at the elaborate four course dinners to the small details they pay attention to so that you have an incredible stay. It’s been five days since leaving their care and I’m having Dunton withdrawals. You ask and they deliver with a smile on their face. They seem to find a way to accomplish just about anything for any of our guests. A dream come true for a bride to be.

When we booked Dunton, I began praying for snow and that’s exactly what we got! During our rehearsal dinner on Friday night a friend of mine texted me and said she might be late because of snow on the road. I texted her back right away… “what snow?” My friends waved for me to look out the window and to my surprise, the whole town was covered in a thick blanket of white powder. My heart leaped for joy and we quickly scrambled out to the deck to take photos. It continued to snow throughout the night and I woke up on my wedding day to winter wonderland. I couldn’t believe it. It was a direct gift from God and I couldn’t be more thankful for how it changed our entire weekend. A cold one for all our guests, but it made our day beautiful and so much fun.

I can never say enough Thank You’s to all of those who contributing and making our wedding day so special

So what’s next?

Today, Austin & I are headed to Antarctica with Ker & Downey/Quark Expeditions for the next three weeks!! A dream come true for both of us. This will be Austin’s 7th continent.