Black Canyon Inn

Wedding Day

Ceremony

Reception

Winter

Our Wedding

Long story short, our first date was the Cherry Creek Christmas festival in Denver on December 22nd, 2024. Max said he knew I was "the one" on that date; that would typically freak me out, but it didn't. A few hours into the date, he mentioned that he couldn't travel back to Europe for Christmas and so I took a leap of faith asking if he wanted to join our annual Christmas Eve dinner party with a lot of extended family. A few people grilled him with questions, making sure he was right for me (after two days, even though family didn't quite know the details about that lol) but he handled it like a champ. I used to roll my eyes when people say, "when you know, you know", but now I understand completely. Then, truly, the rest is history and looking so forward to our future!~ AprilI will always remember our first date; across the street from Neiman Marcus - Cherry Creek in Denver I could easily notice April walking towards me and I was like, "Wow, that girl is gorgeous!". The first few minutes of our conversation felt so genuine and I felt like I could be myself around her and vice-versa. We walked around the Christmas market, did a bit of shopping and directly discussed about our beliefs, personalities and future goals. From the moment I met April until the last second we shared that day, time literally stopped... I knew I met the girl I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.~ Max

Second Date on Christmas Eve

Our Story

Photos

Amber Vander Dussen

Whitney Strohauer

Olivia Mattmann-Godin 

Chelsea Johnson

Shereen Barghelame

Elsje Vander Dussen

Ryan Mattmann

Tad Strohauer 

Wybrand Vander Dussen/Future Brother-in-Law 

Kalin Mellars 

Wedding Party

The check-in date does not have to be on the 23rd, we just wanted to make sure both days before and after the wedding are accommodated :) the cabins/suites are mostly within walking distance to the venue. Use code WED for a discount.

Located on the banks of the Fall River, this hotel is 3.7 mi away from Rocky Mountain National Park. It offers a hot tub and serves a daily continental breakfast. Free WiFi is provided in each air-conditioned guest room at Silver Moon Inn. All rooms include a flat-screen cable TV, a microwave and a refrigerator. Select rooms include fireplaces. BBQ facilities are located on-site at Inn Silver Moon. A guest launderette is available. Free guest parking is provided. Numerous fishing, wildlife watching and outdoor opportunities are offered nearby this hotel. Downtown Estes Park is 0.6 mi away. Boulder Municipal Airport is 42 mi away.

Silver Moon Inn

Just three miles from Rocky Mountain National Park, the Holiday Inn Estes Park delivers an elevated vacation experience — in more ways than one. Neighboring Lake Estes, this family-friendly hotel puts you right in the middle of the action in downtown Estes Park. Offering something for everyone, here, guests can relax and be themselves. With an on-site restaurant serving continental breakfast and dinner, heated indoor pool, fire pits, bicycles, game room and fitness center, the Holiday Inn Estes Park delivers 24/7 fun. Plus, our full-service conference center is perfect for groups.

April & Max

April & Max

Wedding Party