Kit and Charlie met in college and later moved to Denver together after Kit finished medical school. They had an outdoor wedding in Sedalia, Colorado featuring bright orange and yellow flowers. During their reception, they served Charlie's favorite beers from the brewery he works at and had personalized pint glasses as favors. Their first dance was to "Better Together" sung by one of Charlie's friends.

1. kit
&
charlie
Sedalia · May 24
photography by l’amour de Vie
the bridal bouquet
Kit chose sunny bursts of orange
ranunculus and bright yellow
freesia to offset the soft garden
roses in her bouquet.

2. the reception décor
To add a little more color to the
reception tent, Kit and Charlie hung
bright Chinese paper lanterns.
the place cards
Instead of the same old tented cards,
the couple used paper cranes, folded
by Kit’s stepmother (who is Korean),
as place cards at the reception.
K
37
Kit VanderPloeg (27 and a
their story medical resident) met Charlie
Berger (26 and an assistant brewer) at a Colgate
University fraternity party her junior year. She
assumed he was a senior, but quickly learned he
was a first-year student. “His charm and sense of
humor made up for his freshman status,” says Kit.
The two began dating and later moved to St. Louis,
where Kit was accepted into medical school. One
night, Charlie decided Kit needed a night away
from the books. He took her to a small town in
Missouri’s wine country (coincidentally called
Berger), got down on one knee and asked Kit to
become a Berger. After graduation, the couple
moved to Charlie’s home state of Colorado to start
their new life together. —Carrie Chambers >>

3. kit
&
charlie
the ceremony décor
The couple complemented the
natural décor of the ceremony
site with urns of roses, freesia,
lilies and snapdragons.
the ceremony programs
Charlie designed the program
motif: the couple’s names beneath
a mountain silhouette. Kit tied the
programs together with ribbons and
placed them on the guests’ chairs.
the cake
Despite Charlie’s distaste for it, the
couple chose fondant icing, which
holds up better than other frostings
in outdoor weddings. As a tribute style notes
to Kit’s late grandfather’s citrus
ranch, the dessert was topped with As a redhead, Charlie had
marzipan fruit and fresh flowers. always loved the color orange,
so there was no question that
they would include that color in
their scheme. They added yellow
and cream to tie into their
rustic surroundings. “We wanted
everything to feel as much like
Colorado as possible,” says Kit.

4. the boutonniere
A single orange ranunculus decorated
the groom’s brown sport coat.
the cocktail hour
As a brewer at the Wynkoop Brewery
in Denver, Charlie wanted to share
his favorite beers with his guests.
The couple served his top picks
in personalized pint glasses
K
during the cocktail hour.
the centerpieces
To add an earthy accent to the
39
décor, Charlie used a few aspen trees
from his family’s ranch near Denver.
Bright roses, lilies and alstromeria
draped down the bark, while table
numbers leaned up against it.
the details
Everyone waved homemade ribbon
wands as the newlyweds paused for
photos, adding a lighthearted touch
to the festivities. >>

5. kit
&
charlie
their ingredients
ceremony and reception site Cherokee
Ranch and Castle, Sedalia, (303) 688-5555
photography Paige Eden/L’amour de Vie,
Denver, LamourDeVie.com
consultant Jessica Horvath, Weddings by
Design, Denver, (303) 776-8990
officiant Rev. Carolyn Carpenter, Sunflower
Weddings & Beyond, Boulder, (303) 877-9913
gown Monique Lhuillier, the Ultimate Bride,
St. Louis, MO, (314) 961-9997
veil Toni Federici, The Ultimate Bride,
St. Louis, MO, (314) 961-9997
shoes JCrew.com
rings Shane Company, St. Louis, MO,
(314) 968-9700
hair and makeup Mary Reddy, Luxe Salon,
Denver, (303) 296-0166
bridesmaid dresses JCrew.com
formalwear Groom: Joseph Abboud, Saks
Fifth Avenue, St. Louis, MO, (314) 567-9200;
Groomsmen: Macy’s, Macys.com
stationery Designed by the bride and groom,
produced by Mercurio Brothers, Berkeley, CA,
K
(510) 845-2600
flowers Delilah’s Flowers of Denver,
Denver, (303) 864-1678
40
rental equipment Event Rents,
the first dance
The couple shared their first Englewood, (303) 972-0975
dance to Jack Johnson’s “Better catering Epicurean Catering,
Together,” sung by Charlie’s
high school friend. Centennial, (303) 770-0877
ceremony music Owen Kortz,
the ceremony décor
Clusters of bright blooms were Denver, (720) 427-9558
tied to the ends of every other reception music Dressed in Black,
row of chairs to mark the aisle.
Bailey, (303) 816-0450
cake Elegant Bakery, Lakewood,
(303) 322-7708
transportation Jay’s Valet Parking, Luxury
Shuttle & Pedicab Services, Denver, (303) 777-5297
honeymoon Thailand and Cambodia; Susan
Carr, Travel Society, Denver, (303) 563-6247