Just Married! Meg Van Fossen Searches Colorado for Claire Pettibone

Name: Meg Van Fossen (Robinson) Wedding Date: August 11, 2012

Wedding Location: The Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield

Dress Designer: Claire Pettibone

Accessories: I had a hairpin I got from Little White Dress that really finished up my hair perfectly, but I don't remember who made it. I also wore a gold locket bracelet that belonged to my late grandmother. She passed away just a few weeks before the wedding, and it was a way to have her and my late grandfather with me at the wedding.

LWD:  Tell us about how you got engaged and a bit about your fiancé?

Meg: My husband, Dane, proposed after we finished running the Tough Mudder in Truckee, CA. It was actually really funny because we got seperated from the rest of our team and he was running around frantic to find them. When we finally did, he kept rushing them so that we could all go get our dry clothes and change. I told him to calm down and let them enjoy their beers!

The race ended up being almost five hours and the sun was setting so it was getting cold. We got back to the tent and we were all trying to quickly change out of our muddy clothes. I was in the middle of taking off my shoe when Dane said, "Megan, I have something important to talk to you about." I think I gave a snippy response along the lines of 'What?!'. I was so cold and I didn't know what could be so important that it couldn't wait until we had changed.

Dane persisted, "Megan, I really have something important to talk to you about! I talked to your parents last week, and I was wondering if you would marry me?" OK, so he finally got my attention. I looked up at him for the first time, and he was holding out a ring. My response was so eloquent, "Are you serious?!" He didn't miss a beat, "Yes, I'm serious, I figure if we can finish something so difficult like we did today, together, I don't think there's anything we can't do. Will you marry me?"  I said yes and gave him a big kiss, but honestly those few minutes were kind of a blur. Now I understood why he was being so pushy... the ring, which was his mother's engagement ring, was in his wallet and he wanted to make sure it was still there. So in the end the real quick version of the story is that my husband proposed while I was soaking wet, dirty, exhausted, only wearing one shoe, but I couldn't have been happier.

LWD:  Why did you decide to come to Little White Dress during your gown search?

Meg: When I started looking at dresses I found that the ones I loved the most were designed by Claire Pettibone. Little White Dress was the only shop I could go [in Colorado] where I could see her dresses.

LWD:  When selecting a gown, what "features" were you looking for and/or what was most important to you?

Meg: I knew that I wanted a form fitting lace gown. I didn't want a lot of sparkle, as I tend to lean towards things that are more simple but elegant, and I wanted something comfortable.

LWD:  Who ended up picking out the "one" - you, a friend of family member, your stylist, etc.? Tell me more about it.

Meg: Malea, my stylist, helped me pick some lace dresses to try on that she thought would work best for me, including the dress that I ended up picking. But it was my mother and my sister who helped me decide which dress was the one. Throughout the whole appointment they kept telling me they liked every dress I tried on, which was not a whole lot of help! I am horrible at picking things out, especially when it is something this important, but when I tried on Claire Pettibone's Renee dress, I think they knew. It was elegant and understated, but the rose pattern of the lace made it unique and beautiful. I knew I was going to wear cowboy boots and the dress was a perfect match!

LWD:  What three words describe how you felt on your wedding day?

Meg: Elegant and excited, but mostly loved!!!

LWD:  What do you have planned for your dress now that your wedding is over?

Meg: One of my favorite memories was getting to try on my mother's wedding dress and I hope to have the same memory with my daughter. I plan to keep my dress safe and tucked away for that day.

LWD:  What did you do to relax and de-stress prior to the wedding and/or throughout the planning process?

Meg: Honestly, I had a few freak outs and yelled sometimes, but I tried to keep those to a minimum! But really I relied on my family and the gym to relax and de-stress! My family was amazing throughout the whole planning process, and I don't know where I would have been without my mother, sister, and husband. Anytime that I felt like I was getting too anxious, I made sure I got a good workout in. It really helps me to get out my nervous energy.

LWD:  Was there any particular person (family, friends, vendors) that helped put that extra special touch on your wedding day?

Meg: My friend, Jennifer Swift, was my amazing makeup artist. She not only did my makeup , but several of my bridesmaids as well. My photographer, Austyn Elizabeth Photography, took amazing pictures of the whole day, and my florist, Flowers Forever Design, made absolutely stunning arrangments for the whole event. Also having my Godfather, Richard Paczkowski, officiate the wedding was absolutely perfect. But most of all, our wedding was about our family. All of our immediate and extended families were there, as well as many of our close friends. It was having everyone together for our special day that made it absolutely unforgettable!

Photos by Austyn Elizabeth Photography