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Nicole Nichols

Custom Alternative Wedding Dresses at Rancho Ricardo

Updated: Jun 8, 2022

Steampunk, Fairytale, and Burning Man Inspired Wedding Gowns by Custom Dress Designer Jade Locke of The Secret Boutique


The group of rebellious alternative models strike a pose in their custom wedding gowns

The group of rebellious alternative models strike a pose in their custom wedding gowns


When local wedding dress designer Jade Locke, owner of The Secret Boutique, reached out to me to do photography of some of her dresses I couldn’t resist once I saw them.  Her historical inspired corset wedding gowns are truly unique works of art.  For the photo shoot we seeked out the perfect location, Rancho Ricardo Gardens, which is a secret all of its own.  Its a new unique wedding venue about one hour northwest of Denver in Berthoud, Colorado that was built in the gorgeous foothills and is filled with amazing sculptures.  There has only been one wedding so far at this venue, so if you are looking for an unknown venue off the beaten path and are intrigued by the creativity of the Rancho Ricardo Gardens, you should definitley seek them out for your wedding or upcoming event.

We had a few other wedding vendors that loved the unique steampunk and alternative wedding style and contributed to the photo shoot.  A Cake Come True created the fun steampunk wedding cake complete with intricate details and the handmade heart topper.  And the unique succulent, metal, and feather bouquets were created by Arranging Dreams Floral Artistry.  Becca Be transformed our models with her amazing hair and makeup styling.  And Donna Beth Creations provided the stunning jewelry and unique hair pieces.

One of Jade’s custom wedding dresses is steampunk inspired with copper color tones and lots of metal latches and hooks.  Perfect for the bride looking for a renaissance yet funky unique style for their wedding day.  It also paired well with her bold blue and purple dress that is just the right fit for a tattooed alternative bride.  And who says you need a groom for a wedding photo shoot?  Its 2016 and there are more same sex weddings taking place in Colorado then ever before!  Personally about 1/5 of the weddings I photograph are same sex couples.  Whether you want to call it a gay, lesbian or just LGBT wedding, it makes me so happy to know that no matter your sexual preference you can now legally get married.  I love documenting love in any shape or form!  These two models weren’t afraid to break the mold and pose romantically without a groom by their side.  Check out the photos below of their amazing dresses, bouquets, and steampunk cake to match.  And they also had a lot of fun posing in this unique metal sculpture for pictures:


steampunk inspired metal and succulent wedding bouquet

steampunk inspired metal and succulent wedding bouquet



alternative wedding bouquet with feathers, succulents, metal and found objects

alternative wedding bouquet with feathers, succulents, metal and found objects



unique metal sculpture makes a fun backdrop forsame sex wedding picture with two brides

unique metal sculpture makes a fun backdrop for romantic, care-free, and rebellious wedding pictures


Here is a great picture of the front of Rancho Ricardo.  And while the horse is not included with the venue rental for weddings, we were lucky enough that a couple of our rebellious models were allowed to take some pictures on top this tall dark and handsome beauty.


Bride wears a unique steampunk wedding dress while riding a horse at Rancho Ricardo wedding venue

Bride wears a unique steampunk wedding dress while riding a horse at Rancho Ricardo wedding venue



Bride wears a unique steampunk wedding dress posing with a brown horse at Rancho Ricardo wedding venue

two brides admire their matching steampunk wedding cake

two brides admire their matching steampunk wedding cake



non-traditional steampunk wedding cake

non-traditional steampunk wedding cake



rebellious, romantic, and free spirited tattoo bride models a bold blue and purple custom wedding dress with a unique metal sculpture

free spirited tattooed bride models a bold blue and purple custom wedding dress and unique hair piece



lesbian brides and blue and steampunk custom alternative wedding gowns, photography by Nicole Nichols Photography

bold blue and steampunk custom alternative wedding gowns



two alternative romantic and rebellious brides share a golden sunset kiss

romantic and rebellious brides share a golden sunset kiss


The numerous metal and copper sculptures around Rancho Ricardo Gardens were a perfect fit for our steampunk bride with her metal and copper dress and bouquet!  I love the brass latches on the front of her wedding dress, and the bold jewelry and hair piece by Donna Beth Creations matched perfectly.   If you are looking for a accessories to match your dream wedding dress, definitely check out Donna Beth Creations in Cherry Creek!


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two gorgeous brides and two incredible custom wedding gowns

two gorgeous brides and two incredible custom wedding gowns


This bride modeled a fairytale wedding dress, but with its sheer and blue laced corset its definitely more intended for the rebellious princess then the shy maiden.  Posed with the horse it truly looks like a scene out of a fairytale, and perched from the stone balcony she looks like a princess bride waiting for her lover.


custom fairtytale wedding gown with baby blue detail

custom fairtytale wedding gown with baby blue detail



A fairytale setting for a fairytale wedding

The princess bride and her dark horse.



fairytale setting at new wedding venue, Rancho Ricardo Gardens in Berthoud, CO

fairytale setting at new wedding venue, Rancho Ricardo Gardens in Berthoud, CO



A fairytale setting for a fairytale wedding

A fairytale setting for a fairytale wedding


The cutting edge ultra modern dress below is inspired by the creative costumes found at Burning Man. It would be perfect for a fun hot wedding on the Playa, and if you get married at Burning Man the more rebellious and edgy the dress is the better!  The cut out front of the dress shows off the unique lace leg covers and allows the bride to move more freely and have fun with her dress.  I also love the lace halter of the corset top with its perfectly matching lace headband. Once again the sculptures of Rancho Ricardo fit perfectly with this unique artistic wedding dress.  They remind me a lot of the art sculptures you see on the Playa at Burning Man.


burning man inspired wedding dress for the creative rebellious bride

burning man inspired wedding dress for the creative rebellious bride


Ok, you will never see a horse, or even trees, at Burning Man.  But this dress looks incredible draped over the horse and this model certainly knew how to pose it well, even on top of a horse!


Bride wears a unique wedding dress while riding a horse

rebellious, romantic, and free spirited bride models a burning man inspired wedding dress

rebellious, romantic, and free spirited bride models a burning man inspired wedding dress


This was such a fun photo shoot and I’m so glad I got to work with all of these amazing artists.  Here is a list of everyone that helped contribute to this photo shoot:

Photographer:  Nicole Nichols Photography Dress Designer: The Secret Boutique Venue: Rancho Ricardo Gardens Cake: A Cake Come True Florist: Arranging Dreams Floral Artistry Hair & Makeup: Becca Be Jewlery & Hairpieces:  Donna Beth Creations Models: Molly Tsunami Christopher-Anderson  (alternative tattooed bride) Alyssa Raker (princess fairy wedding dress) Amy Cordova (steampunk wedding dress) Dorotka Modelka (burning man bride)

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