Mountain View Menagerie

Wedding Day

Laura and Kyle after catching the bouquet in 2018--a premonition!

Our Wedding

How much time do you have?!

Laura and Kyle met in 2005 at the beginning of their freshman year of high school. From the moment they saw each other, they knew they knew they would be special to each other forever. Their early friendship grew around Laura's horse shows and a lot of time spent at the Alley Cat Cafe in Fort Collins, where Kyle played drums every Saturday. Before long, they were on adventures every single day together and became inseparable. They started "officially" dating in 2011 and have continued their adventures to this day. Their story since then includes years upon years of friends, family, pets, and having built the beginnings of a wonderful life together in Fort Collins and Denver. They have become beloved fixtures to each others families and cannot imagine the past 21 years not being in each others lives. Laura enjoys Kyle's kind heart and gentle nature. Kyle enjoys Laura's expressive energy and friendly demeanor. They could not be happier to welcome their friends and families to start this next chapter of their lives!

Our Story

Wedding Party

Q + A

****************Places to stay**********************There are many wonderful places to stay in Northern Colorado, all of which are not too far from our party barn! We have reserved a block of rooms with a group rate at the nearby Wingate hotel (not related!) for those who would like to stay nearby -- information is below in the next section. If you are looking for a more bespoke or vacation rental experience, northern Colorado has many adorable towns near the venue with a great selection of AirBnBs, vintage hotels, and fun things to do. Fort Collins has a lovely, downtown area with an artistic college town experience. There are cute hotels, and it is near the lovely Cache la Poudre canyon, a place Laura and Kyle loved to explore when they lived in FoCo. There are also several AirBnBs available in and around Loveland and Johnstown. Feel free to reach out to the bride and groom with any travel questions or needs! ************Hotel Block Info**************************** Group Name: Wingate-Lysek WeddingGroup Confirmation Code: GS051326WINAvailable Sep 18, 2026-Sep 20, 2026 *****THANKS FOR COMING TO SEE US, FRIENDS!*******

Located in Loveland, 17 miles from Colorado State University, Wingate by Wyndham Loveland Johnstown has accommodations with a fitness center, free private parking, a garden and a shared lounge. This 3-star hotel offers a business center, a concierge service and free WiFi. The hotel has an indoor pool, hot tub and a 24-hour front desk. At the hotel, the rooms are equipped with a desk. Complete with a private bathroom equipped with free toiletries, all rooms at Wingate by Wyndham Loveland Johnstown have a flat-screen TV and air conditioning, and some rooms also feature a seating area. The rooms will provide guests with a fridge. Guests at the accommodation can enjoy a continental breakfast. Hughes Stadium is 20 miles from Wingate by Wyndham Loveland Johnstown. Denver International Airport is 50 miles from the property.

Wingate by Wyndham Loveland

A Wonderful Northern Colorado Nook of Friendship

Travel

Things to Do in Fort Collins & Northern Colorado

Go check out this amazing rock and nature shop in Fort Collins's beautiful, historic Old Town Square, a great place to go with kids, and right next to a splash pad and some awesome restaurants and bars!

Nature's Own

An extremely cute town square in the heart of wonderful, walkable downtown area, a great place for family time by day, and a bustling night life after sunset throughout the surrounding historic old-western streets!

Old Town Square

Want to see the artistic hippy-dippy coffee shop where Kyle and Laura fell in love?!?! Head on over to the Alley Cat Cafe in the alley off of Laurel Street for a true college town coffee shop experience! Try to guess which ceiling tile was painted by Laura, and imagine a young Kyle playing drums in a jazz band there!

Alleycat Coffee House

Things to do in Denver and the Surrounding Area

Planning a Denver day on your way back to the airport? About an hour and a half away from the venue area is the famous Mexican restaurant/indoor theme park, Casa Bonita! with everything from cliff divers to face painting, to an arcade and a man in a gorilla suit, the whole family is sure to be entertained!! Make sure to get your reservation at least a week ahead of time, and allow plenty of time for parking/logistics! Both Kyle and Laura went here as children, and we both thought the pirate cave was scary!

Casa Bonita

Want to see an amazing collection of beautiful artworks from throughout human history from all across the world?! Spanning cultures, places, time periods, and most importantly exploring ideas?! Feel free to step into an art historical journey at the Denver Art Museum--the place where Laura also works!

Denver Art Museum

Beautiful Hikes and Nature Walks in NOCO

Looking for a kid-friendly or easier flat/lowland hike? Devil's Backbone in Loveland is an excellent spot to explore geological rock formations and look out over plains of windswept grasses and rabbit brush! It is also horse friendly for those looking for a good trail ride. The only warning is: There are rattle snakes here! Make sure to wear closed toed shoes, long pants, and keep a close eye on the path especially when hiking with dogs or trail riding!

Devil's Backbone Trailhead

One of the Wingates' classic hikes. Here is a challenging, beautiful hike for those looking for some exercise, with stunning views of a big cliff at the end! You will feel like Simba from Lion King! Laura and Kyle used to hike here all the time when they first started dating. It is a popular, somewhat busy hike, so I would recommend going in the early morning. We have seen a couple rattlesnakes here too, so long pants and sturdy shoes are recommended!

Greyrock Trailhead

If you are planning a mountain town visit on your trip to Northern Colorado, You could easily spend a day or a whole long weekend in Rocky Mountain National Park and the charming mountain town of Estes Park, Colorado. The sweeping views, autumnal aspen leaves, and wildlife residents of RMNP are well worth the visit. You will most certainly see an elk! There are plenty of adorable stores, bars, and restaurants in Estes Park to explore too. Not to mention, the famously haunted Stanley Hotel from The Shining! This area does involve a pretty windy mountain drive up the gorgeous Thompson Canyon on highway 34 from the Loveland area (paved but narrow and steep), for those in the mood for adventure. From Denver, the drive is a little smoother on Highway 36 through Lyons.

Rocky Mountain National Park and the town of Estes Park

Things to Do

Registry

What Dress Code Could Possibly sum up both of us?Fun and funky wedding casual, of course!Basically Wedding Casual--but have fun with it if you want to! Want some fun inspiration? Funky disco cowboy, magical forest, festive colorful garden party! whatever celebrates the true you, so we can all have fun just as we are!Wedding Colors: Teal, Blue, Purple and Dusty Sunset Pink, although all colors/patterns and fun ideas welcome!

Laura & Kyle

Laura & Kyle

Equine safety tutorial