A Winter Destination Wedding in Colorado
From the bride, Erin:
We knew we wanted to have a destination wedding in the mountains. As a girl, I had learned to ski in Winter Park and my first cross-country skiing experience was at Devil’s Thumb, before it had been built up into a beautiful resort. We were so excited when we saw the new resort and event space. We loved Devil’s Thumb Ranch right away, and my own personal history with Devil’s Thumb made it even more special.
We really wanted our wedding to combine the outdoor feeling of the Colorado Rockies with simple elegance. We had also been hoping that it would snow since we love the feel of a snow-covered cabin in the mountains.
Tom and I had a “first look” before the wedding ceremony. He was waiting for me outside of my cabin. I put on snow boots with my wedding dress and went outside to see him for the first time on our wedding day. I was not expecting to be so emotional, but when he turned and saw me for the first time, it was all I could do to keep from crying. We hugged and he held my hand. We could not help but smile the whole time. Standing among the snow-covered trees, in the mountains, by a beautiful cabin; it was such a perfect moment.
Tom and I both have Scottish and Irish heritage, so we really wanted to incorporate a few traditional Celtic elements. We had ribbons of our family tartans crafted in Scotland and mailed to us. We then used these tartan ribbons in a Celtic hand fasting, or “knot-tying,” ceremony during the wedding. We also chose a few traditional Celtic songs to be played by our string trio during the ceremony. We had a special remembrance moment during our ceremony to honor our grandparents who were not able to be present, in particular my grandmother who had passed away in the months leading up to the wedding.
We wanted to bring in the wintery mountain theme with our table names and name cards. So, our tables were named for Colorado ski mountains. We also found small snowshoes to use for the name cards, but then my mother and I spent 6 hours tying the snowshoes together! It was definitely worth the effort, since they were one of my favorite wedding details.
My father had been taking dancing lessons prior to the wedding, so he taught me to waltz during our dance. It was such a great moment.
My advice: Take time to enjoy the wedding planning process. It can be really fun if you don’t stress about the small details. Also, having a wedding planner really helped me to relax and enjoy everything, because I knew she had it covered.
Erin & Tom’s
RECOMMENDED VENDORS
Venue, Caterer & Lodging: Broad Axe Barn at Devil’s Thumb Ranch {website}
Photographer: Brinton Studios. CR and Tiffany are wonderful and so talented!
Event Planner: JA Special Events. Choosing Jessica as my wedding planner was the best wedding decision I made!
Flowers: Plum Sage Flowers // Cake: Shamane’s Bake Shoppe // Invitations & Programs: Noteworthy Notes // Officiant: Sunflower Weddings & Beyond // Bride’s Gown: Vwidon by Carla & Kenneth // Bridesmaid Dresses: Lazaro // Hair & Makeup: CMP Bridal // Men’s Wear: Al’s Formalwear // DJ: Elite DJ // Musicians: Songs from the Heart
Honeymoon Location: Bora Bora and Moorea