Jen & Josh | September 1oth | Vail, Colorado

From the bride…What I remember most was how special it felt to have all of our loved ones gathered together in Vail, which has a special place in my heart. The day started with my bridesmaids and I getting ready in my family’s mountain home, followed by pictures at the top of the gondola. Going up the gondola with our wedding party for photos was such a fun and special way to kick off the festivities.

THE CEREMONY

In typical Colorado fashion, it was a perfect, blue sky day right up until we arrived for the outdoor ceremony! Guests huddled under trees and umbrellas, and I couldn’t believe we couldn’t see the gorgeous Gore Range view we had been dreaming of. But in the end, the rain added laughter and levity to the ceremony and the pictures with the umbrellas are fantastic!

Walking down the aisle with my Dad is something I’ll never forget.

THE OFFICIANT

We asked our friend Matt to officiate the wedding. Matt has known us as long as we’ve known each other and has seen our relationship evolve over several years from friendship to life partners.

SPECIAL TOUCH

We did a soil ceremony, where we had each of our mothers bring soil from our childhood homes so that we could plant a new tree, bringing our families together and creating our new roots.

After the ceremony, we moved to our reception site on the lawn of Lion Square Lodge for cocktails, dinner, and dancing.

Guests were greeted with shawls and slippers as they descended the stairs.

THE SEATING ARRANGEMENTS

At the entrance to the tent, a large escort wall with leather tags led guests to their individual seats.

THE TENT

The Tent at the base of Vail Mountain was the largest one ever done on Lion Square Lodge. A custom build that took three days to install and included incredible floral chandeliers, a large lounge, a custom donut wall, and matching monogrammed dance floor- not light gobo- but monogrammed.

 

The tent was even more magical than I had imagined it would be during all of the months of putting together this “room” from scratch. The hanging floral displays were especially breathtaking and exactly in line with my vision.

 THE PLACE SETTINGS

The menus were printed on bread bags. The leather place cards had gold calligraphy monogrammed script.

THE SPEECHES

The toasts by my Dad, my MOH, and Josh’s Best Men were all hilarious and so touching they brought me to tears.

THE RECEPTION

The reception flew by in such a blur that I can’t even tell you many more details, but I do know that we all had an unbelievable night with our friends and family.

THE MUSIC

The band was the highlight, with people still talking about them over a year later. The dance floor of the tent was quite literally bumping (it felt like a trampoline out there!).

ADVICE

Don’t trust your memory for anything on the day of! If there is something you’d like to make sure happens (even if it seems obvious and you think you’ll remember), don’t leave it to chance. Ask your planner, family member, or best friend to be on point to ensure any special moments you have in your head actually happen.

Be yourselves! Following trends that don’t feel completely authentic to you as a couple won’t stand the test of time. Go with your gut and your own style over any Instagram trends.

THE WEDDING TEAM

Photographer: IN Photography | Event Planner: Gemini Event Planners  | Event Design: Design Works | Invitations: Four13 Designs  | Catering: Red Maple Catering | Cake: Mountain Flour | Band: Northstar 

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