Colorado Weddings
A Rainy Fall Honeymoon Adventure
Bethann & Jensen | Telluride, Colorado
From the photographer, Rachel Beckwith:
Having your love documented on your honeymoon should most definitely be a thing. You’ve just had an amazing wedding day, all the nerves, stress, and built up anticipation are gone, and you are just able to enjoy your time with your new spouse with the freedom to be completely relaxed. It’s the perfect opportunity to get some meaningful memories captured that will forever remind you of your first trip together as a married couple.
This is exactly what Bethann and Jensen did, and it was such an incredible experience. In the days after their wedding, they took a mini-honeymoon to Telluride, Colorado, right at the peak of the spectacular Fall foliage this region displays. We decided to do a sunrise adventure and started to drive out in complete darkness after downing some coffee of course. It was a rainy morning, so we didn’t get to see the sunrise, but it made for an even more memorable session. There’s just something so romantic about kissing in the rain especially when you have these breath-taking views all to yourself.
A Colorado Wedding With Rocky Mountain Views
Leia & Sam | Estes Park, Colorado
From the bride…
We knew we wanted a view of the mountains for our wedding so finding the Black Canyon Inn and Twin Owls Steakhouse for the ceremony and reception was absolutely perfect. We didn’t need to do a lot of decorating because the amazing venues were already so naturally perfect.
HANDMADE CENTERPIECES
Sam is a welder so when we got engaged, I knew that I wanted him to weld roses that would be our centerpieces. We decided to place the roses in growlers (since we love going to breweries and trying beers).
LOOKING BACK
Our favorite part of our wedding day was spending time with friends and family, on and off the dance floor. I love going dancing, so having hours of dancing with your closest friends and family; nothing is better than that!
THE WEDDING TEAM
Photographer: Taylor Nicole Photography / Second Photographer: 831 Photography
Ceremony Venue: Black Canyon Inn Weddings
Reception Venue: Twin Owls Steak House
Floral Designer: A Florae
Dress Designer- Stella York from Dora Grace
Hair & Makeup: Cici at WedLocks Bridal Hair & Makeup
A Boho Mountain Wedding in Telluride
Matty & Alexis | June 21st
From the bride… We wanted our day to mimic the elements in Colorado. There were lots of wildflowers, lavender, dreamcatchers, and subtle earthy tones throughout.
THE ATTIRE
I found a kimono by Rish Atelier that became the inspiration for the entire day. I went with a simple dress by Alexandra Grecco to the compliment the beautiful Israeli lace. The bridesmaids chose their own dresses. Their color and fabrics all flowed together perfectly, one champagne, one navy, one pale blue with a mix of silk and lace.
PRIVATE VOWS
Prior to the ceremony, we shared our private vows on the beautiful valley floor Telluride we took pictures with our bridal party at the ceremony site beforehand to help facilitate moving right into enjoying cocktail hour with our friends and family immediately following the ceremony.
The private vows witnessed by only the photographers and our dog Wall-E was a moment we will never forget. It was simply amazing.
THE CEREMONY
Matty’s brother officiated the ceremony and all three of us had a hand in writing a ceremony that was specifically unique to us as a couple. It was laid back, romantic, and fun.
AFTER THE CEREMONY
At the cocktail hour, we rode horses and the guests also took turns riding and taking photos with the horses. This was very special to see and experience in such a beautiful location.
THE SEATING CHART
Guests were guided to the tables by looking at their names written on tattered paper hanging on the handmade flowing dreamcatchers. Pendleton blankets were strewn about the deck for both looks and warmth at night.
THE GUEST BOOK
Our guestbook was a snowboard from Never Summer with artwork by the brother of the groom/officiant.
THE RECEPTION
Our band kept the entire party dancing well into the night. Everyone continues to compliment us on the beautiful and moving personally crafted ceremony, the horses, the food, and the music!
ADVICE
I highly recommend utilizing at least a day of planner.
While making decisions in the planning process it’s so important to remember there are no “rules” and whatever works for you and makes you and your partner feel excited and happy about the day is exactly how you should do it!
On the day of, take a moment to stop, breathe and take in all the love and beauty that’s surrounding you with your new partner, family, and friends.
THE WEDDING TEAM
Photographer: Ben Eng Photography | Event Planner: Telluride Unveiled | Floral Designer: Dahlia floral | Venue & Caterer: Gorrono Ranch | Hair Stylist: Megan Keever Hair | Dress Designer: Alexandra Grecco | Band: Jonny Mogambo Band | Cake Designer: Fig & Bloom Cakes
Skiing Down the Aisle to Love
Sydney & Garret | March 24th
From the bride: After meeting online, our first adventure together was a charity event for The Greenway Foundation. Hosted on a bridge over the Platte River in Denver, Colorado, this unique date served as the perfect backdrop for the start of our adventure together. In the months to follow, we discovered numerous shared passions which created an inseparable bond. We bonded through our mutual love of skiing, camping, golfing, and our mutual pursuit for unceasing laughter.
It quickly became obvious that nothing could separate our bond. After a year and a half of skiing through trees, countless weekend getaways, and roll on the floor laughter, Garret decided to pop the question. With a vision for a wildly romantic proposal on our trip to Hawaii, Garret had secretly tucked the ring away in a carry-on. When we got to the airport, our checked bag was far too heavy, and we had to open and reorganize all of our bags. While Garret frantically tried to hide the ring in the chaos, he made a split-second decision: he couldn’t wait until Hawaii. Garret got down on one knee, right in the middle of the Denver International Airport, and I said yes!
As we planned our wedding, one thing was clear: adventure has always been a constant in our relationship. Accordingly, for our wedding, we decided to hit our favorite slopes in Mount Crested Butte, Colorado and ski down the aisle, towards our next adventure as husband and wife.
THE WEDDING TEAM
Venue: Crested Butte Mountain Resort
Photographer: Third Eye Photography
An Autumn Mountain Wedding in Telluride
Maggie & Brett | September 22nd
From the couple: We looked at a lot of places all over Colorado… but when we saw the Schmid Ranch, we immediately fell in love with it! The views at the upper ranch are breathtaking and on top of that, you can see the 14er in the distance where the proposal was! But not only was it great views, the ranch offered what really no other venues we visited could… a lot of time and flexibility with what we wanted to do! We really wanted to be able to camp with our friends and family and truly be able to celebrate without feeling rushed — the ranch allowed us to spend an entire weekend with our friends and family, not just a handful of hours like most places.
The flip side to having a wide-open ranch with endless possibilities is that there is a good amount of planning needed, so that was all us… who are we kidding, Maggie was the master planner! If it was cool and had a unique vibe, we wanted to make it happen.
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THE CEREMONY
We wrote our own vows and Maggie was thinking about saying them for months before and thought about them nearly all day before the ceremony. Brett also thought endlessly about the vows… all day before the ceremony too… the only difference is Maggie was the smart one who wrote them down!
THE RECEPTION
The main venue tent was clear so you could see the full moon and stars at night and the DJ lights rocked to the wee hours! We also set up an area were anyone who wanted to rough the elements and camp with us could, but we also had glamping tents and shower tents set up to keep a touch of those modern comforts. Our flowers were potted flowers friends and family grew for our wedding day.
ADVICE
First, get married in a place that you will look forward to going back to on your anniversary, it should be a special place you want to go back to. Second, have fun at your wedding… do a quick math exercise… the number of minutes you have at your venue… minus all the time you are just with your bridal party… and divide that by the number of guests you have… you only get a handful of minutes with everyone if you are lucky! Eat quick and say a quick hello and thank you, then go enjoy the day! And third, spend money for a good photographer! Weddings are expensive and there are a lot of ways to get creative with costs, but don’t do it here!
THE WEDDING TEAM
Photographer: Ben Eng Photography | Apparel: The Bespoke Edge | Tent: Colorado Party Rentals | Caterer: La Cocina de Luz | DJ: Colorado Wedding Productions | Venue: Schmid Family Ranch
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A Destination Wedding in Breckenridge
Alyssa + David | 08.08.18
It was very important for Alyssa and David to get married in Breckenridge, Colorado. Alyssa’s parents have a house there so many a family weekend has been spent making memories in Breck. They decided on the picturesque Lodge at Breckenridge that was able to house their guests as well as host their amazing wedding for everyone! The date 8.18.18 was also of utmost importance as BOTH sets of (still married) parents of the Bride & Groom have the same wedding anniversary date of August 18th, which also made the day very special.
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THE RECEPTION
Despite finishing law school and studying for the bar exam which she took only WEEKS before her wedding, Bride Alyssa poured all of herself into all of the custom details of the day. All of the escort cards, signage and invitations were all hand-lettered and designed by the Bride. It was also important to her to have a little bit different centerpieces so she had custom made, battery powered Edison bulb wooden planks instead of any candles, surrounded by lush greens with some simple blooms.
At first glance, much of the day might look like a typical Colorado mountain wedding but it was so much more emotional! Instead of a first dance with her father, the Bride and her Father sang “American Pie” together, and even though there wasn’t an “official” bridal party, the Bride’s three best pals put together a little song & dance skit to one of the Bride & Groom’s favorite songs.
THE FILM
THE WEDDING TEAM
Planner: Hourglass Productions | Photographer: KMitiska Photography | Videographer: Basecamp Visual | DJ: Ignight Entertainment | Florist: MJM Designs | Cupcakes: Gold Mine Cupcakes | Hair: Kayla Wildeman | Makeup: Brooke Rock | Dress: Hayley Paige from Anna Be | Oxygen Bar: Summit Oxygen, Inc. | Lights & Draping: LMD Productions | Custom Centerpieces: Highlights Colorado | Venue: The Lodge at Breckenridge
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A Romantic Wildflower Wedding at Crested Butte Mountain Resort
Julie & Sean | September 2, 2018
From the bride: After six years of dating, Sean and I could not wait to tie the knot in one of our favorite places in the entire world. As both of us grew up on the Western slope of Colorado, Crested Butte was an obvious choice for us. We couldn’t have had a more beautiful wedding day at Ten Peaks where Sean proposed to me last winter. The pictures captured exactly how magical our day was.
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THE WEDDING TEAM
Venue & Caterer: Uley’s Cabin, Crested Butte Mountain Resort
Photographer: Third Eye Photography | Event Planner: Belleview Wedding and Events | Floral Designer: From The Ground Up | Dress Store: Emma and Grace Bridal Studio | Hair Stylist: Ember Hairstream | Cake: Sunflower
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A Ceremony in the Rain + Luxe Tent Reception
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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