Telluride
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 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
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 Telluride
Happiness is…
Getting ready in a fun and quaint mountain town.
Riding a gondola up a mountainside to 10,540 feet.
Being surrounded by 360-degree views of Rocky Mountain peaks as you say, “I do” with your adorable puppy by your side.
Dancing on a mountaintop as the alpine glow sunset bathes you in love.
This is the allure of Telluride!
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THE WEDDING TEAM
Photographer: Ben Eng Photography | Venue: Telluride Ski Resort – Gorrono Ranch | Cake Designer: Susan Johnston | Floral Designer: Willow Creek Floral | Makeup Artist: Megan Keever
View more: Telluride Weddings | Colorado Weddings
A Mountain Destination Wedding in Telluride
From the Magazine: Anne & Derek
Derek and I both live and work a considerable distance from many of our friends and family and extended relatives. We were concerned with “playing favorites” and decided to go with a neutral location that was secluded enough to be considered a real vacation. Telluride was the perfect mix of an exciting adventure and relaxing destination vacation in a place that is truly a piece of heaven on earth…
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The Wedding Team
Photographer: Illuminarts | Event Planner: by Sutton | Flowers: 3 Leaf Floral | Ceremony Site: San Sophia Overlook | Reception Site & Caterer: The Peaks Resort and Spa | Cake: The Golden Crumb | Wedding Gown Designer: Pronovias Barcelona | Groom’s Attire: Calvin Klein | Hair & Makeup: Leilani Drum Makeup Artistry
View more: Telluride Weddings | Colorado Weddings
A Destination Wedding in Telluride, Colorado
From the bride, Taylor: I chose Telluride because I had heard from several people that it was the most beautiful place they had ever seen. I grew up vacationing in Boulder, Breckenridge, Denver and knew I loved the idea of being married in Colorado; however, I wanted my wedding memories to be associated with a place that I only tied to my wedding. I did some research and talked to people who had been to Telluride and decided it was the perfect place for us. I wanted a relaxed wedding atmosphere in a quaint town with amazing views – Telluride was an obvious choice.
I wore a Monique Lhullier dress with cowboy boots.
What made our day so special was how small and impromtu the whole affair was. We only had immediate family (12 people).
It rained pretty heavy during the ceremony creating a romantic mood inside the intimate church.
After the vows, we all had a casual and light-hearted dinner in town.
My advice: Keep it as simple as possible. Make the day about you and your future spouse. Prioritize those closest to you. Have great food. Expect for some chaos-it’s inevitable.
THE WEDDING TEAM: Photographer: IlluminArts | Ceremony: The Alpine Chapel
View more: Telluride Weddings | Colorado Weddings
A Mountain Wedding Inspired by Telluride, Colorado
From the bride, Meghan… Joseph took me to Telluride on our first trip together and I fell in love with the town. Telluride brings this feeling of peace and relaxation, a feeling of just being centered, and it is an amazing creation! You have this little storybook town nestled in this canyon of lush green mountains and an amazing waterfall at the end of town.
I wanted a very natural style wedding to keep with the Telluride theme. I also wanted to make the day very personal. To bring in the natural feel, I included aspen trees and river rock. I chose a brown, cream, and green color palette with yellow accents.
We started our ceremony early so that it would end at sunset. The mountain view in Telluride at sunset is breathtaking and that is what we wanted our guests to see!
My most memorable moment was saying my vows with the amazing mountains in front of us.
My advice: Hire a coordinator, enjoy every moment, the good and the bad, because you will look back and love both.
Photographer: Illuminarts . Absolutely amazing and so much fun to work with. What sold me on Drew was the way he would capture shots that no one else would ever see. His creative eye is remarkable, he truly made my day that much more special. My photos are my absolute favorite. Words cannot explain how wonderful Drew is!
View more: Telluride Weddings | Colorado Weddings
A Mountain Rustic Wedding in Telluride, Colorado
From the bride, Niki… Our wedding day was one of the last summery days before fall showed its face (literally, the next day it snowed!).
We had a very intimate, family-oriented ceremony. We had no music, no seating, no “aisle”, just our attendants, a ring bearer and two flower girls. Our backdrop was the mountains surrounding Alta Lakes and the blue sky above. It was short and sweet, but had just enough meaning to draw tears.
Our guest book was a dictionary that folks could circle words that reminded them of us and write a note next to. An old suitcase served as our card drop. We had mad libs, and a vintage typewriter with a message from us.
Our seating chart was hand-written on an old window, each table separated by a pane.
Our colors were green and brown, so we used mason jars to hold green flowers with deep red accents, and moss balls with paper mason jars for the table numbers.The floor of the tent was covered in hay while Japanese lanterns and white lights hung above.
My advice: The day will come and things will probably go wrong, but the work you put in pays off!
THE WEDDING TEAM: Photographer: Photo Divine | Venue: Alta Lakes Observatory
View more: Telluride Weddings | Colorado Weddings