Vail / Beaver Creek
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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A Blue & Yellow Wedding in Vail, Colorado
From the bride, Gabby: The most important thing we considered while planning our wedding was each other. We really wanted to be true to our roots and keep things simple. The style was inspired by our lifestyle and we personalized the day down to every little detail. We love the mountains and chose Vail as it is a mini-Switzerland with all the romantic feels. We held our wedding on Sunday over Memorial Day weekend so that people could travel from out of state and not take days off work unless they wanted to.
THE FLOWERS
Our flowers had a wildflower mountain feel with a nice pop of yellow (my favorite color).
THE BRIDESMAIDS
The wedding party wore different shades of blue which looked great standing in front of the green aspen trees.
THE CEREMONY DECOR
We assembled and stained our ladder alter and the aspen buckets going down the aisle.
FUNNY MOMENT
We had three signs for our three ring bearers to hold down the aisle. The first said “Uncle Nick” the second said “Here Comes” and the third said “Your Bride” but the ring bearer in the middle who was three years old wasn’t having anything to do with that sign, so it read “Uncle Nick… Your Bride”. It got a big laugh from the crowd and it still kind of worked!
MEMORABLE CEREMONY MOMENT
Every moment of the day was truly a favorite: walking down the aisle with my dad, saying our own vows, the poem read from the oldest ring bearer, and the KISS!
Looking back, we would absolutely recommend a mountain wedding and depending on the time of year, you could capture any season you’d like from a spring mountain wedding with all the flowers blooming to a winter wedding with snow on the mountain.
ADVICE
Make the day about the two of you and not let anyone else’s wants, needs, or vision get in the way. The only things we would do differently would be to have a day-of coordinator and a videographer.
THE WEDDING TEAM
Photographer: Rachel Schrepel | Venue: Donovan Pavilion
A Gorgeous Rocky Mountain Wedding
The big city met Rocky Mountain charm in the heart of Beaver Creek, Colorado at this mountain destination wedding. Rachael and Keegan were married on a warm early summer day at the Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch. Their friends and family enjoyed fresh mountain air, lots of love, and with the help of their furry friend, R&K said their “I do’s”. The couple wanted to keep the design of their wedding very simple, yet elegant. Rachael’s classic dress was a stunning match with Keegan’s striking blue suit. Her bridesmaids all wore different gowns in neutral colors and patterns. Flowers were simple, yet formal – green and white with explosions of eucalyptus and hydrangea. Th reception flowers included a stunning installation of greenery and orbs over the tables while garlands adorned the elegant ballroom chandeliers. Guests flew in from all over the country and had a blast dancing the night away!
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THE WEDDING TEAM
Planning and Design: Banks & Leaf | Photography: Jason-Gina | Floral Designer: Vail Vintage Magnolia | Stationery: Sweet Zion Paperie | Venue: Ritz-Carlton | Rentals and Decor: Pink Monkey Solutions | Musicians: Funkiphino | Makeup: Faces by Liz | Hair: Bisou Beauty
A Black-Tie Rocky Mountain Destination Wedding
Lindsay & Steve | Beaver Creek, Colorado
From the Photographer, Rebecca Yale: Lindsay and Steve were married over the July 4th weekend in a 5-day celebration in the mountains. The bride’s parents have had a vacation home in Bachelor Gulch for years and knew instantly that the wedding would take place in their “happy place” with other events including a welcome dinner, bridesmaids hike and July 4th BBQ all taking place in the Beaver Creek area. Each guest was welcomed to the Ritz with a personalized hiking backpack with the wedding’s hashtag “Red White and Berg” printed on it and full of local goodies from the area including the bride and groom’s favorite candy, red and blue sunglasses, trail maps and a program of the wedding weekend details. The weekend’s events ranged from casual to cocktail, but the wedding itself, set on the skier bridge and in the Ritz’s ballroom was black tie.
The Flowers
The couple wanted to bring in an unexpected floral combination using more formal orchids with mass amounts of loose greenery to bring the outdoors in and create a romantic woodsy aesthetic.
The Invitations
They kept their wedding invitation simple in tones of white and silver with a simple line drawing of the mountains and the bride’s mother found vintage map of the area to use as the backdrop for the schedule of events which was all bound together with a piece of leather.
The Bouquet
The bride’s bouquet was wrapped with a piece of lace from her mother’s dress.
The Dress
The bride wore a classic Monique Lhuillier ballgown, which she loved for the drama with the background of the mountains and paired it with delicate lace louboutin shoes and a sapphire and diamond bracelet leant to her by her uncle.
The Ceremony
The ceremony took place under a lush floral chuppah on the skier bridge next to the resort, overlooking the mountains. The bride and groom broke with tradition and elected to have a male and female usher to honor two of their dearest friends. The forecast was clear for the day, but minutes before the bride was to walk down the aisle the skies opened up and poured rain for about 2 minutes sending all the guests running back inside, but luckily it was just a quick rainstorm and everyone was able to return back outside for the ceremony.
In Jewish tradition the groom broke a glass at the end of the ceremony, but instead of smashing it, it rolled away twice, creating a great comedic moment, which the bride and groom embraced.
The bride and groom wanted to keep the mood of the ceremony light and playful like them and had their wedding party walk down the aisle to two of their favorite musicals- Hamilton and Phantom of the Opera.
The Reception Decor
Vail Vintage Magnolia transformed the ballroom with a mix of high and low centerpieces, a large chandelier installation over the head table and lush greenery hanging from the chandeliers. The couple wanted the ballroom to be unrecognizable, but also wanted guests to still be able to talk to each other over the tale so created installations at two levels to not block any conversation.
After they cut the cake the bride changed into a tasseled short party dress to dance the night away in.
The weekend came to a close with a fireworks celebration back on the bridge where the couple said their I Do’s.
The Wedding Team
Photographer: Rebecca Yale Photography | Planner: Gemini Event Planning | Floral Design: Vail Vintage Magnolia | Venue: Ritz Carlton Bachelor Gulch | Bride’s Dress: Monique Lhuillier | Invitations: Bella Figura | Calligrapher: The Blooming Quill | Band: Elan Artists | Lighting and Décor: Pink Monkey Solutions | Ring Box: The Mrs. Box
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A Mountain Glam Wedding in Vail
Courtney & Bobby | Vail, Colorado
From the bride: We met and fell in love in New York City (our residence of 10 years), but we couldn’t dream of a better escape to marry than the Rocky Mountains. Colorado is our favorite place in the world. The views are stunning and there is so much to do in a weekend whether it’s hiking, swimming, fishing, skiing, or just going to the spa.
THE STYLE
We both live in Soho in New York City and are always surrounded by major trends and this huge lifestyle with grandiose buildings and everyone fashion obsessed-so we really wanted our wedding to feel intimate, soft, and almost as if it was happening in a forest. We wanted the opposite of our regular day to day lives.
THE CEREMONY
The ceremony took place at the Vail Chapel. The space is intimate and looks like an old church, which my husband and I loved even though we are both Jewish.
RECEPTION DÉCOR
We had greenery hanging from the ceiling, lots of candles, a mix of tall and short vases, and big white bouquets softly displayed throughout the space.
THE GROOM’S CAKE
We had a “Yankees” ice-box cake—Bobby’s favorite team.
MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT
The band was absolutely incredible, after four hours of playing everyone kept chanting “ONE MORE SONG!”
THE DANCING
I love that we did the Hora and were lifted up in chairs.
ADVICE
Splurge on a wedding planner—I didn’t stress out at all during the planning process or the day of. They will really do make sure you enjoy your wedding. Also, make sure you have enough alcohol and a good band!
THE WEDDING TEAM
Photographer: Steve Stanton Photography | Event Planner: Table 6 Productions | Floral Designer: Vintage Magnolia | Ceremony Site: The Vail Interfaith Chapel | Reception Site: Four Seasons Vail | Band: Green Light Booking
A Perfect Wedding Day in Colorado
Steph & Chris | Beaver Creek, Colorado
From the bride: Our wedding day was everything we could have hoped for and more. The day before, at our welcome dinner, it started dumping snow and what was supposed to be an outdoor BBQ with yard games and whiffle ball turned into a snowglobe. So, on the morning of our wedding, everything was dusted with snow. It was a magical way to start the day!
THE SHOES
I had every plan to wear my fun sparkly heels during the wedding or at least the ceremony, but due to the snow, I wore a pair of platform sneakers. The whole night. Never took them off. Sparkly shoes be damned.
The Flower Girl
Our black Labrador, Luna was our flower girl–she’s a trained avalanche rescue dog and we were able to teach her how to shake the flowers to get them all over the aisle.
The Ceremony
Our ceremony was very “us.” Our dear friend married us, and we incorporated different elements to reflect who we are. He tailor wrote our ceremony to reflect our love for adventure, and we did a knot tying (double fisherman’s knot) to literally “tie the knot!” Growing up, I sailed and Chris is a rock climber and rafter, so knots mean a lot to both of us. A friend of our family did a reading “Lovely Love Story” by Edward Monkton, and we wrote our own vows.
The Cake Topper
My Nana used to have a big collection of Bearfoots bears, which is a hobby I have inherited. Our cake topper was two cuddly bears, one in a suit and the other with a diamond and a veil.
The Reception
The reception was amazing–the dance floor was packed from the moment we started dancing until the end of the band’s encore. Our band was incredible and played music for all ages. Our family and friends were able to travel from all over, including my British family, so I’m so glad they were able to have as great of a time as possible!
The Music
Our band had finished for the evening, but the dancefloor was still packed and they wanted an encore. So the band played an encore. A 15 minute set of Led Zeppelin. It was AMAZING! And when the party was over, we became Beaver Creek ski bums again and went to the Coyote Cafe to continue the celebration!
The Wedding Team
Photographer: Jennie Crate | Planning: Hourglass Production | Flowers: Vintage Magnolia | Wedding Dress: Augusta Jones | Venue and Catering: Park Hyatt Beaver Creek | Makeup: Casandra Garza | Hair: Hayley Styles | Videography: Ampersand Family
An Elegant Mountain Wedding in Beaver Creek
Sarah & Shane | August 27th
From the bride: Growing up in Colorado, my dream was always to get married in the mountains. We love to spend time in the mountains year-round, with Vail and Beaver Creek being our favorite mountain towns. I wanted a classic, elegant wedding with a mountain feel. I love flowers so, we incorporated flowers into every aspect of the day. Our color palette was a mix of coral and light pink with lots of greenery to contrast with the beautiful mountain views. We also included gold accents throughout the ceremony and reception. Read more below…
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The Wedding Team
Photographer: Frances Photography
Event Design & Planner: Colorado Wedding Company
Floral Design & Linens: The Perfect Petal
Musicians: Moments Notice Entertainment
Venue & Caterer: Beano’s Cabin
Tent Rental: Alpine Party Rentals
Cake: Sugar Breck
Invitations: The Paper Guppy
Tent lighting: Lighting and Design by Scott
Wedding Gown Designer: Edgardo Bonilla
Bridesmaid Dresses: Bella Bridesmaid
Hair & Makeup: Allegria Spa, Park Hyatt Beaver Creek
Men’s Wear: Men’s Warehouse
A Lush Secret Garden Wedding in Colorado
From the Magazine: Ashley & Nathan
This lush floral-filled outdoor wedding in the Rocky Mountains combines rustic and vintage details laced with mountain elegance. Read the wedding day story below:
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The Wedding Team
Photographer: Elevate Photography
Event Planner: The Soiree Studio
Event & Floral Design: Design Works
Linens: La Tavola
Rentals: Colorado Tents and Events
Cake: Megan Joy Cakes
Wedding Gown Designer: Pnina Tornai
Bride’s Hair & Makeup: Ilda Plaka
Venue: Cordillera