Mountain Weddings
An Intimate September Wedding at Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch with Stunning Views and Cozy Chic Vibes
Caren & Chris | September 21st
From the bride: We met on a beautiful sunny day in April after a day of spring skiing. After that, we quickly became friends, skiing together, hiking on the full moon, and going on early-season rock climbing adventures. Before long, our friendship turned into more, and our day trips turned into weekends hiking in the mountains, exploring new towns, and climbing as much as possible.
THE PROPOSAL
Chris proposed in the Jackson, WY Town Square under the elk antler arches. We were on a weekend trip and had just finished a great ski day at Jackson Hole. In the same exact moment that he got down on one knee, the lights around the elk antlers coincidentally came on.
THE VENUE
Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch. I had been to the ranch about 10 years ago with my family and at the time thought it would be an amazing place to get married. It’s a stunning location, and I loved that most of the guests could stay on site. Chris knew it was a place I loved and reached out to Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch. one month before he proposed to see about possible wedding dates! What a guy! They were all booked at the time, but about a week after we got engaged, the last weekend of the season opened up, and it was ours. It was meant to be. The rest of the planning really fell into place after that.
THE VISION
We really wanted an intimate feel. We wanted a small wedding with those we love the most in the world. We did a lot of things DIY to add personal touches. This is who Chris and I are. We like to do things ourselves. We like small, intimate gatherings, and we like things to be soft and cozy. We love making fires in chilly weather, and we love being in the mountains.
THE STYLE
We already loved everything about the ranch, and the setting is so beautiful as it is, so we wanted the ranch to just do what they do best, and we did our best to enhance it with added elegance and warmth.
THE SEASON
Since it was late September, the weather could be very unpredictable, so we started planning for colder weather, just in case, so the overall décor was cozy chic.
THE COLOR PALETTE
In terms of colors, I wanted everything to be bright and vibrant. These days wedding colors are often so muted, and I wanted to do the complete opposite.
THE DRESS
I ended up with was the first dress I put on in the store, and the first thing I said after putting it on was, “Now that’s a wedding dress!” I tried on a bunch more dresses at that store and one other store that day but ended up going back to that first dress from Modern Trousseau.
THE SHOES
My shoes were the same ones I wore to my sister’s wedding 5 years prior. I bought and returned about 10 pairs of shoes only to realize that I had the perfect shoes already sitting in my closet.
THE DAY OF
Everyone was spirited, glowing, and relaxed from a day of yoga, hiking, and soaking in the hot springs.
THE CEREMONY DECOR
We added fur to the ceremony benches and offered our guests soft plaid blankets during the ceremony for them to keep.
THE CEREMONY
My dad and mom both walked me down the aisle. My mom told me years ago, long before I ever met Chris, that that was how it was going to be. I didn’t question it.
The ceremony was incredibly cozy and personal. The sun was out, but there was a slight chill in the air, so all of the cozy touches were fully appreciated.
The ceremony was everything I’d ever dreamed of and more. All of the details came together beautifully, and I felt fully present and connected to Chris.
THE SEATING CHART
Our favorite detail was our “Peaks from the Porch” string art escort board. Chris and I wanted to do something creative for our table seating escort board. After visiting the ranch in June, we realized that the “peaks from the porch” (Sawtooth mountain peaks visible from the Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch) were a real highlight of the venue, which gave us the idea for the wood string artboard of the Sawtooth peaks that I created.
LOOKING BACK
Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch is easily the most beautiful place to get married anywhere, and Chris and I were so grateful to say our vows and make it official there in the mountains. We had the most wonderful friends and family supporting us. That combination was pure magic. People are still raving about the ceremony blankets, Chef Victor’s food (especially the gnocchi), and the dancing!
ADVICE
Keep it personal and when the wedding week/weekend arrives, forget about the details and focus on: 1) your future spouse and 2) all of your family and friends that are there to celebrate you, in that order.
THE WEDDING TEAM
Venue: Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch Photographer: Craig Wolfrom Photography // Floral Designer: Tara Bella Flowers // Event Planner: Blue Bottle Events // Rentals: That’s Entertainment // Cocktails: Roadbars // Hair Stylist: Bonnie Snell from The Feathered Flip
A Wedding in the Pines at the Arboretum in Flagstaff
Megan & TJ | June 14th
From the photographers, Adam and Priscilla:
Megan and TJ had taken their time looking for a perfect spot to say “I do”. Even though they live in the desert, their favorite place to be is among the pines in the high country of Northern Arizona. There are so many amazing places but The Arboretum at Flagstaff was the perfect venue for their Flagstaff wedding in the woods. Their fur babies, Henry and Diego joined in on the festivities. These two pups were just as excited for Megan and TJ’s big day as the rest of their gracious family and friends!
THE CEREMONY
TJ stood at the edge of a Ponderosa Pine Forest with the majestic Mount Humphreys in the background. Even though we were at altitude, it was Megan who took TJ’s breath away. With each step closer, he held his breath and fought the tears back, this glowing bride was to be his partner in life. This is what life is about, living in the moment with the person you love.
They stood beneath the arch draped with fresh roses, eucalyptus, anemones, and thistle blooms. Megan held her hand out softly and TJ took it into his own and once together the world is serene. The focus between the two was unbreakable; you can just tell that they know how each other was feeling and thinking without even saying a word. The love between them is all they need.
The Arboretum at Flagstaff grounds were full of life from the spring rains; lush greenery that didn’t even look like Arizona, the flowers, trees, and grasses were abundant with new growth. As we made our way out of the pine forest chasing the beautiful golden hour with the newlyweds we spoke of craft beer, good music, food, and our common love of the forest and nature.
Friendly horny toads wandered the paths alongside us and birds filled the air with their songs. The peaks of Mount Humphreys were aglow in the early evening light. It was a perfect June day for a wedding in Arizona.
Both Megan and TJ are kind and thoughtful with a love for artisanship. It came through in every detail of their intimate wedding; from the beautiful florals, the Arboretum, his blue suit with a sage green tie that perfectly matched TJ’s eyes. Even their honeymoon to the Oregon coast where they could go enjoy nature and good craftsmanship.
THE WEDDING TEAM
Photographer: Adam and Priscilla // Venue: The Arboretum at Flagstaff // Hair Stylist: Northern Arizona Glam Squad // Officiant: Sedona Minister
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 Romantic Floral-Filled Ski Resort Wedding
Nikki & Pete | September 22nd
For a bride whose childhood memories are filled with days of playing in her family’s flower shop in New Canaan, Connecticut—BonFleur, a word play on Bongaerts’ Flowers—there was never any question that flowers would play an integral role in her wedding. Nikki’s parents are now the owners of a nationwide flower wholesale company – Florabundance. With ties so strong in the floral industry, flowers such as ranunculus, astilbe, tulips, blushing bride protea, garden roses, and hellebores were sourced from around the world. Floral designers Shawn Chamberlain of Flower Bar Co. and Alicia Schwede of Bella Fiori / Flirty Fleurs flew into Utah to bring the couple’s floral visions to fruition. Shawn worked closely with the couple to bring their bright and cheery color palette of green, pink and touches of white to life in the lodge. The flower team spent 5 days working inside the lodge to transform it into a romantic garden-inspired space.
From the Bride… Alta Ski Area in Alta, Utah, has been our special place since we started dating five years ago. As soon as I said “yes,” we asked each other to blurt out where we wanted to get married. We both shouted out, “Alta!” Pete began skiing at Alta as a young child, and I went for my first time while I was dating Pete but taking a gap year in Utah. With Pete’s insistence, I bought an Alta season pass. He came to visit me multiple times that winter and our favorite thing to do was always to ski Alta together. Alta is also the place where we would continue to come on annual ski trips together, and after a long day on the slopes, we would love nothing more than to hit up the Alta Peruvian Lodge’s bar, affectionately known to most as the “P Dog.” One day after our engagement, we called Todd at the Peruvian Lodge and booked our date- the last available for 2018, and the exact one we wanted: September 22.
THE DATE
Having moved out to Park City a few months post-engagement, the wedding planning really came to life since we were local to our venue. In our vision, we wanted the natural beauty of the mountains to set the stage. We picked September 22nd because it was the first day of fall, our favorite season. It was also the autumnal equinox, so our wedding weekend was a mix of summer and fall.
THE INSPIRATION
The flowers were perhaps one of the most important components of our day and our overall venue design. Growing up as the daughter of parents who ran a small, local flower shop, I constantly found myself playing in the flower coolers after school. I wanted some of the same of my favorite varieties and scents to bring me back to those days. We wanted to keep things natural to the landscape and incorporate a lot of greens, but also added in pinks, whites and light peaches to provide even more pops of color on top of the gorgeous yellow foliage our outdoor venue provided.
THE CEREMONY FLOWERS
Our amazing designers Shawn Chamberlain and Alicia Schwede worked with my parents to use a ton of garden roses, ranunculus, eucalyptus; you name it. The aisles were lined with flowers like I have never seen! We are still getting compliments from our guests about the stunning ceremony decor.
My favorite part of the day was the moment we said, “I do.”
THE RECEPTION
We kept to our rustic mountain theme while mixing in our pops of color and plenty of candles throughout the reception. Befitting the family business, every nook and cranny of the lodge was adorned with flowers.
THE TABLE FLORALS
The true masterpiece of the dining space was the 136 feet of continuous floral arrangements that ran down the center of the tables. The long king’s tables were lined with some of the widest floral runners I have ever seen–again, more gorgeous garden roses.
One of the best aspects of our amazing wedding was dancing the night away to our favorite Motown and Grateful Dead songs with our best friends and family members, everyone so happy to be celebrating with us.
Honestly, it was the most perfect day with our beloved friends and family and an incredibly talented list of vendors. The florals, photography, calligraphy, print work, the food, not to mention the amazing live band, were over the top. We could not have been happier.
THE WEDDING TEAM
Photographer: Claire Marika Photography // Second Shooter: Aerie Photography // Floral Designers: Bella Fiori & FLOWER BAR // Event Planner: Bluebird Event Destination Management // Paper Props: Mulberry And Elm Design // Invitation Designer: The Whitney Shop // Caterer: Savoury Kitchen, Park City // Band: The Fever Band // Video: Beau Brown Videographer // Wedding Gown: Lela Rose from The Plumed Serpent Bridal // Makeup Artist: Jessica Grambau // Venue: Alta Peruvian Lodge
THE FLOWERS POST-WEDDING
So what happens to all of these beautiful flowers after the wedding day concludes? That’s where Shawn Chamberlain switches hats from designer at Flower Bar Co. to director of The Full Bloom. Shawn is the brains and heart behind the non-profit organization, which collects flowers after the conclusion of events, redesigns them into bouquets, and distributes them to hospice patients nearing the end of life. The design team put out a call over social media asking for volunteers to meet at the lodge on a Sunday morning to redesign all the flowers into sweet little vase arrangements, and more than 30 people showed up. The wholesale company Syndicate Sales generously donated the vases to this project, and with their generous donation, more than 300 vase arrangements were created and delivered to hospice and assisted living facilities throughout the Salt Lake City area.
A New Year’s Eve Wedding in the Green Mountains of Vermont
Elyse & Brian | December 31st
From the bride… When we got engaged, I knew that I wanted a winter wedding. I had dreamed about being surrounded by snow-covered mountains while wearing a simple dress with vintage touches and a fur stole. I knew what I wanted, but Brian took some convincing- he couldn’t picture getting married in the winter because he thought it would be too cold and people wouldn’t come. In the end, he realized that if I was happy, he would be happy.
THE DATE
Originally, we hadn’t thought about having a New Year’s Eve Wedding. We quickly learned that New Year’s Eve was one of the last dates the Mountain Top Inn had available for 2018. It felt like it was meant to be, so we canceled our second day of venue tours and booked our date 12.31.2018! Once we had the date and the venue finalized everything else sort of fell into place. Being that it was New Year’s Eve, I knew that I wanted everything to be very simple and elegant with just a hint of glitz and glam.
FINDING MY DRESS
My first (and last) dress appointment was on a Saturday morning in May. All of the important women in my life joined me to help me find my dress- there was 9 of us pulling dresses to try. I had thought I wanted a long sleeve dress, but once I tried starting things on, I realized very quickly that I did not like the dresses that had sleeves and went back to a strapless with a sweetheart neckline. I had thought I may have found my dress it was very, very, simple/ plain when my consultant said to me “Wait here one minute before you decide- I just thought of something!” She came back with ‘Katalina’ dress from Spring 2018 collection from ‘Blue by Enzoani.’ The minute that I stepped into the dress, I fell in love with the simplicity of it. My favorite part of my dress was the tulle at the bottom with the wide crinoline ribbon around the hem. I felt as though I needed to add a few details to the dress, so I had my seamstress sew a string of crepe buttons down the back along the zipper. She also sewed on an art deco inspired belt at the waist to add a little bit of glitz for the event. I also wore a vintage silver fox fur while we were outside for photos. My wedding look felt very classic and elegant.
THE BOUQUET
My elegant bouquet incorporated anemone flowers for a pop of darkness which really made it stand out from the rest of the white flowers. I loved the contrast.
THE BRIDESMAIDS
The silver sequin dresses perfectly blended with the snow, and they all looked like they had dresses made out of snowflakes. I gave all her bridesmaids necklaces with the geographical coordinates of the Mountain Top Inn and matching earrings.
THE CEREMONY DÉCOR
Brian and I wanted our ceremony site to feel warm and romantic, so we decided to use a lot of flowers and candles in our decor. The arbor had a beautiful flower piece on the top left corner with a smaller piece on the right side and my mom, Patty, had bought a very soft romantic feeling fabric that draped around the birch to soften it up a bit. On either side of the arbor as well as down the aisle we had white rose petals with several candles lit in clusters at varying heights- it was gorgeous!
THE CEREMONY
My Aunt Trixie was our officiant, and she knows me better than most people. She knew exactly what to do to personalize our ceremony so that it would be meaningful for us. Brian’s cousin Pete did a reading. My sister Sarah and Brian’s brother Scott assisted in a traditional “hand-fasting” ceremony (knot tying/blessing of the hands) honoring our Irish heritage. Most importantly, our parents were invited up to read us our vows to each other. Brian and I had not heard any of the speeches ahead of time and had no idea what my Aunt had planned. It was amazing experiencing it all for the first time at the ceremony at the same time that our guests heard it. The love we felt from everyone surrounding us at our ceremony was overwhelming- we could not have been happier in that moment!
THE MEN’S ATTIRE
Keeping with the elegant New Year’s Eve vibe, we decided to have Brian, and his groomsmen wear black tuxedo’s with black bow ties.
THE RECEPTION DECOR
We knew that we wanted it to feel elegant and decided to keep it simple mostly white with hints of silver and grey throughout. To add some warmth to the reception barn, we decided to use drapes around a lot of the wood posts- we didn’t have a huge wedding, so it not only helped to separate the space but also added a softness to an area that had a lot of wood details.
I loved our centerpieces- we incorporated mirrors for dimension with floating candles and white flower arrangements with a hint of greenery.
MY ADVICE
Enjoy every second of it together, have fun, and try not to sweat the small things! Find a venue and vendors that will help to guide you through the process. Our planning was a breeze, and we owe most of it to our vendors for keeping in touch with us throughout the entire process and sending reminders when certain deadlines were approaching.
THE WEDDING TEAM
Photographer: Idena Beach Photography
Venue, Lodging, Caterer, Flowers: The Mountain Top Inn & Resort
DJ: Top Hat Entertainment
Cades Cove Church Wedding in Tennessee
From the photographer, JoPhoto… Bella and Brady traveled from West Virginia to the Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to get married in the historic white Missionary Baptist Church.
THE CEREMONY
Moments before their wedding began, the sky opened up and it poured rain for a solid hour. Thankfully, the church is indoors and everyone kept dry.
POST CEREMONY
After their ceremony, we walked outside the church and saw a mother black bear with her two cubs casually walking through the forest.
The mountains were covered in low lying fog lovingly referred to as the “smoke” of the Great Smoky Mountains.
The butterflies fluttered around in celebration of these two souls becoming one.
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
A Floral-Filled Farm Wedding in Asheville
Lacey & Torsten | July 14th
From the bride… Torsten and I chose to wed at a farm venue nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains outside of Asheville, NC. We selected this venue as a semi-destination wedding so that our friends and family from all over would have a fun place to travel to and experience together.
THE DRESS
I chose a beautifully detailed dress with floral-inspired lace appliques and a flowing tulle skirt. It was both romantic and whimsical to fit in with my overall vision.
THE VENUE
From the moment we stepped on the property we fell in love with The Farm. The mountains, horses, beautiful rows of flowers, combined with a rustic-elegant feel made this the perfect venue for us. We loved that the farm specialized in farm-to-table cuisine using the freshest ingredients from their gardens and local farmers. Our beverages were from a curated list of local craft beers and ciders from Asheville otherwise known as “beer city.”
THE DECOR
We kept our decor fairly simple and incorporated a lot of florals into our overall design. One of my favorite pieces of the day was the custom Mountain Laurel archway created by Flourish Flower Farm to frame the aisle of our ceremony. The archway was draped with the most beautiful flowers- it took my breath away! Many of our guests enjoyed taking photos under the archway.
THE CEREMONY
Like most little girls, I have always dreamed of the day my Dad would walk me down the aisle. My dad was diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) in 2015. Prior to the wedding, we had to have the hard discussion of what we would do if my Dad was unable to walk me. I am blessed to say that my Dad walked me down the aisle to hand me off to my wonderful husband. This was by far the most special moment of my wedding day that I will never stop reliving.
THE VOWS
We centered our wedding ceremony around our Christian faith and included a rustic barn wood cross in the backdrop. My first cousin once removed served as our wedding officiant, just as she did for my Mom and Dad’s wedding! It was so special to have her be a part of our wedding day.
HANDMADE TOUCH
We made DIY lavender filled bags for guests to shower on us as we made our way down the aisle after the ceremony. The meaning of lavender is love and devotion, and when given as a gift, represents luck and the promise of a new adventure. I can think of no other greater adventure than marriage!
THE RECEPTION
One of my favorite things about our wedding was that there was something for every personality to enjoy. Our guests played corn-hole, giant Jenga, enjoyed the farm animals, sat outside under the stars, and danced the night away with the band.
ADVICE
Allow yourself to go with the flow and be okay with the fact that things won’t go exactly as planned. Most of all, take a deep breath, and enjoy your magical day surrounded by your closest family and friends!
THE WEDDING TEAM
Photographer: Jessi Nichols Photography | Venue: The Farm | Floral Designer: Flourish Flower Farm | Dress Store: Bridals by Jodi | Musicians: Sam Hill Entertainment | Hair & Makeup: Rose Glow Beauty