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.

 

  Bride & Groom at Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch  

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.  

 

 

Idaho Rocky Mountain RanchWedding Ceremony at Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch

 

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.  

 

 

Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch  

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.  

 

 

Wedding Ceremony at Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch  

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.  

 

Wedding Ceremony at Idaho Rocky Mountain RanchWedding Ceremony at Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch  

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.  

 

Wedding Ceremony at Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch

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.  

 

Wedding Ceremony at Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch  

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.  

 

Wedding Ceremony at Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch

 

THE DAY OF

Everyone was spirited, glowing, and relaxed from a day of yoga, hiking, and soaking in the hot springs.  

 

Wedding Ceremony at Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch

 

THE CEREMONY DECOR

We added fur to the ceremony benches and offered our guests soft plaid blankets during the ceremony for them to keep.  

 

Wedding Ceremony at Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch

Wedding Ceremony at Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch

 

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.  

 

Wedding Ceremony at Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch Wedding Ceremony at Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch  

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.

  Wedding Ceremony at Idaho Rocky Mountain RanchWedding Ceremony at Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch Wedding Ceremony at Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch  

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.

  Wedding Ceremony at Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch Wedding Ceremony at Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch Wedding Ceremony at Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch Wedding Ceremony at Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch

 

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.  

 

Wedding Ceremony at Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch

Wedding Ceremony at Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch

 

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!  

 

Wedding Ceremony at Idaho Rocky Mountain RanchWedding Ceremony at Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch

Wedding Ceremony at Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch

 

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.  

 

Wedding Ceremony at Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch

 

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 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.

 

Luxe dresses for a New Years Eve Wedding in Vermont

 

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.

 

 

Bride | New Years Eve Wedding in Vermont

 

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.

 

White bouquet | New Years Eve Wedding in Vermont

 

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.

 

 

Puppy | New Years Eve Wedding in Vermont

 

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.

 

Bridesmaids | New Years Eve Wedding in Vermont

 

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!

 

New Years Eve Wedding ceremony in Vermont

 

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!

 

New Years Eve Wedding in VermontNew Years Eve Wedding in Vermont

 

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.

 

Wedding party | New Years Eve Wedding in Vermont

 

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.

 

New Years Eve Wedding Reception in VermontNew Years Eve Wedding Reception in Vermont

 

I loved our centerpieces- we incorporated mirrors for dimension with floating candles and white flower arrangements with a hint of greenery.

 

New Years Eve Wedding Reception in VermontNew Years Eve Wedding Reception in VermontNew Years Eve Wedding dance in Vermont

 

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.

 

Luxe bridesmaids | New Years Eve Wedding in Vermont

THE WEDDING TEAM

Photographer: Idena Beach Photography
Venue, Lodging, Caterer, Flowers: The Mountain Top Inn & Resort
DJ: Top Hat Entertainment

An Elegant Wedding in the Foothills of Colorado

From the Magazine: Annie & Eric |  June 16th

From the bride: We tried to make the day about us, and wanted to make the day as fun as possible for our guests. I love purple, so everything had a lavender touch to it that we complimented with whites and blush. Continue reading below:

 

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The Wedding Team

Photographer: Frances Photography  |  Event Planner & Designer: Laurel & Rose  |  Floral Designer: The Perfect Petal  |  Cake: Nothing Bundt Cake  |  Cake Pop Favors: Honeycombe Denver  |  Band: Syndicate  |  Invitations: The Stationery Company  |  Linens: Event Rents  |  Videographer: LockerPartners  |  Venue & Caterer: The Sanctuary Golf Course  |  Wedding Gown: Watters from Anna Bé  |  Bridesmaid Dresses: Bella Bridesmaids  |  Groom’s Attire: Jos. A. Bank  |  Hair Stylist: Erin Ferris  |  Makeup Artist: Alchemy Face Bar

 


 

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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


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A Snowy Spring Wedding in Colorado

From the Magazine: Krystle & Ben

From the bride: We had planned for a green spring May 1st wedding. Originally, it was supposed to rain all weekend, so I came to terms with it and bought 50 umbrellas for our guests and was going to try to make the most of it. Those umbrellas were later returned after the rain changed to snow, which was a very unexpected but great turn of events.
Continue reading below….

 

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The Wedding Team

Photographer: Chris McLaughlin Photography
Event & Floral Design: A Design Resource
Cakes: The Bundt Shoppe
Venue: The Manor House

Wedding Gown Designer: Mori Lee  |   Hair: Harrahs  |  Makeup: Krystal Washington  |  Groom’s Attire: Ted’s Clothiers

 


 

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An Elegant Ranch Wedding in Colorado

Corky and Mike met on a blind date set up by a friend. He’s a ski instructor at Vail Resorts, she’s a kindergarten teacher at Vail Christian Academy–and the rest is history. From the beginning, they knew they wanted to incorporate design elements that would reflect their life together in Vail.

An Elegant Ranch Wedding in Colorado

The guest book was a pair of antique skis that guests got to sign.

The tables were named after Corky and Mike’s favorite ski runs on Vail Mountain.

Corky had her great grandparents’ handmade wedding dolls placed on the back of their loveseat.

THE WEDDING TEAM

Photographer: From the Hip Photo   |  Event Planners: Sarah Vierra Events & Events by Erin  |  Design and Decor: Highlights Colorado  |  Floral Designer: The Perfect Petal  |  Dress Store: anna be   |  Hair Stylist: Cili Salon  |  Bridesmaid Dresses: The Bridal Collection Denver  |  Jewelry: The Golden Bear  |  Musicians: HomeSlice Band  |  Paper Props: Lettered West  |  Caterer: Biscuits and Berries  |   Cake: The Makery Cake Co.  |  Equipment Rentals: Event Rents   |  Venue: Spruce Mountain Ranch

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A Rocky Mountain Destination Wedding in Vail

Brad proposed to Jennifer in the mountains of Colorado.  The two immediately went to Vail, a town very special to them, to celebrate the grand occasion.  When it came time to pick the location for their wedding, they could think of no better place to gather all of their friends and family than Vail, Colorado. They wanted a special place to celebrate with their loved ones that was accessible, but far enough to allow for a full weekend getaway. They chose a beautiful October weekend for their nuptials and celebration.

The Wedding Team

Photographer: True North Photography  |  Event Planner: I Do  |  Floral Designer: Petals & Pours  |  Invitation Designer: Four 13 Designs  |   Handmade Goods Designer: Kelsey Malie Calligraphy  |  Band: RoeHouse Entertainment  |  Reception: Sonnenalp Hotel  |  Ceremony: Vail Interfaith Chapel  |  Dress Designer: Ines di Santo  |  Bridesmaid Dresses: JLM Couture  |  Men’s Attire: Generation Tux

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A Mountain Destination Wedding at Lake Tahoe

This fun loving, laid back couple chose the mountains for their wedding location because they love visiting and spending time in Tahoe. Their wedding day was filled with lush white florals accented with greenery while touches of gold added a luxe vibe. A handmade lift ticket escort card display with tables named after ski runs tied in the mountain theme.  Late-night s’mores and dancing under the stars topped off the mountain celebration.

 

The Wedding Team

Photographer:  annie X photographie |  Event Designer: Summit Soiree  |  Floral Designer: Bloomers Floral Design  |  Dress Store: Bride to Be Couture  |  Venue, Caterer & Lodging: The Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe

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