A Natural & Organic Wedding in Vail, Colorado

From the bride, Emily: We love Colorado – in particular outdoor Colorado. So, we wanted the feel of our wedding to very natural and organic. Almost everything was recycled – from the fabric on the table runners, the wood used to make the signs, the mason jars, it was all found through thrift stores, treasure hunting and estate sales.

A natural & organic handmade wedding at Piney River Ranch, Vail Colorado

Just about every aspect of our wedding was personally touched by us or someone we love. There were many nights spent laboring over details, constructing signs, painting, ironing, sewing, drafting programs. Everything was carefully planned and perfectly executed.

A natural & organic handmade wedding at Piney River Ranch, Vail Colorado A natural & organic handmade wedding at Piney River Ranch, Vail Colorado A natural & organic handmade wedding at Piney River Ranch, Vail Colorado A natural & organic handmade wedding at Piney River Ranch, Vail Colorado A natural & organic handmade wedding at Piney River Ranch, Vail Colorado A natural & organic handmade wedding at Piney River Ranch, Vail Colorado

For my bridesmaids, I wanted dresses the girls could wear again.  We found them at Anthropologie and they were only $50. I loved them so much, I got one for myself!

A natural & organic handmade wedding at Piney River Ranch, Vail Colorado A natural & organic handmade wedding at Piney River Ranch, Vail Colorado A natural & organic handmade wedding at Piney River Ranch, Vail Colorado

Piney River Ranch is amazing! The backdrop to our ceremony was so majestic, and couldn’t have been more perfect. We had Cole’s Uncle Robert officiate our ceremony because we wanted someone who knew us the best and loved us dearly to be the one to unite us.

A natural & organic handmade wedding at Piney River Ranch, Vail Colorado

We chose to write and share personal vows, and in honor of our athletic backgrounds, we asked Robert to flip a coin to see who would go first (to mimic a coin toss before a big game).

A natural & organic handmade wedding at Piney River Ranch, Vail Colorado A natural & organic handmade wedding at Piney River Ranch, Vail Colorado A natural & organic handmade wedding at Piney River Ranch, Vail Colorado A natural & organic handmade wedding at Piney River Ranch, Vail Colorado

A natural & organic handmade wedding at Piney River Ranch, Vail Colorado

 The table centerpiece boxes were made by Cole using reclaimed wood from an old fence.

A natural & organic handmade wedding at Piney River Ranch, Vail Colorado

The table runners were made using fabric found at an estate sale by Cole’s Grammie.

A natural & organic handmade wedding at Piney River Ranch, Vail Colorado

The wedding favors were homemade peach jelly, complete with hand crafted thank you cards.  

A natural & organic handmade wedding at Piney River Ranch, Vail Colorado

We chose not to put too much décor throughout the reception, mainly because we did not want to take away from the natural beauty surrounding us. And I think our guests would agree – the scenery of Piney River Ranch is more than enough.

A natural & organic handmade wedding at Piney River Ranch, Vail Colorado A natural & organic handmade wedding at Piney River Ranch, Vail Colorado

My advice: Enjoy the time you have to plan. If there is something you truly want, you can find a way to make it work. Be open to alternative ideas, and be creative!

A natural & organic handmade wedding at Piney River Ranch, Vail Colorado

THE WEDDING TEAM

Venue & Caterer: Piney River Ranch  |  Photographer: Chris McLaughlin, CMP Studios |  Florist: 3 Leaf Floral  |  Cake: Mountain Flour

 


A Colorado Mountaintop Wedding at Granby Ranch

From the photographer, Emily RC Photography:
This wedding was absolutely spectacular. Besides being absolutely smitten with one another and their sweet son, Koen, Jess and Justin had a definite plan – a beautiful mountaintop plan. Jess was both masterfully organized and brimming with creative ideas. Justin was laid back and ready to celebrate their love and little family. The wedding day turned out to be just as bright and beautiful as they had hoped after some morning showers – not atypical weather in the Rockies, but nerve-racking still. Granby Ranch was the perfect venue. Guests rode up chair lifts at the resort and arrived at the ceremony site, a breathtaking vista with a wide view of the mountains. The hot sunshine was so bright that the sky was almost teal. The small breeze kept the aspens rustling throughout the afternoon. The reception held oodles of do-it-yourself decorations, scores of laughing friends, a live band and glitter galore. There was hardly a moment where the dance floor wasn’t full. It was truly a photographers dream, but, more than that, it was their dream, a vivid and joyful party to mark the start of their new phase of life. Held in a place – the mountains – that is dear to their hearts and with the people that matter the most.

A Colorado Mountaintop Wedding A Colorado Mountaintop Wedding A Colorado Mountaintop Wedding A Colorado Mountaintop Wedding

From the bride:
I have a history working in the wedding industry, so my ideas were all planned out well in advance. I was definitely a Pinterest bride! I knew exactly what I wanted and did my best to have everything done in advance to make sure the final weeks before the wedding weren’t stressful. A Colorado Mountaintop Wedding A Colorado Mountaintop Wedding A Colorado Mountaintop Wedding A Colorado Mountaintop Wedding A Colorado Mountaintop Wedding A Colorado Mountaintop Wedding

My favorite – and least favorite – DIY project was our table numbers! My father-in-law is very skilled with woodworking and was gracious enough to create each of the 13 numbers. My job was glittering them. It took FOREVER and glitter was EVERYWHERE, but the end result was so worth it! A Colorado Mountaintop Wedding A Colorado Mountaintop Wedding A Colorado Mountaintop Wedding A Colorado Mountaintop WeddingJessica & Justin’s
RECOMMENDED VENDORS

Photographer:  Emily RC Photography  //  Event Planner: Extraordinary Blooms and Event Planning  //  Venue: Granby Ranch  //  Cinema and Video: Stoneflower Productions 

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Rocky Mountain Vintage

 Lauren & Lucas  |  June 2nd  |  Evergreen, Colorado

From the photographer, Daylene Wilson Photographic:
Lucas bought Lauren’s vintage ring and hid it in his guitar case for over 6 months before proposing!

DayleneWilson01Lauren has an amazing sense of style and did this entire wedding on her own, including going to The Brass Armadillo every weekend to pick out the perfect touches.DayleneWilson02 DayleneWilson04 DayleneWilson05 DayleneWilson06 DayleneWilson07 DayleneWilson09DayleneWilson08 DayleneWilson10

DayleneWilson12 DayleneWilson11 Lauren used milk glass and vintage price tags for table numbers. She picked out the fabric for the napkins, handpicked all the vases for the tables, and made the favors.

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Lauren’s family made every dessert on the morning of the wedding by hand!

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THE VENDOR TEAM
Photographer: Daylene Wilson Photographic  //  Event Designer: Vintage Rentals Denver  //  Venue: The Meadows at Marshdale  //  Caterer: Relish Catering & Events