This darling mountain wedding in Breckenridge, captured by destination wedding photographer Kristin Partin, features a sweet mix of homespun and preppy details. Jana + Black chose a mountain destination that was meaningful to them (Jana used to live in Breckenridge), and they incorporated DIY and handmade details to make the day truly special. See Jana’s wedding planning advice below.
Jana + Blake
June 20, 2014
Breckenridge, CO
Why a Mountain Wedding?
My husband and I both lived in Breckenridge for several years. That’s where we met, and we have a “second family” there.
Where did you find your inspiration?
When I thought about the theme of my wedding, I always thought of natural light. I wanted as much light as possible, and I was inspired by the brightness of the mountains in the summer.
Biggest splurge?
My biggest splurge was probably the reception venue…and the open bar. :)
Biggest savings?
I was lucky to save in a lot of areas of my wedding. Having lived in Breckenridge for awhile, I had a lot of connections to people who were willing to help out. We did a lot of stuff on our own too–like the invitations and the decorations. Pinterest gave me lots of DIY suggestions!
What were some personal details you incorporated?
My husband really wanted us to stand facing the audience during the ceremony. His thought was that people come to see us, and he wanted people to see our faces rather than our backs. I was apprehensive at first, but he was totally right! He built a little platform going across the river that ran through the venue. Our pastor stood on the platform and we faced the audience. It was amazing… it made the ceremony so intimate, and people really got to witness our love for each other in our faces. So many of our guests commented on this one change and how much they loved it. Other personal details…I put an E.E. Cummings quote on an old window I had salvaged, which sits in our house now. We had pictures of ourselves from different years of our lives at each reception table.
Your favorite moment of the day.
My favorite moment of the day?! Every moment. But the standout one in my mind is seeing Blake’s face as I started walking down the aisle.
Three things you’re glad you did.
- I’m glad I got married in a place that meant so much to my husband and me.
- I’m glad I did a lot of the decorating and planning myself because I felt like I poured a lot into my wedding and got to see it pay off.
- I’m glad we woke up early the next morning to do our day after photography session–so worth it!
What was the biggest challenge planning your mountain wedding?
The biggest challenge was probably just that everything is pretty expensive in the mountains. And choices are a little more limited since mountain towns tend to be smaller.
What was the best piece of wedding advice you got?
Eat all day, and just completely enjoy yourself on the day of. You can plan and worry all the way up to the day, but let it all go and just be joyful your whole wedding day.
Anything you wish you hadn’t worried about?
I wish I hadn’t worried so much in general during the planning phase. It can be difficult to plan so much at once, but everything came together in the end. And even if something didn’t come together, it didn’t really matter–everything was still wonderful.
How did you choose your vendors?
I chose my vendors by price and quality. I found a few in Denver and just had to work out how they/the items would travel up to Breck. I personally knew several of my “vendors,” so that was very helpful.
What is your very best advice to other mountain brides?
Don’t stress about the weather! It can be variable in the mountains, but whatever is going to happen will happen, so no sense in worrying! The other thing is, have people assigned to do the tasks you need done on the day of. You shouldn’t have to worry about any responsibilities on your wedding day except being happy and getting married!