Take romantic blush, silver and gold details, throw in some bold black and white stripes and then pack it up and take it to a rustic cabin in the Colorado mountains in the winter and you have a truly magical wedding. Nicole and Brandon exchanged their vows at Nicole’s parents mountain cabin on a snowy night before Christmas. Laura Smith was on hand to snap every last detail of this lovely wedding.
Nicole + Brandon
Grand Lake, CO
12/20/2015
Why did you choose the mountains for your wedding?
I love the rustic feel that it has, there is something very romantic about it. It didn’t hurt either that my parents have a cabin up in Grand Lake that we used for our venue.
Wedding Day Weather
Light Snow
Number of guests that attended
100
What was your theme for your wedding?
I’m not exactly sure what the theme for my wedding was, Our colors we’re silver, gold and blush… I am really into the ideas of opposites attracting so I loved into the idea of the rustic mountains and the elegance of silver and gold.
Where did you find your inspiration?
Pinterest…. no surprise there I’m sure! I love the marriage of girly romantic decor to the background of the rustic mountains.
Your budget
$25,000
Biggest Splurge
700 flameless candles
Biggest Savings
We got all of our flatware from Goodwill thrift stores.
How did you choose to personalize your wedding?
The fact that the wedding was at our family’s house added a personal touch. We also added cute little thank you notes to each table setting and had matchbook and napkins with out at the Cigar bar.
What was your favorite part of the reception?
The dancing of course! At the last minute we decided to have a cigar and scotch tent that connected to the reception that was a big hit with the guys and even a lot of the girls!
What are three things you’re super glad you did?
- We did drinks and appetizers (shot glasses of tomato soup and mini grilled cheeses and a popcorn bar) which was great because our guests showed up early not knowing what the driving weather was going to be like.
- We did first looks, which gave us plenty of time to take picture (and didn’t leave guests waiting). And I thought that it made the first time that we saw each other a lot more intimate.
- We did really cute baskets in all the bathrooms for the guest to use, including anything and everything that they might need, from advil to face blotting cloths. People loved them
What was the biggest challenge in planning your mountain wedding and how did you overcome it?
Having a mountain wedding is a little more challenging most of the time but having it in the winter added a little more stress, worrying the what the weather would do. I think most brides worry about that no matter what season they’re having a wedding, especially a mountain wedding. Still, it was definitely worth it, I just needed to do a little more planning, Plan A, B and C!
How did you find and choose your vendors?
I was really blessed with crazy talented family and friends. Our flowers and garland were handmade by my brother-in-law, Cody. My aunt, Joni McCoy, made the cake and cupcakes. We chose my parents house as our venue, and our caterers from Brickhouse 40 are friends of my uncle. There aren’t many rental companies up in the mountains, so we choose party time rentals in Denver which just charged and additional delivery fee.
What is your best piece of advice to other mountain brides who are planning their weddings?
I would tell them not to get too concerned with how they think things should happen, or where things should go. The mountains cause little twists in the “usual” wedding idea and that is what makes it so beautiful and fun. Some of the more unusual and unorthodox things that I did were the most memorable and fun thing that our guests remembered!
Grand Lake Colorado Wedding Vendors
Wedding Photography: Laura Smith | Caterer: Brickhouse 40 | Wedding Gown: Little White Dress, Denver | DJ: Tono Productions
Friends and Family
Flowers: Joni McCoy (Friendor) | Wedding Cake: Joni McCoy (Friendor) | Rentals: Party Time | Hair: Therese Saurber | Ceremony + Reception: Private family residence in Grand Lake, CO | Day-Of Coordinator: Caitlin Dvorak (Friendor) | Paper Products & Invitations: DIY by the bride