Elegant + Rustic Colorado Wedding
Rustic elegance set against a breathtaking Colorado backdrop is always a beautiful thing, especially when it features a duo as seriously sweet as these two cuties, plus a stunning Leanne Marshall gown and a breakfast burrito send-off. (Awesome.) Head to THE VAULT to soak in every brilliant image captured by Andy Barnhart Photography... it's all sorts of pretty and then some.
From the Bride... We met on our study abroad semester in Chile in Spring 2008, and pretty much hit it off right from orientation. When the program ended in June, we agreed we had to give it a shot. I was a junior at UVA in Charlottesville and Jason a senior at George Washington University in DC, so we made it work on Greyhound buses for two years until I moved to DC. Throughout our seven years of dating, we took every opportunity we could to be outside and in the wilderness, taking trips to Northwest Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, and to the Adirondacks in upstate New York. In March 2013, I moved to Boston for a new job, and Jason decided to come to Boston, too -- a big moment for both of us. That summer, we got a rescued hound puppy and settled in to a new apartment. A year after moving to Boston, Jason got down on one knee in the middle of Boston Common and proposed, surprising me with both families the next morning.
We knew what mattered most for us was to get married surrounded by mountains -- the backdrop for our best memories together and where we feel our best selves. We chose Steamboat Springs because it is another home for me after spending ten years there going to and eventually working at a wilderness camp, and is more recently for Jason too. We found Midnight Ranch after a long day of searching other venues and knew immediately it was the place - -wide open, remote, and authentic.
For the wedding, we wanted a ceremony that reflected our passions and shared values of family, friends, and the earth, so my aunt who we really admire officiated, and we also wrote our own vows for each other. The most important thing to us was to have fun, so we focused on having a great band (found by Jason's brother in Denver!), a beautiful space bursting with flowers and lights, and lots of dancing. We really lucked out with a beautiful blue sky for the ceremony, and got to enjoy the cocktail reception for an hour before raindrops ushered everyone into the tent.
We had delicious local Colorado trout and lamb for dinner, and amazing pies brought all the way from my hometown for dessert. We mixed it up for our first dance and did a rowdy song that got everyone on the dance floor, and sent everyone home with breakfast burritos after late night around the bonfire. It was so perfectly "us" and the happiest day we've had, but looking forward to many more.
We knew what mattered most for us was to get married surrounded by mountains -- the backdrop for our best memories together and where we feel our best selves. We chose Steamboat Springs because it is another home for me after spending ten years there going to and eventually working at a wilderness camp, and is more recently for Jason too. We found Midnight Ranch after a long day of searching other venues and knew immediately it was the place - -wide open, remote, and authentic.
For the wedding, we wanted a ceremony that reflected our passions and shared values of family, friends, and the earth, so my aunt who we really admire officiated, and we also wrote our own vows for each other. The most important thing to us was to have fun, so we focused on having a great band (found by Jason's brother in Denver!), a beautiful space bursting with flowers and lights, and lots of dancing. We really lucked out with a beautiful blue sky for the ceremony, and got to enjoy the cocktail reception for an hour before raindrops ushered everyone into the tent.
We had delicious local Colorado trout and lamb for dinner, and amazing pies brought all the way from my hometown for dessert. We mixed it up for our first dance and did a rowdy song that got everyone on the dance floor, and sent everyone home with breakfast burritos after late night around the bonfire. It was so perfectly "us" and the happiest day we've had, but looking forward to many more.
