Kirsten and Mike's destination wedding, held on a crisp fall day in the mountains of Colorado, was both rustic and romantic with a sophisticated design scheme that lent an air of elegance to the entire celebration. From the incredible backdrop to the bride's gown, this Real Wedding, shot by Adam and Imthiaz Photography, is absolutely exquisite. Check out all of the lovely details below!
The Goals: Kirsten and Mike chose Telluride, Colorado for their destination wedding for two reasons; to honor the sentimental meaning the location holds for Mike's family and to celebrate the special memories both Kirsten and Mike hold of getting engaged there on a fun ski-trip with friends. The couple had planned to have their ceremony at the top of Chair 7 far up the mountain, and that is where it began, until a sudden and unexpected rain storm changed their plans. As the guests and groom awaited the arrival of the bride, the rain started pouring down, and the ceremony was quickly moved to a reception space at Allred's Restaurant. Fortunately, the clouds did had a silver lining and in retrospect Kirsten and Mike feel "that it was even more perfect and intimate".
On the list of goals for their reception was having a really great band. "It was very important to us that our guests would know all the words to the songs...and that young or old, everyone would be on the dance floor all night long because the music would make them want to boogie."
The Design: When it came to designing the look and feel of their wedding day, Kirsten and Mike decided on a rustic, elegant theme that would compliment the natural surroundings. Kirsten wanted a color that would "pop" but at the same time work well with the mountain scenery, so she settled on a color scheme of apple green and chocolate with ivory an white accents. Inside the reception space, wooden plates made of aspen were set on each table with candles in vases placed on top. Kirsten asked for the reception space to be filled with lots of warm, romantic candle light, and the soft flicker of the flames set the room aglow. The tabletop designs looked smart and polished with a bright green pear set to the left of each place setting.
The couple's flowers were of different varieties and textures, from big bouquets of hydrangeas to floral accents of orchids and pine cones. Their three-tier coconut cake was fashionably accented with one single sugar flower, covered with sequins and filled with lemon icing.
In place of a traditional guest book, the couple selected a coffee-table picture book about Telluride for their guests to sign, creating a wonderful memento that they look at often.
The Style: Kirsten describes her wedding gown, from Victoria's Bridal Couture, as something she wishes she could wear everyday of her life. The bodice of Kirsten's couture dress, make from ivory alencon lace, had cap sleeves and a deep v-neck finished with a high collar. The skirt was a creamy ivory, silk-satin A-line, tied with a rose-gold sash. Kirsten loved the drama of the thick sash that served as a breathtaking train in the back of her dress.
Kirsten's bridesmaids also wore custom dresses from Victoria's Bridal Couture in a bright apple shade of green, and the groom looked sharp and at ease in his tuxedo from Ermenegildo Zegna.
The Moments: Kirsten and Mike chose Van Morrison's song, "Someone Like You" for their first dance, a song that Kirsten says "embodies how we feel about each other. Mike and I had great lives before we met, but when we met we found the most incredible connection that has enabled our lives to be all that much better now that we're together."
The Pros: To learn about the incredible professionals who helped make Kirsten and Mike's wedding day a huge success, please visit our Real Weddings section.
Thank you so much for sharing your elegant mountain-top wedding with us Kirsten and Mike!
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