2007/2008 Cover Couple
(All
photographs by Kyla Jackson Photography)
Vicki & Chris Calwell
Married September 30, 2005
Telluride, Colorado
Autumn in the Colorado Rockies is our favorite time of the year, so we knew we wanted to share the beautiful season with all our friends and family for our special day. We chose Telluride not only because of its spectacular setting, but because it is where we were engaged (in the fall, of course!).
The Budget: $27,000
How long to plan wedding: Nine months.
Ceremony Site: Gray Head, Telluride
Reception Site: Allred’s Restaurant, Telluride
Number of Guests: 120 with 108 out-of-town guests flying in.
The Planning
The Western Colorado Wedding Guide publication and website provided a great resource for finding local vendors. Finding a ceremony site was solved by a local Telluride bartender, who raved (justifiably) about Gray Head.
Biggest Planning Challenge
Balancing the guest list. We needed to give ample notice to allow guests to make the necessary travel arrangements to Telluride, but with limited space at the reception venue, we had to be diligent in managing the invitee list. It was by far the most stressful part of the planning process.
The Theme
Autumn in the Colorado Rocky Mountains.
The Menu
We had a champagne celebration at the ceremony location, serving wine, prosecco and other beverages, and offering chocolate covered strawberries, fresh fruit and a variety of cheeses. The reception was a sit-down dinner. My father (a Texas cattle rancher) requested beef , and we also served Colorado elk tenderloin and sea scallops.
The Cake
Carrot cake with no raisins.
The Décor
With an outdoor venue, the snow-peaked mountains with golden-hued aspen groves naturally set the stage, so we kept the additional decorations quite simple. For the ceremony we had an arch covered with fall leaves and foliage so that Chris and I would be shaded from the afternoon sun (and thus not squinting during our vows!). For the reception we wanted simple and elegant, warm and inviting. We had small floral centerpieces and aspen leaves scattered on the table.
The Flowers
Dahlias, roses and other fall foliage in season.
The Music
An acoustic guitarist created a relaxing ambiance during the first few hours of the reception. Then after dinner we had a DJ for some high-energy dancing.
Special Touch
Riding the gondola to the reception venue also provided a special touch and made for some great pictures.
What went wrong
We had epic rain, snow and hail storms in the days leading up to the wedding. The ceremony site had two inches of standing water on it less than 24 hours before we were to be married. In fact, we had to hold our rehearsal dinner in the hotel lobby. Fortunately, the skies cleared the evening before, and the tent rental company pumped the water right off!
Best thing about the Day
It was a picture-perfect Colorado autumn day!
What would you do Different
Nothing – we loved every minute of it!
My Advice
1. Nail down your wedding location and date first. You can’t plan anything else until these items are in place. Outdoor locations are fine for the ceremony, but think twice about bringing caterers and generators to an outdoor location for the dinner – costs can be prohibitive.
2. Find a photographer you really like because you spend more time with this person than anybody else, including your groom.
3. It is worth it to hire a wedding coordinator for the day of the wedding so that you, your family and your friends can be free to celebrate the day!
Honeymoon: The Amalfi Coast of Italy (we stayed in Amalfi, Ravello, and Anacapri).
Photographer: Kyla Jenkinson of Kyla Jackson Photography. She’s a fabulous photographer and so much fun! |
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