Winter Wedding at Devil’s Thumb Ranch in Tabernash, Colorado. – Part I

Notes from the Bride:

My wedding could only be described as one word – magical.  My fiancé and I live in south Texas, where winters hardly ever bring snow, but we are both originally from up north.  We both love the mountains and decided that a destination wedding in Colorado would be perfect for us.  During a scouting trip, we found Devil’s Thumb Ranch.  Not only was it breathtakingly beautiful, it also provided for the perfect intimate wedding.

After finding the perfect location, I started to research vendors in the area who could make my dream wedding come to life.  As a long distance bride, I knew I would be headed for an uphill battle.  I spent countless hours reading online reviews, interviewing prospective vendors, and finally deciding on a team could create the perfect day.  I knew that I was limited on how much I could bring in because of travel, but I wanted to add special touches throughout the wedding and reception.  I started reading wedding blogs.  Inspiration was everywhere!  But then the realization came, that all those little details that I loved so much added up to large sums.  I found creative ways to incorporate details into our wedding.  I taught myself how to paint parasols, make jam, sew napkins, and make an endless amount of paper products, including all signage and our programs.

I think the attention to detail made our wedding so special.  When are guests arrived they were greeted with out of town bags that were filled with items to help make their stay a little more comfortable.  Our escort cards were slices of birch wood, placed in a vintage crate filled with moss.  When my original idea for place cards failed, I turned my homemade napkins into the place cards at the last minute.  We rolled them and tied off with twine and a nametag.  My family has made homemade jam for as long as I can remember, but I had never made it myself.  When I decided to hand out jars of jam for wedding favors, I didn’t know how much work it was going to be.  I went to an organic farm during the spring and picked the strawberries when there were in season.  I dyed the tags with coffee to give them a vintage look and topped of each one with a fabric swatch.  The table squares at the reception were a last minute touch that my mom whipped up the week before.  I didn’t want to overwhelm the space with too many details so I went with a romantic palette of pinks, burgundy, and green for flowers and decor.  The result ended up being a beautifully rustic, mountain wedding.

The days leading up to our wedding were warm (at least for Winter Park) and clear, but it started snowing right after our rehearsal dinner.  Although a little problematic for those making the trip, it created a “Winter Wonderland.”  Our dream was to have a snowy wedding and we got every bit of it.  The lesson that story is be careful what you wish for!