Kelly and Alex had their wedding at Saddleridge, one of Beaver Creek’s most unique and most rustic venues. The building sits above the small town, with gorgeous views down the valley, and it backs up to the ski hill. This is of course perfectly fitting since Kelly and Alex are avid skiers, and Kelly herself is a ski instructor.
I first met these two last fall when I shot their engagement session in the backcountry near Piney Lake, out the outskirts of Vail. We spent a glorious afternoon in the colorful orange, red and yellow aspen groves at the foot of the Gore Range, saw a moose, drank some whiskey, and shot until the stars came out. I became great friends in the back seat with their dog, Kistler, who I found out would be at the wedding. He did make an appearance, though he didn’t sign the marriage license (which is actually legal in Colorado).
The day started out at a nearby house with the girls getting ready, and interestingly enough, one of my favorite images from the morning was a shot of Kelly’s mom getting ready. I love the complexity of weddings and how family histories and stories pass from generation to generation. Shots of the present mirroring memories from the past, etc. They are pretty cool.
The ceremony itself was in Saddleridge’s great main room, in front of the huge windows looking out onto a snow covered slope and aspen grove. We had a couples portrait session in the snow afterward, dinner was served, and the party was on until the end of the night. Kelly’s Dad definitely earned a spot in my book for “Most Psyched Dad on the Dance Floor.”
Kelly, Alex, thank you so much for letting me be a part of your day. You two are awesome and I couldn’t have been more honored.
Many thanks to the awesome vendors who made this day so great.
- Venue: Saddleridge (Beaver Creek)
- Coordinator: Ellen Massey, PJ West Events (Aspen)
- Florist: Petals and Pours (Vail)
- Cake: Sugar (Breckenridge)
- DJ: Fred Hammond, A Great Time DJ (Vail)
- Officiant: Pastor Mark Huggenvik (Vail)