A Goodstone Inn wedding is an amazing place for a full wedding weekend of fun, including the rehearsal dinner. When this couple first told me about their vision for the wedding weekend I knew it would be good. They love visiting this place as a weekend getaway not too far from their place in Georgetown, DC. As I kept hearing their description of the weekend I knew it had a good change of getting published because of their overall vision. And sure enough, it did eventually get picked up by BRIDES.com.

Many couples are skipping the engagement session for rehearsal dinner coverage. Especially when it’s a Goodstone Inn rehearsal dinner – it’s almost like a second dinner party. Many couples, like this one sees their rehearsal dinner as a more intimate way to connect with their inner circle. Full on with custom menus, flowers and decorations.

The bride also would take the opportunity to wear a second wedding dress, something with lots of personality and little bit more trendy. The couple greets their guests at the smaller and more intimate location on the property for a formal dinner. After some mingling, cigars and dinner, toasts are exchanged and are quite personal and intimate.

With the rehearsal dinner, Sully, the couple’s dog is also able to be a large part of the rehearsal dinner and therefore wouldn’t feel left out of the wedding. Portraits with Sully at the perfect time of day, Golden Hour, was is a bonus about having a mini-wedding at the rehearsal dinner.

For a destination wedding weekend in the Virginia countryside, Goodstone is a perfect location. Many different buildings and locations allow the entire wedding party to stay locally and really get to know each other.

Aspen Colorado Indian Weddings are a great idea, and this event at the Little Nell Hotel shows how great it can be! You may recognize this couple from their fall engagement session, and their wedding is definitely not going to disappoint! All of the events for the wedding weekend centered around the Little Nell Hotel, which is widely known for its hospitality.

The weekend starts with a welcome party on Friday with very nightclub vibes curated by the Aspen DJ. Wedding guests start arriving that first night and were greeted with welcome bags to help them have a great time over the weekend. By the time the night is over, friends and family mingled and eventually there was dancing!

For the second day of this Aspen, Colorado Indian wedding the couple decided to host a brunch. The wardrobe theme for this event is “Mountain style meets the Derby” and the clothing is as varied and colorful as to be expected. The couple looks especially great in their creative interpretation of the theme.

The Wedding Day

Finally we arrived at the wedding day. With a beautiful suite we spent some time with the bride’s family as they got ready for the big day. Altogether it was a calm morning, which is always a treat. Usually the first look is an important moment for the big day and the logistics of taking a gondola up to the top of the mountain is a fun break in the day. The view at the top is always breathtaking as soon as you step off the Gondola.

The ceremony with this beautiful backdrop is sublime. Every moment of the scenery is unreal at the wedding deck. Guests are filled with overwhelm with the beauty of Colorado at this wedding location. How can it get better? Only with the incredible food and drinks cooked on the spot by the amazing chefs of the Little Nell. Ultimately, I hope to do many more Aspen Colorado Indian weddings.

Overall It’s a fun way for guests from all over the world to spend a weekend in Aspen. Ultimately I’m putting vibes out in the universe to be able to photograph many more Indian or South Asian weddings in Aspen. They are truly unicorns. I’m looking forward to this mix of culture and environment at many more future events. Kudos to the whole wedding planning and vendor team, as listed below, for such an amazing event.

Planning, Design, Production: @aimeemonihan @mountainoccasions

Venue: @thelittlenell

Florist: @aspenbranch

Linens: @nuagedesgins

Photography: @bonniesenphotography

Videography: @elysiumweddings

Makeup: @kelseybaileybeauty

Hair: @grhairandmakeup

Ceremony Music: Silver City Strings

Reception Music: @aspendj

Wedding Cake: @delissiousaspen

Oxygen: Colorado Oxygen Bar

Paperie: @luckyonion

A Vail Wedding at Larkspur is a lovely spot for a wedding. We connected with the lovely planners at Cloud9 Weddings and couldn’t wait to work with them on a wedding. The opportunity came up when this couple from South Carolina, Brittany and Mark, started planning their Vail wedding.

Brittany and Mark are huge foodies and entertainers, along with their families. So the food and drinks were a huge focus of their wedding planning. The weekend kicked off with a rehearsal dinner at the Slope Room in Gravity Haus. The elegant and modern interiors made for a stunning backdrop for a sophisticated dinner event. The bartenders were so busy slinging drinks all night long, I couldn’t help but take a few shots.

Of course that’s leading up to the big day, the wedding day! It was a clear and sunny summer day when all started getting ready at the Four Seasons in Vail. These getting ready photos are some of my absolute favorites. Something about seeing the vision of the hair, makeup, flowers, dress and bridesmaids dresses coming together that is so exciting.

Following the getting ready photos we headed up to the top of Vail mountain for the first look. In true Colorado style, there was a thunderstorm rolling in so while Mark was at the top of the mountain, Brittany was stopped at the base of the Gondola! We barely made it up there for the first look but we quickly headed back down to the village.

So many locations for photos around downtown Vail and around the wedding venue Larkspur. The bride’s inspiration for the wedding was to be a fairytale wonderland and I am pretty sure the whole team nailed it!

An Aspen engagement at sunrise in Aspen, Colorado is absolutely our idea of a good time! This couple is getting married next summer at the Hotel Jerome. As a couple that appreciates the beauty of Colorado, they wanted to do their engagement photos at one of the most popular locations – Maroon Bells!

It is an early morning for us, driving up from Denver for this Colorado bride. But it is actually an earlier morning for the bride by the time she had hair and makeup done! The lovely thing about sunrise was the amount of nature we saw. Sunrise and sunset in Colorado is the best time to see wildlife. Not to mention the amazing light of dawn.

For this Aspen engagement couple we are so excited for their wedding next year also in Aspen with wedding planners Bubbles and Bowties/ Juls Sharpley Events.

Read on below the images for some tips on how to plan your Aspen Engagement session.

Here are a few tips on how to plan your Aspen Engagement photos in Maroon Bells

1. When planning a trip to do your Aspen Engagement photos in Maroon Bells, don’t forget to reserve an entry. I do hope the reservation system sticks around because it sure makes the experience better to have a little extra space. You can go to their website, listed above.
2. Try to arrive at sunrise, which is the most spectacular time for both taking the photos and viewing wildlife. The light is amazing then, and also hopefully fewer crowds.
3. Plan your wardrobe and makeup to coordinate but also stand out. I love this dress that Abby picked because it complements the scenery so well. Just because we are in nature doesn’t mean that we can’t get dressed up fancy!
4. For all engagement sessions I always recommend having hair and makeup professionally done! Build this into your timeline!

Enjoy this beautiful place whether you are just visiting or if you are a Colorado local like us.

Credits

Wedding Planner @bubblesandbowtiesaspen

Photos: @bonniesenphotography

Hair & Makeup: @aspenglam

Dress: @macduggal

Location: @maroonbellsofcolorado

It is no secret that architecture is one of my true passions! I love working in amazing venues throughout the world that inspire both the architect and photographer in me. But there is nothing more special than capturing a wedding at home. Add into that mix that the home is a jaw dropping historic house in the Central West End of St. Louis and I am one happy destination wedding photographer!

Jennifer and Tim’s at home wedding in St. Louis was a true 2020 wedding story. It was full of postponements, downsizing and changes but most importantly it all ended up resulting in the most perfect celebration. We worked with Kate of Kate + Company. You might remember this Aspen wedding we did with Kate last year. Certainly to say Kate is talented is an understatement! Kate seamlessly mastered all of the challenging logistics of a wedding at home all while designing and creating fabulous details throughout.

The celebration kicked off with one sweet detail! Working with Cheree Berry Paper, Kate and the couple dreamed up a save the date cake tasting. Guests received a cake tasting (with five different flavors!) and were asked to vote for their favorite. Cheree Berry Paper’s magic didn’t stop there but continued through the celebration from the invitation to the Italian themed welcome baskets to the sweet details on the kids table.

Destination Wedding Photographer’s Dream

The first look took place in the home’s stunning foyer. The space had classic checkerboard floor and a breathtaking floral installation on the staircase by Festive Couture Florals. The ceremony took place in the home’s front room in front of the fireplace with yet another amazing floral installation.

After that, guests made their way to the backyard for the reception with food stations for the guests to enjoy. The groom is part owner in a restaurant group in St. Louis so you know the food was flawless. The food station included a “Pop’s Pizza” set up as a nod to Sundays spent as a family making pizza in the backyard (complete with branded aprons and to-go boxes, of course). And Jennifer was certainly not left out with a piña colada bar featuring her famous recipe (which was also printed on the cocktail napkins).

Finally, the celebration continued with live music by the couple’s Nashville favorite and a surprise synchronized swimming performance. There may have been planning phases where Jennifer and Tim talked about Italy or Napa Valley or other amazing locations that make any destination wedding photographer grin but I have to say nothing beats this sweet, personal and oh so beautiful at home wedding.

See more of this stunning wedding on Carats and Cake in addition to the wedding you can see the behind the scenes feature here.

Wedding Vendors

Planning and Design Kate + Company
Stationery Cheree Berry Paper
Floral Festive Couture Floral
Catering 23 City Blocks Catering
Rentals BBJ Linen, Casa de Perrin and Décorum
Synchronized Swimmers Aquabatix via Contemporary Productions
Beauty Fleur de Lis and Heather B. Beauty
Hangover Cure Fresh Infusions
Transportation JED Transportation
Kids Table McKinley River Events
Tent and Rentals Premier Party Rentals
Music Stephen Paul
Cake The Cakery
Men’s Attire The Tailored Gents
Restrooms VIP Restrooms