Wedding Coordinator: Jessica McTaggart of Pink Champagne Events
Reception Venue: Sonnenalp Hotel, Vail, Colorado
Venue Coordinator: Amy Lilyquist at Sonnanelp
Florals: Caitlin Caldwell of Vintage Magnolia
Band: Mannequin the Band
Ceremony Venue: Beaver Creek Chapel
Photographer: Drake & CO Photography + Films, Drake & Ashley Busch
Videographer: Drake & CO Photography + Films, Mike Bradley and Graham Johnstone
Shoes: Stuart Weitzman
Jewelry: earrings by Ippolita
Dress: Romona Keveza
How did you meet each other?
We met through mutual friends at a house party in Dallas. Ryan was living in Houston, but had accepted a new job in Dallas that he’d be starting in a few months. When a few of his college friends told him about a party they were throwing, Ryan decided to come up for the weekend to start meeting more people in Dallas. And I’m sure glad he did!
What was the best memory of your wedding day?
Kelsey: One of my favorite memories from our wedding day was standing with my dad outside the chapel just before we walked through the doors and down the aisle. The months of planning and preparing came to a head in that moment as I heard some of the sweetest words a daughter can hear from her father. I remember feeling an incredible sense of peace and gratitude that I was about to walk down the aisle to Ryan and I couldn’t wait to see his face.
Ryan: My favorite memory was seeing my beautiful bride appear as the doors opened and she walked down the aisle to me. And a close second was getting to enjoy an amazing seated dinner under the clear mountain sky with our closest friends and family, and then dance under the stars with my bride.
What would be some advice you would give to future couples as they plan their wedding day?
Probably the wisest thing Ryan and I did when planning our wedding was to set a budget before we started. We talked through what we valued most about our wedding day, and allocated our total budget based on those values. By allocating our budget early, we were able to make relatively quick decisions when contracting with major vendors and we made purchases with peace-of-mind knowing it fit within our budget.
Where did you go on your honeymoon?
We went to two different islands in Fiji for our honeymoon – Tokoriki and Qamea. We completed our scuba certification and dove several times. We hiked to waterfalls, kayaked around one of the islands, snorkeled, spent time at the spa, ate way too much great food and read on the beach. We loved our honeymoon experience! Renee Meyer with Unforgettable Honeymoons helped us plan our trip. We’d highly recommend!