fall wedding Archives - Calluna EventsCalluna Events

It was a quintessential Fall day in the mountains for Marie + Peyton’s Vail wedding celebration this past September. The weather was perfect, the leaves were yellow, and 200 guests were treated to an epic evening under the twinkle lights at The Arrabelle at Vail Square.

Marie + Peyton came to us with a vision of a classic Colorado soirée for their out-of-state families and friends to enjoy, with timeless details and pops of trend throughout. They opted for classic Fall colors of navy blue and deep burgundy and entrusted Figment Floral to bring their floral dreams to life. After a traditional and thoughtful ceremony at The Vail Chapel, guests made their way to the base of the mountain for cocktail hour, where they enjoyed live music from Oncue Entertainment and left cheeky messages on the pink After The Tone audio guest book. They picked up their custom champagne flutes as a welcome sip and made their way to the beautiful tent in the heart of the square. The rest of the evening was an EPIC dance party thanks to Soul X, and the party didn’t stop there! Guests made their way to Shakedown Saloon to dance the night away.

Rebecca Haley captured the most stunning mountain photos for this couple, and we love all of the details!

Fall Romance in the Mountains | Wedding Recap | Katie + Stevie

We are so thrilled to share a deeper look into the last Calluna wedding of the 2022 Wedding Season – Katie & Stevie’s fall nuptials at the one and only Devil’s Thumb Ranch! Katie is originally from San Antonio, Texas and has a deep affinity for horses and so when they moved to Colorado and got engaged – they knew right away that the atmosphere of Devil’s Thumb Ranch was the perfect place to say I Do!

When Katie and Stevie picked this weekend – they were hoping for the perfect blend of Colorado blue skies and changing autumn aspen trees and they got their wish! We kicked off the weekend with a western welcome party complete with BBQ, refreshing Ranch Water to sip on, and live music from local musician Notes by Nate.

For the palette of the wedding, we really wanted to lean into the fall tones that were surrounding the ranch that weekend. We partnered with Amy Lauren Floral Design to bring that vision to life! Subtle pops of blush pinks and apricot oranges woven with climbing greenery, the florals captured the magic of fall in the mountains!

Perhaps one of our favorite parts of the weekend were all the incredible paper goods by Knapp Design Co. We started off with an incredible western luxe invitation suite. It was such a fun way to give guests a glimpse into the weekend, with lots of fun textures, especially the velvet belly band with galloping horses being our most adored design element! We knew we wanted horses to be a focal point of the weekend so we created a custom escort display with velvet letter pressed paper tied to mini horseshoes for a delightful surprise for guests to find their seats! This display is one of our all time favorites and perfectly tied into the leather bar menu displaying the couples signature cocktails!

After dinner, the couple’s dear friends and family made the most incredible round of toasts to the newlyweds, followed by a special family song that has been in the bride’s family for generations – it was such a fun personal touch led by her cousin and musician Josh Klause. There was certainly not a dry eye in the crowd! Soon thereafter, everyone hit the dance floor where The Get Down had the dance floor packed all night long. It was truly the perfect way to end our 2022 wedding season!

When’s The Date? How to pick the best wedding season for you

Congratulations, you’re engaged! When’s the wedding date? This is often one of the first questions asked when people find out you’re engaged. Some brides know exactly when they want to get married, but then there are some of us whose favorite season is every season (maybe just me). Setting a date really gets the planning process started, and can set the tone for your vision! We’ve broken down each season and the benefits each one has to offer, whether you’re dreaming of winter wonderlands, warm jewel tones, dining al fresco, garden parties and more!

Following winter, spring is such a welcoming time – with fresh florals and warmer days. The greenery starts to peak out, and it’s no wonder why we associate this season with new life, and the symbolism is not lost on us!

However, unpredictable weather, especially in Colorado, can be a hesitation when picking this season. We could have gorgeous 70 degree days in March, and then snow in May. Not that this should deter you if you think carefully about having a back up plan if your wedding is outdoors.

Summer is always a wonderful time to get married. The days are longer, and in most cases, it’s easier for friends and family who live out of town to travel with summer vacations underway. With longer days, you can wait out the heat of the day and start your celebration a little later. With the sun setting closer to 8 or 9pm, your summer soiree can continue under the warm starry nights.

The most obvious hesitation would be the heat, especially with outdoor weddings. Even in the mountains, the temperature can get uncomfortably hot. Summer is also right in the middle of peak season, so availability on venues and vendors can be an issue, and you may not always get your first choice.

Fall is a magical time. The changing of the leaves, the crisp, cool air, and deeper jewel tones are just a few of the reasons why we love a fall wedding. This is a great season to experiment with darker hues more associated with the cooler months of the year.

During fall, possible conflicts with the beginning of the school year and Thanksgiving holiday can come up, but can easily be worked around. September and October have increasingly become very popular months to get married and are booking up fast for both wedding venues and vendors. Starting inquiries in advance can help you secure the venue and vendors you’re looking for!

Winter is incredibly romantic and cozy. Candles and fireplaces juxtaposed with wintery snowy landscapes bring about a romance. It also can make for some stunning photos – glittery snow, monochromatic vibes, and if you add in deep colors, the contrast is unbelievable! With winter being “off-season,” venues and vendors are often more available and can sometimes have better deals.

That being said, snow can also be a problem, especially for mountain weddings. Travel plans become more complicated as there could be weather delays. The holiday season can also be a tricky time to plan a wedding.

We hope you were inspired by all of the beautiful photos of each season, and the benefits each one has to offer!

Nicole + George | Romantic Fall Steamboat Springs Mountain Wedding

Calluna Community: Cocktails With Brush Creek Ranch

Here at Calluna we are always looking for new ways to highlight and honor some of the amazing creative partners we get to work with. We feel incredibly fortunate to work with some seriously talented vendors in the industry, and we want to show them off to you in our new Calluna Community Series! We will sit down with some of the fabulous vendors of Colorado and get to know about them, their business and what life is like behind the scenes. Stay tuned for more!

“I’m a Senior Sales Manager for the Brush Creek Luxury Ranch Collection, which includes the Lodge & Spa at Brush Creek Ranch, the Magee Homestead, and French Creek Sportsman’s Club. All three properties are located within twenty minutes of each other in the beautiful Platte Valley in southern Wyoming.”

“We have a small but mighty sales team of three women here at the Ranch. We all sell both corporate and family groups, and I am lucky enough to be in charge of our wedding segment – which is my favorite part of the job”

“I love working with adventurous couples who choose the Ranch not only for its beauty but also for its amazing outdoor opportunities. The activities offered on our 30,000 acres are such a big part of who we are, and it’s a dream to watch couples take advantage of that. We had one bride who was a competitive horseback rider throughout her adolescence and college years – she went on long rides every single day she was on the Ranch. Another couple went fly fishing the morning of their wedding day as it was important to them to share that peaceful time in nature together before the rush of the wedding festivities.”

“I have been able to see so many incredible weddings here at the Ranch, but I think the most memorable ones are when the bride and groom incorporate their family’s culture and history into the weekend. We had one groom with Nigerian roots who hosted a Nigerian-themed dinner for their rehearsal dinner, complete with authentic dress code, menu and music. Another favorite was an Indian wedding, who danced down a hillside to their ceremony, which was in a beautiful remote meadow. We had a bride from Canada who created a “Canadian Tuxedo” theme for their welcome dinner – which touched on her Canadian roots, and was also a perfect look for the Ranch!”

“I travel so much that I don’t think I could call most mornings “routine!” One consistent thing is green tea consumption – no matter where I am, I start the day with green tea.”

“I’m biased, but our favorite wedding trend is the increase in destination weddings and non-traditional venues. Our clients come from all over the country, and want a long weekend affair that feels more like a vacation for their guests – the wedding is simply the cherry on top. At the Ranch, after two full days of amazing activities like riding, fishing and hiking, by the time the actual wedding rolls around, you’ve spent so much quality time with your guests that you don’t have to worry about a receiving line or anything like that, and can just enjoy the moment.”

“There’s obviously a major emotional component to weddings, and I thrive on that. I enjoy building relationships with our clients and getting to know their families. It’s rewarding to see how their personalities and hobbies are reflected in their wedding at the end of the process. Every wedding we’ve had here at the Ranch is truly so unique to the couple.”

“I almost always drink beer – is it any surprise that I work on a ranch? I love a good IPA from Teton Brewing Company in Jackson or Bonfire Brewing in Eagle, CO. We’re actually building a brewery at the Ranch right now, so I’m excited for the moment when I can drink a beer that was brewed here on property!”

Check out some of the weddings Calluna planned at the beautiful Brush Creek Ranch below!

Real Weddings in September from Calluna Events

Our team has had wonderful weddings this month, and we are thrilled to share highlights from one of our favorites! We are so glad that our couples entrust us to plan their weddings, and are so grateful to all of the creative partners involved in these celebrations!

Both Alex and Drew had a soft spot in their hearts for Devil’s Thumb Ranch, as they had both grown up visiting the ranch with their families. It was the perfect mountain location for them to tie the knot!

Alex and our team had chatted about how she wanted some pictures with the horses in the background on the ranch if that would be possible. We loved the cute shot the photographer Jamee got of Alex’s surprised and happy face when a few horses came right up to her and Drew during the photos!

As a Denver fashion blogger (FeelinHaute), Alex has an incredible eye for style and design. She spent so much time perfecting every detail from her custom paper goods from Meagan at Whimsy Design Studio, the absolutely stunning floral design by Cori Cook, to the beautiful textured linens. We were so honored to have worked with her and see her and Drew’s style shine through as their day came together!

Real Wedding – Jess and Darren Colorado Mountain wedding

Jess + Darren wed on the first day of October at the beautiful Della Terra in Estes Park. In an anticipated and emotional day, these two lovebird pledged their love under a gorgeous sanctuary of evergreen and aspen trees. College sweethearts that first met at Semester at Sea, Jess + Darren could not have been more of a joy to work with leading up to and on the day of their wedding. Hilarious and heartwarming speeches filled with countless anecdotes proved just how perfect they were for each other.

Jess’s color scheme was thoughtful and effortless for the fall months. She highlighted deep purple through the decor and bridal party attire. Can we talk about that contrast with her flawless Lis Simon gown? We complimented the design with stunning Plum Sage florals – colorful bouquets with succulent accents and simplistic table arrangements.

Our favorite part of the ceremony: the post ceremony send off! Picked right from the ceremony site, bright & blazing aspen leaves were the perfect way to introduce the new Mr. & Mrs!

DJ Tasos did a fantastic job DJing the night. The crowd stayed on the dance floor all night, only after mingling and tasting all of the flavor stations from the yummy Catering By Design. We were so grateful to be included in such a rowdy celebration of love and wish so many year of happiness to this fantastic couple. Congratulations!! xx, Calluna

Katie + Eric’s Sweet Boulder Wedding

We thought we would start the morning off right by sharing with you Katie + Eric’s beautiful Boulder wedding with you! It is always so exciting to get the real deal photos back and even more exciting when we get to share them with all of you! Katie + Eric were married on a perfect fall day at the Sunrise Amphitheater at Flagstaff. It was one of those beautiful bluebird days with the crispness of fall just around the corner. What could be better than saying your forever vows surrounded by the rawness and beauty of nature? Take a moment to look through the photos from Katie + Eric’s special day! xx, Calluna