Liz and Chad: Summer Aspen Mountain Wedding

Aspen Weddings
Liz & Chad Gardner’s Aspen Mountain I Do’s!

Liz shares her wedding story:  We all know Colorado weather is unpredictable but as we all say, “if you don’t like the weather, wait 20 minutes.” Upon waking up the morning of our wedding to pouring rain, we were certain it would clear by 5 pm. Heading up the gondola in rain clouds at 4 p.m. we were starting to lose confidence our Wedding Deck ceremony would take place. But just in the nick of time and thanks to someone up above, the clouds finally started to part at 4:30 and with 170 guests wrapped in fleece blankets, we said our “I Do’s” with an incredible backdrop of clearing clouds and mountains behind us.

With the rain coming back in, we moved inside the Sundeck where the 11-piece band, Soul X, kept the party going and the dance floor packed the entire night. Guests noshed on late night sliders and fries, made their mark on our antique ski guestbook, and captured the evening in the photobooth.

Tips and Ideas from Liz:

How did you decide on your ceremony location?

We live in Denver but have spent a lot of time in the Aspen Valley over the years. Having exchanged our first “I love yous” in Aspen, the town has become very special to us and thus we knew we wanted to say our “I do’s” there.  After looking at a number of the amazing Aspen venues, we couldn’t turn down the opportunity to wed on the magical Aspen Mountain Wedding Deck. Anyone that steps foot up there knows how incredible and memorable of a spot it was for us and all of our guests.

How did you decide on your reception location?

With family and friends coming to Colorado from all over the country, we wanted to give them a one-of-a-kind reception experience. We knew that dancing the night away at 11,000 ft. would be unlike anything else people had experienced! Plus the service and quality of The Little Nell was truly second-to-none.

Accommodations

Little Nell, Hotel Aspen & Molly Gibson

What was the mood at the wedding?

We wanted our wedding to truly be an event full of love, joy, lots of laughter, and a whole lot of fun!! From starting the weekend off with a Mexican themed rehearsal dinner at El Rincon to our wedding ceremony officiated by our brother-in-law, the wedding was all about fun and family.

Any advice for a bride planning a destination wedding?

Work with great vendors. We absolutely loved working with The Little Nell, Robin Proctor, Full Circle, Harrington Smith Florals and Jane Floyd and Associates. They helped to make our vision a reality and were so calming throughout the entire wedding day, despite the weather challenges. We would also advise to pick and chose your priorities. You could go crazy and spend endless hours on detail after detail that no one might ever notice. Decide what is most important to you for your wedding day and make those items your planning priority!!

Best memory from the wedding day?

As we already heard the weather wasn’t exactly perfect for most of the day but just as we said our final “I dos”, kissed and made our way up the aisle to the sounds of cheers, for the very first time all day the sun broke through the clouds and beamed down on us. It was truly like our loved ones that could not be there with us in person were smiling down on us and giving us their blessing!!

Aspen Wedding Vendors Include:
Wedding Planner – Jane Floyd and Events Ceremony and Reception Venue – The Little Nell Photography – Robin Proctor Photography Flowers and Decor – Harrington Smith
Hair and Makeup – Full Circle Lighting and Audio – Alchemy Wedding Band – Soul X

Kelsey Stamps

Hey, I’m Kelsey! I studied Social Psychology at CU Boulder and now split my time between writing about dreamy Aspen wedding spots, clever planning hacks, and real talk on international marriages (yep, American guys and foreign girls). I also run a small psychology practice, helping couples navigate love, culture, and everything in between. Connection and honesty are my non-negotiables.