A Rustic Winter Destination Wedding in Colorado

Only brave souls would decide to play tag football on their first date -- in January, and in New York's Central Park, no less. But Lanie and Matt got "an improbably sunny Saturday" back in 2007. Three years later, they scored another gorgeous afternoon at their Colorado nuptials. "We knew it would be a gamble with the weather," says Lanie, "but we got lucky."

Lanie and Matt pose for a snowy shot. The bride had sleeves added to her Vera Wang gown. "I wanted to look seasonally appropriate but not bundled up," she says. The groom wears a Charles Tyrwhitt suit.

The mountain scene on the save-the-dates was hand-drawn and then screen-printed onto cotton paper.

Lanie and Matt were married at The Chapel at Beaver Creek.

Bridesmaids' nosegays of fir, wild pine, cedar, aspen twigs, and berries are swathed in houndstooth wool.

Bridesmaids wear gray J.Crew dresses, ombre wraps, and brooches that Lanie's grandmother found in a Missouri antique shop.

Lanie carries a bouquet of white ranunculus. "It was wrapped with a handkerchief that has been in Matt's family for hundreds of years," she says.

A rustic boutonniere with pinecones and pine.

Programs with illustrations that matched the other elements of the wedding were given to guests.

During the ceremony, Matt's sister sang "Stand By Me" while Lanie's brother played guitar.

Lanie wears a fur stole given to her by her godmother.

Escort cards bearing crests with the couple's initials are nailed to a stack of firewood.

Muslin welcome bags, printed with two owls, contain vanilla extract, the secret ingredient in Matt's father's pancake recipe (also included).

Here, the recipe card, which included Matt's father's pancake recipe and a cute illustration.

The majestic Ritz-Carlton backs up to Beaver Creek Mountain.

Guests dine by candlelight at long tables.

Centerpieces of cotton bolls, pinecones, evergreen sprigs, and flickering candles strike a seasonal tone. "Cotton was an unusual choice, but we loved how it mimicked the snow outside," says Lanie.

To go with the rustic decor, table numbers were made out of tree trunks and twigs.

Cotton-boll wreaths set apart the sweetheart chairs.

Fun illustrations decorate the menu.

A faux bois cake sits on a log pedestal cut by a local lumberjack.

The newlyweds' first dance was to "The Zephyr Song" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. It's "untraditional, but we love it. It's the first song on the only CD we have in our Jeep, so we listen to it all the time," says Lanie.

Favor bags stamped with the pair's crest were filled with chocolate-covered pretzels, caramel turtles, and nuts from the candy bar.

Jugs of Matt's beloved root-beer milk ("it tastes like the last sips of a root-beer float, only colder," he says).

Lanie and Matt take a romantic stroll through the snow. To keep her feet warm during photos, the bride swapped her Manolo Blahnik heels for cowboy boots.

Lanie and Matt's shoes, after she changed out of her Manolo Blahnik heels.

Location, Catering, and Cake: The Chapel at Beaver Creek (ceremony); Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch (reception)
Event Planning: Lisa Vorce
Flowers: Mindy Rice Floral and Event Design
Stationery: Christine Schmidt of Yellow Owl Workshop
Rentals: Barker Decor Service (lighting, dance floor, set design); Alpine Party Rentals (furniture); La Tavola Linen (linens)
Photography: Aaron Delesie
Gown and Veil: Vera Wang
Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew
Menswear: Charles Tyrwhitt