A Formal Outdoor Wedding in Aspen, Colorado

Jennifer and Steve's Aspen Wedding Weekend

jennifer steve wedding couple kiss — Joe Cogliandro Photography

Soon after Steve moved to Texas, a mutual friend insisted (three times to be exact) that Jennifer come along to a cocktail party to meet him. After a few years together, the duo said I do on September 2, 2012, in the mountains of Colorado.

Their chic destination wedding played up Aspen's wintry gray-and-white scenery, and celebrated a few Brazilian traditions as a nod to the 10 years Steve lived in the South American country.

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Scenic Wedding Spot

Having spent several holidays skiing in Aspen, the snowy town held special meaning as a wedding location. "And since we lived in Houston and my parents live in South Florida, we were looking for some place cool in September," said Jennifer.

Even though it was a destination wedding, the number one priority for the couple was hosting a wedding that included their all friends and family. Two-hundred-and-fifty loved ones traveled to help them celebrate, including Jennifer's 89-year-old grandfather and 35 friends from Brazil.

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A Warm Welcome

Guests were greeted with white gift bags adorned with a custom map highlighting the couples' favorite spots downtown. Inside were some necessities like sunscreen, a water bottle, and lip balm, along with a few special treats, including a bag of "Aspen Trout," aka Swedish fish, cookies from Paradise Bakery (a favorite après ski stop of the groom and bride), and Bayou Blend coffee, which supports one of the couple's favorite charities.

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The Fashions

Jennifer wore a Vera Wang dress and veil from Casa de Novia in Houston and a pair of Michael Kors wedges. Steven looked dapper in Tom Ford.

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Shades of Gray

The bridesmaids wore a mix of gowns from Two Birds, Amsale, plus one custom made in Brazil. They carried white bouquets full of various textural flowers for a look that wasn't too "matchy-matchy."

Beth from Aspen Floral Branch chose pale pink garden roses to play up the blush liner in the bride's wedding gown. They also resembled Jennifer's favorite flower: the peony.

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Dapper Gents

The bride is a big fan of succulents, so they were used for the all of the gents' boutonnieres. Groomsmen wore their own suits with ties from Tom Ford—a gift from Jennifer and Steve.

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Pre-Ceremony Sips

"We wanted people to immediately enjoy themselves so we had a beverage station at the ceremony," said Jennifer. The table played up the chevron, gray, and white theme, which was used throughout the day, including striped straws DIYed by EKS Events, and bow ties found on Etsy.

On the menu was Oklahoma Sooners' iced tea, a shout out to Steve's favorite team, and Florida Sunshine lemonade to honor the bride's home state. "You could mix them together for an Arnold Palmer!" said Jennifer.

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Personalized Programs

Amy at Express Yourself created the ceremony programs, which included heartfelt bios of each member of the bridal party. They were tied with the gray and white string.

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The Littlest Attendant

Instead of a flower girl, Steve's niece strolled down the aisle as ring girl carrying a note from the bride for Steve that read: "I can't wait to kiss you!"

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Here Comes the Bride

Just before the bride walked down the aisle with her father, ominous rain clouds had everyone worried. "But when I got to the altar, the sky opened up," said Jennifer. "It was stunning, and we took it as a good sign!"

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The Ceremony

The bride and groom selected all readings and music for the ceremony. Steven's sister recited meaningful bible verses and interpreted their meaning in a day-to-day married life. A vocalist sang "Ave Maria" by Schubert during the ceremony, and a few unique songs played by a string ensemble were also incorporated: "Eu Sei Que You Tea Mar" by Moraes and Jobim, a famous Brazilian love song; "Clare de Lune" by Debussy, a favorite of groom's mother; and "Viva La Vida" by Coldplay for the newlyweds walk up the aisle.

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Loving Logo

A custom logo adorned napkins printed in a variety of colors for the weekend's different events, including gray and white for the wedding cocktail hour.

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The Reception Tent

A tent featured beautiful Indian fabric furnishings for the reception.

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Lit Just Right

Dangling lights were grouped together to highlight different areas, including the tables and the dance floor. Clear chairs that almost seemed to disappear created a clean and modern look.

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The Centerpieces

"We wanted to play with scale and texture, so we had a variety of vessels and containers," said Jennifer of the centerpieces that showcased succulents and a variety of green and white flowers.

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Local Fare

Chris Keating at Pine Creek Cookhouse created a menu that played up the local staples: ruby red trout, beef tenderloin, and handmade pasta.

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Sweet Selection

The dessert-loving duo wanted a vast assortment of goodies for guests to indulge in after the meal.

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Meaningful Favors

Caribou Club's pastry chef Donna Lilah created individually wrapped favors of Bem Casados, a traditional Brazilian wedding dessert, literally meaning "good marriage" in Portuguese. "People stuffed them in their pockets as they left and ate them later that night and the next day," said Jennifer.

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Collection of Confections

Gallagher also created a mix of cakes playing in various shapes, sizes, and settings—all were iced with a smooth finish and topped with succulents and air plants.

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