This Refined Wedding in the Rocky Mountains Married Earthy, Bohemian Décor with Modern Romance

When Danny joined the Penn State cheerleading team in the summer of 2011 with the promise (admittedly) of meeting girls, he didn't know that one of those girls (Diana!) would become his future wife. The pair became stunt partners and developed a connection throughout their college years; when Danny graduated before Diana, he vowed to never let more than a couple weeks pass without visiting her. "He kept that promise, and here we are eight years later!" says the bride.

In June 2017, the couple was living in Denver, Colorado, and Danny's family was in the Rockies for the summer. He'd planned a special weekend getaway at a cabin in the woods for the entire group to enjoy. Both avid hikers, Danny and Diana took a detour to the cabin to take their pup, Leo, on a walk. Ten minutes into their trek up Mayflower Gulch on Colorado's Ten Mile Range, Danny felt that the right moment had finally arrived. He asked Diana if they could stop to take a picture against the scenic mountains, to which she agreed. He set his phone up on a rock, set the self-timer, and as he walked back, dropped to one knee. As for what was said after he popped the question? They only remember a chorus of "Of course!" from Diana.

The couple headed back towards their original destination, and on the way, Diana called her dad and step-mom to tell them the great news, which they, of course, already knew was happening. She did, however, get a better surprise just moments later: Danny had flown in her mother, step-father, and sister to celebrate. "We all shared a weekend of excitement, happy tears, and taking turns trying on the ring," says Diana.

While the couple originally planned to tie the knot on the East Coast, they struggled to find a venue that fit their vision. They soon realized that they'd already found their dream locale: On June 8, 2019, before 110 guests in Tabernash, Colorado, they married at Devil's Thumb Ranch, against the same mountainous backdrop of their engagement—which was, ultimately, the best spot for their bohemian-meets-modern wedding.

"We had heard of Devil's Thumb Ranch because we do a lot of skiing at the nearby mountain," explains Diana of their venue choice. "We visited and finally got the feeling we had been searching for (for months!). It was a raw, natural landscape, but with all the amenities for guests to enjoy and feel comfortable." The ceremony site was another plus; the couple wanted a simple backdrop for their vows, which the venue delivered. They tied the knot surrounded by mountains and horses, says the bride. "What more could you ask for?"

The couple set the wedding's tone with invitations from Wile Events and The Artistic Group. Each envelope was adorned with imagery of the locale's scenery—including a watercolor rendering of the view from the venue and a blind embossed illustration of the Rocky Mountains. The suite also previewed the duo's palette, which illustrated their love for nature: pearl white, muted navy, and taupe.

When the bride saw her wedding dress on The Dress Theory's Instagram, she invited her bridesmaids to San Diego, where the gown was located. The bridal party spent the day "focused" on finding the gown, but Diana pledged not to force it "if we didn't find the one." At The Dress Theory, the women drank Champagne and rosé (and wore their own tiaras or veils) as Diana searched for her perfect match. "When I put on the Costarellos gown, my big sister got all the happy tears and we all knew!" Needless to say, the group canceled the rest of the afternoon's appointments.

For the reception, Diana changed into an ivory number by Reformation, one of her favorite designers. The open back dress had adjustable straps in "the softest silk fabric," which made it easier to dance in.

Jimmy Choo platform sandals, thin hoop earrings, and a ring from Local Ecletic completed the bride's ensemble; her simple hairstyle and accessories made the intricacy of her wedding dress more pronounced.

The bride's custom Sara Gabriel veil stretched slightly longer than the end of her gown, and acted as her train. For the base of her veil, the design team created a small comb with fresh flowers—an homage to the natural beauty of Diana's complete look.

Diana's bouquet captured her bohemian spirit and love of the outdoors; the lush, romantic arrangement was comprised of local aspen tree foliage (foraged from the couple's backyard), fresh Italian eucalyptus, quicksand, toffee roses, white peonies, ranunculus, sweet peas, blushing bride protea, dried thistle, scabiosa pods, pampas grass, and bunny tail grass.

Danny wore a navy "Ludlow" tuxedo from J. Crew that was crafted from Tollegno 1900 wool (Tollegno is one of the oldest mills in Italy). He wore his suit with a white linen shirt, black suspenders, and solid black bat-wing bow tie inspired by James Bond.

Diana's bridesmaids wore Shona Joy champagne-hued slip dresses. "I love the slip dress look and thought the simplicity would contrast my dress really well. My girls all looked incredible in this gown!" she says.

The couple's beloved two-year old golden retriever, Leo, wore a black onyx bow tie from Crew LaLa;  he looked adorable while performing his ceremonial duties as the honorary ring bearer.

Danny and Diana utilized Devils Thumb Ranch's built-in ceremony site for their service and embellished the space with taupe and terra-cotta-colored blooms. Wile Events looked to the surroundings when ideating the rest of the décor. "When you have the snow-capped Rocky Mountains and wild horses roaming behind you as your ceremony backdrop, you try not to compete too heavily with that," says the team.

The couple opted out of a first look, but Diana had given Danny a handkerchief on the morning of the wedding; he kept it in his tuxedo pocket and used it to wipe away the tears as he got his first glimpse of his bride on the aisle.

As guests settled for the non-religious ceremony, a live band played an acoustic version of The Eagles' "Best of My Love." Diana made her way down the aisle, arms interlocked with her father, to a rendition of "How Deep Is Your Love" by The Bee Gees.

Danny started writing his vows a few months before the wedding, "but had crafted in my mind what I wanted to tell Diana long before that." As he watched her walk toward him, one anecdote and memory jumped out in his mind: He couldn't wait to tell her about the first time he saw her, a memory that felt much like this. Diana, on the other hand, "was one of those 'finish the morning of' brides," she jokes. While having her makeup done, she asked one of her bridesmaids to transcribe her vows. "I struggle with finding words to describe my love sometimes. I wanted to share a piece of our love—but also leave a few things unsaid, that we know are meant for just us," she says.

The cocktail hour's signature cocktails were an homage to the couple's pup, Leo. Guests were offered a "Mountain Man" or a "Mama's Boy" to accompany passed appetizers of cucumber cups with curd bass and melon caviar, tempura fried chilies with crispy pork belly, smoked trout bruschetta, and ricotta and beet crostini with mint.

For the first half of the interlude, the bride and groom stole away for group photos before rejoining their guests, who enjoyed lawn games like corn-hole and giant Jenga in the meantime.

The pair's reception took place in the Broad Axe Barn, "a rustic, yet refined space that overlooks spectacular scenery," says Diana. Its doors opened to the outside to allow attendees to mingle on the terrace, where the planning team set up lounge vignettes (strewn with cozy blankets) and fire tables.

The wooden head table was 32 feet long and topped with slate blue hand-dyed raw silk runners and an airy floral arrangement. The unique setup was enhanced by custom terra-cotta candleholders from a potter in Texas.

"We served a plated dinner that started with a beautiful field green salad bundle with house made ricotta and edible flowers," says Diana of the menu. "For the entrée, guests chose between sage stuffed Trout, chimichurri flank steak, or a cauliflower steak."

Centerpieces comprised of blooms and dried floral accents decorated the round tables in the barn; overhead, a greenery installation enhanced the raw feeling of the space. All tables were creatively named; instead of traditional numbers, "we used mountain names where we had either hiked, camped, or shared memorable experiences and milestones together as a couple," notes Diana.

Diana and Danny had already chosen a first dance song, but "about three weeks out from the wedding, we heard this song ["Too Late to Turn Back Now" by Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose] and couldn't help but dance to it," admits the bride. They loved the ballad so much, that they decided this was the one. "We love soul music with a bit of funk, so this just fit our style."

The bride, groom, and their guests danced for the remainder of the evening, thanks to The Diamond Empire Band. Of course, Leo joined in to hang out with the celebrants—and stole the entire show.

The couple's wedding cake was made by one of the bakers at Devil's Thumb Ranch. The simple ivory almond confection had fresh raspberry flavors and vanilla buttercream; the dessert was topped with fresh flowers as a nod to the bride and groom's free spirits.

Photography, Lucy Munoz Photography

Venue, Catering, and Cake, Devil's Thumb Ranch

Month-of Coordinator, Love This Day Events

Event design and Flowers, Wile Events

Videography, Olena Films

Stationery and Day-of Paper Goods, Wile Events (design), The Artistic Group (printing)

Calligraphy, Order She Wrote

Cocktail napkins, For Your Party

Music, Diamond Empire Band

Rentals, Max/Livie Inc.; Event Rents; Yonder House; Honey Silks; La Tavola Fine Linen

Bride's gown, Costarellos Bridal via The Dress Theory

Bride's accessories, Sara Gabriel (veil); Local Eclectic (accent ring); Nordstrom (earrings); Jimmy Choo (shoes)

Hair, Jamie Parrotta Hair

Makeup, Lola Beauty Denver

Bridesmaids' dresses, Shona Joy

Groom's suit, J. Crew

Menswear, The Black Tux

Engagement ring, Brilliant Earth (diamond), Sarah O. Jewelry (setting)

Weddings bands, MetalMark Fine Jewelry (hers), Marke New York (his)

Cookies, The Makery