These New Yorkers Planned a Destination Wedding in Colorado with a Touch of Southern Formality

Sloan and Scott met at college, and although their paths crossed several times over the years, it wasn't until the two ran into each other at a wedding that they kicked off a romantic relationship. "The bride was my sorority sister and the groom was his fraternity brother," Sloan says. "The rest was history!"

Much of their relationship was long distance, as Sloan lived in Dallas and Scott lived in New York City, so Scott put plans in motion for both of their families to fly to Dallas for the proposal. "Well, I ruined it," Sloan says. "He had planned to pop the question at Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas, but I was in a bad mood…so Scott couldn't get me to leave the apartment." Quick on his feet, Scott turned on their favorite Van Morrison song, "If I Ever Needed Someone," in her apartment and got down on one knee then, instead.

Sloan grew up vacationing in Crested Butte, Colorado, so they asked Virginia from Bluebird Productions to help them find a venue with a stunning view of Mount Crested Butte for their destination wedding on July 28, 2018. They invited 177 guests to a private ranch for the black-tie optional affair. The stunning views were the main inspiration for the laid-back feel of the wedding, but Sloan made sure to incorporate a touch of Southern formality to the décor with help from her planner. "I know that I could not have enjoyed myself the way that I did if I wouldn't have had all the trust in the world in Virginia and her Bluebird crew," she says.

Watch Sloan and Scott's wedding video by Elysium Productions.

Aiming for a color palette that enhanced the natural surroundings in Crested Butte, the couple went with copper tones and neutrals throughout the day. The save-the-dates featured a photo that Sloan's mom took of Crested Butte mountain; they chose to incorporate the mountain image throughout the rest of the stationery.

Sloan originally wanted a lace wedding dress with long sleeves, but when she tried on a one-shoulder Carolina Herrera gown, she felt comfortable and beautiful in it. "Once we bought the dress, I think had dress anxiety and convinced myself that it wasn't the right one," the bride shares. "So I went back to try on more dresses, only to try on my dress again and realize that it was absolutely perfect."

The bride paired her gown with sparkly Jimmy Choo shoes and a Carolina Herrera veil.

Scott wore a black Tom Ford tuxedo and bow tie for a timeless look.

The wedding party included friends, Sloan's sister, Scott's sister, and Scott's brother-in-law. The bridesmaids wore gray Jenny Yoo dresses with varying necklines, while the groomsmen matched Scott in classic black tuxes.

Their ceremony took place overlooking the mountains on the private ranch. Just ten minutes before the service was set to start, it began pouring rain. Guests were ushered underneath the tent to enjoy some drinks through the hour-long delay. "Even though it would have been easy to get stressed about the rain, I don't think anything could have brought me down from cloud nine," Sloan says. "Our guests loved it because they got to enjoy cocktail hour before and after the ceremony."

The pair's Catholic ceremony was officiated by a close family friend, Minerva. "Having her officiate made it so special for Scott and me," Sloan shares. The bride was accompanied by her dad as she made her way down the long aisle while Joe Cocker's "You Are So Beautiful" played. Décor was kept to a minimum with lush arrangements of white florals along the aisle and a breathtaking mountain backdrop.

Although the cocktail hour was meant to take place outside, the unexpected rain meant the interlude had to be moved inside the tent. Along with appetizers including tuna and elk, the pair also served classic, casual favorites like french fries and mini corndogs.

Copper cardholders held escort cards emblazoned with mountain imagery.

A large sailcloth tent with a wood floor was set up on the ranch's property for the reception, where guests enjoyed cocktails, dinner, and tons of dancing to the live band, Midnight Special with West Coast Productions.

Creating a warm and inviting environment was a must for the couple, so a cozy area with couches was set up in one nook of the tent to offer guests a place to rest their feet from dancing.

Under the reception tent, a mixture of round and rectangular tables surrounded the dance floor and stage; they were topped with neutral linens by La Tavola. Place settings featured round white plates and gold flatware from Casa de Perrin. A square menu with a vellum place card was placed at each seat.

The couple's florist, Tinge, designed lush flower arrangements for the reception tables that included drum garden roses, honey Dijon roses, pieres, scabiosa, ranunculus, and foxglove blooms.

Sloan says guests still rave about how amazing their wedding food was—the meal began with a melon prosciutto salad with burrata followed by the guest's choice of beef tenderloin or striped bass for the main course.

Tying their wedding day back to their engagement, Sloan and Scott shared their first dance to "If I Ever Needed Someone" by Van Morrison.

The couple's white wedding cake featured four tiers and three flavors—chocolate with vanilla buttercream, almond, and red velvet.

Scott's cake was modeled after their French bulldog puppy, Bubby. "He tried to cut his cake, but I wouldn't let him, so we just took off an ear and bit into it and then put it back on!" Sloan shares.

As a wedding gift to Scott, Sloan pulled off an amazing surprise. Scott's grandfather, who had recently passed away, had owned a '57 Chevy Bel Air that he always called "Scott's car." When the couple decided to have a destination wedding, Scott was a bit disappointed that he wouldn't have the car there to drive off into the sunset with his bride. "That's when I knew we had to ship it out and surprise him!" Sloan says. "He was in complete shock and so happy to have it out there—it was the perfect tribute to his grandfather." The couple hopped into the car at the end of the wedding and headed to a local bar for the after-party. Guests were offered the couple's favorite late-night food, chicken fingers, at the end of the evening.

Photography, Jose Villa Photography

Event planning and design, Bluebird Productions

Videography, Elysium Productions

Catering, Caribou Catering

Flowers, Tinge

Bride's Gown and Veil, Carolina Herrera

Bride's Shoes, Jimmy Choo

Hair, Brittani Estes Hair

Makeup, Faces by Liz

Bridesmaids dresses, Jenny Yoo

Groom's tuxedo, Tom Ford

Music, Midnight Special Band

Cake, Wildflour Sweets

Rentals, Premier Party Rentals

Lighting and AV, Halycon