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UPDATE 11/25/23: It was over three years ago when I first wrote this article in response to COVID shutdowns. Back in April of 2020, we had 60 couples booked for micro weddings, about half of whom had been planning Sapphire Point Overlook wedding. Throughout the summer of 2020, Sapphire Point maxed-out at 10 people total including vendors. Since many of our weddings were around 20 people (give or take), I scouted and found alternate sites in Summit County for couples to have outdoor ceremonies Fast-forward to today: the Dillon Ranger District (part of the Wind River US Forest Service), who manages Sapphire Point Overlook, has announced that they will be conducting intermittent construction in 2024/25. They do not know specific dates, and they have also closed the reservation system (as of 11/22/23). This naturally puts a spin on planning 2024/25 weddings at Sapphire Point. There have been no clear plans announced as to what dates will be possible for weddings and when/how booking the overlook will become available. The National Forest Service does have a website in which they will be announcing future plans. But for now, if you have your heart set on a Sapphire Point Overlook wedding, here are several different ways in which you can approach it. I'd be happy to work with you in designing logistics for a Summit County wedding (considering Plan A and Plan B) with my intimate wedding package.
⬇️ Summit County Micro-Wedding Spots that are NOT Sapphire Point ⬇️
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If you've been following us for a while and checking out our galleries, you'll quickly observe that we have many couples who choose host their small intimate wedding ceremony a Sapphire Point in Summit County, Colorado. Though it boast some of the most amazing mountain views, overlooks Lake Dillon, and is easily accessible (no hike required!), there are lots of little nuances to consider with planning your wedding at Sapphire Point. Read this article fully so that you know how to approach planning a microwedding at this amazing overlook. 9/26/23 UPDATE! On their booking page, there is an alert that the two overlooks will be under construction in September of 2024 and service may be intermittently interrupted in 2024 and 2025. If this makes you nervous, there are many other great small wedding sites across Colorado, and we can help you find one that fits will with your group size, vision, priorities, budget and needs. 11/25/23 UPDATE! The Dillon Ranger District (who manages Sapphire Point Overlook) is changing their reservations system. Formerly, couples could reserve it on www.Recreation.gov at exactly 6 months out from the wedding date. That is no longer possible. They have not determined a new reservation system and will be posting updates on this website as it becomes available. Here is a press release about the closures in and improvements. If you plan to have a ceremony at Sapphrie Point Overlook in 2024/25, we suggest arrangement a "Plan B" at any of the nearby alternate wedding sites; Custom Weddings of Colorado can help you plan a strategy and logistics. Additional, we updated an article about alternate sites in Summit County for your Plan B.  © Photo by Kathryn Kim Their story: Christina is a Colorado native and lived in Colorado her whole life. Shaun is from Kentucky and lived there his whole life until venturing to attend Colorado School of Mines in 2012. "We met in 2013 and have been together ever since. We got engaged in September 2017 when Shaun proposed while we were watching my favorite show, Friends. We are both hard workers and put a lot of time and energy into our careers. We love spending time in the mountains and hanging out with our 2-year- old English Bulldog, Q.” Wedding details: Who wouldn't love spending time with Q? And of course he had to make appearances at their wedding (we love fur-baby ring bears or flower girls)! Christinas style was graceful, airy and lighthearted. The couple and #30 of their guests stayed in Breckenridge, ventured to the overlook at Lake Dillon for the small ceremony site, and then celebrated at the outdoors patio of a distillery, complete with scrumptious food and cake. Planner/Package: Wendee Vezzetti | Photography: Andrea Flanagan  Stephanie + Kolen | Intimate microwedding in Colorado | Small wedding venue with mountain views8/9/2019 Their story: “We met in a class in college at the University of Nebraska. Our first date was at the local bowling alley 3 years ago! We started to plan your typical formal wedding and shortly realized that it did not fit us at all. We are super laid back and want our wedding to have that same feeling. Colorado works out very nicely for us, as Kolten’s family is from Nebraska and mine is from Kansas, so it is still within driving distance for both of them. We want our wedding to be easy and simple, so we can enjoy the day." Wedding details: With Stephanie's expression cutting the cake at the restaurant, I think easy, simple and enjoyable was accomplished! They traveled with #12 of the their guests to Summit County Colorado, staying at a condo in Dillon. After their ceremony overlooking the shores of Lake Dillon, the small party celebrated at a restaurant in Frisco. I can't tell though if Stephanie was more excited about cutting the cake, or the actual cake itself (Chocolate Buttercream was under that white icing - yum!) Planner/Package: Wendee Vezzetti | © Photos: Kathryn Kim Photography  Their StoryKevin and Jennifer met online and were instantly attracted during their first date of Mexican food and go-carting. After meeting, Kevin called his brother and told him "I think I just fell in love with a redhead." At first, Kevin planned to propose on top of a mountain in Zion National Park but once he got the ring, he was too excited to wait. After a workout, he told her he had a present for her and couldn't wait to give it to her, so eagerly in their living room, he proposed and just as eagerly, Jennifer said “yes!”. He later ended up "re-proposing" on the top of the mountain a couple of weeks later.  The Planning ProcessJennifer and Kevin knew they wanted a small wedding because they wanted to celebrate their love intimately with family and close friends. Their goal was to keep the focus on them as a couple and the joining of two people into one, rather than a large event. Before finding Custom Weddings of Colorado, Jennifer and Kevin struggled to find microwedding packages that weren't cookie cutter and corporate. After finding our team, they were able to sit back and relax as Wendee’s organizational skills and experience enabled the couple’s vision to come true. Planning during the COVID-19 pandemic was the only hiccup in the planning process as things were constantly changing as to what was allowed. Our team kept in constant contact to keep the couple’s mind at ease and knowing it would all work out.
Wedding Day from the Bride’s Point of View “The day started off wonderfully with hair and makeup in our resort suite. I got ready in one area of the suite while Kevin got ready in another. We were slightly concerned about the weather since rain was in the forecast, but it seemed to hold off. Our onsite coordinator arrived along with the photographer and we started taking pictures while I was getting ready. Once I was ready, Kevin and I were ready for our first look. I was so happy I decided to do that as it gave us a very special moment to ourselves before anyone else saw us. After that, we headed up to and overlook and began the ceremony. About 10 minutes into the ceremony, there was a VERY large gust of wind and it felt like the sky was going to fall at any minute with rain. But low and behold, it didn't (whew!). We had the most beautiful ceremony (complete with a bald eagle flying in the background) and we continued to take the most beautiful pictures. We then arrived at the Breckenridge Golfcourse and had the best ceremony with the best food and drink I could ask for. Our guests had so much fun as we pretty much had the place to ourselves. All I can say is WOW! The cake was phenomenal, the flowers were breathtakingly beautiful, the photographer was super sweet, and our officiant was a very close family member, so that was an honor for us. We had an incredible team of people on our special day! I am so grateful for how wonderful everything turned out and couldn't have done it without Wendee and her team!” When asked what they would do differently, the couple said, “Nothing. Absolutely nothing, honestly. Our day was perfect!”
The MarriageJennifer and Kevin stress that during the big day, don’t sweat the little things. Focus on the reason for the wedding, your love and your marriage, and let Wendee’s and her team take care of the rest. The secret to a successful marriage? To be patient, to think before you speak, and to put yourself in your spouses’ shoes. Include little things to show your love in your day to day life and have fun with your best friend. Always, always, tell your spouse how much you love them. Planner: Wendee Vezzetti | Photographer: Kathryn Kim Photography Their story: “Our daughters were all in gymnastics and two of them were in the same gymnastics class together. That is where we met and instantly fell in love. I was house hunting and an offer I made on a house was accepted. I eventually told him about it and he knew exactly where the house was, because he owned a house right up the street (which I had no idea). So we became neighbors and best friends. Everything has always been fate between us. Things happen and work out in ways people would never expect." Wedding details: Working with Janine + Brendan was so easy - they wanted to keep it simple and involve their children. So, part of the wedding was to include a family unity sand ceremony, and of course they had to have their special entrance & song. Her sage, pale pink, peach and blue florals were perfect for an early July celebration. The couple and their immediate family stayed at a vacation home in Keystone, Colorado which came complete with a teepee and fire pit in the backyard. After their ceremony, they celebrated with a taco bar back at the vacation house.  Photographer: Andrea Flanagan | Wedding Package: Custom Weddings of Colorado
Their story: "Jason and I were setup by mutual friend. We were both older and had never married, but hoped to find that special person to build a family together. For us, it happened fast! After six months of dating, we found out I was pregnant. We now have a beautiful two-year-old. We love our little family: our motto - "three together!". Wedding details: Jen and Jason contacted us three months prior to the wedding (yes, we can plan a wedding in as little as 5 days, or 5 months)! Breckenridge has always held a special place for them, having visited on family trips. Their priority was a simple, intimate outdoor setting with a scenic background. Family-focused and small: 6 adults, three kids. 
Their story: “John and I actually met online. It was not ideal at first, but now looking back, it was easily the best decision that I ever made :) We both thought we would have a traditional wedding, but looked into possibly doing a destination wedding. I did not expect for it to take off as fast as it did. We chose Colorado, because we both are so in love with nature. We knew that the mountain view was right up our alley!" Wedding details: Melissa and John took our base Intimate Wedding Package and the added several nice upgrades..... which, can we all agree their 3-year old daughter as part of the ceremony was the absolute CUTEST?!!! Whenever we have couples that want to incorporate their children into the wedding, we recommend they exchange vows with kids and give them a little token - piece of jewelry, nice keychain.... any other ideas? A couple of their other upgrades were chairs, floral ceremony arrangements, centerpieces at their dinner, and extending photography hours into the dancing and departures.  Thank you Andrea Flanagan Photography! Photographer: Andrea Flanagan Photography
Wedding details: Kelsey and Ben’s closest family and friends traveled to Colorado to plan a small destination wedding at a Colorado vacation home. Eleven adults and a handful of kids stayed at a gorgeous vacation house in Breckenridge, Colorado. We provided a small wedding package for them that included some high-end upgrades, such as a lush succulent candle garland to compliment her maroon, navy, cream and grey hued wedding florals. A private chef cooked for the family at the house while we provided scrumptious wedding cake (top tier - chocolate mousse; bottom tier - strawberry mousse). The wedding day ended up being a bit snowy, but the warmth surrounding their celebration kept everyone toasty warm as they snuggled in fleece blankets while they exchanged vows.  Their story: Michelle and Justin met through mutual friends. A year later they officially became a family when they adopted their first dog, Finn. After dating for two years in Wilmington, DE, the two decided to uproot and move to Denver, Colorado. Their fur family became complete when they adopted their second dog Luna. Michelle and Justin decided on a small CO mountain wedding after much deliberation. The two went back and forth between eloping, and inviting their closest friends and family to a small gathering. After their friends and family insisted on being present for their wedding they decided a small CO mountain wedding would be perfect for everyone! Wedding details: Honestly, whether they eloped or had their closest friend and family present, we were ready to work with this spirited, fun couple! The fall colors and vibrant sunflowers reflected their personalities and their wedding day! And, like a true Colorado couple, their dogs were not only present, but walked down the aisle to a “You and Me” version by Vitamin String Quartet. The Breckenridge Distillery matched the vibe of their energetic Colorado gathering. Their story: "Ross and I met through mutual friends. We both have the same sense of humor and hit it off right away. We have a 5 year old golden retriever named Remi who is our pride and joy. In our spare time we enjoy being up at the lake with friends and traveling as much as possible. Ross also loves hunting and fishing; I love interior design and enjoy refinishing old (and cheap!) furniture. We had never really been interested in a large traditional wedding so deciding to do a destination wedding was a no brainer. We got engaged in Grand Lake, CO in 2016 so it just seemed fitting to come back to Colorado for the wedding. We truly love Colorado." Wedding details: Even though Paula and Ross each had four bridesmaids and four groomsmen, they kept their wedding vibe very much elopement-style: easy with simplicity. They stayed in Breckenridge at a gorgeous vacation home with all their friends and family. For their ceremony overlooking Lake Dillon, instead of having the formalities of choreographed walk-ins, the couple asked us to play music in the background at arrival. Once everybody was situated, Paula entered the ceremony area. They identified the space by laying down a rug. All #20 guests, including the wedding party, stood around encircling the couple - one of the most intimate ceremonies we’ve seen!  Planner: Wendee Vezzetti | Photography: Andrea Flanagan
Florist: Pink Posey Designs | Baker: La Patisserie Francaise Restaurant: The Hearthstone | Hair: Breckenridge Chopping Block Intimate Wedding Package Budget: $3,900 to $4,500 Their story: Anthony and Jen traveled from the Midwest to Colorado to get re-married in a private elopement ceremony. Yes, that's right. Re-married.... to each other. Having divorced years prior, their friendship continued. This time around, they wanted to keep things simple, and all about the two of them. They arrived, got married, and stayed in Colorado for several days to travel around for their second honeymoon. Wedding details: We kept things simple for them with a mountain elopement package which is basically a scaled-back version of our intimate wedding package. We included elements that make it feel more like a wedding, and less of a courthouse license signing: a bouquet & boutonniere, a small tiny cake, the officiant, photography and even some music from our Bluetooth speaker for the ceremony. Liking pale colors but needing some contrast for the fall, we mixed some peaches, purples and blues with her white & cream florals.
NOTES: the couple stayed at a high-end condo in Breckenridge and decided to to cake post ceremony at their condo. They went out to dinner later that evening in Breckenridge.
Their story: "Zack and I both attended Texas A&M and clicked from the beginning. We want a small, destination wedding in Colorado because we want our wedding to be a memorable experience with our families. Zack has been vacationing in Colorado with his family all his life and has always dreamed of getting married there. Colorado is significant to us as a couple as well because we enjoy driving there for vacation with our dogs." Wedding details: Did, they say dogs? It's no wonder why we clicked with Ann + Zach. Though we can incorporate our fur babies in the ceremonies, their pooches stayed home on their own vacation. Pretty colors of plum, cranberry, fuchsia and wine added richness to their wedding style. The cake: too gorgeous to eat, but with flavors of ganache (the top tier that Ann so considerately cut into) and mocha buttercream.... who can resist! 
Their story: "We met randomly three years ago at AT&T. I think the biggest reason to have a small CO wedding is that we are paying for the wedding ourselves so we wanted something small and affordable. We also wanted the day to be about us with our closest family and friends. We both love the outdoors, the mountains, and adventures so that's what we wanted our wedding day to be." Wedding details: Like so many of our couples, Laura + Zach match our ideal client: desiring an intimate day in nature with luxury details, yet without breaking the bank! They traveled from Ohio with 28 guests for an outdoors wedding, incorporating modern minimalist and organic details with lots of greens, creams and lavender. 
Their story: "We have been together for 8 years. We met when I was 17 and have been through a year of long distance and college together. We got engaged in Estes Park, CO last August and we love the mountains so we wanted to continue the theme and do a mountain wedding!" Wedding details: Michelle and Trevor traveled from Illinois with 24 of their closest family and friends to marry the Friday before Labor Day weekend. So, her style incorporated a summer-to-fall unstructured transition of deep floral colors: cabernet and navy with droopy greens. They had a wedding party of eight - four on each side, so the bouquets also doubled as centerpieces at their reception-style celebration on the outdoor patio of the Breckenridge Distillery.
Their story: "When we started planning our wedding, I wanted to elope and he wanted a huge party with like 400 people, so this intimate wedding with just our immediate family is the perfect match. We are having a reception back home, so we really are getting the best of both worlds. He loves the mountains and I love lakes so this site really "spoke" to us. We took one of our first big trips to Colorado right after moving-in together, so it holds a special place in our hearts for many reasons and we're excited to "make it official" there." Wedding details: Brianne and Eric traveled from Minnesota with 30 of their closest family and friends. Orange is the groom's favorite color, and hers is purple to match her rockin' shoes! They like clean simplicity. So, we incorporated a more structured bouquet with some white elements, that included dahlias, ranunculus and calla lilies.  The Details
Their story: like so many of our clients, Ali and Michale met online. "We wanted a small wedding in the mountains because we didn't want to plan a large, elaborate wedding. We wanted our families with us when we "eloped". We both love the mountains and are big hikers, so it seemed like a wonderful place to get married." Wedding details: Looking back at our initial contact with the couple for their Ceremony Site Report, there top priorities were having good food, an outdoors ceremony site accessible to family members, and a great house to have a small reception. We designed just that for their wedding day! The bride loves coral, so what better way to incorporate color than with flowers and cake! The bride held a colorful & garden style bouquet in mostly coral & peach with purple & fuchsia and blue accents, created with dahlias, garden roses and other seasonal blooms with accents of mixed green succulents. The wedding day started with getting ready at a vacation home located in the stunning Shock Hill area of Breckenridge and a private "first-look" (with just the couple). We all caravanned out to the ceremony site, Sapphire Point Overlook. After the ceremony in which the groom's brother performed, we shot some fun photos before heading back to the vacation home where a private chef (Jen with the Happy Cuisiniere) was waiting with appetizers and drinks! Planner: Wendee Vezzetti, Intimate Wedding Package
Photography: Kristin Cacciavillani Florist: Pink Posey Designs Baker: La Patisserie Francaise Private Chef: Chef Jenny Levasseur Hair: Breckenridge Hair Company Their story: "We have known each other since middle school, but started our relationship over the past several years. We want a small wedding because we've both been married before and don't want a typical wedding with all the hoopla that goes along with a big wedding. We think Colorado is a beautiful place to get married!" Wedding details: it was very important for our couple to include their combined three kids in the wedding. So, they were involved in all the "first look" activities walking the bride down the aisle, and a special ceremony in which they made commitments together as a family. The bride wore a pale pink dress and wanted florals of pale pinks and ivories with accents of deeper pinks, possibly some plums and greens - we think it turned out romantically sweet! Planner: Wendee Vezzetti, Intimate Wedding Package
Photography: Andrea Flanagan Photography Florist: Pink Posey Designs Baker: La Patisserie Francaise Their story: "We met in February of 2013 online - the funny thing is that we could have met in person because Josh was working with the General Contractor working on the remodel of my office at the time - haha! We joke that no matter what, we were supposed to meet! We decided on a small mountain wedding because we wanted something intimate in a pretty setting where we could involve our kids and parents and get away from the City. We love the outdoors and spending time in the mountains, so this seemed right." Wedding details: An intimate and pretty wedding that incorporated their kids (standing up with them during the ceremony + a unity sand ceremony) is exactly what they got. With summertime weddings, fun florals were abound: a summer mix of pinks and purples with accents of ivory, dots of orange & yellow, pretty greens is what Ali requested. Planner: Wendee Vezzetti, Intimate Wedding Package
Photography: Andrea Flanagan Florist: Pink Posey Designs Baker: La Patisserie Francaise Their story: "We have known each other since elementary school, but we have been together since 10th grade (since we were 15, almost 12 years!). We are both CO natives, and have always wanted a small wedding, especially since we are paying for everything ourselves. We thought a small, mountain wedding would be perfect! It is very important that we have our very closest family and friends there to celebrate with us." Wedding details: We love hearing stories of couples who have dated a long time and have decided to tie the knot! One of the things that makes this package so great is that you get to have a wedding, without the huge expense of a traditional large event (TheKnot.com reports the average cost is $33,931!). Emily wanted white florals with hints of blush and pink, greenery and succulents. The sweet part: her cake flavors were Couronne (chocolate cake, flavored with coffee liquor, one layer of mocha buttercream, one layer of chocolate buttercream), and Peach Melba (white cake, Grand Marnier flavor, sliced peaches and whipped cream on one layer, raspberry preserve on another layer Planner: Wendee Vezzetti, Intimate Wedding Package
Photography: Andrea Flanagan Florist: Pink Posey Designs Baker: La Patisserie Francaise
When Ina first contacted us in September of 2017, all she said was that she wanted a 7-7-18 wedding in the mountains, no larger than 2-30 guests, that she was open to suggestions just as long as it is a nice mountain setting - our perfect client! She booked our intimate wedding package - the only add-on were the chairs. It was an absolute pleasure working with Ina and Kyle for their July 2018 wedding at Sapphire Point Overlook in Summit County, Colorado.
Planner: Wendee Vezzetti, Intimate Wedding Package
Photography: Andrea Flanagan Florist: Pink Posey Designs Baker: La Patisserie Francaise A surprise engagement AND wedding!Their story: This was one of the most unique weddings we have planned - a surprise engagement followed the next day by a surprise wedding. What?! Yes - the groom and both his/her families were all conspiring a destination surprise wedding trip to Colorado, but the bride did not know a thing about it!
Planning Tip: Though vacation homes are a very attractive option for your small micro-wedding, there are several factors to consider when booking on. We 1,000% recommend that you get approval in writing from the vacation home owner before putting down any kind of money; the the owner does not approve of the event, they can shut it down immediately and keep your money. Again, PLEASE READ THIS ARTICLE and be legit when booking a vacation home. Planner: Wendee Vezzetti, Intimate Wedding Package
Photography: Rebecca Marie Photography Florist: Pink Posey Designs Baker: La Patisserie Francaise Allison and Zach met through mutual friends in college at South Dakota State University. They both love the outdoors, and over the years have bonded over many hours of hunting, camping, hiking, and fishing. They wanted to get married in Colorado because they wanted an unforgettable outdoor ceremony to start to their adventure as husband and wife. They chose an intimate wedding because, "We believe this day is about celebrating each other and the love we have for one another." They didn't want anything fancy - just us and some of their closest family. We custom designed a sweet June wedding package for them that included romantic florals: lush garden style with large blush & white flowers created with peonies, ranunculus, dusty miller and soft gray green eucalyptus foliage. Planner: Wendee Vezzetti, Intimate Wedding Package
Photography: Villani Photography Florist: Pink Posey Designs Baker: La Patisserie Francaise Their story: "We met while both working as residential counselors at a community mental health center in Colorado 5 years ago. We started hanging out almost daily and got to know one another extremely well while realizing we were growing more and more in love every moment. Life isn't always kind, but we find comfort and support in one another in a way neither of us had guessed possible." Wedding details: They wanted an intimate gathering with their closest family and friends - the people who are actively involved in their lives with which to celebrate. "Big events aren't our thing, and this felt perfect for us to start our married life together." We created a micro-wedding package for her with natural greenery (deep, dusty in hue) with white florals, navy and grey-silver accents - perfect for an early summer wedding! To pull all the details together, special touches were added like ceremony chairs, a floral comb, a "Mr & Mrs" silver cake topper, and silver cake stand.  Planner: Wendee Vezzetti, Intimate Wedding Package
Photography: Villani Photography Florist: Pink Posey Designs Baker: La Patisserie Francaise |
By Wendee VezzettiMother, student, planner, gardener, mountain biker, entrepreneur, librarian, hiker, snowboarder, reader, dork, chocoholic, trail runner and creative. 
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