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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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 Story: David is a police officer; Andrea works for community mental health. They met through mutual friends. David loves Colorado and they were planning to vacation (camp) here over the summer. One conversation led to another, and it seemed to make sense to get married in Colorado,.... then go camping for the honeymoon. Wedding details: Early in the planning, Andrea mentioned disliking cookie-cutter weddings. And, with a rainbow of parasols and vibrant sunflowers, their's was anything but the standard wedding! They traveled from Virginia with #20 of their closest friends and family to have a personalized celebration: staying at a comfortable-luxury 5-bedroom vacation home, exchanging vows in an outdoor ceremony (a little bit of "Jaws" during the processional), having a friend officiate, overlooking a lake with the mountains in the backdrop, and returning to the home where a chef awaited with a customized meal. Can we re-live this day please? 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.
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: "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: 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: "After meeting online, our first date was at a park to introduce our three dogs. The rest is history! We love the Colorado lifestyle and all the outdoor recreation it affords and feel very fortunate to now call this beautiful state home." From day one, Ashley and Michael were on the same page about wanting an intimate mountaintop ceremony with those closest to them in attendance. We are happy to have found this gorgeous couple to help pull it all together for them! Wedding details: they rented at a large vacation home near Keystone, Colorado, overlooking Lake Dillon and hired a private chef to cook a celebration dinner for their small party of 12 guests. Her bouquet details: a rustic, voluptuous, garden style bouquet in pink, coral, peach, cream hues with accents of blue created with a mix of locally grown garden roses and other seasonal blooms and mixed foliage. Stems finished in rustic “burlap & lace” style. Planner: Wendee Vezzetti, Intimate Wedding Package
Photography: Andrea Flanagan Photography Florist: Pink Posey Designs Baker: La Patisserie Francaise Their story: "We met at a Thomas Rhett concert in Lincoln, Nebraska while in college at UNL. Kris went up and asked me to dance and the rest was history. We love our cheesy love story! We decided on a small mountain wedding because we both love the outdoors, being in the mountains and enjoy spending time with close family and friends - they get to know each other and spend time together in a more intimate setting. We plan on having an at-home reception in Nebraska two weeks after our ceremony where we will celebrate with 300 of our family members and friends!" Wedding details: they stayed at a large condo in Keystone, Colorado and decided to have drop-off catering at the condo. This is a fun option for an intimate post-wedding celebration, especially since you can BYO wine! Michelle's color palate of whites with pops of wine, deep pink and lighter pinks, blush, greenery and pops of coral looks amazing with a summer backdrop. With our intimate wedding package, your florals and cake design/flavors are customized to your own unique style. 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 Their story: "We met in Virginia and we are both in the Navy. We decided to elope to Colorado for the scenery and we love the outdoors. We’ve never been to Colorado, and wanted to elope somewhere memorable and have a great time." Just the two of them traveled to Colorado for a pure elopement (they didn't announce it to their families until after their wedding!). Wedding details: We get many clients that have never been to Colorado - we love sharing our beautiful state! After consulting with the bride, we found that Summit County would be a perfect destination for them with hiking, biking, restaurants, and shopping, and more! Victoria's style is shabby-chic with whites, pinks, deep blue accents and greenery. We added-on a floral hair comb to match her bohemian-style ivory-champagne spaghetti strap dress. They choose cake flavors after our own heart's desire: Chocolate ganache (chocolate cake, rum flavor, chocolate mousse encased in ganache) and Peach Melba (white cake, Grand Marnier flavor, sliced peaches and whipped cream on one layer, raspberry preserve on another layer) - ooo-la-la! Planner: Wendee Vezzetti, Intimate Wedding Package
Photography: Rebecca Marie Photography Florist: Pink Posey Designs Baker: La Patisserie Francaise Their story: "Adam and I were set up at a Halloween party in 2014 and hit it off right away. Since then, we've traveled the world and have visited places like France, Greece, Iceland and Thailand. Though, we are still your typical Colorado Native hikers and backpackers, which are the things that bonded us." Wedding details: When deciding where to get married, Brittany + Adam considered traveling out-of-state for a destination wedding or to get married in the Colorado mountains that they love. "Obviously the Colorado mountains won as they have such a big piece of our hearts!" We created a small intimate wedding package for them with a ceremony that included chairs for their guests. They lodged in a condo in River Run Village at Keystone resort and hosted a casual dinner at a nearby Italian restaurant We embellished her package just slightly with a bridesmaid bouquet, cake topper, a gluten-free cake. She added personal touches by having her uncle perform the ceremony and having a private first look with her groom. 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 |
Wendee VezzettiMother, teacher, planner, gardener, mountain biker, entrepreneur, librarian, hiker, snowboarder, reader, dork, chocoholic, trail runner and creative. Wendee has been planning weddings in Colorado since 1995. In 2012, she decided to "go small" and only plans micro-weddings & elopements with 35 or fewer guests. Contact Wendee to get started planning your intimate small Colorado wedding. Categories
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About WendeeI've been planning weddings since 1995 when I moved to Colorado from Iowa. I cut my teeth at Keystone Resort in their wedding department, then then ventured on to planning corporate meetings. But, I kept helping friends and their friends with weddings starting my first full-service company in 2002 (yes - planned the big overwhelming ones). In 2012 with the birth of my son, values shifted and I decided to go small, intimate and meaningful. Please connect with me to make your dreamy, simple mountain wedding come true!
Behind the Scenes of a Micro-WeddingEver wonder what goes on behind-the-scenes of a micro-wedding day? Jaime L. Barba, one of our talented professional photographers, captured me at work ⬇️ from one of our May 2023 weddings in Boulder, Colorado. Enjoy! .... and yes, she does wedding day content creation (a great alternative if you cannot afford videography) for couples as well as photography.
Wedding Day Content CreatorWhat is a wedding day content creator? It’s someone who is there on your wedding day taking pictures on a cell phone (or in Jaime's case, her professional equipement), documenting behind-the-scenes moments, capturing and telling stories, and delivering short-form media content of your wedding day in real-time. Checkout one from our September 2023 weddings ⬇️.
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Custom Weddings of ColoradoColorado's best planner for intimate weddings, elopements and micro-weddings. Starting her event career in 1995, Wendee said "goodbye" to planning large weddings in 2012 and has since been specializing in small weddings & elopements. Based in the Western suburbs of Denver-Bouder, servicing the Central Colorado Mountains such as Estes Park, Winter Park, Grand Lake, Vail, Breckenridge, and beyond.
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