by Andrea Stark | Elopement, Venues, Weddings
Amanda and David August 2021 Wedding at St. Regis Hotel and Maroon Bells in Aspen, Colorado
Do you want a high end feel for your wedding day, but you still want it intimate and small? Well, Amanda and David’s day is your recipe for just that. They began by getting ready separately; David at his longtime family home in Aspen and Amanda at their honeymoon suite at the St. Regis hotel. My word! That suite was beyond gorgeous! The St. Regis is one of my favorite places and stepping into their courtyard is a little oasis in the mountains. It was the perfect setting for Amanda and David’s first look before they joined their family on a private shuttle to the lake at Maroon Bells to have their ceremony.
After the ceremony, we took a short drive down to the river where they popped champagne, signed the marriage license, and shared time with family. As a photographer, I loved getting to take extra time with the couple to in multiple locations around Aspen. After we captured some gorgeous pictures with the families, and the bride and groom, I got to take Amanda and David around downtown Aspen just before sunset to capture their newlywed photos. It was so fun walking down the street to everyone’s congratulations and well wishes.
At the end of the day, they all sat down for a cozy dinner at the Caribou Club in downtown Aspen where each family member went around the table and toasted the newlyweds. It was the perfect day for their small, intimate wedding in Aspen.
Vendor Team:
VENUE: St. Regis Hotel and Maroon Bells
PHOTO: Andrea Stark Photography
VIDEOGRAPHY: Silk and Sage Films
MUSIC: Elope Music Violin and Cello Ensemble
BEAUTY: G.R Hair and Makeup
FLORAL: Sashae Floral
RECEPTION DINNER: Caribou Club Aspen
TRANSPORTATION: Aspen Transportation Company
by Andrea Stark | Elopement, Weddings
Kelli and Tom had chosen a gorgeous home in Silverthorne, Colorado to rent for their intimate, family only wedding. A few weeks before the wedding, they lost their reservation due to COVID-19 precautions. Kelli and Tom reached out to me and let me know the change of plans and needed to find another ceremony location ASAP!
They settled on staying at The Grand on Peak 8 and having the ceremony on the deck at The Lodge at Breckenridge which has a gorgeous wedding deck. On the day of their wedding, the sun was shining but the wind was blowing, HARD. Like 30+ miles an hour hard. So once we all arrived at the Lodge to get the computer set up to Zoom their family members in so that they could participate in the wedding ceremony, the difficult decision to move the wedding indoors was made. Even the kiddos had input and agreed that they’d all just blow away if they tried to do the wedding out on the deck. COVID couples are resilient, I’m telling you!
The wedding was intimate, and joyous as the couple exchanged vows with each other and their kids. Family and friends were able to attend virtually, and even grandpa dressed up for the occasion. It was an extremely sweet and thoughtful ceremony to blend these two families together.
The Grand on Peak 8 is an incredible place to stay for your wedding. The suites are spacious and have lots of beautiful light and modern details which make for the perfect getting ready space. They have plenty of kitchen space to bring in a private chef for your reception dinner and if you want to have an outdoor space with gorgeous views of Peak 8, make sure to check out Elevate bar which would be the perfect space for a welcome party or cocktail party once we can gather in larger groups again.
Review for Andrea, Breckenridge Wedding Photographer
Read Tom’s review that left me speechless:
Andrea was incredibly helpful and responsive. We simply couldn’t have pulled off our wedding without her. Not living in Breckenridge presented some issues for us, especially with COVID shut downs limiting our ability for site visits. She jumped into action and helped us with introductions to other providers (flowers, bakery, lodging, venues, etc.). I felt like we definitely benefited from her local knowledge. When our first venue fell through two weeks before our wedding, she sent a great list of other indoor and outdoor locations which saved the day. She went well beyond her role as a photographer to make sure we had an amazing wedding. I was originally impressed with her ability to assess our location for where the sun would be (several months before our date) so we could finalize our schedule and have the best lighting for our photos. We wanted to capture the peak fall colors and mountain backdrops in our photos and she nailed the execution. We both teared up when we saw the first photos as they completely exceeded our expectations. If you are reading this, you have found your photographer! Book now before she is unavailable!
I am continually so grateful for these kind of reviews. I take great pride in helping my clients not just with photography, but helping them with planning and logistics. A lot of my couples don’t live here or even in Colorado for that matter so, I love to be their girl in the mountains and give them my local knowledge and education in the wedding industry to make sure the day runs just how they want it.
Now, hopefully the proof is in the pudding…or the pictures!
How did the wind miraculously stop once we got out at our final destination for the evening? It was a beautiful and special day and I’m so grateful to be apart of this!
Photographer: Andrea Stark Photography
Florals: Garden of Eden
Dress: Lulus
Hair and Makeup: Breckenridge Hair Company
Ceremony Venue: Lodge at Breckenridge
Accommodations: Grand Colorado on Peak 8
Transportation: Stage Coach Luxury Limo Inc.
by Andrea Stark | Elopement, Weddings
In the age of COVID-19, weddings have transformed into something else entirely from what I’ve always known. The wedding industry has taken a huge hit with varying degrees of shut downs, businesses closing, couples choosing to cancel, and tons of layoffs or furloughs of planning and design companies.
I wasn’t immune to this, but I did have a much better year than what I could have ever imagined back in March and April. I have been able to do several micro weddings, or small-intimate weddings along with elopements and newlywed sessions.
What exactly is a “micro wedding” and how is different from a small, intimate wedding or elopement? Let me define what the difference between each of these are:
Micro Wedding
Micro wedding is a wedding designed and planned on a smaller scale. There’s still attention to traditional elements, and they usually include an officiant, floral design, day of planning, and wedding details. Micro weddings typically are still at a wedding venue or a private residence with a catered meal or private chef cooking for the guests.
Small, Intimate Wedding
Smaller guest count is the main difference between a micro wedding and a small, intimate wedding. Small, intimate weddings have a guest count of 10-20 and they can be a mix of your family or best friends.
Elopement
Elopements involve just the two of you or maybe even a few of your closest friends. Elopements take place in free spaces to get married. The great thing about getting married in Colorado is that you can self-solemnize or “marry yourselves” without any witnesses.
Newlywed Session
Whether you had a backyard wedding or the large affair, a newlywed session in your wedding clothes is a great idea. I’ve done several of these types of sessions recently and love it! You don’t have to worry about getting your dress dirty and you can literally let your hair down and relax with your new husband while finding a trail or two to adventure down in the mountains.
Molly and Jake’s Destination Micro Wedding in Breckenridge
Molly and Jake’s destination micro wedding was hosted at a rustic rental home right outside of Breckenridge, Colorado in the Sun Valley. The home has an expansive deck that overlooks a pond. The setting was gorgeous and had a unique rustic feel. The guests dined on the back deck together at a long family style table. I got to help them put together their intimate affair with planning out their timeline and sending them my all-star list of local vendors. I can’t tell you how much I enjoy doing this! When it all comes together on their wedding day, it makes me over-the-moon!
Read for yourself what Molly had to say about her wedding day:
“Save yourself the time and stress of looking for a wedding photographer and just book Andrea. Andrea photographed our small, family-only wedding and the photos are amazing! She was extremely well prepared and went above and beyond to get every photo on our list and made us feel comfortable in front of the camera. The photos are even better than I could imagine and are the perfect way to remember our day.
We decided to give Andrea a call because we wanted to a photographer that could capture outdoor and mountain landscapes. Not only did she deliver on the landscape shots, she also perfectly captured the close-up details. She was also extremely prepared and helped us before the wedding with a few wedding/flower prep details we had not considered. On the day of the wedding, she arrived early and scoped out the area to take all the scenery and detail photos while we were getting ready. She did a great job directing everyone for the group photos and was game for our goofy photo ideas.
After the wedding when it was time for us to view our photos, we were blown away by the quality of the photos. I highly recommend choosing Andrea as your photographer!”
-Molly, the bride
Venue: Private Vacation Home Rental (not currently accepting weddings and events)
Flowers: DIY
Arch: DIY
Catering: Bangkok Happy Bowl Thai Bistro, Breckenridge
Dress: David’s Bridal
Bridesmaids Attire: Birdy Grey
by Andrea Stark | Elopement
Sara Sunshine (yes that’s her real last name) and Kevin were married while on a bike ride around Dillon Lake. They currently live in Brooklyn, NY, but are working remotely now due to COVID and decided to see some gorgeous places while they had the freedom to do so. In Colorado you can have a self-solemnization wedding ceremony so they pulled off the rec path, found a beautiful spot, said their vows, and made it official!
I met up with them at Sapphire Point for their newlywed session a few days later to capture some beautiful portraits of them together for them to remember this amazingly special time in the mountains.
by Andrea Stark | Elopement
We found out recently that Sapphire Point has closed as a Small Wedding Venue until 2021 due to the pandemic. It was one of the best elopement locations in Colorado. Now we will have to explore other options. Thankfully, there are several around Summit County and Colorado.
Benefits to Eloping
- When you elope, your own relationship and experience becomes the primary focus.
- Eloping in the mountains can really give you epic jaw-dropping backdrops in some of the most beautiful spots in the country.
- It can be almost anywhere you want. Some are even free and don’t require a permit or reservations.
- This place will become your spot, the place where you two sealed the deal and had one of those pic mountain top moments. Hopefully, actually on top of a mountain 🙂
Elopement Locations in Colorado
There are a ton of location options for eloping! I know it can be daunting trying to figure out the best spot when you don’t live here. I’ve helped my couples for years choose a location that is perfect for them and accessible for their older family members. I gave them even the nitty gritty details like when the sun goes down in that exact spot for the dreamiest golden hour lighting.
In June 2020, I received an email from a couple very quickly after they received the cancellation of their wedding ceremony reservation at Sapphire Point. We’ve all gone through so much change and uncertainty that the closing of Sapphire Point until 2021 felt like another low blow to couples who just want to get married.
I quickly put together a resource for any couple looking to get married in my area. I’m happy to share my elopement location guide to help my 2020 and 2021 couples see all of the options for locations in Breckenridge, Keystone, Vail, and Beaver Creek. Some of these locations don’t even require a reservation. Some are completely free to have your small ceremony.
This guide would be helpful even if you weren’t looking to get married at Sapphire Point. It offers great ideas for elopement locations around the county
Download My Elopement Location Guide
Most of my couples didn’t know how many places existed or were even an option here! I’m keeping this guide updated in real-time, so be sure to bookmark it if you are still making plans.
To download my Elopement Location Guide click here.
Once you book with me, I get so excited to share my favorite wedding vendors and accommodations in the area with you! If you’re considering having a small, intimate wedding or eloping in the Colorado Mountains, please let me help you!
by Andrea Stark | Elopement
It’s always nice to have a checklist when planning anything, especially something you may do only once in your life, like an elopement!
I totally understand how hard it can be to plan a wedding from afar. Regardless of how big or small your wedding day is, this is one day that everyone needs a little help to make it all come together.
Wedding Planning Checklist For Elopement
I’ve put together this simple checklist to help you keep track of the big and small details. You can download a PDF version here.
Relax and Do Something Fun
I’ve got a long list of activities to do in the mountains. Depending on what area you’re planning on eloping in, check out my local activity guides and get started making those plans to do something really fun:
Want my Free Mountain Elopement Guide?
This download is FULL of more planning tips, lists of vendors, places to visit that you don’t want to miss, best locations to consider for Eloping, planning for photos, and more! I created it to be a treasure of information for you to best prepare for this day.
Download the Guide Now
