A Magical Mountain Wedding in Durango, Colorado

From the bride, Maggie…

After postponing for two years due to the pandemic and engaged for almost four years once we finally tied the knot, Chris and I were so ready to finally be married! We were so ready to celebrate, and celebrate we did!

THE PLANNING

We used Durango Wedding Magazine as a starting place for our vendor search and actually ended up hiring all vendors that have been previously featured in the magazine! Not being local to Durango, we didn’t want to waste time contacting Denver vendors who might not service the Durango area or would charge high travel fees. The magazine was a beautiful source for inspiration and to help envision our day ahead.

 

Chris and I spent significant time intentionally crafting many details of the week leading up to the wedding and the wedding day to create an experience that guests could really enjoy and feel how much love and consideration went into our planning, especially after all of the time they spent traveling to us.

THE FLOWERS

April’s Garden absolutely nailed the bouquets/boutonniere color palettes with whimsical wildflowers and pops of color that complimented the wildflowers of the southwest. April’s Garden is absolutely incredible and really pulled my vision together. I gave them some inspirational floral pictures and a document helping to explain my vision, and they obviously took it from there. I received so many compliments on how beautiful their floral pieces were! They created the perfect balance of the color palette I gave them and the palette of wildflowers in the area

THE VENUE

Purgatory Resort drew us in because of the views. We received a lot of compliments about all of the food. Everyone was full and happy. The bartenders were great and never kept anyone waiting.

Marrying my soulmate in the breathtaking San Juan Mountains surrounded by unmatched beauty and our absolute favorite people was a fairy tale!

FAVE MOMENT

The most memorable moment for me was our last dance. There is so much hype and pressure around the first dance, but the last was actually, by far, my favorite. Ahead of time, we had asked our DJ to play “Free” by the Zac Brown Band as our last song. Swaying in Chris’s arms, all of the nerves of the day melted away by this point, enamored by my love for my new husband – I still tear up thinking about it or any time I hear that song. It was the most incredible ending to the most perfect day!

 

Looking back, I definitely underestimated the amount of setup it takes when you are DIYing all of the décor except for the flowers. In retrospect, I would have hired additional help the day-of to set up and tear down, in order to offload that from us and our loved ones.

ADVICE

Take time the very next day to write down all of your favorite memories of the day. They fade SO quickly and I am very grateful that Chris and I took the time to do this when memories were still fresh. We have both gone back many times to read them and bring back all of the memories of the day.

VENDOR TEAM

Venue: Dante’s at Purgatory Resort {more}
Flowers: April’s Garden {more}
Photographer: Jenne Anne Photography  /  Planner: Shea Brazill  /  Cake: Sweet Cakes Bakery  /  DJ: Aiko Aiko Sound  /  Hair & Makeup: Hair Fusion  /  Video: Southwest Wedding Films