A Whimsical Wildflower Wedding in Aspen Blending Colorful Mountain Magic

Lauren Megerdichian
November 24, 2025
Categories: Real Weddings, The Blog, Whimsical

[section title=”The Planning”]

[field title=”Wedding Colors”]

Katie and James opted for a pastel, garden-infused color palette for their wedding day, filled with hues of pink, tangerine, butter yellow, sky blue, and pistachio.

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[field title=”Design / Vibe / Vision”]

Set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Rocky Mountains, Katie and James’ Colorado wedding weekend was a vibrant celebration that artfully balanced a whimsical, romantic design with their picturesque natural setting. The couple, who met during college at Wesleyan University and dated for nearly nine years before getting engaged in 2023, wanted a wedding that reflected their journey, shared passions, and the abundant love they both shared for their home state of Colorado. T-Lazy-7 Ranch in Aspen provided the perfect backdrop for their nuptials, with its stunning Pyramid Peak & Maroon Bells backdrop, and the ability to bring their dream of a sailcloth-tented, wildflower-filled celebration to life. From the bride, “We desired a colorful, happy, and mountains-themed wedding! We selected happy hues for florals, and we opted for some whimsical choices for place settings. The most important thing to us was the guest experience. We want our guests to have an amazing time, especially considering a lot of our guests traveled from far away to celebrate with us in Colorado – enjoy the food (which is very important to us), the mountains, and hanging out with each other in a beautiful setting!” The wedding’s design featured a whimsical garden theming that blended odes to Colorado’s wildflower season with sophisticated textures & design elements. The couple was surrounded by an overflowing half-moon of vibrant florals at the front of the ceremony site, with the aisle bursting with compotes of orange, bright pink, and complementary sherbert shades. Under the sailcloth tent, perfectly situated in a green valley between mountain peaks, a suspended hanging floral installation framed the head table and dance floor. Pastel blooms in pink, tangerine, butter yellow, sky blue, and pistachio complemented airy embroidered linens by Nuage Designs and tables adorned with cabbage-inspired dinnerware. The reception was a high-energy, joyous affair that stretched into the early hours, with DJ Naka G keeping the dance floor alive until 1 AM. Seeing their closest friends and family, many of whom had traveled from across the country, come together and revel in the festivities was one of the most cherished aspects of the evening.

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[field title=”Proposal Story”]

From the bride, “We got engaged on São Miguel Island in the Azores in May of 2023. We had planned a trip to Portugal to celebrate Katie’s law school graduation. The morning of the proposal, Katie was trying to drive a stick shift and stalled 10+ times in the middle of an intersection in Ponta Delgada, until a very nice Azorean man came over to help. We eventually made it up the mountain to a viewpoint overlooking Lagoa das Sete Cidades, a stunning twin lake in the crater of a dormant volcano. James suggested taking a hike (aka nature walk) around the top of the caldera, in part to avoid getting back in the car again. About an hour and a half into the hike, James asked Katie which view she preferred more: the Atlantic or the volcanic lakes. Katie said the volcanic lakes. About 15 yards down the trail, James stopped at a clearing overlooking the lakes and asked Katie to come over. He then got down on one knee and proposed with a flower he’d picked and stealthily made into a ring earlier during the hike. Katie said yes, and it was the easiest yes ever!”

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[board_carousel title=”Getting Ready”]

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[board_carousel title=”Bridal Portraits”]

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[board_carousel title=”Flat Lays”]

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[board_carousel title=”First Look”]

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[section title=”The Fashion”]

[field title=”Wedding Gown”]

Katie’s wedding dress, stunning 3D-floral appliqué Mira Zwillinger wedding gown perfectly captured this ethereal aesthetic in dress form. Initially considering a more minimalist gown, Katie had an unexpected ‘Yes!’ when she tried on the floral-covered dress at Mark Ingram Atelier, and instantly knew it was the one. Katie opted to pair it with delightful daisy Manolo Blahnik slingback heels, and a cathedral length lace-edged veil by Mira Zwillinger, styled by Aspen Stitchworks owner Sheila, who was there day-of as her bridal dresser.

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[field title=”Bridesmaid Dresses”]Katie selected a gorgeous hue of sky blue for her bridesmaids to wear in silk floor-length numbers from Anthropologie. This color allowed the brighter hues of their bouquets to really stand out and pop, while still keeping with the overall theming and coloring! [/field]

[field title=”Groomsman Attire”]

Both the groom and groomsmen donned smart light grey suits with white collared shirts and light blue ties!

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[board_carousel title=”Wedding Party”]

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[board_carousel title=”Ceremony”]

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[board_carousel title=”Cocktail Hour”]

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[section title=”The Details”]

[field title=”Food & Drink”]

Katie and James placed immense importance on guest experience, ensuring that every detail reflected their personalities and their shared love for cuisine-driven adventures around the world. Their bespoke wedding menu, crafted by Catering by Design, was a nostalgic journey through their favorite dishes and dining experiences shared from their many international travels. From a Jamón Ibérico carving station, to craft signature cocktails & mocktails at golden hour, to an amuse bouche sip to open the dinner, Katie & James treated their guests to their favorite culinary delights. From the bride, “Our food was one of the most important parts of our wedding day for us! We love that our venue allowed us to choose our own caterer, who did the most amazing job creating an entirely custom menu for us based on our favorite bites throughout our relationship! We are foodies and really wanted our menu to highlight our favorite bites throughout our relationship. Working with Catering by Design was a dream, and we were so impressed with how they were able to take our ideas and inspiration to create and execute an amazing and delicious menu!”

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[field title=”Florals & Decor”]

Katie, working with the team at Calluna Events, embraced a whimsical and colorful floral-forward aesthetic, drawing inspiration from the natural surroundings. Vibrant, overflowing florals by Carolyn’s Florals, many of which were locally sourced Colorado wildflowers, adorned the ceremony and reception spaces, creating a joyful, romantic atmosphere. Thoughtfully included design elements, such as custom watercolor coasters inspired by their favorite New York City bar, Dante, and a bespoke wedding invitation suite by Lucky Onion featuring an original painting of Pyramid Peak by Katie’s stepsister, added distinctive personal touches to the celebration.

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[field title=”Wedding Cake”]

The pièce de résistance of their reception was a sugar flower-encrusted wedding cake designed by Coppelia Cakes to mimic the floral motif throughout the wedding day. The two-tiered cake featured a primary layer covered in edible sugar flowers, while the top layer remained simply covered in vanilla fondant. The cake was set upon a Nuage linen-covered table and surrounded by fresh blooms from Carolyn’s Flowers.

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[field title=”Readings, Ceremony Music, Reception Songs”][/field]

[field title=”Special Detail #1″]

Beyond the wedding day, the couple curated a full weekend of adventures for their guests, including a whitewater rafting excursion on the Arkansas River and a Western-inspired welcome party at the stunning Pine Creek Cookhouse in Aspen the night before. The bride donned her favorite Western boots, floral maxi dress, and monogrammed Kemo Sabe hat for the occasion, and was treated to a stunning sunset on the valley floor in Aspen before the big day!

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[field title=”Special Detail #2″]

The couple both come from large families, so it was fitting that their families were involved heavily throughout their wedding weekend! Katie’s stepfather officiated the ceremony, which was so special and meaningful to them, while their siblings stood at their respective sides for the ceremony! One of their custom designs also featured a custom watercolor Pyramid Peak, the primary mountain view from T Lazy 7 Ranch, which was painted by Katie’s step-sister, and was also featured as the envelope liner in their invitation suite from Lucky Onion.

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[field title=”Special Detail #3″][/field]

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[board_carousel title=”Couple Portraits”]

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[board_carousel title=”Reception”]

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[board_carousel title=”Wedding Weekend Events”]

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