“Jeff and Zoe met by chance in 2019, as she was attending an interpersonal development workshop for work, and he was the facilitator. There was an initial spark, that both couldn’t shake – and for months they just messaged each other on Slack in a group created from the weekend retreat. It wasn’t until Zoe drummed up the courage from a conversation with a girlfriend to ask him out the next time they were both in the same city. As it turned out, they were both in NYC for work the following week. It felt kismet. They went to a cute old-school restaurant in the West Village, Minetta Tavern, stayed out all night to a classic New York way, and the rest was history. They started seeing each other long distance between San Francisco, where the groom was, and Denver, where the bride was based. Fast forward to the beginning of the pandemic and the two found themselves as overnight roommates. One thing lead to another, and they decided to embrace the nomadic lifestyle early into 2020, with their first stop being the Roaring Fork Valley, Old Snowmass to be exact. They fell in love with this part of Colorado, as did their Bernese Mountain Dog, Miles. Although they traveled thousands of miles across the country in the last two years, Snowmass and Aspen always had their heart. So when Jeff popped the question, and they began brainstorming their wedding vision, Aspen kept coming up. Having been to countless weddings over the years, it was important for the bride and groom to create an experience that fostered connection, as a deep interpersonal connection was what led to their initial spark. The idea of a destination wedding, set over a few days seemed like the perfect way to trap their favorite people in one of their favorite places. And, given the backup of weddings due to the pandemic, they had to settle for weekday festivities. So it began, the idea of having a “deconstructed wedding” – ceremony and a boozy brunch on one day, another day open to activities like horseback riding, fishing, hiking or a MOB lead pickle ball tournament, all to round out the weekend with a themed reception party. The reception, held the night after the wedding was a Rodeo Disco, inspired by the mountain west, and the brides love of prints, wigs, and disco vibes. “Everything about the week felt so us,” said the bride, “from the fact that we had icebreakers at our luncheon tables, to limbo and crowdsurfing at the reception, and a solo performance of “Shallow” by one of our guests with the band. Our friends and family fully understood the assignment. Not to mention we had plenty of additional moments that felt “deconstructed” and not part of the original plan, that led to a lot of laughs. Like their dear friend officiant forgetting to do their vows and marrying them promptly, to the unpredictable day of wedding weather, including sleet and light snow. As they look back, they wouldn’t have changed a thing – as they got to optimize for quality time with their guests, enjoying the outdoors and having TONS of fun!”
– Destination Wedding Photographer, Betsi Ewing Weddings
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