Every wedding vendor team is created a little differently. In this series we explore how and why each couple selected the right wedding vendor team for their wedding day.
Melissa and Eduardo initially planned a late May 2020 wedding at a hotel in Puerto Rico, where Eduardo is from. However, like so many couples, they had to cancel those plans. They attempted to reschedule (a few times) but it didn’t work out. On their original wedding date they went to the courthouse to make things official. And then pivoted to planning something new—a wedding in Aspen, where Melissa’s family has a home.
The Chicago-based couple wanted the setting of the wedding to be one that carried some sentiment. Planning a destination wedding in Aspen also meant that guests would feel like they were on vacation. While in town for the holidays in late 2020, the pair began planning for a wedding in the mountains the following August, with the celebration taking place at Hotel Jerome, Auberge Resorts Collection.
“We chose the Jerome because we have always discussed how amazing it would be to get married there. I have been going to the hotel for drinks/dinner with my family for many years and the vibe/decor was right up my alley.” —Melissa, bride
The wedding venue furnished the couple with a list of highly suggested planners, which is how they found Aimee Monihan of Mountain Occasions. While the couple considered a few different planners, they ultimately chose Aimee and her team after having a wonderful conversation in which Melissa and Aimee first connected over their love for Aspen, then over both having Puerto Rican significant others. That Aimee had worked extensively in Aspen, understood the Puerto Rican culture, and was fluent in Spanish sealed the deal—as did her straightforward approach, friendly nature, and the ideas she generously shared even before being officially hired.
“We really listen to what our couples want as well as what they want to spend. We support our clients in making their wedding a true reflection of who they are. So we pull out the Rolodex, and we edit down the options we truly feel best represent what they are looking for. We match services with personality. We want our clients to love who they work with and bond with all the professionals that service their wedding. So we take how they will get on via an energy level with who we suggest. They will remember this day the rest of their lives so having them hire services with people that they are like minded and enjoy their company is important. We assemble teams that our clients all come to love and bond with time after time and this event was no exception!” —Aimee Monihan, planner/designer
Following their initial interview and before making any moves, Mountain Occasions sends each of their couples a lengthy questionnaire, so they have a very clear idea of their personalities and what services they need. This way they can align their brides and grooms with vendors who are in alignment from a personality perspective as well as style, taste, and budget. Once Aimee had all of that information, she quickly started sending options to Melissa and Eduardo to consider.
They had already selected a wedding photographer—an associate from Miami-based Evan Rich—for the first iteration of their wedding plans. Not wanting to lose their deposit, but not sure the photographer would be available or willing to fly across the country, they made the ask. Principal photographer Evan himself was available and delighted to travel to Colorado for the nuptials. So getting the new date and location worked out with him was the first step before bringing anyone else onto their vendor dream team.
The band was a big deal for the couple, and they wanted one who was not only amazing at entertaining everyone, but also versatile in what they played. Since Melissa and Eduardo’s guests were traveling from all over the country (including Puerto Rico), and ranged in age, they were looking for a band who could support the diverse group. They landed with Élan Artists, specifically the band Sound House (and the A/V company they work with, Halcyon Productions). The musicians had the dance floor packed the entire night with songs spanning the decades, and including LatinX covers.
Aimee then guided the couple to start securing services that start booking quickly—like video. They landed on Elysium Productions, whom Mountain Occasions often works with, whether the wedding is in Colorado or anywhere else around the globe.
After that, Aimee spent some time developing a blueprint for the design and the floral in particular. She does this so that she gets a sense of what her couples want in floral and decor, and can be matched with someone who can best execute the desired aesthetic. With the flowers feeling quite classic, Aimee suggested Aspen Branch Design.
“No one does classic Aspen better than them, and they’ve been in business in Aspen the longest. Melissa wanted shades of whites and greens, but also wanted it to feel sexy and not boring. So we went with deep green linens that gave the room depth and sophistication, but then built on top of that so there was a very ‘forest in the ballroom’ feel. Then we mixed in more natural elements like exposed wood tables. wooden chargers, and lots of green foliage, in the canopy over the dance floor that created a magical arch for guests to dance under. We also added some glass stars to play homage to the amazing stargazing in Aspen. Lastly we wanted the room to feel like home, so we added bookshelves with candles and small floral arrangements around the perimeter. The idea was to have the room come alive as the sun went down and feel magical, lit up and full of greenery!” —Aimee Monihan, planner/designer
With a large wedding party, a talented glam squad equipped to handle a multitude of services was a must. Gambuti Robsin Hair and Make Up gave Melissa and her 12 girls in green looks that were natural, yet elevated.
For wedding day paper pieces, Mountain Occasions suggested Brown Fox Creative, who had created beautiful deckle-edge menus for a previous wedding. The couple loved what they saw and had similar menus (and place cards and table numbers) created.
It was love at first bite when Melissa and Eduardo had their wedding cake tasting with Coppelia Cake Design. The three-tier semi-naked buttercream-covered confection was decorated with the day’s signature greenery, tying it into the look of the ballroom seamlessly.
Once the design of the day was created by Aimee, it was just a matter of bringing it to life by selecting the right rental items. Enter Nüage Designs, Inc. and Premier Party Rental. The green velvet linens played a huge role in the mood of the room, and furniture from Mountain Occasions’ go-to local company (and some pieces from the floral designer) meant they had Aspen’s best.
Another great vendor who happened to be local was SocialLight Photo, who had an old-school photo booth set up for the reception. And one of Mountain Occasions’ favorite DJs, Platinum Productions, shared his uplights, which were placed around the room for a soft wash of light around the walls.
