Vail Manor Lodge Wedding | Katie and James

Katie and James’ Vail Manor Lodge wedding day started cloudy and cooler with a chance of rain in the air. We were all holding our breaths, hoping that the rain would hold off and that they would be able to hold their ceremony outdoors as planned. Sadly, COVID had necessitated a change of plans for the ceremony location. But the Larkspur near the Vail village center came through with a gorgeous outdoor option with a view of the mountains.

I started my day with James and his friends as he calmly got ready for his wedding day. Then I headed over to a gorgeous airbnb to hang out with Katie and her bridesmaids.

We headed together to the Larkspur where Katie shared a beautiful and moving moment with her dad.

Then it was ceremony time. Katie and James had decided not to see each other until the ceremony, and the expression on James’ face as Katie walked down the aisle with her dad was beautiful to see. The emotion in the ceremony was so present. You just knew that Katie and James were running towards a very exciting future together. I just adore the way they look at each other!

Finally, it was a joyful walk down the aisle as the newlyweds threw their hands in the air in excitement.

We took the entire bridal party to the top of Vail Mountain on Gondola One for photos with sky high views. Then we spent a few minutes finding beautiful backdrops for photos of Katie and James. We were hoping to make it to the covered bridge back in Vail Village (which held special meaning to Katie’s parents), but a rain shower deterred us and we decided to head straight to the reception at Vail Manor Lodge.

The reception space at Vail Manor Lodge has floor to ceiling windows that look over the slopes, so the whole space is bathed in beautiful natural light. Katie and James celebrated their first dance together, then after dinner listened to some emotional toasts by their friends.

Finally, it was time to boogie down on the dance floor and end the day on a high note.

Congratulations Katie and James! I’m so happy I got to celebrate with you this year!