Cascade Village Wedding: Melissa + Brian

As the sun peaked high in the sky above the San Juan Mountains, and the full moon patiently waited for its turn to make an appearance, Melissa and Brian made their way to the meadow above Cascade Canyon to see each other for the first time on their wedding day. Nestled below Engineer Mountain, the couple had a quiet moment together, away from the hubbub that was about to begin. We made our way into the trees that were showing signs of starting to turn colors. This wedding day was on the cusp - not yet fall, barely still summer.

Melissa and Brian had so many thoughtful and meaningful details and moments this day. Green wine glasses that had been handed down in Melissa’s family from wedding to wedding were incorporated throughout the day. At the ceremony, they poured water from the heirlooms glasses into a Native American, double spout water jug and then helped each other drink from the jug. They wanted to pay tribute to the indigenous people that were here on these lands that they now call their home.

After a bit of Frisbee, yard games, and an impromptu song with the Durango “trash bears”, we danced and partied the night away with some of the best dancers I may have seen all year. I impatiently kept peering out the windows, looking to see if the moon had risen. We thought for a moment that it was stuck behind a heavy cloud and made peace with the fact that we may not see it at all. As I was gearing up to leave, I looked once more and saw the moon poke its head above the mountain peak. It turns out that my star app on my phone, and the internet searches done prior, didn’t account for Colorado mountains. We ran outside just in time before it sneaked back behind another hill, as the orbit was not bringing the moon above us, but just behind us for a short time.

This is a wedding I will soon not forget - an amazing couple with an amazing group of family and friends, paired with the beauty of the rugged and unpredictable landscape of the San Juans.

Floral: Adela Floral Designs

DJ: Chad Peyer

Catering: Durangourment

Venue: Cascade Village