Photos: Jamee Photography

Maggie and Jeremiah live in Dallas but decided to wed in Vail, a place they'd both visited with their families as children. "We both love the mountains, and we thought the fresh mountain air would be a welcome escape from the brutal Texas heat," says Maggie. The couple chose the Sonnenalp Resort of Vail to host their festivities, beginning with a 4:30 p.m. ceremony that took place by Gore Creek on the grounds of the resort. "We wanted our wedding to be refined yet relaxed," says Maggie. "The colors of the mountains were our inspiration."

Follow the jump to see more from Maggie and Jeremiah's wedding, visit our Real Weddings page to find other great style ideas, and search our revamped local listings to find wedding vendors near you.

Photos: Andrew and Jessica Photographers

Rebecca and Adam love the outdoors and wanted their wedding to reflect their laid-back style. While Adam was biking on Lookout Mountain one day, he stumbled upon Boettcher Mansion. "I loved the idea of getting married at the top of a mountain because Adam had proposed to me on a mountaintop during a hike," says Rebecca.

After an outdoor ceremony held on the patio, the couple and their guests moved inside the mansion, where, in lieu of a first dance, Rebecca and Adam dedicated Ray LaMontagne's "You Are the Best Thing" to each other. The couple's friend Heather Luttrell and her father, along with friends from local band Oakhurst, performed bluegrass music. "We're not big dancers, but there was some spontaneous dancing that took place!" says Rebecca. "At the end of the night, I remember looking at everyone laughing and enjoying themselves—exactly what we wanted."

Follow the jump to see more from Rebecca and Adam's wedding, visit our Real Weddings page to find other great style ideas, and search our revamped local listings to find wedding vendors near you.

Photos: Tracy Carolyn Photography

Jenny and John wanted a winter wedding but decided to host it in Denver instead of the mountains to make traveling easier for their many out-of-town guests. Jenny wore a Pronovias gown, while John sported a Hugo Boss suit. The bride carried a bouquet of garden roses, tulips, sweet peas, lavender, and freesias. "The tulips represented John's Dutch heritage," says Jenny. Following the ceremony, the newlyweds and their 105 guests traveled to the Pinnacle Club on the 38th floor of the Grand Hyatt Denver for the reception. "The space offers gorgeous panoramic views, and the fireplace provided a warm, intimate feel," says Jenny.

Follow the jump to see more from Jenny and John's wedding, and visit our Real Weddings page to find other great style ideas.

Photos: IN Photography

Ellie and Nick, who live in New York, chose to marry at the SaddleRidge restaurant. "We wanted a warm, rustic fall wedding," says Ellie, "and no location fit our vision better than Colorado. I went to college there, and Nick enjoys going fly-fishing out West." The couple planned their wedding from afar with the help of Emily Campbell of Bella Design & Planning. Ellie wore an Amsale gown and a waxflower wreath that's been in her family for more than 100 years.

The ceremony took place in an aspen grove behind the restaurant, and included only the wedding party and immediate family. "It was a hard decision at first, but having an intimate, family-focused ceremony was something we felt strongly about," says Ellie. Afterward, the rest of the 100 guests joined the couple for the reception, which began with cocktail hour on the restaurant's lower level, a space filled with antiques and artifacts from the American West. "It was the perfect place for our out-of-town guests to get a feel for Colorado history," says Ellie.

To see all of Ellie and Nick's wedding details, check out their full slideshow, and visit our Real Weddings page for more great ideas.

Photos: Audrey Hannah Photo

Alexius and Kurt met on Kurt's first visit to Shuga's, the bistro Alexius had recently opened. "I asked him to sign my petition for a liquor license," she recalls. So hosting their wedding at the restaurant made perfect sense. The bride wore an Anna Sui dress from Anthropologie ("I couldn't see myself in a traditional gown," she says). The couple's nephews escorted their two-and-a-half-year-old son, Harlan, down the aisle. The ceremony was held in the grassy median across the road from the restaurant. "We wanted to be able to look out the window in years to come and see the spot where we got married," says Alexius. Just for fun, Lindsay and another pal spontaneously hand-painted "Just Married" on the side of what will eventually become the bistro's catering truck. Inside Shuga's, paper cranes (made by Kurt with help from his bride) were suspended from the ceiling. To see all of Alexius and Kurt's wedding details, check out their full slideshow, and visit our Real Weddings page for more great ideas.

In the Fall/Winter 2011 issue of Brides Colorado, we announced the winners of our first-ever Editor's Choice Awards.

It's a way for the editorial staff and I to officially recognize the amazing, forward-thinking, art-creating, call-returning, trend-making wedding vendors who inspire and delight us every time we craft an issue of our magazine. And, most importantly, we're excited to share this winning list with all of you—it's a great place to start assembling your dream team. —Julie Raimondi

See the full list of winners after the jump.

Photo: Courtesy of Hotel Madeline Telluride

Tired of hearing that notorious post-engagement question: "So, how did you two meet?" Well, you might want to share that story one more time: The Hotel Madeline Telluride and the Inn at Lost Creek are giving away a $50,000 wedding to the couple with the most "awwww"-inducing how-we-met story. To enter, head to the Hotel Madeline's Facebook page between now and July 25th to print out the application, which you'll need to send in along with a photo and a two-minute video about what "adventure" brought you and your partner together.

The winning couple will receive an all-expense-paid wedding (including a rehearsal dinner, wedding cake, flowers, a photographer, invitations, and more) on October 1, 2011, in picturesque Telluride, Colorado. The win also includes a two-night stay at the Hotel Madeline on your one-year anniversary. Find more Colorado wedding tips and ideas on our Colorado Index page. —Ainsley Ellington

Photos: Gia Canali

Jessica and TJ hosted their weekend-long wedding at the C Lazy U Ranch in Granby, CO. "We wanted a multiple-day affair so that our guests could really get to know one another," says Jessica. The majority of the couple's 220 guests arrived at the ranch on Thursday evening. Jessica and TJ kicked off the weekend with a hoedown-themed welcome party. On Friday, guests participated in a field day event, followed by the rehearsal dinner and a poker tournament. The wedding was held on Saturday. Jessica wore a custom-designed dress by Atelier Des Modistes in San Francisco and carried a bouquet of roses, anemones, sweet peas, and thistles. The reception was held inside the ranch's horse arena. "We wanted the reception to have the feel of a sophisticated country affair," says Jessica. "The dirt floors and picnic benches, combined with the lights and draping above, turned the show barn into a fabulously chic backdrop." For the rest of Jessica and TJ's weekend ranch wedding, see the full slideshow, and be sure to visit our Real Weddings page.

Photo: Courtesy of Weddings by Couture Consulting

Listen up, Colorado brides: The upcoming Summer Solstice Wedding Inspiration Party in Denver on June 21st is sure to be an excellent source of wedding inspiration. The lavish event will feature a round-up of stylish gowns from Marie James Dress Boutique, floral arrangements from The Perfect Petal, and cake designs from The Four Seasons Vail's catering team—the creative juices (and the Champagne) are guaranteed to be flowing. This free event begins at 6 p.m. at the Marie James Dress Boutique (747 South University Boulevard). For more information, visit weddingsbycc.com or call 720-261-3568. To RSVP, e-mail weddings@weddingsbycc.com. —Louisa Bilbrough

Photo: Gentile Photography

I never get sick of looking at photos from Colorado mountain weddings in the fall—a sun-drenched grove of aspen trees makes for such a pretty backdrop (case in point: the lovely real wedding at SaddleRidge in Beaver Creek featured in our current issue of Brides Colorado.) Since aspen trees are so quintessentially Colorado, I love the idea of including an aspen tree planting in your wedding ceremony. At Della Terra Mountain Chateau in Estes Park, couples can opt to have a brief presentation of aspen saplings accompanied by a description of how the trees support and rely upon each other as they grow together. The bride and groom each add a scoop of earth during the ceremony to a container holding the trees, which are later planted on the Della Terra property, which is surrounded by the Rocky Mountain National Park. The wedding ceremony is often followed with guests tossing colorful aspen leaves on the couple as they recess. The cutest part: the Chateau has 14 luxury suites, so you can revisit the venue for future anniversaries as see "your" aspen trees grow. —Lauren Matthews, Brides Colorado

Photo: James Christianson Photography

Join T'Da Design at their Denver studio (4309 Elati Street) to see the latest trends in wedding decor. On Friday, March 4th (noon-8 p.m.) and Saturday, March 5th (10 a.m.-4 p.m.), the event design pros will be debuting new and stylish floral design ideas, rentals, draping, signage, and much more—the perfect place to get the creative juices flowing and find inspiration. Call or email to reserve your spot: 303-832-3382 and eventinfo@tdadesign.com. —MaryBeth Somich, Brides Colorado

Denver bridal shop the Little White Dress just recently moved into their new digs in the Highlands neighborhood at 3420 W. 32nd Avenue. The new space features lots of natural light, roomy dressing rooms, and three new designers joining their roster of exclusive-in-Colorado collections—Fancy New York, Cotin Sposa, and Avine Perruci. Little White Dress has some great events and trunk shows coming up (including a Liancarlo trunk show February 4-5, and a Cotin Sposa trunk show February 12-13); visit their event calendar for more details. —Lauren Matthews, editor, Brides Colorado

Visit our Colorado Index page for more ideas and tips.

Photos: Andrew and Jessica Photographers

For Ashley and Kendall, who met while attending law school in Boulder, the choice of wedding venue—Ten Mile Station at Breckenridge Ski Resort—was easy. "While dating, we often visited my parents' home in Breckenridge," says Ashley. "We spent so much time at the resort together, skiing, hiking, and biking, it was the perfect place for our wedding." The ceremony was held at Father Dyer United Methodist Church. Ashley wore a Jim Hjelm gown, and her maids of honor wore dresses from Anthropologie. At the reception, tables were named after the couple's favorite ski runs and featured arrangements of peonies, berries, hydrangeas, and scabiosas in birch-wrapped vases. "When the sun sets, the crisp air arrives, so I wanted to make sure our guests were able to stay warm," says the bride. Read more from this couple's real wedding.

Photo: David Lynn Photography

It's time for the second annual "HItched in the Highlands" race, where 15 Colorado couples will be competing to win a wedding worth over $20,000. The Amazing Race-style contest, which will take place in Denver's Highlands neighborhood on the morning of February 6, involves physical, mental, and teamwork challenges, with the winning couple receiving everything (a wedding gown, DJ, photographer, cupcakes, venue, florist, bridal shower brunch, and much more) they need to throw a fabulous wedding on April 10, 2011. To see the full list of prizes and apply for one of the 15 spots, download the application here. All applications must be mailed to Happy Cakes Bakeshop, c/o Hitched in the Highlands, 3434 W. 32nd Avenue Denver, CO 80211 by January 19. Good luck! —Lauren Matthews, editor, Brides Colorado

Photos: Brinton Studios

Katie and Patrick met in 2004, just after Katie and her daughter, Grace, moved to Colorado. "On my third day here, I was invited to a barbecue at a colleague of Patrick's," says Katie. "We started chatting about music, and the rest is history!" On their wedding day Katie wore a gown from David's Bridal and a custom veil by Sew Biz, and carried a bouquet of wildflowers, snapdragons, and delphiniums that she designed herself. Patrick sported a Burberry suit. Grace r carried the bride and groom's rings in a handmade bird's nest adorned with moss and ribbons. The ceremony and reception were held at Devil's Thumb Ranch. "We loved that it was classy, beautiful, and serene," says Katie. "We also love to ski at Winter Park Resort, and Devil's Thumb is just down the road." Dinner was served in the Broad Axe Barn. The reception tables featured birds' nests surrounded by tapers in glass candleholders from Crate & Barrel. "Since I was a little girl my nickname has been Birdie, so it was only fitting that our decor feature a bird motif," says Katie. Read more from this couple's wedding here.

See more real weddings here.