Ebs
- Feb 17, 2023
- 4 min read

Colorado Wedding Planner | Keystone Ranch Wedding | Melissa & Connor

Melissa & Connor. Where do are start with these two?! There are just certain couples you click with and Melissa and Connor were one of those couples. I legit miss planning with them. Even with our wedding planning challenges! We had originally set our sites on a different venue but as with wedding planning, things can change. Typically not this type of change but we were left with the challenge of finding a new venue. We had already had a contract and hired vendors so we needed to move quickly to switch gears. Melissa and her family have a home here in Keystone, Colorado and have been going to the Keystone Ranch for years, if not decades. We had originally looked at the Keystone Ranch but because of their group size, we landed somewhere else. It must have been written in the stars because the Keystone Ranch, with help of a tent, would be the wedding site they ultimately ended up saying their 'I do's. And as you will see from the wedding photos from Jess Leigh Photography, it was exactly how it was supposed to be.

Wedding planning with Melissa and Connor was a true pleasure. They had a vision in mind and we worked very hard to make that vision happen with our new wedding venue. They wanted a classic and elegant mountain wedding. Nothing that said rustic. To make our new venue work for us, we needed to rent a tent. We went with Colorado Party Rentals for all things rentals. They have a great selection of anything you would need to put on an event.

As the tent was going up, Melissa and her ladies were getting ready just down the road from the Ranch which could not be more perfect. Hair and makeup services were provided by Divine Beauty Artists. Before the ceremony started, Connor and Melissa chose to have a first look. Something I always recommend not only because you get to knock out a ton of photos that otherwise you would be spending your cocktail hour taking but also because you get to take a huge sigh of relief after seeing your best friend. There are so many emotions running that day that it's nice to just take a breather and a moment together. Not to mention the extra photos you get to take!

When we were choosing our design team, we decided to go with a vendor that I actually worked with at the Keystone Ranch that rented a tent as well. She even had her own wedding at the Ranch! Erin Ashley Designs was the perfect vendor to pull our simple yet elegant and over the top vision together. That head table is stuff wedding planner dreams are made of! With Erin's designs and our black and white theme throughout, it was seriously stunning. I can't get enough of the stage that WhiteWater Ramble played on! They rocked that stage! Both Erin Ashley and White Water Ramble! :)

For the ceremony, Melissa's grandfather was given the honor and the privilege to officiate. He was a no nonsense man which I always welcome from someone performing the ceremony. They have a very important job! And if being Melissa's grandfather was not enough of a credential, he and his wife were celebrating their anniversary. And seeing them together, you knew he was the best person for the job!

After the ceremony guests enjoyed cocktail hour while taking in the mountain views. I'm not sure who saw the timeline but literally right after we had everyone in the tent for the grand entrance, first dance, dinner, toasts, etc. the skies opened and the wind started. Everyone was buttoned up nicely inside the tent but on the outside, it was wild! I think we may have cashed in a few wedding planner points that day because the timing, even if it was different by 15 minutes, would have been a very tough event to have everyone as happy as they were. And dry for that matter! Phew! After that (huge) weather event, the rest of the evening was amazing! And there was even a rainbow!! Melissa and Connor even rode off in a horse drawn carriage. (of course they did! :)

To Melissa and Connor ~ Thank you for choosing us to be your Keystone Ranch wedding planners! It was seriously so fun getting to know you. We wish you a lifetime of happiness!

I cannot overstate how incredible, enjoyable, and invaluable it was to work with Ebs and her team at Distinctive Mountain Events. Our wedding day was nothing short of our dream come true, and that is all thanks to DME’s experience, attention to detail, and love for their clients! We would often joke that we forgot DME even had other clients because we truly felt like such a high priority: DME was always incredibly responsive, and when an issue would come up with a vendor it was often already solved by Ebs and her team before I even had a chance to be worried. We originally chose DME because we do not live in Colorado full-time, and we knew we needed someone who was familiar with the area and the vendors to help with the planning and execution of the wedding of our dreams. Little did we know, we were getting the most popular, talented, and loved planning team in the area! DME seems to now literally everyone in Summit County and beyond and is well respected by all. All I had to do was say “Oh, I am working with DME” and was treated as a high priority from all vendors. We never, ever felt like DME was looking out for anything other than our best interests. By the end of the entire year (!) we spent working with DME, they had caught so many little details. They have so much experience that they literally think through EVERY detail and are insanely organized. I am jealous of any future couple that gets to work with them… I already want to do it all over again!! ~Melissa (Bride)