I’ve always envisioned attending a perfect winter wedding, much the same way I often dreamed of a white Christmas as a child. In my wedding dream I glided through the snow with all my cameras hanging perfectly around my neck looking as graceful as Nancy Kerrigan in white on Olympic ice. In reality I quickly discovered that my short legs and heavy camera bags were no match for the several feet of snow, falling face first in front of the entire wedding party. At the same time a rowdy rugrat from the sledding area tossed snowballs at my head. A little different from my fantasy, however snow makes everything more fun and I laughed more at this wedding than I can remember. Charlie Ann and Nate’s main goal was to embrace winter and to throw a super cozy Christmas Wedding party. From Charlie Ann “We wanted our wedding day to be a celebration, and that is exactly what it was! We were surrounded by all of our family and friends, with good food and good music in a beautiful setting. We couldn’t have asked for anything more, it was the perfect day!”

We both love wintertime and all that comes with it; fireplaces, warm drinks, beautiful mountains, snow covered tress, cozy snuggles. Our friendship started on several ski trips during high school. Skiing and hiking are some of our favorite things to do together. Swiftwater Cellars at Suncadia Resort offered a fantastic lodge and a beautiful backdrop that we simply couldn’t pass up!For inspiration we found a few ideas on pinterest, but the wedding coordinator and florist at Swiftwater Cellars were our main source of inspiration. They were full of lovely ideas! My advice, don’t get too caught up in the details. Simply plan a day of celebration and love, and the rest will fall into place. In the end, the most important thing was also the most simple. We were standing together before God and all of our friends and family promising to love each other forever.One of our favorite parts about the wedding was the food and drinks. We choose mainly Northwest cuisine and winter themed drinks. We were going for a winter wonderland vibe, and it all fell together beautifully! We absolutely loved the arch we stood under during the ceremony, it was made of tree branches, lights and little crystals to make it glimmer. Our florist Carol and the coordinator Leena did an amazing job giving us the look we wanted; a cozy, outdoorsy feel with lots and lots of light! Everything turned out beautifully!

Wedding Details:

Venue: Swiftwater Cellars  // Event Design & Catering: Leena Haija, Swiftwater Cellars // Floral Design: Carol Allmand // Cake: Country Rose Confections // Music: James Nylander, Lucky 7 Mobile DJ // Bride’s Dress: Lazaro, Marcella’s La Boutique // Bridal Headpiece: By Glenda at Unique Bridal Boutique // Groom’s Apparel: The Haberdasher // Bridesmaid Dresses: Shop Ruche // Invites: Siberman Brown // Photography: Us of course