Mountain Magic

Saying “I Do” in Telluride, Colorado

By Jordan Staggs | Photography by Captivated Studios

When Jessica Proffitt and Levin Ford Bracken became engaged on Easter Sunday 2013 at Esperanza, an Auberge Resort in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, they already knew they wanted to celebrate their nuptials in their favorite place in the world—beautiful Telluride, Colorado.

Located in San Miguel County in the southwestern corner of the state, Telluride is nestled into a box canyon in the San Juan Mountains. The area once served as a summer home to the nomadic Ute Indian tribe, who would hunt elk, deer, and bighorn sheep there before migrating to lower elevations during the winter season. Later, Spanish explorers traveled through the area along a route that became known as the Old Spanish Trail. The area became home to a mining camp around 1860, when gold was discovered in the region, and about two decades later the town was established. Between 1905 and 1911, over $16 million in gold and silver was extracted from the area’s mines. Telluride grew from a cluster of tents and cabins to a flourishing settlement with rows of elegant Victorian homes and stately brick structures, many of which are still standing.

Today, the area is known as a mecca for outdoor exploration, skiing, and summer events celebrating music, art, film, and culture. The Telluride Ski Resort is known for its world-class slopes and breathtaking mountain vistas.

Jessica, a native of Destin, Florida, and Levin, a Destin transplant originally from Memphis, were together for six years before their marriage. During that time, they traveled all over the world together, but Telluride is undoubtedly where their hearts lie. They were married at the Gorrono Ranch at Telluride Ski Resort on June 28, 2014, surrounded by an intimate gathering of sixty-five of their closest friends and family from around the world.

“It truly feels like it was one of the most beautiful days Telluride has ever seen,” says Jessica of the bright blue skies and clear mountain views. “This was a total destination wedding. Gorrono Ranch was the first and only venue I toured; I knew the second I stepped foot there that it was the place.” She admits that most of the plans for the wedding were executed from Destin, thousands of miles from the San Juan Mountains. “It was risky but exciting!”

The rehearsal dinner, held at Honga’s Lotus Petal in Telluride, was casually elegant, while the black-tie ceremony and reception at Gorrono Ranch were formal affairs highlighted with shimmering gold, royal blue hues, and rustic touches to reflect the surrounding mountains and forests.

The happy couple enjoyed a “backward honeymoon,” arriving in Telluride two weeks before their wedding to take advantage of the gorgeous hiking and summer activities, including the Forty-First Annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival. “We even jammed to the King of Telluride, Sam Bush, who is a regular in South Walton, Florida. We had the time of our lives.”

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