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Agee Taylor, co-founder of Couper, and Alex Leinberry met through mutual friends in 2017—or, so they thought. “A year into dating, we realized we actually matched on a dating app in 2014,” the couple reveals. “Clearly, nothing came to fruition back then!” Although their dating app experience didn’t pan out, their first date at a wine bar in Brookfield Place was a wild success.
In December 2019, the couple went skiing on a snowy day at their favorite slope in Beaver Creek—Rose Bowl. Once they got to the entrance, Agee stopped to put on additional gear to help brave the blizzard. Alex thought it was the perfect opportunity to take a photo. “He asked someone 20 yards away to take our photo to which I said, ‘Um, are you going to have her Airdrop them? Why aren’t we giving her one of our phones?’” Agee recounts. “Simultaneously, he pulled out a letter. Alex read the letter, got down on one knee, and asked me to marry him.” It turns out, the ‘photographer’ was Alex’s sister. And, after Agee gave an enthusiastic “yes,” the pair skied down the mountain, where their whole family was waiting for them. Later that evening, the engaged duo celebrated with a private dinner and a sleigh ride.
Instead of hiring a planner, Agee took the reins on planning her big day, something she’s always dreamed of doing. “While there are so many talented planners, we just wanted the weekend to feel like us, and I knew I’d be able to articulate our vision best,” the bride explains. Overall, the process had its fair share of challenges, but seeing the final product made every stressful situation worth it.
On July 24, 2021, Agee and Alex said “I do” in front of 175 guests at The Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch in Beaver Creek, Colorado. Since the twosome has family nearby and loves the mountains, they knew Colorado would be the perfect setting for their nuptials. Their venue was the icing on the cake. “The Ritz-Carlton had been a favorite après ski location of ours and provided the perfect backdrop for what we envisioned our wedding day to look like: stunning mountain views, the ability to tent, an outdoor space, and a seamless weekend for our guests,” they summarize.
Read on to see how their vision came to life, as planned by the bride with month-of coordination from White Birch Weddings & Events, and photographed by Sarah Alderman of AGP Collective.
To kick off the wedding festivities, the couple hosted a rehearsal dinner at the groom’s parents’ home in Edwards, Colorado. For the event, Agee donned a custom yellow brocade mini dress with white cape sleeves from Markarian. “We changed a few details with the shape of the mini and added a deep U-shaped back,” she notes. Gold heels and Juju Vera vintage earrings pulled her look together. The groom sported a blue linen suit and gray shoes for his attire.
Round tables covered in blue and green floral linens and wooden banquet tables transformed the living room. Arrangements of white blooms and votive candles sat at the center of each table. The duo had each place set with wooden chargers, floral napkins, fan place cards, and gold flatware for all 50 of their guests.
The pair turned to the natural setting of Colorado to inform their vision. “It was important to us that the aesthetic felt fun, fresh, and a departure from a city-based wedding,” they explain. “We wanted the weekend to feel like a jovial celebration of our love while providing a unique weekend getaway for our guests.” A colorful stationery suite featuring floral illustrations along the border helped establish their vibrant color palette of pink, orange, and yellow hues. “We wanted the color scheme to reflect the natural beauty of the Rocky Mountain sunsets and wildflowers that would stand out among the surrounding greenery,” they illuminate.
Agee and her bridesmaids toasted the morning of her wedding day with Champagne. While the bride opted for comfort in a long-sleeve floral robe, her girls wore white tea-length dresses with ruffled sleeves, a tiered skirt, and a smocked top.
The bride embraced an elegant and classic beauty look. “For me, it was all about glowing, hydrated skin, a warm peachy lip, and a subtle lash enhancement,” Agee describes. She wore her hair down in loose waves and had the front strands pinned back to keep her locks out of her face. “I rarely style my hair. So [with] any elaborate styling, I think I wouldn’t have felt like myself,” the bride admits. With three coats of OPI Bubble Bath on her nails and a spritz of Maison Francis Kurkdjian Grand Soir, she was ready to go.
“I was wearing a daintier earring up until the last minute but quickly felt I needed to go with more of a statement,” Agee shares. She decided that a pair of pearl and crystal drop earrings from Simone Rocha would get the job done. “I loved these. Not just because I’m truly a statement earring girl, but because the shape of them perfectly reflected the branch and petal motif embroidered on my dress.”
Agee stunned in a strapless Oscar de la Renta A-line gown with a taffeta draped bodice and wisteria floral appliqués on her skirt. “It was made with over 500 individually placed petals and took over 120 hours to embroider,” the bride reveals. The intricate ensemble checked all of the boxes for Agee. “I knew I wanted a dress that had some sort of floral appliqué or embroidery, was showstopping without being too glitzy or glam, felt classic yet unique, and felt romantic and organic, just like Colorado,” she elaborates.
Of course, Agee had to purchase the matching veil. “I fell in love with the long train of embroidery the second I tried it on,” she expresses. She then used the veil’s design to create custom gloves. “I had my seamstress hand-cut about nine inches off the trail of my veil,” Agee says. “We worked together to individually place the petals in just the right place.”
After drinking a few beers and playing dice with his groomsmen, Alex put on his custom navy tuxedo with black lapels from Suitsupply. He paired his outfit with a black bow tie, shiny black loafers, and a floral boutonniere.
We were so naive to think we both wouldn’t cry. Our hearts were racing, and the waterworks were flowing.
The bride and groom opted to do their first look on the balcony overlooking the mountainous terrain. “Our first look was truly my favorite memory of the day,” Agee reminisces. “We were so naive to think we both wouldn’t cry. Our hearts were racing, and the waterworks were flowing.”
Agee carried an assortment of zinnias, dahlias, garden roses, snapdragons, ranunculus, and larkspur in sherbet shades for her bouquet.
Alex’s squad stood by his side in classic black tuxedos, so his navy suit would pop.
Agee’s bridal party all sported mismatched dresses in bright shades of yellow, orange, or pink to match the couple’s color scheme. They all channeled various styles, from solid hues to textured fabrics and fun patterns. “Creating the aesthetic of my bridesmaids’ looks was actually one of my favorite parts of the planning process,” Agee uncovers. “I knew I wanted them to be in dresses that were true to their personal styles to create an eclectic-yet-collective feel.” White posies provided the perfect contrast to their eye-catching getups.
The duo swapped vows in front of a floral arch featuring coral peonies, zinnias, dahlias, garden roses, snapdragons, ranunculus, and larkspur. “The altar was the star of the show,” Agee shares. “I was adamant about it feeling organic and not too compact. It felt very whimsical and created the perfect sunset-toned backdrop for our ceremony.”
The bride walked down the aisle with her mother while a string quartet performed “The Luckiest” by Ben Folds. “[My mom] makes me feel very grounded and centered, which really calmed my nerves before the processional,” the bride illustrates.
During the ceremony, the twosome swapped personalized vows. Instead of incorporating religious or traditional elements, they had Agee’s brother-in-law recite the lyrics of “Make You Feel My Love” by Bob Dylan.
After their first kiss, the newlyweds walked back up the aisle, excited to celebrate with their loved ones.
The couple headed over to cocktail hour, where they noshed on tomato mozzarella pipette, spicy salmon cones, pigs in a blanket, and crab cakes with citrus remoulade.
Friends and family found their seating assignments on cake stands filled with shortbread cookies pressed with flowers.
The bride and groom hosted their reception in a tent outside of The Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch. However, when the weekend’s forecast called for flash floods, the couple wasn’t sure an outdoor wedding would be in the cards. “After hours of deliberation, I put my foot down that I wasn’t going to be moving anything inside,” Agee says. “With luck on our side, our wedding day ended up being beautifully sunny without a raindrop in sight. While I know it would have been an equally incredible day should we have moved everything indoors, it made it so special to be outside in our favorite environment as we experienced the best day of our lives.”
A runner of garden-inspired floral arrangements, fruit accents, and pink votive candles lined the center of each table. For their table numbers, the duo decided to honor their favorite ski mountains.
Rattan chargers, floral napkins that were hand-block printed in India, colorful menu cards, and gold flatware comprised each place setting.
After the couple made their grand entrance, they swung around the black-and-white checkered dance floor to “ILYSB” by LANY. “This song had a lot of significance to us,” Agee recalls. “We attended one of LANY’s concerts, and this song came on. We found each other singing the lyrics to one another despite only dating for a few months.”
For dinner, everyone dined on burrata salad with arugula pesto, sourdough breadcrumbs, and basil oil as their starter. Guests had a choice of chicken with parsnip purée and braised carrots, or miso glazed cod with mushrooms, asparagus, and ginger vinaigrette for their main course.
Agee and Alex served a four-tier buttercream cake adorned with lush blooms in sunset tones. Inside was a delectable mix of fireside s’mores, chocolate cake, dark chocolate mousse, graham cracker cake, marshmallows, and vanilla buttercream.
The newlyweds both changed into a second look for the after-party. Agee slipped on a blue dress with a ruffled skirt from Zimmermann. “The drop waist and tiered skirt felt like a nod to an old Western dress, while the corset bra top kept it modern and a bit sexy,” she explains. Alex dressed himself in a white linen tuxedo with a black bow tie for the grand finale.
While dancing the night away, Agee and Alex felt so much love. And, their nuptials truly captured that. “There was a bit of ‘Agee and Alex’ in every wedding weekend detail,” Agee says. “We incorporated many elements of who we are as individuals and ultimately, who we are as a couple.” After the celebration, the newlyweds retreated to Lanai, Hawaii for some much-needed rest and relaxation. They’re planning on continuing their honeymoon travels in South Africa this October.
Venue The Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch
Month-Of Coordination White Birch Weddings & Events
Bridal Gown Designer Oscar de la Renta
Veil Oscar de la Renta
Bride’s Jewelry Simone Rocha; Juju Vera
Bride’s Shoes Loeffler Randall
Bride’s Hair Heidi Rosenbluth
Bride’s Makeup Megan Lombardi
Mother of the Bride’s Dress Lela Rose
Engagement Ring & Wedding Bands Sackowitz Jewelers
Other Paper Products Emily A Howell Calligraphy + Design
Music Philadelphia String Quartet; Mannequin the Band
Accommodations The Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch
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