In celebration of Valentine’s Day, it’s time to present my sixth annual “Best of 2019” Wedding Vendors! I worked with so many great vendors this past year that it was hard to select just one for each category, so I’m very excited to present my top picks and the amazing work that they do. It was a wonderful and busy year, and I had the privilege of playing music for weddings as nearby as Boulder and Denver, and as far away as Gig Harbor in Washington State. It was a tough decision, but I finally narrowed my top vendor picks to the following outstanding vendors:

Photography: Preston Utley
Venue: Sanctuary Golf Course
Planner: The Soiree Studio
Officiant: Phil Gallagher
Florist: Vintage Magnolia

Sanctuary Golf Course, Colorado Wedding Venue

Wedding ceremony at the sanctuary golf course in sedalia, colorado

After I played for a wedding ceremony at the Sanctuary Golf Course, I knew that they would be my top pick for this year’s wedding venue because I couldn’t stop talking about them afterwards. The setting is in a part of Sedalia that feels remote from everything while being conveniently located a mere 30 minute drive to downtown Denver. The golf course is perched on the side of the Rockies, overlooking the countryside, and you can see for miles from the wedding pavilion. In addition to stunning views, the immaculate grounds feature a large waterfall, lovely stone architecture, and bright flowers spilling from every nook and crevice. The wedding pavilion itself is gorgeous and it allows for an outdoor wedding ceremony with incredible views while still sheltering the guests from any bad weather. Dani, the sales coordinator and event manager was a dream to work with, and she went above and beyond to coordinate with us so that the couple’s wedding day would be perfect.

Preston Utley, Colorado Wedding Photographer

Photo by Colorado Wedding photographer, presion utley

This is the second year that I’ve chosen Preston Utley to be my top wedding photographer. His photos are incredible, combining creativity, emotion, and beauty. He was kind enough to share these amazing photos with me and I had such a hard time choosing which ones to feature because they each moved me in a special way.

Not only are Preston’s photos amazing, but when he’s on a photo shoot, he has a way of blending into the scenery so that you hardly know he’s there, and he makes his job look effortless. He’s also a great person, easy to talk to, relaxed and yet completely professional. Without further ado, I’ll let these incredible photos speak for themselves.

Phil Gallagher, Colorado Wedding Officiant

This is the second year in a row that I’ve chosen Phil Gallagher to be my top wedding officiant. He’s fantastic at his job and he makes the wedding couple look like pros at getting married. Most importantly, I can tell that Phil loves his job, and he loves each and every one of his couples. Phil goes above and beyond his job description, and I’ve often seen him arriving very early and getting to know the guests and other vendors. I even see him assisting other vendors with their setup, pushing carts and carrying things. Phil is one of those people who I’m pretty sure was born to do the exact job that he does.

Soiree Studio, Colorado Wedding Planner

I’ve had the pleasure of working with Christine Ashburn of Soiree Studio a few times, and she makes wedding planning seem effortless even though it’s a very complicated job. Leading up to the wedding, she answers all of my many (and I mean many!) questions with such kindness and organization. She follows through with me on the day of the wedding for our music cues and day-of instructions, and this attention to detail is reflected in every aspect of her wedding planning. As a wedding vendor myself, I know that making everything feel so seamless and easy like Christine does is quite a feat!

Vintage Magnolia, Colorado Florist

I’ve never featured a florist before, but I’ve seen Vintage Magnolia’s flowers at several weddings now, and I’m always stunned by their incredible arrangements and bouquets. They truly deserve a special shout out! Because they’re located right in Vail, their flowers arrive to Vail area weddings looking so bright and fresh. I’m always excited to hear that Vintage Magnolia is doing the flowers because each arrangement is gorgeous and unique, perfectly reflecting the couple. They arrive early and their arrangements stand up to Colorado’s sometimes very gusty wind, which tends to make mishaps with less carefully secured flowers quite common.