Modern organic Aspen wedding

In chatting with S + M about their Aspen wedding, Samantha gave us her #1 planning tip: Roll with it and enjoy everything because as long as there’s good music and liquor, everyone is going to have a great time. Naturally dancing was a huge focal point—their venue had to be dance-party friendly and her Elizabeth Fillmore dress (you’ll see when you click through) was even custom made with dancing in mind.

Thanks to Tec Petaja for sharing the photos!

Samantha says, We know that Aspen isn’t the easiest place to get to, so to make our guests feel welcomed, we put together tote bags filled with waters, snacks, and a booklet of some of our favorite things to do in and around town, including our own itinerary for the week so our guests could join us on hikes, bike rides, and other get-togethers. It really was so special that we were able to hang out with our friends and family and celebrate all week long.

Samantha and Matthew are the co-founders of Orley, so M + his groomsmen sported their suits + ties

Our grandparents, parents, and siblings walked down the aisle to the original versions of Nina Simone’s To Love Somebody + Otis Redding’s That’s How Strong My Love Is, while I walked to Aretha Franklin’s You’re All I Need to Get By. Our first dance was very specific, to a medley version of Sam Cooke’s It’s All Right / For Sentimental Reasons. We requested the band 50 Amp Fuse to play this but it’s rather obscure so we weren’t sure exactly how close to the original they would be but they nailed it. They even had the call-and-response that we love about this version that got everybody to come on to the dance floor to join us. Once the ceremony was over, the band started playing and never stopped. At one point, I was carried across the dance floor standing atop a drinks platter and that has come to sum up the entire night!