Married Ever After: Babymoon in Colorado

The idea of a babymoon is pretty simple: take a trip before you enter your third trimester to spend some quality time with your partner before you become parents. We conveniently had a family wedding to attend this past weekend, just a week before I would enter the "no fly" phase of pregnancy. The wedding was of Matt's cousin Chad Gardner to Elizabeth Toohey. I had met them both two years ago at a family reunion and had a great time, so I knew this was going to be a fun wedding.

We arrived in Denver on the Thursday before the wedding. We spent the day exploring the area and took a particular liking to the city of Boulder. We sat outside at a little Italian trattoria and had lunch before Matt treated me to my first ever prenatal massage. I couldn't have felt more spoiled and I might have to make those massages a regular thing. Once my massage was done, we drove back in to Denver. Matt had a good buddy from college who we spent the night with before heading on our way to Aspen the next day.

The drive was absolutely gorgeous. The weather was cold and cloudy but we welcomed the break from Charleston's sweltering August heat. On our way to Aspen we stopped in Vail to see another city and grabbed a cup of hot apple cider as we walked around. It was the perfect break from the drive, which all-in-all took about 4 hours from Denver. That night was the rehearsal dinner which was held at a local Mexican restaurant. 100 family and friends piled in to drink margaritas and mingle. It was a great opportunity to socialize with Matt's family, but I was so exhausted by the end! The change in altitude really effected me that first night so Matt took me home around 8:30pm and I crashed.

The wedding in Aspen was everything you would think. Matt's cousin and his fiance were married on the top of Aspen Mountain. We rode the gondola up to the summit (where is was 39 degrees) and were given blankets to keep us warm during the outdoor ceremony. Cold weather aside, the ceremony was absolutely gorgeous and went off without a hitch. The view from the top of the mountain was spectacular and the sun even came out at the end!

After the ceremony we all piled into the lodge that had been rented out as the reception venue. We were greeted by waiters carrying trays of wine and champagne. The cocktail hour was stocked with some of my favorite foods including a to-die for charcuterie and cheese selection, mini tomato soups with grilled cheese, burrata on spoons with roasted red peppers, just to name a few of the options. Considering I can't drink, the food was definitely the highlight for me, although the wine that I tasted was also excellent.

Keeping with the great food, the reception definitely boasted the best wedding food I have ever had.Scratch that, the meal at this wedding was one of the better meals I have had in the past few months anywhere! and that's saying a lot! It started with a burrata and tomato salad with arugula and basil and a light balsamic drizzle. Then there was a choice of entree, but Matt and I shared both options which were a pan-seared halibut and a filet Mignon.

I have always been a hater of cake at weddings and this wedding may have just changed my mind completely. Whether or not that has to do with the fact that sugar is all I have now that I can't drink alcohol, this wedding cake was amazing! First there was a dessert course that had three little mini desserts (a chocolate caramel tart, a chocolate coconut mini cupcake, and a fruity mini cheesecake). After we devoured those, the wedding cake came around (no cake cutting ceremony) and it was red velvet with strawberry jam and a cream cheese frosting. It was to die for!!!

We had such a fantastic time in Colorado and it was so wonderful to be able to get to spend some quality time with my hubby before the baby comes. I think it is important to get away together before your life completely changes, but it sure was nice to come home too.