Sixteen Piece Orchestra Wedding in Aspen

I was so excited when Virginia contacted me to perform at this wedding. I’ve always wanted to book a wedding in Aspen. I’ve visited Aspen several times on snowboarding and camping trips, but never to perform. From the moment I arrived in Colorado with my team of fifteen musicians, I knew this was going to be something special. Our sixteen-piece string orchestra performed throughout the wedding, creating a powerful and unforgettable atmosphere…

Virginia is a wedding planner and the owner of Bluebird Productions, a wedding planning firm based in Snowmass, a small village near Aspen. She has a beautiful office in her guest house, surrounded by nature. When I had my first meeting with her, I remember thinking, “What a beautiful place to work and live.” One of the things I enjoy most about my profession is the opportunity to travel to incredible destinations and meet new people in the wedding industry.

This wedding was truly impressive. A large tent was set in the middle of a valley — it felt like a scene from a painting. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I arrived… and the weather that day was perfect for wearing a tuxedo.

Virginia’s team executed this wedding flawlessly without missing a single detail. They even built a wooden path so guests could walk from the open-air ceremony to the reception tent. I’m sure all the ladies in high heels appreciated that…

The Wedding Ceremony

During the wedding ceremony, we performed as a five-piece ensemble — a string quartet with a trumpet player. The ceremony music selection was very unique. For the grandparents, we played “All of My Love” by Led Zeppelin; for the groom and his parents, “At Last” by Etta James; and “In My Place” by Coldplay for the bridesmaids. The bride walked down the aisle with her parents to “Helplessly Hoping” by Crosby, Stills & Nash. I remember thinking to myself, what a beautiful song for that mountain setting.

For the recessional, we performed “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” by Stevie Wonder. Having this song played as they walked out created such a festive atmosphere and really kept the energy going. I always aim to help them choose music that feels personal, because I know how much it shapes their moment. It may sound sentimental, but music truly has the power to build emotion and create unforgettable memories. One detail I found especially beautiful was the bridesmaids’ dresses. They were colorful and vibrant, almost like flowers in the field. It was such a nice touch.

The ceremony décor was stunning, and the natural greenery of the valley was breathtaking, with soft white floral touches — very elegant. After the ceremony, during cocktail hour, guests enjoyed hors d’oeuvres and champagne by the creek. We were lucky to squeeze in a quick photoshoot with Jake Rosenberg, the photographer. The sunset was perfect.

I loved this tent. It was truly spectacular. For some reason, I’ve always loved wedding tents with flags, and seeing this one set in the middle of nowhere felt almost surreal. This big white structure surrounded by all that green — it was such a beautiful contrast. As the sun started to set, everything began to glow, and the energy in the air was incredible. You could really feel it — love was in the air. The wedding cake, created by Megan Joy, was just as beautiful. It had a soft, layered texture, almost like a flowing dress, and it smelled amazing.

The Wedding Reception

The inside of the tent was designed in subtle tones, with different woods and greens. It felt like an outdoor garden, somehow brought inside and beautifully organized within the tent. Aspen is especially beautiful in the summer, with flowers you can enjoy just walking through the streets, and this reception had that same feeling.

The orchestra’s stage was built in the middle of the dining room, surrounded by a natural garden of planted flowers. Because we didn’t want to turn our backs on any of the guests, we decided to sit in a circle — a pretty unusual seating position for an orchestra. We loved it. The musicians also really enjoyed being able to see each other and perform face-to-face.

The dinner music set started with “Bitter Sweet Symphony” by The Verve. I like starting sets with this song — you can never go wrong with it. It’s a great way to begin the evening and welcome guests as they are being seated.

The orchestra performed a two-hour set of pop arrangements during dinner service, and some guests were even dancing between courses. For this wedding, we prepared some great arrangements, including songs by Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Elton John, Sting, Michael Jackson, Guns N’ Roses, and Lana Del Rey, to name just a few.

Right after dinner, the party continued as guests moved to another tent and started dancing to the DJ. The dance tent was incredible — it felt like a club. The lights, the sound, the décor… guests were dancing all night long. It was truly a beautiful and well-planned wedding.

And that’s all. Aspen, I hope to be back very soon. Thanks for reading my blog — I hope you enjoyed the photos and videos.

Cheers,
Peter

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