A Taylor Swift-Inspired Welcome Party Kicked Off This Modern, Mountain Wedding in Vail, Colorado
"I once believed love would be burning red, but it's golden, like daylight," were Taylor Swift lyrics that perfectly encapsulated Abby and Phil's relationship, from their first date to their wedding day. Abby's friend, Amanda, met Phil one summer in South Florida during a vacation. She immediately knew Abby and Phil would hit it off, so she added them both to a group chat. Abby says: "Occasionally we would send memes on and off, but we didn't meet in person until fall 2021." And in Swiftie terms, "Sparks flew." A year into dating, while on a family trip to the Bahamas, Phil took the opportunity to catch their proposal on camera. The plan was for the whole family to take photos together. "The afternoon of the family photos, we got dressed up and headed to the gardens on the property at our resort," the bride recalls. While she wasn't looking, a surprise awaited her when she turned around: Phil, kneeling on the ground with a ring.
When it came time to plan their wedding, they knew they wanted a weekend that felt distinctly them. "Our inspiration came from our style, which is modern and classy but functional," they say. That meant a color palette of navy, white and black, with pops of sage green. "Phil and I were inspired to create an aesthetic that blended the scenery of Vail with our contemporary vibe—a fresh take on a mountainside ceremony that was sleek, romantic, and sophisticated," Abby adds. What kicked off the wedding weekend was an Eras Tour-themed welcome party chronicling "the story of the eras of our lives," Abby says. The marquee at the bar had the couple's names in lights and the decor pulled from Taylor's iconic tour. "The Swiftie-inspired event had a custom tour merch station with hoodies, hats and friendship bracelets," the bride muses. The night ended with a marching band and fireworks over the mountains for a truly spectacular display.
With Phil’s Italian and Greek heritage and Abby’s Greek roots, it was also important that traditions from both sides of the family were naturally incorporated into the weekend. Their rehearsal dinner became a warm, Italian-inspired gathering reminiscent of large family meals, while their ceremony honored Greek customs, including the Stefana crowns, candle rituals and the ceremonial walk led by Phil’s godfather. “It was the perfect blend of our heritage and family traditions tying into one,” the couple says. They also wanted to add a little "Texas" to the day, which they did with a custom hat bar at the rehearsal. Guests could customize their unique accessory with monograms, hat bands, feathers and an iron brand of the nearlyweds' wedding monogram.
The couple set out to reimagine what a Colorado mountain wedding could look like as their main vision. Rather than leaning into rustic motifs, they pulled inspiration from the clean lines and sleek textures of contemporary design and set it against Vail’s lush summer backdrop. Their custom 70-foot aisle was built over the Four Seasons Vail pool and became a jaw-dropping centerpiece. "Our florist made that runway and backdrop feel like we were in our own blissful oasis, keeping our wishes to have the modern feel in the mountain scenery," the bride says.
Fashion also became an extension of the couple’s aesthetic. Phil wore custom Indochino suits throughout the weekend, each selected to match his signature sneaker style (most notably his Travis Scott Mochas). Abby tried on gowns in Austin, Denver and Nashville before finding “the one” at Unbridaled in Austin. (The dress's name was “Phillips,” which felt like fate, given her groom's name.)
Florals had their own moment during the celebrations, creating a thread from ceremony to reception. "We carried the same design concepts into the reception, layering in complementary crisp black details that contrasted with the tonal white," the bride explains. "We wanted each event to build off of one another while still having some cohesive elements that tied each experience together." That included individual flower stems as their centerpieces, in what the brides describes as "a wild, freeform way that felt airy and modern." Even the table numbers were carved from stone, grounding the elegance in nature.
"For the after-party, we wanted to dance to all our favorite throwback music and have the time of our lives," the couple proclaims. "We leaned into the sexy lounge mood with a custom 'Let's Dance the Night Away' lacquered black dance floor, a cluster of sparkling disco balls and the coolest custom DJ booth to bring the club energy." So who was providing the soundtrack for the night? None other than, DJ Optic, the resident DJ at Bruno Mars’ Pinky Ring Club in Vegas.
Everything felt custom for the two, like the monogrammed tequila espresso martinis, Abby’s Swarovski-encrusted Jordans, even their first dance, “You Are the Joy of My Life” by Chris Stapleton (a nod to their first concert together). Late-night bites from a Waffle House–inspired after-party also brought out the nostalgia and kept the energy up during the final hours. When asked about their favorite parts of their wedding weekend, the food takes a very close second to just enjoying the company of all of their favorite people. But for all the grandeur, the couple’s favorite moments were the quiet ones, like the room-service breakfast they shared the morning of the wedding or their alone time together between the ceremony and reception. "To us, it was really important to have intentional time together to celebrate the day and our new marriage," the newlyweds add.