While attending university as student athletes, ESPN sportscaster Katie George and professional soccer player Paolo DelPiccolo met at a party. “We can’t agree on who was more into who!” laughs Katie. After dating for three months, it was time for Paolo to begin his professional soccer career in Germany, so they decided to try dating long-distance. Four years later, they were back together in the same city, and it wasn’t long before Paolo proposed on a ski trip in Breckenridge. 

The couple returned to Colorado for their dream destination wedding. “We love Beaver Creek… We committed to the winter-wonderland idea and chose a truly magical place,” smiles Katie. “Rather than getting married in Louisville, Kentucky, we wanted our guests to experience something they never had. Only a handful of our guests had been to Beaver Creek, so for 200+ people, they created a new memory with us.” 

Especially since they were hosting a destination fête, Katie and Paolo wanted their invitations to set the tone for the celebration. The formal, elegant invitation suite showcased fun watercolor elements, and they also incorporated vintage stamps to reflect their personalities and interests, with stamps featuring a soccer player, a skier, and the state flower of Colorado. “I had no idea I would become so passionate about the stationery, but it was truly one of my favorite parts of the planning process,” notes the bride of the detail. 

As Katie’s family is Roman Catholic, it was important to be wed in a traditional Catholic ceremony. Beautiful in a timeless, halter-neck gown with a striking low back by Oscar de la Renta, the bride entered the chapel on the arm of her father as a string quartet performed “Con Te Partiro” by Andrea Bocelli – an ode to Paolo’s Italian heritage. The ceremony was officiated by the couple’s close family friend, the Archbishop of Indianapolis, Charles T. Thompson. “Having someone who knew the two of us on a personal level made our wedding mass so special,” confirms Katie. 

“So many families and friends made a vacation out of it… [and] it was so fun seeing all of our wedding guests out on the slopes.”

Friends and family made their way to a nearby luxury hotel for the wintry reception, which highlighted warm, inviting décor. Guest tables featured alternating high and low arrangements of peonies, roses, and ranunculuses in vintage-inspired shades of pink, cream, sherbert, and red, which surrounded candelabra to add depth. 

“The color was a really nice touch against the wood-paneled ballroom [and] the open-flame candles added a romantic and magical feel,” Katie describes. The pièce de resistance – a 10-foot circular floral arrangement above the black-and-white checkered dance floor – was one of the bride’s favorite design elements. 

Following the newlyweds’ grand entrance, their first dance to “You’re the First, the Last, My Everything” by Barry White, and nearly 30 minutes of pre-dinner dancing, loved ones enjoyed an upscale, seasonable menu with Italian flair to keep them satiated for a night of high-energy revelry, which included a few cultural dances for the bride’s Lebanese family and the groom’s family roots to Northern Italy. “We wanted to have a blow-out party,” affirms the bride. 

Katie and Paolo were thrilled with not only how their wedding day turned out, but how special it was to make memories with their guests throughout the whole destination-wedding week. “We felt so loved,” muses the bride. “So many families and friends made a vacation out of it… [and] it was so fun seeing all of our wedding guests out on the slopes. It wasn’t just a one-day wedding celebration, it was an experience for all involved.”

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