Meet Amanda Piper | Full-service, elegant mountain wedding planner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Amanda Piper and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amanda, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
When I started this company, almost a decade ago, I just thought I’d plan some small weddings to pay the bills while my daughter underwent chemotherapy. Not much vision. As I started planning, I became engulfed in the beauty of the mountains, and quickly realized how important they are to brides getting married in Colorado. That led me to focusing my skills on elegant mountain weddings, and thus my brand started to emerge. I’ve become an Estes Park regular, for sure, and I truly love it there. But that’s not all….I love going up the I70 corridor to A-Basin, Breckenridge, Frisco, Copper and Vail/Beaver Creek area. There are so many brides who want the mountains behind them, and want to share the beauty of Colorado with their destination guests…we work hard to incorporate that special vibe into each day. That’s becoming my brand more and more, and I love it. I think to be successful in Colorado, we can’t be afraid of popping the Jeep in 4wd and trekking up the side of a mountain to give the clients the spot they find the most beautiful for their special day. That skill set…up a mountain, in a tent, fending off foxes and moose, and incorporating all of that into a seamless vision is what makes my business sought-after.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’ve spent 3 decades planning live events. It’s been awesome, and I’ve been so blessed to plan some pretty big events. I would say to this day, my “claim to fame” is the 2010 BCS National Championship football game in Phoenix, AZ. I was the event/marketing director for my alma mater, Auburn, and we played the Oregon Ducks. Through my efforts, we held a pep rally for 50,000 fans all who drank the city dry (true story), flew private charter flights of alumni to Arizona and hosted them all week long, and in the end our efforts helped our head coach win “Coach of the Year” and a $25,000 scholarship for Auburn. It was a lot of planning, a lot of team work, and I learned so much. I’ve touched on how my current brand as a Colorado Wedding Planner is all about the beauty of the mountains and that aesthetic. But deeper and more holistically, I think my brand is about being a real person, down-to-Earth, and thriving on the “live” aspect of events where you just don’t know what will happen until you get there…and then you figure it out. I love that.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My favorite place to visit is Copper Mountain for a half day of tubing and a half day of skiing, and throw in the roller coaster ride….of course ending the day with a hot toddy. Since my BFF doesn’t like the cold, that is out. So…I’d take her to Breckenridge for shopping and dining, and then the fun park in July when it’s warm. Our fav place in Breck is the Crepe Trolley…and yes, we’ve waited in that line for 2 hours for our bananas foster crepe. But you have to do it. I also love Estes Park…so we’d probably spend a day there, also shopping and eating, and probably riding a horse through the mountains.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Oh so many! First my daughter, who is my shining light and I”m just honored to be with her whenever she has time…she’s the reason….when she got cancer and I couldn’t work full time, it forced me to take a good look at my life, my priorities, my skills and figure something out quick. She went from diagnosed, to ICU to major surgery in 3 days and our lives were rocked. I went from being a CEO to living at Children’s Hospital. I knew I wanted to be with her every moment in her recovery, and I would need to be there for her care for long after, and so my priorities shifted from heavy career gal to full-time Mom and part-time entrepreneur. But the change opened doors I never would have looked through and I’m not looking back. I love what I do and now that she’s healthy I do not intend to go back to corporate America! Other important people…my parents who have supported me every step of this unplanned journey. My BFF who gave me strength to do this and so much confidence that I could. And then there’s the industry pros in Colorado who welcomed me, embraced me, supported my learning curve, tossed clients my way, and showed me around. I love them all!

Website: www.theeventtroupe.com

Instagram: @theeventtroupe

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/amandapiper27

Facebook: @theeventtroupe

Other: Pinterest: @theeventtroupe Wedding Wire and The Knot: The Event Troupe

Image Credits
PJ Van Schalkwyk, Photographer Homeland Photography