October 10, 2025
When Emily and Sterling asked me to come photograph their Rochester Hotel welcome party, I was so excited! I always love getting to meet my couples before the big day and since these two are from Memphis, this was my chance!
Let me first start by saying the Rochester Hotel in Durango is a VIBE. I loved the coziness of the rainy day mixed with the pop of color from Lady Southwest‘s flowers!
This was my first time seeing the Peeples Bar at the Rochester. If you’re local to Durango, you should definitely go check it out! They make super fun cocktails and have great service!
This evening also came together so well due to the hard work of the planners and coordinators from both River Bend Ranch and Perfect Day Company!
Fun fact: it was Emily’s dad, Grady’s, 80th birthday! So they, of course, had to have a special cake and birthday celebration for him! It was a perfect weekend for multiple family celebrations!
Zia Taqueria catering is always a crowd-pleaser for any event!
This welcome dinner was such a sweet time for all of Sterling and Emily’s guests to get together and catch-up before the business of the wedding day, itself!
Their guests came from all over the place! There were some from Texas, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, and even London! Such a testament to these two and how loved they are.
My favorite part of the night was listening to the speeches from all of their friends and family!
They included hilarious stories and sweet sentiments. It was an honor to get to witness!
Getting to be at Emily and Sterling’s Rochester Hotel welcome party and seeing all of the dynamics of this super fun group made me so stoked for their big day!
You can check out Emily and Sterling’s wedding day blog here!
Comments