11/25/2020 0 Comments

Snow Capped Summer

A Bride and Groom ski down the mountain after their vows in this beautiful Colorado themed wedding at the Black Mountain Lodge on top Arapahoe Basin ski area.

Ahhh, summertime in the Rockies. There's not much like it! Rolling green mountains, pines and aspen trees swaying in the wind, rushing waterfalls, hikers and mountain bikers, and....skiers?! In June?? June 29th, to be exact. We always say, "If you don't like the weather in Colorado, wait 20 minutes". Well, when Kendall + Dusty picked their end of June summertime wedding at the top of Arapahoe Basin, snow was the last thing we thought we'd have to deal with. Boy, were we wrong! Mother Nature had a different idea for the week of their mountaintop wedding and the snow poured down. We were in constant communication with our couple and the venue and the risk of postponement was on the horizon. Thankfully, the storm came and went and left behind a few feet of fresh powder - which now posed a new challenge - the mountain would be open for skiing on their wedding day.

In normal summer weather, the mountain would be closed for skiing and we would have the lodge staff drive up our vendor teams and decor on Snow Cats (super duty snow mobiles) while guests enjoyed a leisurely ride on an empty chair lift to the top. With an active ski run that day, the plans had to change. What was a new set of challenges to get everything we needed to the top of the mountain (trust me, "summer road" is a very loose term being thrown around for our commute to the top!), turned into an epic day to remember and an opportunity for our newlyweds that very few will ever experience.

Kendall and Dusty's mountain rustic-chic wedding was one for a skier's fairy tale. Personal touches included hand-carved aspen tree place card and table number holders - the table numbers were vintage mountain post cards - a cool cowhide adorned the ceremony space, surrounded by aspen trunks and overflowing flower arrangements, and soft tan leather straps hung tiny bouquets from the rows of chairs. Hints of antlers made their way into the decor - befitting a groom with the last name Buck. After the couple said their "I do's", the two slipped off their dress shoes and buckled into their ski boots for the most memorable recessional we've ever seen. They took their time as they skied hand-in-hand down the now closed ski run. They must have felt like the only two people in the world for those moments. Kendall said, "It gave us an opportunity to reflect on our new marriage and take in this incredible high we were feeling. It was really special to have this time for just the two of us".

With a kiss at the bottom and another ride back up the chair lift, the party was on. They celebrated the rest of the evening surrounded by friends, family, and loved ones who had traveled to the top of the world to see them wed. They danced all night with the band, shared cake and cocktails, and tried to take it all in. Kendall and Dusty certainly rolled with the punches in the days leading up to their wedding and their patience paid off. It just goes to show that sometimes our plans can change and sometimes they change for the better.