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Melissa + Mike  |  A summer family mountain top micro-wedding in Beaver Creek, Colorado

7/25/2022

2 Comments

 
Their Story:  “Our relationship began at a local charity event. We had met a few times previously, but the timing was not quite right. We got engaged in Colorado in November of 2021. We think the area is so beautiful and relatively close to Michigan for ease of travel.”

Wedding Details: we first started working with Melissa and Mike through our ceremony site report in which they identified their top priorities as having a unique mountain setting and to have fun while enjoying the surroundings.  Though initially they wanted to stay below 8,000 above sea level (they are from Florida), they soon realized that some of the most dramatic mountain scenery is either around that elevation of 8,000 feet or slightly above it.  They ended up loving Beaver Creek for its high-end luxury accommodations and dining.  And tough Beaver Creek is around 8,000, they decided to “go rogue”, purchase foot passes and ride the gondola to the top of the 11,440 feet Beaver Creek Ski Resort.   On the wedding day, they found their wedding deck to be unoccupied and hijacked it for their tiny micro wedding with just their four kids.  

For the other details and logistics:  Melissa and Mike stayed at the Ritz-Carlton Beaver Creek where they rented a suite for getting ready.  After their first-look just themselves, and then the kids, they boarded the iconic Beaver Creek transportation (yes, its how almost everyone at the resort gets around - just easier) to the base area where they they walked to the gondola & chair lift.  After their ceremony, we spent a little time at the top of the mountain before returning to Beaver Creek Village where they popped some bubbly, and poured it in customized glass to cheer their new marriage.  Upon returning to the Ritz-Carlton, they had arranged and outdoor table with their in-house restaurant for a semi-private dining experience. 

Tips and Ideas:  Many of Colorado ski resorts have official wedding decks, venues or ceremony sites that are on top of the mountain.  But, they tend to accommodate the large 100-person plus groups.  So, when we plan small mountain-top micro weddings at ski resorts, we “go rogue”:  purchase chair lift or gondola foot passes, ride as a group to the top of the mountain, walk to a semi-private scenic area at the top, stand around and exchange vows.  This works well for both summer/fall weddings as well as winter/spring weddings.  But, of course you have to plan for when the gondolas will be operating because they do shut down in the off-seasons for maintenance (which is usually mid-April through mid-June and then again October through mid-November).  There are a couple of tips for this type of wedding.  First, make sure to have a back-up plan in the event of inclement weather as the gondolas/lifts will shut down if there are high winds and/or lightening. Also plan for gondola transport time in the overall timing/sequencing:  it takes time to load and of course time for the ride.  Know that the top of the mountains will have lower temperatures than the base areas.  So yes - even for summer weddings, bring that sweater, shawl, fur, blanket or windbreaker.  We recommend doing a private first-look before heading over to the gondola as the logistics of “herding cats” can be challenging.  Then finally, limit your group size to 20 people or less.  This is simply for logistics and keeping your group easily together.  If this sort of unique Colorado mountain wedding experience is what you are looking for, please contact Wendee to get started planning your mountain top wedding.  🎉 
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​​Photographer: Andrea Flanagan Photography  |  Florist: Stefanie Hofmeister  |  Baker: La Patisserie Francaise
Officiant: Judge O'Connor  |   Hair & Makeup: Divine Beauty Artists |  Lodging:  Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch |  Dinner: The Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch
2 Comments
Colleen
2/12/2024 01:48:00 pm

Interested in an non denominational offitiant and one tier cake and bouquet with hair and makeup on top of a snowy mountain!

Reply
Wendee, Planner link
2/13/2024 07:20:48 am

Hi Colleen, That is totally doable and one of our favortie formats. We also include a professional, experienced photographer in the package as well. For elopements, here is a link to a price estimator: https://www.customweddingsofcolorado.com/how-much-does-a-small-wedding-cost.html. I do recommend Vail, Keystone, Winter Park or Beaver Creek for on-mountain winter weddigns.

Monica and Stacey did csomething very similar to what you are envisioning.... they had a few guests travel along with them: https://www.customweddingsofcolorado.com/vail_elopement_package.html

Allie and Duncan did an elopment near Beaver Creek, but not on top of the mountain: https://www.customweddingsofcolorado.com/alli-duncan-winter-elopement-package-in-the-colorado-rockies.html

There are lots of options for you. So, feel free to contact me and we can design something that will fit your needs and vision 🎉🥂 ~ Wendee

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    Wendee Vezzetti

    Mother, teacher, planner, gardener, mountain biker, entrepreneur, librarian, hiker, snowboarder, reader, chocoholic, trail runner and creative.  Wendee has been planning weddings in Colorado since 1995.  In 2012, she decided to "go small" and only plans micro-weddings & elopements with 35 or fewer guests.  Contact Wendee to get started planning your intimate small Colorado wedding. 

    Wendee-Vezzetti
    Contact Wendee >>>
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    About Wendee

    I've been planning weddings since 1995 when I moved to Colorado from Iowa.  I cut my teeth at Keystone Resort in their wedding department, then ventured on to planning corporate meetings.  But, I kept helping friends, and their friends with weddings, eventually starting my first full-service company in 2002 (yes - planned the big overwhelming ones).  In 2012 with the birth of my son, values shifted and I decided to "go small" with intimate and meaningful micro-weddings  Please connect with me to  make your dreamy, simple mountain wedding come true!  ​

    Behind the Scenes

    Ever wonder what goes on behind-the-scenes of a micro-wedding day?  Jaime L. Barba, one of our talented professional photographers, captured me at work from one of our May 2023 weddings in Boulder, Colorado.  Enjoy! .... and yes, she does wedding-day content creation (a great alternative if you cannot afford videography) for couples as well as photography. 

    Content Creation

    What is a wedding day content creator?  It’s someone who is there on your wedding day taking pictures on a cell phone (or in Jaime's case, her professional equipement), documenting behind-the-scenes moments, capturing and telling stories, and delivering short-form media content of your wedding day in real-time.  Checkout one from our  September 2023 weddings  ⬇️.  ​

    Contact Wendee >>>
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Custom Weddings of Colorado

Colorado's best planner for intimate weddings, elopements and micro-weddings.  Starting her event career in 1995, Wendee said "goodbye" to planning large weddings in 2012 and has since been specializing in small weddings & elopements. Based in the Western suburbs of Denver-Bouder, servicing the Central Colorado Mountains such as Estes Park, Winter Park, Grand Lake, Vail, Breckenridge, and beyond.
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