This Couple Tied the Knot Over 10,000 Feet Above Sea Level at a Venue Only Accessible by Gondola!

Lauren Megerdichian
January 3, 2023
Categories: Real Weddings, Romantic, The Blog

Fly above the clouds to a romantic ceremony and epic reception in the Rockies with today’s gorgeous real wedding planned by Simplify Telluride. The sweet couple tied the knot at San Sophia Overlook at Telluride Ski Resort, a location so special it’s only accessible by gondola… talk about an entrance your guests won’t soon forget! Bows and Arrows delivered a burst of wildflower magic to the mountains in the form a living aisle and lush chuppah, dressed in lavender and cream hues. Mountain brides, don’t miss out on the full gallery soaring with endless inspiration – all taken by Nate Puhr!

Joy and Zach met in November of 2019 through the dating app, Hinge. They started officially dating six weeks after their first date, and said “I love you” three weeks after that. “It was an easy and exciting love, with immense certainty that this was ‘it’ for the both of us,” shares Joy.

On June 18, 2021, the pair both had the day off from work and decided to make brunch reservations at the Loeb Boathouse in Central Park. The lakeside restaurant was a favorite of theirs, and the perfect outing for a summer day. Upon entering the park, Zach began to weave them through the manicured pathways, eventually landing upon the Conservatory Water. It was at the famous Model Boat Pond that Zach got down on one knee and proposed, eliciting uncontrollable tears of happiness and excitement. It was only after the tears had cleared that Joy learned the boathouse reservation was only a ruse to get her to the park, and brunch was to be saved for another day. The rest of the day (and weekend) was filled with surprises from family and friends, and even a surprise photoshoot to capture their Central Park proposal.

It was at the end of the weekend, after a series of nine celebratory surprises, that Joy asked Zach what made him want to plan so much for their proposal. He answered by saying, “I wanted the proposal to be so much more than just one moment so that your feeling of excitement and happiness would never end.” Zach and Joy got married on August 21, 2022 in Telluride, Colorado. Joy shares, “As an event planner in New York City, I have produced countless events across the city, getting to know the local venues and staff on a personal level. To find a New York venue that didn’t remind me of work would have been a challenge, and I wanted our wedding day to be completely ours. Two weeks after our engagement, Zach and I traveled to Telluride, Colorado to visit his parents. Over the course of our relationship, Telluride had become one of our favorite destinations and places to be. It always felt like a little sliver of magic that we were so lucky to call our home away from home. It was on this trip that we realized there’s no better place to get married than Telluride. To be able to celebrate our love in our favorite place, surrounded by our favorite people, would be the greatest gift.”

Now, they knew that getting married in the mountains would call for a very different type of wedding than their family and friends were used to. Instead of fighting the differences between the two coasts, they embraced them. “We strived to create a wedding that celebrated the ease and charm of the West Coast, while maintaining the elegance of the East Coast. Our goal was to design a wedding that felt unique, memorable, and most importantly, fun. Our ceremony took place at San Sophia Overlook, a mountain-top ceremony site overlooking the town of Telluride and the San Juan mountains. As the venue is located 10,540 ft above sea level, the only way to access the site is by gondola. This unique method of transportation was an unusual and exciting way for our guests to enter the wedding ceremony. As the ceremony site featured the most stunning mountain views, our goal was to complement the natural surroundings and not compete with it. We wanted to have a traditional chuppah that is customary in Jewish weddings, but design a structure that enhanced the scenery. A growing aisle of greenery and wildflowers lead to the chuppah, comprised of cream and lavender tones to mirror the mountains. The overgrown aisle led directly up the chuppah walls, creating a romantic and natural design that felt as though it was growing from the ground up. The top of the chuppah remained bare so that the beautiful backdrop could shine through.”

The reception was held in a barn mid-mountain, providing breathtaking views of the Wilson Mountain Range. The theme of rustic-elegance carried through the cocktail hour and reception, touching all aspects of the event from the music to the design. As guests entered the venue, servers passed specialty cocktails that complemented the setting, including Joy’s favorite “Ranch Water” and an aptly named “San Sophia Spritz”. Escort cards were displayed in a flower-filled truck, putting a fun spin on the traditional seating table, and offering an informal photo moment for guests. The cocktail hour took place on the outdoor deck and a live band specializing in country music helped set the scene. With the sun beginning to set over the mountains, they were able to take advantage of the beautiful scenery and host their special dances on the outdoor deck, with all their family and friends in view. “This moment will always be one of our favorites,” reflects Joy. As guests entered the venue for the reception, the barn doors were decorated with overflowing greenery and floral, creating a welcoming entrance and focal point. “We used the upper deck of the barn for a seated dinner, which allowed for an intimate dining experience with our family and friends.” Through design, the reception space felt like a continuation of the outdoors. Ceiling beams were organically wrapped with loose greenery, and tables alternated between tall branch-like arrangements and mono- botanical centerpieces. An abundance of candlelight was used throughout the upper deck to create a soft glow during dinner. “It was through the balance of floral and design that we were able to lean into the rustic barn aesthetic, but maintain an elevated feel. Post-dinner guests were ushered downstairs for dancing. It was important to us that the dance floor felt upbeat and high-energy, as our guests had been sitting through the full dinner service. We worked on a tight setlist with our band and made sure to eliminate any slow songs from the mix. Shout, which is Zach’s favorite wedding song, was given an incredible twist by the band, making it a highlight for many of our guests. Light-up cowboy hats were passed around the dance floor, adding to the fun energy and electric feel.

“Zach and I always wanted our wedding to be unique, memorable, and fun. To achieve this, we focused on a few ‘surprise and delight’ moments that strayed from a conventional wedding. As part of our cocktail reception, we created a hidden whiskey bar in one of the historic saloons on property. We left the saloon outfitted as it typically is, with animal skin rugs, wooden benches, and a potbelly fireplace. We loved that the bar was found via word-of-mouth and added a fun western touch to the cocktail hour. While we were adamant about having a traditional wedding cake, we were open to doing something a little more unconventional for a dessert station. By utilizing the existing fire pits on the outer deck, we were able to create a deluxe s’mores station for our guests. This gave our family and friends a unique activity post-dinner and allowed everyone to spend a little more time outside. The blend between the indoors and outdoors was key for us, and the pop-up dessert station was the perfect way to bring guests from one space to another.

While our wedding ceremony was full of traditions including a customary bridal party, tallit chuppah, and breaking of the glass, we still wanted it to feel uniquely ours. We personalized our ceremony by writing our own vows to each other, keeping the vows hidden from each other until our wedding ceremony. This allowed us to be truly present during the ceremony, as the emotions of giving and receiving such powerful promises are once in a lifetime. We plan to print our vows into keepsake books so that we will always have them to look back on. Additionally, we asked Zach’s best friend of over 25 years to be our officiant, instead of a traditional Jewish rabbi. Having someone so meaningful to us perform our wedding ceremony was one of our greatest and easiest decisions. We were able to go into our wedding weekend feeling confident that we were in good hands, and that one of our best friends would be able to share this lifelong memory with us.

The dress code for our wedding was black-tie optional, giving guests the opportunity to dress in black tie or formal attire. It was important to us that our wedding felt elevated but also appropriate for our mid-mountain reception. Zach custom designed a navy tuxedo at the Knot Standard showroom in New York. While Zach was open to wearing a suit at our wedding, I had always envisioned him in a classic tuxedo. We were able to meet in the middle and design a navy tux with black detailing, a look that felt sophisticated yet relaxed. Zach paired his custom tuxedo with black velvet loafers from To Boot New York. His wedding look was completed with Cartier cufflinks that were engraved with our initials and wedding date, and a new Rolex watch, gifted to him by his two brothers.

As I searched for my wedding dress, I had no idea of what I wanted. This flexibility made the process easier and harder at the same time. I was not limited with my offerings, but I had no clear direction to follow. It wasn’t until my associate at Mark Ingram Atelier provided the perfect solution. Upon giving her a few key words, including sleek, elegant, and fashion-forward, she was able to search through the salon inventory and pull out a dress she knew would be ‘the one’. And of course, she was right. I fell in love with the Mark Ingram Collection dress immediately, loving the clean lines, architectural neckline, and modern side-slit. I paired my wedding dress with Jimmy Choo heels and pearl earrings that were borrowed from my mother. These earrings were so special to me, as they were also worn by my sister on her wedding day. I loved feeling like we were all connected.”