Colorful and Fashionable Colorado Summer Wedding in the Mountains

Lauren Megerdichian
December 4, 2023
Categories: The Blog

[section title=”The Planning”]

[field title=”Wedding Colors”]yellows, peaches, fuchsias, oranges, lilacs and hints of blue[/field]

[field title=”Design / Vibe / Vision”]We envisioned a tented reception being surrounded by the beautiful scenery Colorado has to offer. I wanted everything to feel elegant, yet organic and rustic. We hosted four events throughout the weekend, and I wanted to make sure everyone got to bond and get to know each other! We wanted to do a destination wedding so everyone could experience the beauty of Colorado and have that vacation mindset! [/field]

[field title=”Proposal Story”]Harrison and I originally met at a bar in the Hamptons in 2017, but did not start dating until we were set up by his friend’s wife in October of 2018! We funnily enough have selfies from the first night we met on a friend’s phone that surfaced about six months into dating. Fun fact, I remembered Harrison from the night in the Hamptons but he did not remember me! Fast forward 3 years into dating…Harrison told me he wanted to get tacos for lunch at this spot near our apartment along the water. I was adamant about having leftover turkey burgers because I hate food waste, but he was persistent. When we arrived the restaurant, Harrison looked around and then got down on one knee!!! I was shocked to say the least and got down on one knee too! Our friends were in a bush hiding taking pictures of us from afar and it was all so perfect. I am the ugliest crier and these pictures always make me laugh so much because they illicit so much emotion. The restaurant was a ploy because it was a great photo opportunity right along the water. We walked back to our apartment and our family and friends were waiting inside to celebrate. [/field]

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[board_carousel title=”Getting Ready”]

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[board_carousel title=”Flat Lays”]

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[section title=”The Fashion”]

[field title=”Wedding Gown”]When it came to my dress, I knew I wanted something different. striking, and with floral details, but most of all comfortable. I tried on the Reem Acra Chrysler dress early on in the search at a department store, but it had a white lining and I wanted something more sheer so I kept looking. I was between a few others, but I went straight to Reem Acra and we customized the Chrysler dress with a nude lining to really allow for the flowers and crystals to pop. This was the dress of my dreams and the hand sewn flower appliques and crystals really fit in with the aesthetic of the wedding. The flowers were not perfectly placed which I loved, making it feel organic. I also had a custom veil made with matching flowers and crystals which added to the drama of the dress. The dress is also from their Love From New York wedding collection which was fun because I got to bring a little bit of New York to Colorado! As for shoes, I wanted to be comfortable yet again so I opted for a block heel by René Caovilla. I kept jewelry to a minimum and wore my engagement ring, a diamond tennis bracelet and my day-to-day diamond pave hoops.[/field]

[field title=”Bridesmaid Dresses”]My bridesmaids each got to choose a dress of a specific color and the brands ranged from Vera Wang, Zhivago, Cinq a Sept and a custom dress by Andrea’s Fashions in Beverly Hills.[/field]

[field title=”Groomsman Attire”]Harrison wore a custom tuxedo by Alan David Custom with custom Del Toro slippers with our wedding date etched on the sole along with Jan Leslie shark cufflinks (both gifted by my parents and an ode to Montauk where we met) and a limited edition Cartier Santos watch I had gifted him prior to the wedding.[/field]

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[board_carousel title=”Wedding Party”]

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[board_carousel title=”Ceremony”]

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[board_carousel title=”Cocktail Hour”]

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[section title=”The Details”]

[field title=”Food & Drink”]Guests were greeted with champagne at the ceremony which set the celebratory mood! My signature drink was a Spicy Margarita with a Tajin rim and Harrison’s was a Gin Basil Smash. Cocktail hour food consisted of pigs in a blanket, lamb chops, shrimp cocktail, vegetable spring rolls, crudité, and a glorious charcuterie station. For dinner, guests were served a pear salad, miso glazed cod or short rib followed by cake and an ice cream sundae bar! At the after party, we had a lot of late night snacks consisting of chicken fingers, fries, sliders and lots of candy! [/field]

[field title=”Florals & Decor”]When it came to décor, I wanted to stray away from the typical white floral wedding and go bright! The Colorado mountains, sunsets and wildflowers are all so captivating and I wanted to embrace that in everything from the flowers to all of the fine details. I wanted everything to feel elegant, yet organic and rustic. We chose a palette of yellows, peaches, fuchsias, oranges, lilacs and hints of blue and decided to run with it and go wild. We worked with Lauren Benson from Four 13 Designs who brought our vision to life with our invitations that featured a watercolor sunset and mountain liner, pressed floral details and a custom leather belly band imprinted with our logo. Lauren went above and beyond with all the wedding details and signage which included a lot of pressed flowers and custom etched bud vases with guest’s names and table number in place of a traditional seating chart. These were wonderful because our guests took them home as a keepsake! The Perfect Petal understood the assignment of a wildflower organic garden party with all the florals from the Chuppah to the centerpieces. My favorite aspect was the flower installation over the black and white dance floor. This was originally supposed to go over the head table, but we decided to move it over the dance floor and I am so happy with that decision! It was so fun to dance under all the flowers and it made for great photos.[/field]

[field title=”Wedding Cake”]I am gluten and dairy free so I let Harrison take the reins on this one! We had half cannoli and half s’mores and it was a hit. It was decorated with fresh flowers to fit the wild flower vibe.[/field]

[field title=”Readings, Ceremony Music, Reception Songs”]The ceremony was held outside, and we were surrounded by nature, a bright blue sky and everyone we love. The aspen trees were shimmering in the breeze and we were taking it all in. The ceremony was extremely sentimental because we both honored our grandparents with the tallis and Kiddush cups that belonged to them. It was as if they were present. Harrison and the bridal party walked down the aisle to a string version of “In Your Eyes” by Peter Gabriel and I walked down the aisle to a string version of “Learn to Fly” by Foo Fighters. Our dog Georgia was a special part of the weekend and my sister, Matron of Honor walked her down the aisle which was adorable. She was wearing a flower collar that Perfect Petal made for her and stole the show. One thing I was happy about was deciding to read our vows at the ceremony. We were originally going to read them at the Ketubah signing prior with just immediate family and bridal party and shifted last minute. It was beyond special to share this intimate moment with our guests and everyone got a glimpse of our love for each other. After we were pronounced husband and wife, we walked back down the aisle to a string version of “Toxicity” by System of a Down. It was silly because those that know the band were laughing and others just thought it was a beautiful song. We are both very into music and it played such a crucial role throughout the night.[/field]

[field title=”Special Detail #1″]Call us crazy, but we booked this as our venue without ever having seen it in person! We envisioned a tented reception being surrounded by the beautiful scenery Colorado has to offer. We had only been to Vail proper and all of those venues did not allow for a tent. We didn’t want to drag people to Colorado to have a ballroom reception, so we stumbled upon the Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch which allowed for a tent on the grand lawn. We visited a year before in the summer and it exceeded all expectations. We knew we had made the perfect venue choice.[/field]

[field title=”Special Detail #2″]8 months before the ceremony, we had a Ketubah signing in LA with close family and friends so my grandmothers could sign our Ketubah. My grandma Marilynn on my mother’s side had just been diagnosed with ALS and my grandma Ruth on my father’s side was 97. I am so lucky that they signed our Ketubah because my grandma Marilynn passed away in May and my grandma Ruth passed away 4 days after our wedding at 98 years old. The ceremony was extra special and sentimental and in April, we did our first dance for my grandma right before she passed. [/field]

[field title=”Special Detail #3″]When the band started playing Blink-182, Harrison and I jumped on stage and started singing with the band for 3 songs! This resulted in me crowd surfing, which I highly recommend! None of it was planned, just pure adrenaline making it seem like a concert.[/field]

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[board_carousel title=”Couple Portraits”]

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[board_carousel title=”Reception”]

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