Receta Winter Park, Colorado Wedding
Is this not the most stunning location for a summer wedding?
Michaela and Kyle exchanged vows early Saturday evening on the top of a mountain in Winter Park, Colorado. The weather was perfect, the bride was absolutely gorgeous and the way the groom looked at her when she walked down the aisle made me cry.
Our day began just after 10:30 a.m. when the bridesmaids met up with the bride, her mother and her sister at The Salon at Winter Park to get our hair done. We snacked on bagels and fresh fruit and sipped on mimosas made with grapefruit juice while we took turns in the salon chair.
For every wedding I’ve been in, including my own, I’ve worn my hair up, so this time I decided to make a change and went up with a half up, half down undone look. I told the stylist I just wanted my hair to look voluminous and I didn’t want the curls to look too tight and “promy.”
This is the look she came up with:
Two and a half hours later, everyone’s hair was done and we drove back to the Zephyr Mountain Lodge to do our makeup, eat lunch and slip into our dresses before it was time for pictures.
When the flowers arrived, everything started to really feel real. Michaela and her sister and maid of honor, Maggie, carried vibrant bouquets while the rest of the bridesmaids walked down the aisle with bouquets of baby’s breath.
I thought the baby’s breath bouquets were so romantic and such a neat alternative to typical bridesmaid bouquets. We loved them!
Once the flowers arrived, we put on our dresses and waited for Michaela’s mom and sister to help her into her gown.
Our dresses were silk chiffon bridesmaid dresses from J.Crew. Michaela picked out the fabric and color and were were allowed to choose which style we wanted to wear for her wedding (as long as it was short) which I think we all really appreciated. Everyone could choose a dress that made them feel more comfortable, whether it be a strapless, v-neck or one-shoulder dress.
Michaela’s dress was breathtaking and when she walked out of the bedroom to show us, I cried. I think we all did!
Michaela looked so beautiful and I couldn’t help but think back over our 20 years of friendship. I couldn’t believe I was looking at Michaela the bride. She looked gorgeous!
Once Michaela was in her gown, it was time to head to the ski lift to ride up to the mountaintop for pictures.
When we arrived at the top of the mountain, Michaela and Kyle met privately with the photographer for their first look pictures. Of course we made Michaela give us all the details before the ceremony and she said she walked up behind Kyle and tapped him on the back. When he turned around and saw her he cried which made all of us smile! You gotta love a groom that cries at the sight of his bride!
As Michaela and Kyle were taking their pictures, we rounded up the bouquets for the bridesmaid pictures that were supposed to happen immediately after the first look photos. It was then that we realized Michaela’s bouquet was missing! Everyone was responsible for bringing their own bouquet up to the top of the mountain, but somehow the bride’s bouquet got completely overlooked. Yikes!
I made a quick call to Ryan who was hanging out with the other bridesmaid’s husbands and boyfriends after a day of mountain biking and gave him directions about where to look for the missing bouquet in Michaela’s parents’ suite. He had the woman at the front desk of the hotel escort him to the room, grabbed the bouquet and headed immediately up the ski lift to deliver it to the bride safe and sound.
Phew!
With the bride’s bouquet back in her hands, we walked around the other side of the lodge to take pictures with the most gorgeous mountain backdrop.
With pictures done, we headed back inside the lodge as the guests started to arrive and hid the bride in a big closet so no one would see her before the ceremony began at 5:30 p.m.
At this point, all of us were absolutely buzzing! It was almost time for Michaela to get married!
Soon the music started playing and it was time for us to walk down the aisle.
Michaela’s adorable nephew, Seamus, walked down the aisle right before her carrying two bright flowers to deliver to the mother of the bride and the mother of the groom.
The mother of the groom’s name is Jackie and Seamus also has an Uncle Jack, so he got a little confused about who was supposed to get the second flower after he gave the first one to his grandma. It was adorable to watch him walk over to his dad, his Uncle Jack and eventually make his way to Jackie.
Then it was time for Michaela’s father to walk her down the aisle.
She was gorgeous!
Once she joined Kyle at the alter, the officiant began the ceremony and then told everyone that Michaela and Kyle wrote their own vows and wanted to recite them for each other. They did not wear a microphone during the ceremony so their vows were hard to hear, but I caught a few words of Kyle’s vows that made me cry.
Where I struggle, you shine.
It’s so true. Michaela and Kyle seem to balance each other perfectly and are such a wonderful couple.
And now they are husband and wife!
Congratulations to Michaela and Kyle!!!
Reception recap to come!