An all-white color palette rounded out this summer celebration in Beaver Creek.
On New Year's Eve 2013, Lindsay Krizek was skiing down Beaver Creek Mountain when she saw a series of signs asking her to marry her girlfriend, Alyssa Done. Waiting at the bottom with a photographer, Alyssa was fairly certain of the answer. After all, both already wore engagement rings. They had tried on the diamond sparklers earlier that month and never taken them off (leading them to joke that they got engaged in a mall). But Alyssa, ever a romantic, wanted to do something special.
The slopeside proposal was fitting for the outdoorsy pair, whose first vacation had been to that very mountain. The couple had been together since shortly after they'd met at a Los Angeles bar three years earlier, when both were in school. They found they shared the same wicked sense of humor, and immediately clicked. "We just laughed," says Lindsay, a teacher from Kansas. Alyssa, a native Californian who works in branding, was struck by Lindsay's positive energy: "There was something so bright about her." After graduating, the pair moved together to Boulder, Colorado.
Lindsay had always hoped to marry in Beaver Creek, where her family has a house. So they decided to hold the secular ceremony on their property, and the reception at SaddleRidge, a nearby restaurant. The couple spent 18 months planning an elegant day focused on their loved ones. "We wanted them to feel included and special," says Alyssa. Each of the 55 guests received a personal note, a well-stocked hiking pack, and a boutonniere or corsage.
On Friday of the wedding weekend, a family-only rehearsal dinner at Grouse Mountain Grill was followed by a dessert-and-cocktail welcome party for all. The next day, on July 11, 2015, Alyssa and Lindsay processed to Lana Del Rey's "Young and Beautiful," played by a string quartet, and shared self-penned vows. There were jalapeño vodka cocktails in the venue's wood-paneled library, a dinner that began with sweet-corn purée and elk carpaccio, and a dance party that was particularly exuberant: Only two weeks before, the Supreme Court had legalized gay marriage. "It was such a historic time," Alyssa says. "Everyone was smiling." Especially the very happy brides.
The Invitations
After spotting her work in Martha Stewart Weddings, the couple asked Bryn Chernoff of Paperfinger to design all of their stationery. The hand-calligraphed suite, letterpressed on Crane & Co. paper, featured drawings of Lindsay's house, where the ceremony took place, and the other weekend venues. Chernoff also sketched wildflowers for custom envelope liners. Stamps, from My Vintage Post Office, showed Colorado and mountain scenes.
Welcome Backpacks
Guests received canvas and leather backpacks stuffed with local hiking essentials like Colorado Nut trail mix, Boulder Canyon chips, and Alpine Naturals lip balm. Water bottles from Discount Mugs were personalized with the couple's monogram, drawn by Bryn Chernoff of Paperfinger.
Lovely Ladies
Inspired by her mother's cascading bridal bouquet, Lindsay (right) carried peonies, clematis, sweet peas, and ranunculus in her bouquet made by Bare Root Flora. The gardenias in Alyssa's bouquet honored her late grandmother, who grew them in her garden.
Alyssa ordered her Naeem Khan dress just two weeks before the wedding, after her original choice got held up in customs. "I still can not believe that they made it happen for me," says Alyssa of the designer's quick turnaround. "It was meant to be." Lindsay wore a Temperley London gown and veil that she found online.
A Walk to Remember
Lindsay's father walked her down the aisle outside their home. Alyssa and her father walked from the opposite side at the same time.
The Ceremony
Alyssa's uncle offciated the ceremony, which was held with guests seated in the round.
Flowers for All
Alyssa made a linen pinboard for the boutonnieres. An enlarged pen-and-ink floral illustration, by Bryn Chernoff, mirrored the custom invitation envelope liners.
Family Time
Postceremony, the brides gathered with Alyssa's family—including her flower-girl niece and ring-bearer nephews.
An Elegant Reception
Custom pedestal vases filled with hydrangeas, peonies, clematis, lisianthus, and greenery towered over smaller bouquets.
Pretty Place Settings
Modern gold flatware and ceramic plates, topped with clematis, set the tone for the elegant four-course dinner.
The Wedding Cake
The fondant-covered cake by Megan Joy Cakes, flecked with gold leaf, alternated layers of molasses-spice cake and white butter cake.
The Reception
During the party, the brides and their loved ones popped into a photo booth, took to the dance floor, and enjoyed a handful of heartfelt speeches. At the end of the reception, Lindsay and Alyssa snuck off in a cream white 1977 Rolls-Royce for a romantic drive in the mountains. The car dropped them off at The Metropolitan, where the after-party continued until 2am.
Watch A Slow-Motion Video of the Fun by I Do Films
Sources
Reception venue and catering, SaddleRidge
Event planning, Kelly Karli Weddings & Events
Flowers, Bare Root Flora
Photography, Jose Villa
Videography, I Do Films
Calligraphy and stationery, Paperfinger
Cake, Megan Joy Cakes
Music, Masterful Musicians (ceremony); The Digital Pocket Project Featuring SammyT (reception)
Rentals and décor, Casa de Perrin; DesignWorks; Wildflower Linen
Lindsay's gown, Temperley London
Alyssa's gown, Naeem Khan
Lindsay's accessories, Phillips House earrings; Penny Preville rings; Manolo Blahnik shoes
Alyssa's accessories, Penny Preville jewelry; Christian Louboutin shoes
Hair, Kacee Picot and Inga Cox
Makeup, Divine Beauty Artists
Transportation, Zone Transportation
Beverages at ceremony, Petals & Pours
After-party location, The Metropolitan
Honeymoon planner, Ever After Honeymoons