We spent the happiest day of our lives in one of the most breathtaking places we've ever seen
We made the decision hands-down to have our destination wedding at Lake Tahoe for both for its pristine beauty and close proximity to secondary destinations: Yosemite, Reno, San Francisco, gold country, and wine country. We both enjoy outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, and snowboarding, and since Brandon had been a frequent guest of Heavenly, I proposed it as a potential venue. As soon as the aerial tram cleared the tree line, exposing the sparkling sapphire-blue lake below, we both knew – without a doubt – this would be our wedding location. During the planning process, we felt genuinely welcomed by the entire staff at Heavenly. We felt the team was extremely fun to work with and had wonderful ideas to help make our wedding a truly unique and unforgettable experience for us and our guests.
On our wedding day, guests were floored by the extreme “wow factor” of this venue: the aerial tram arrival to the ceremony and reception site, the vista views from Lakeview Lodge sundeck, the golden sunset around dinnertime, the fresh alpine breezes, the beautiful white granite boulders left decoratively strewn by mother nature, and an equally tantalizing menu to match. Heavenly Mountain Resort blended everything we could have wanted for our wedding and made our dream a reality. We spent the happiest day of our lives in one of the most breathtaking places we've ever seen. Even two years later, guests are still raving about our wedding. The bar had been raised. It was like none they’ve attended. Ever.
It was so us.
Our Perfect Heavenly Wedding
Our wedding could not have been more perfect. Within hours of Preston's proposal during a ski trip to Lake Tahoe, we started talking about the idea of bringing friends and family back for a destination wedding. We wanted a late summer wedding and knew that Lake Tahoe's 70-degree weather would be a nice break from the Texas heat. I started contacting coordinators at local venues right away. Something stood out about Heavenly. We knew that most of our guests would not have been to Lake Tahoe before, and loved the fact that guests would ride the Aerial Tram up the mountain. No other venue had such a spectacular view. Not knowing exactly how many guests we would have during the early planning stages, we liked Heavenly's flexibility on headcount and capacity to hold a large group. Another benefit was the privacy of the venue -- the lodge and Tram were closed off to everyone but our guests. All of that said, the real selling point for us was the Heavenly staff. As a new bride, I soon realized that the most important thing in working with wedding vendors is their responsiveness and attention to detail. I cannot say enough about how wonderful it was to work with the Heavenly coordinators. They always responded to emails and calls within hours. They provided excellent recommendations for outside vendors. The day of the wedding, they worked with each of them to make sure everything was set up just right.
Booking Heavenly was an easy choice -- the Lakeview Lodge offers a unique venue that shows off the beauty of Lake Tahoe. Our guests had a wonderful time and we are so grateful to everyone at Heavenly who made our wedding day so special.
We booked our wedding without even seeing the venue in person!
Our decision to get married in Breckenridge was an easy one- we met again after 10 years at a college reunion in Breckenridge, we got engaged in Breckenridge, and we wanted a mountain wedding. Ten Mile was the first place that popped up on our Google search and we fell in love with it...in fact we booked our wedding without even seeing the venue in person!
In searching for an outdoor location for our ceremony with an indoor reception area, we found that Ten Mile integrated the simple beauty of Summit County with world class event services. The one-stop shopping enabled us to choose from what Iconic Weddings offered without having to spend the time hiring outside vendors for all the little details- the last thing we wanted to do was to have to get price quotes from three different vendors for food, beverage, cake, table cloths, glassware, etc. We wanted to focus on making the venue reflect our personality with decorations and entertainment, and we were confident that whatever our choices with Iconic Weddings, they were going to be high class without being pretentious. For example, one of our favorite memories as a couple was the day we spent tasting all of the choices we had for dinner, wine and our cake – it was actually hard to decide because they were all so good, and Chef Paul even allowed us to mix and match some of the ingredients for the dinner items!
All of this was facilitated by our Iconic Wedding specialists who were integral in orchestrating the contractual issues and the wedding day schedule of events – it was such a relief to have a staff member dedicated to the logistics on the day of our wedding versus having to ask an aunt or other family member to help coordinate everything; this way all of our guests enjoyed themselves. We wrote our own ceremony and asked for input on how we could accomplish all that we wanted to include.
Aside from the efficient and hospitable service that we received, the venue itself was the perfect place for all our wedding needs- the downstairs room was set up in case we had a mid-afternoon shower (a frequent occurrence in the mountains); the bridal room was large enough for the entire party to get ready and hang out; we had a kids room set up with a TV and DVD player for the little ones; the dining room looked out to the mountains; the foyer made the perfect dance floor, and the bar area was great for people to hang out on the sidelines and observe. We even had a special request for a plate of our appetizers and a bottle of champagne to be waiting for us in a private room, immediately after the ceremony, so that we could steal a moment alone and feed our bellies!
But nothing can compare to the stunning views that were the natural backdrop for our ceremony and photographs. As I rounded the corner to walk down the aisle and meet my husband, I saw him framed by the mountains and was awe-struck by that fact that this sight would be in my memory forever! Our photographer had shot weddings at Ten Mile before and she knew just the right spots to capture the glory of our environment and the joy in our hearts!
We feel so blessed that we were able to create our dream wedding in the splendor of the Rocky Mountains as the flowers bloomed in August. And we look forward to returning to Ten Mile each winter as we enjoy a break from skiing Peak 9 to reminisce about our special day.
A fairy-tale wedding in Beaver Creek.
The blazing orange aspen trees, the Colorado blue sky and Beaver Creek Mountain set the idyllic backdrop for our fairytale Rocky Mountain wedding. Our friends and family enjoyed hiking from The Pines Lodge down to the village to explore the boutique shops and extraordinary collection of art galleries and restaurants. Those with young children tried their hand at miniature golf and the super trampoline, while the older and more adventurous "kids" rode the chairlift to enjoy a mountain top picnic and 360 degree views of the Rocky Mountains! Some of our friends even had the rare opportunity to listen to elk bugling from their balcony and there black bear roaming around the Lodge! The food was definitely one of the highlights from our special weekend but above all, the attention to detail and impeccable customer service left a lasting impression on us and our guests!
Spectacular Half Moon Wedding
Our wedding at Half Moon was nothing short of spectacular. We had a large guest list for a destination wedding (100 people) and with that came a lot of moving parts and extra coordination… I was blown away by how smoothly everything ran and how detail orientated Andrea and her team were. I cannot think of a better place to have a wedding than Half Moon… we'll be back to renew our vows in 5-10 years from now!
The need for snow brought us back to Colorado where we have been ever since!
Nate and I met through college friends in 2002, we established a strong friendship and mutual love for the beauty of Colorado’s mountains. When the snowboarding season finally ended in the spring of 2005, we moved to San Diego to try our luck at surfing. While our love blossomed in California, our need for snow brought us back to Colorado where we have been ever since.
In January 2007 Nate planned a surprise getaway in Breckenridge to propose. I excitedly agreed and planning was underway. We knew we didn’t want a cookie-cutter white walled banquet room for our reception, and we fell in love with The Maggie as soon as we peeked through the windows. The Maggie felt like a place where we wanted to hang out with our closest friends, which is exactly what we wanted for our wedding. After two and half years of planning, our wedding turned out to be better than we or anyone expected!
Our wedding was picture perfect. We spent three days before the wedding with our friends and family eating fabulous food, enjoying the swimming pool, shopping on Main Street, mountain biking, and generally relaxing. Our creekside ceremony location was gorgeous; a perfect backdrop of Aspen trees, snowy peaks of the Ten Mile range and crystal blue skies. In the end, our wedding was about spending time in nature and having a blast at our reception, which blend together perfectly at The Maggie.
I can't believe how many people used photos of our wedding as their Holiday cards this year!
Thank you so much for your help with our Ski Tip Rehearsal Dinner and Back Ranch wedding preparations. Everything went off without a hitch! The dinner at the Ski Tip was AMAZING. The Dessert Welcome Reception following the dinner was a great way for families and friends to get to know one another before the start of the festivities and as I learned throughout the weekend, Ned's desserts never disappoint. In fact, one of our favorite pre-planning events was the consultation with Chef Ned Archibald. You can never go wrong with Mimosa's and cake! And you could tell Ned really cared about creating a cake that fit our event.
The whole wedding party lodged in East Keystone and the accommodations were perfect. From horseback riding to hiking, golf tournaments and getting pampered at the spa, the whole week was a whirlwind of activities and a real vacation for the families who travelled to see us. As for the wedding, I can't even begin to explain how truly great it was to to take wagon drawn by horses with my best friends and my Dad to the wedding location and see all of our friends and family waiting for us and of course, Ryan at the altar! Everyone at the Keytone Stables was great to work with and so friendly. I can't believe how many people used photos of our wedding as their Holiday cards this year! Thanks again for making this an experience of a lifetime for me and my family.
It will definitely be a memory that will last forever in our minds and hearts.
We have finally made it back to the states. After two weeks in Jamaica we didn't want to come back.
Thank you again for treating us so well during our visit. This was truly an experience like no other and we are so happy to have gotten married at Half Moon. In fact it’s something we have been proud off for the wonderful service and attention to detail for our special day.
It will definitely be a memory that will last forever in our minds and hearts. Thanks again for everything