Q&A with the Bride and Groom, Lauren and Ben: 

How did you meet?

Ben and I met at Arapahoe Basin through ski patrol. We share a strong love for the mountains and spend most of our weekends in Summit county so it was really important to us to get married there. We really tried to make this wedding our own, while making sure everyone has a great time.

Tell us about your wedding! What was the inspiration behind your day? Did you have a specific theme, style or color palette? Did you incorporate any cultural or religious traditions in any part of your day?

We really wanted our wedding in the mountains and to share the beautiful location with our family and friends.  Keystone Ranch was the only venue we looked at because it fulfilled all our wants and needs.  We wanted to be in the mountains without being too remote so our guests could enjoy everything there is to offer.  Great food and drinks were a must too!  I love the color purple, always have.  All my bridesmaids were able to pick a shade of purple (lilac, lavender, etc) and the style they wanted.  The only requirement was that it needed to be long and not the same as anyone else!  I loved the way it turned out and I'm glad my bridesmaids didn't have to spend $200+ on their gowns.

Let's talk wedding decor. How did you decorate your space for the ceremony and the reception? Was any part of the decor DIY?

 I wanted flowers and candles and that's about it.  The Keystone Ranch building is so unique with it's original wood that I felt like it didn't need much more.  Petal and Bean were amazing at re-purposing flowers from the ceremony into the reception, which saved us a little money!  The garland on the arch was used on the fireplace mantel and the bridesmaids bouquets were set on the tables.  We wanted to give our guests favors that were realistic so we personalized reusable water bottles with the mountain image we used on our invitations.  We filled them with sunscreen, lip balm, and candy.  I ordered all the materials and put them together with a note to all our guests, saying thank you for coming. 

Did you personalize the day in any way (food trucks, guest entertainment etc.)? What were some of your favorite parts of your wedding?

Ben and I love the mountains and skiing so we had the table names as ski resorts we've skied together.  I wanted to do something special during the ceremony without adding too much time so we decided on a wine box tradition.  Ben and I wrote each other notes the day of and put them in a box with a bottle of wine that we open, read the notes, and enjoy the bottle of wine on our first anniversary.  We plan on continuing this tradition every year.  Our officiant explained this to our guests and so many people loved it! A few even said they were going to copy it.

Do you have any wedding planning or marriage advice that you'd like to share with other couples planning their day?

Make it your own!  Add personal touches, even if they are small like meaningful table names.  Don't do anything you don't want to do and make sure you have fun!  It goes by so fast but it's all so worth it.