by Sharon Auld

Kimi and Scott were married amongst family and friends in the beautiful Rocky Mountains. Kimi, an Olympic Snowboarder, and Scott a physiologist and trainer for several top-level skiers, had run into to each other several times over several different mountains, before Scott made the first move and talked to Kimi. It wasn’t long before the two were inseparable! It was only natural that the pair, who had an immense love of the mountains, chose to be married surrounded by breathtaking peaks.

The couple chose Emerald Lake Lodge because not only were they engaged in the mountains, but Kimi considered Emerald Lake as “the most romantic place on earth!” We couldn’t agree more!

Kimi had a good vision of what she wanted for their wedding day. She wanted a natural and understated wedding with a “camp-like” feel that would be enjoyable for their guests. Kimi described her vision for their fall wedding as “rustic, intimate and fun”.  Kimi has an amazing sense of style and chose, a fun, youthful palette of Orange (the Pantone color of 2012) and Turquoise for their wedding. Orange is Kimi’s favorite color (she even has a pair of orange racing boots) and the “emerald” waters was her inspiration for the turquoise.

Kimi and Scott chose a fall wedding date in attempt to accommodate all her high-performance skier and snowboarder friends before the first World Cup of the season. They rented out the entire island of Emerald Lake Lodge so that the place would be completely theirs!

One of the biggest challenges from a design perspective was choosing a ceremony location to seat 150+ guests! It was very important for Kimi to seat all her guests. Emerald Lake Lodge is literally an island and although there are beautiful lookouts for smaller or standing ceremonies, we knew we would have to get creative for designing a large ceremony set up.

Out of necessity really, the idea to have the ceremony on the bridge leading across to the island, was born! Kimi and Scott would have the first large wedding ceremony ever to take place on the bridge! We decided to utilize the middle of the bridge and we built a small platform in the middle of the bridge, not only because only it had the best view of Mount Burgess, but  it also allowed guests to see the couple better as the bridge is somewhat long and narrow. Kimi, the bridesmaids and flowergirls came in from one end, while Scott and the guys had come in from the other end. The length of the bridge was lined with an orange aisle runner.

We made rustic wood pillars for the ceremony focal point as we didn’t want to detract from the beautiful view of the mountains.

I love how their marriage commissioner, Robin White is wearing an Orange tie!

Kimi knew exactly what song she wanted to walk down the aisle to, so we spent time trying to find a musician or band that would fit the bill perfectly! On this perfect fall day, guests were treated to the vocal stylings of Joceyln Alice, as the Kimi walked down the aisle to her song; a beautiful rendition of  “Marry Me” by Train!

During the cocktail reception, guests were treated to more music by the live band featuring Jocelyn Alice and  Kimi and Scott’s Signature Cocktail!

Space was a again a consideration for the reception. The amount of guests and the space dictated that there would be three distinct seating areas. Kimi wanted all her guests to feel included and special, so we decided on several long tables instead of smaller groupings in the deck areas of the lodge. This made for a more inclusive and intimate feel. In the other two spaces we decided on an eclectic mix of rounds and rectangles.

For the head table, we decorated the mantle with wood letters, and we also made orange felt “Mr” and “Mrs” chair signs, as well as a colorful, wooden “Just married” banner to adorn the table.

We have so many more details we would love to share with you! But first…

Along with a photo booth, complete with orange, damask backdrop, orange feather boa and other props, one of the highlights of the reception was the groom’s “Beer and Chocolate Tasting”. Beer and chocolate are two of Scott’s favorite things, so it was a natural fit to pair dark ales with sweet overtones, and chocolate together. Here’s a “taste”!

I just love that Kimi and Scott are so in love and it shows!

Stay tuned; lots of Juicy Orange details to come in Love in the Rockies, Part 2!

Happy Planning!

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