Originally posted on https://www.brides.com/whimsical-beaver-creek-wedding-6499495
When Chloe Lewis and James “Jim” Rosen attended a friend’s wedding in 2015, they weren’t expecting to find their own happily ever after. It all started when the two were seated next to each other at the rehearsal dinner. After delivering speeches, they headed over to a nearby hotel with the rest of the wedding party for a nightcap. “We sat at the end of the bar as, one by one, our friends trickled back up to their rooms without disturbing us,” the couple reflects. “We remained engrossed in conversation until 3 a.m.” Chloe and Jim spent the following night together on the dance floor, and the rest was history.
Fast forward to Thanksgiving Day in Chicago in 2019. Every year, Chloe runs the turkey trot with her best friend Roo, but that year, she waited on the sidelines due to a stress fracture. Once Jim and Roo crossed the finish line, Jim insisted on taking photos. Chloe wasn’t having it. “I realized I not only forgot to put on makeup and deodorant that day, but I also forgot a bra,” she recalls. After Chloe reluctantly accepted, Jim got down on one knee, and the whole crowd cheered. “We started high-fiving and hugging total random strangers because why not?” the couple recounts. “They were all a part of this insane and beautiful and hilarious and wonderful moment.” Once they got home, another surprise was waiting for them. Jim’s parents had flown in from New Jersey to celebrate their engagement. “It was a gosh dang Thanksgiving to remember,” she summarizes.
Since the couple started planning their wedding during the pandemic, they encountered countless setbacks, especially last-minute cancellations from guests. “We spent a lot of time changing up tables and moving people around,” Chloe remembers. For the most part, however, the couple found the planning process to be enjoyable, thanks to their vendor team. “Our vendors were so organized and creative that they could take our out-of-the-box ideas and make them a reality,” she says. “It was honestly so fun and rewarding, and we wish we could do it again.”
Another seamless part of planning their nuptials was choosing their location—Beaver Creek, Colorado. Chloe has been visiting the mountain town with her family since she was born. Once she started dating Jim, they bonded over their love of nature, so it only made sense to swap vows amid the mountainous terrain. “As avid skiers, hikers, and adventurers, the two of us fell in love with the mountains all over again together and felt like there was no better place to express our love, feel close to nature, and showcase our personality than outside in the mountains,” they share.
On July 10, 2021, Chloe and Jim tied the knot at The Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch with 180 guests in attendance. Keep reading to see how their special day unfolded, planned by Jennifer Pletcher of Gemini Planning & Design and photographed by Shane Macomber Weddings.
Since Chloe and Jim are nature enthusiasts, they wanted their stationery suite to reflect that shared interest. The great outdoors became a recurring theme they used throughout their wedding décor. “We worked with Sophie from Sweet Zion Paperie to create a narrative with our two favorite animals, a bear and a bald eagle, on the save-the-dates, invitations, and table numbers,” they say. To set the tone of their elegant mountain wedding, they also included a watercolor illustration of their venue and an amended quote from one of the couple’s favorite songs, “Farmhouse” by Phish.
Chloe spent the morning of her wedding day getting ready with her bridesmaids. The bride and her squad were clad in white pajamas with navy piping and a mermaid motif.
Chloe embraced a glowy makeup look that accentuated her features. “I wanted to look like myself, but the best version of myself,” she notes. “I wanted to be comfortable and natural, but beautiful. I don’t think I’ve ever felt as beautiful as I did on my wedding day.”
For her hairstyle, the bride had her locks tied back in a low ponytail with a pink ribbon. “I saw how Monique [Lhuillier] had styled the hair for the model who wore my dress in their Lake Como shoot on Instagram. I knew I wasn’t wearing a veil, so I thought, ‘How pretty–just a simple ribbon,’” Chloe explains. “I’d never seen that before and thought it would be a fun and simple thing to emulate. I’m so glad I did.” She also doused herself in Monique Lhuillier’s Eau de Parfum.
Chloe sported a tulle A-line Monique Lhuillier gown with flutter sleeves, a deep V-neck, and colorful embroidered flowers and butterflies. “It was the first dress I tried on,” the bride reminisces. “I never imagined I’d have ‘that bridal moment,’ but as soon as I put it on, I burst into tears.”
The groom changed into a navy blue tuxedo with black lapels from Suitsupply, a white tuxedo shirt from The Armoury, a black bow tie, and Artemis Design Co. slippers. To personalize his outfit, Jim accessorized with The Red String of Fate bracelet–a gift from Chloe–and heirloom cufflinks that once belonged to his grandfather.
Before walking down the aisle, the bride and groom shared an intimate first look amid the mountains. They took a few minutes to snap portraits and admire the scenery.
Chloe carried a bouquet of dahlias, peonies, baby’s breath, eucalyptus, and ferns in pink, mauve, and orange tones. “It was such a beautiful representation of the mountains, in-season flowers, and totally unexpected colors,” Chloe remarks.
Chloe’s bridesmaids donned black dresses in a style of their choosing from BHLDN. “I wanted them to have something they could genuinely wear again at a price point that would not break the bank,” she states. They paired their ensembles with black block heels and dainty jewelry, including a simple diamond bracelet that Chloe gifted them. “I had them made, and to this day, they are all still wearing them,” the bride mentions. Each girl carried a posy of Chloe’s bouquet, which she describes as “asymmetrical and full of color and personality–just like each of the women in my life.”
For their vow exchange, the couple had an arch of pampas grass and blooms in pink and orange tones positioned on a bridge overlooking the mountains. A pampas grass installation also flanked the end of the aisle.
Chloe made her way to the altar with both parents by her side. Live musicians performed “Seasons of Love” from the Broadway musical Rent for her processional.
The bride and groom both wrote their own vows. “They were funny, charming, and poignant,” Chloe says. The couple also personalized their ceremony by having Jim’s grandparents pre-record special poems since neither of them could attend the wedding. Chloe and Jim played recordings of Jim’s grandfather reading “The Irish Blessing” and Jim’s grandmother reciting “Becoming.”
After sharing their first kiss, the newlyweds walked back up the aisle to “Higher Love” by Kygo and Whitney Houston.
Guests savored pork belly, empanadas, chicken satay, and dumplings at cocktail hour. Since the bride has Celiac disease, the duo served an entirely gluten-free menu. “The chefs worked tirelessly to make sure my allergies were taken care of, so I could eat everything on my wedding day and enjoy the same food as the rest of the guests,” Chloe shares. “That made the day so special.”
Once cocktail hour was over, friends and family found their table assignments on a wooden seating chart, which was topped with pampas grass and pink flowers. The pair set each table apart with drawings of a bear and bald eagle doing some of the couple’s favorite activities, such as hiking, skiing, reading, baking, laughing, and running.
Chloe and Jim’s reception took place in a tent. Tall floral arrangements in gold stands stood at the center of the round tables, which were draped with white tablecloths. A runner of pink and orange floral centerpieces, blue taper candles, pink and blue votives, and a white gauzy runner lined the banquet tables. Hanging installations of blooms and pampas grass were suspended above them. The best part? The twosome placed a whoopee cushion–with the saying “Let’s have a gas”–on each seat. “It was such an elegant day, but we wanted to lighten it a bit with some humor,” they express.
The newlyweds had each place setting decorated with garden-inspired chargers, gold and green flatware, crystal glassware, and a blue semicircular menu card.
The bride and groom sipped on Champagne while sharing a few words with their guests.
I don’t think we will ever forget how special and happy we both felt jumping around the dance floor like crazy people in love.
After the newlyweds made their grand entrance, they spun around the dance floor to “Then You Came” by Dionne Warwick. “We decided on an upbeat first dance song because that is so much more ‘us,’” the couple shares. “We wanted something fun and happy and with lyrics that meant a lot to us.” Dancing together was one of the highlights of the day. “It was such a happy and fabulous moment,” Chloe reflects. “I don’t think we will ever forget how special and happy we both felt jumping around the dance floor like crazy people in love because that’s exactly what we were and are.”
The bride and groom hired Great Family Reunion, a 10-piece band, to perform throughout the evening. “The dance floor was packed from start to finish,” the couple remembers. The one song that Chloe requested? “Shout” by The Isley Brothers. “Is there any better way to end a wedding than with an uproarious rendition of ‘Shout?’” the bride asks. “I had very few demands, but having ‘Shout’ be the last song of the night played was one of them, and it was epic.”
Looking back on their big day, the couple believes their wedding was such a meaningful event because it focused on their love for one another and their guests. “Yes, weddings are a celebration of the bride and groom, but in reality, weddings are a celebration of all the couples who helped the bride and groom down the aisle,” the couple notes. “Remember that it is also a celebration of your friends and family, and their love for you on that day and always.”
WEDDING TEAM
VENUE The Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch
PLANNER Gemini Planning & Design
DESIGNER Kara Moon of Enjoué Studio
OFFICIANT Charles Cole
BRIDAL GOWN DESIGNER Monique Lhuillier
BRIDAL SALON Monique Lhuillier
JEWELRY The Golden Bear
HAIR Mckenna Dixon
MAKEUP Becky Minger
REHEARSAL DINNER ATTIRE Monique Lhuillier
BRIDESMAIDS’ DRESSES BHLDN
MOTHER OF THE BRIDE’S DRESS Mira Couture
GROOM’S ATTIRE Suitsupply; Artemis Design Co.
GROOMSMEN’S SHOES Artemis Design Co.
FLORAL DESIGN Vintage Magnolia
INVITATIONS Sweet Zion Paperie
OTHER PAPER PRODUCTS Sweet Zion Paperie
MUSIC Great Family Reunion
CATERING The Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch
CAKE The Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch
LIGHTING Little Mad Events
DRAPING Little Mad Events
RENTALS Enjoué Studio; Event Rentals
FAVORS 4imprint
ACCOMMODATIONS The Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch
PHOTOGRAPHY Shane Macomber Weddings
