There’s something extra special about getting married in the winter. Maybe it’s the sparkling snowflakes or the cozy fireside setting. Either way, a winter elopement at Blue Lakes in Breckenridge is sure to be unforgettable. While the town of Breckenridge is bustling with skiers and snowboarders, Blue Lakes is a hidden gem, offering a serene and romantic setting for your big day. And what could be more romantic than saying “I do” while surrounded by snow-capped mountains?
This stunning winter wonderland is the perfect place to tie the knot, surrounded by snow-capped mountains and twinkling lights. And don’t worry about finding an officiant – the staff at Blue Lakes will be more than happy to help you out. Whether you’re exchange vows beneath the sweeping branches of a fir tree or on the frozen shores of the lake, a winter elopement at Blue Lakes is sure to be an unforgettable experience.
How did you meet?
We’re both former teachers and met while teaching English in Greece.
What is your proposal story?
Pete proposed to me while we were living in Denver. We went on a walk in City Park, and he got down on one knee and popped the question after preparing this little speech.
Tell us a little a bit about your wedding
We wanted to keep it simple and intimate, so it was just the two of us, our photographer, and our moms. Pretty much everything was DIY or hand-me-down. My first coat was my mom’s, a friend baked our cake, another friend put together the florals, and I found my veil at Goodwill. We wanted to keep things low-key and focus more on one another than the optics.
Tell us about your attire choices.
Pete wore a tux and pink socks because his dad (who recently passed) wore them on his wedding day. I wore a second hand dress I found, my mom’s fur coat, and then changed into a jumpsuit and veil for dinner.
What was the most important to the two of you while planning?
It was important for our wedding to be a private and special day for only Pete and I and our closest family (our moms).
Was there anything that you chose to splurge on or skip?
We pretty much only splurged on photography, and a little bit on our Airbnb and dinner. We were really just wanted to focus on saying our vows somewhere beautiful and keep these more authentic to ourselves. We didn’t really care much about extras like florals or decor, because the day was just about us and our love for one another.
What were your favorite parts of the day?
I loved doing a first look and getting to see Pete all dressed up while seeing his reaction to me in my dress. Deciding to incorporate the act of jumping the broom for our day was a lot of fun, too- we did it twice just to make sure we had good photos of that.
Tell us about your wedding flowers.
Both the bouquet and broom were mostly fake and dried and put together by a friend.
Tell us about your wedding cake.
Our cake was also made by a friend- it got a little bit smushed from the huddle of the day, but it still tasted amazing.
Please describe any DIY, handmade, or personal details.
The cake, bouquet, boutonnière, and broom were all DIY-ed by friends who weren’t involved in the ceremony. It was kind of a nice way to have a Piece of our friends with us without actually having them there at the elopement. My coat was also my mom’s and given to her by my dad/her late husband.
Did you include any family heirlooms or special traditions?
My mother’s coat and Pete’s pink socks.
Do you have any advice for couples planning their weddings now?
Do what feels like you, and make the day really about you and your love, not trends, sticking to a budget, or making family/guests happy. We made our day perfect for us and that’s all that I wanted at the end of the day.
I was born in Colorado and Pete had never visited this area before, so I thought it would be nice to be close by my mom and also say our vows in a beautiful place we could explore together. My biggest advice is to figure out vendors! Luckily most of our stuff was DIY, but there were very few vendors in the area for hair and makeup, cake, or florals- especially for small orders for an elopement.