3 minute read
Mountain Charm
Telluride and Mountain Village are breathtaking locales for a wedding
BY LINNE HALPERN
Lauren and Sean Rooney met while living on different floors of the same apartment building in Madison, Wisc. One night, a loud party coming from below led Lauren and her roommate to leave a note on Sean’s door saying, “Hey, you should invite us next time!”
Lauren and Sean became fast friends and within a year started dating.
In December 2019, their engagement took them far from home. Sean popped the question on the first day of a trip to Thailand, Australia and New
Zealand. It was during their romantic adventure that the couple fell in love with the mountains of New Zealand, realizing they’d need to find an equally breathtaking spot for their wedding.
“Because we both grew up in different parts of the country, we knew many people were going to have to travel to our wedding regardless,” explains
Lauren. “When you start researching destinations online, Telluride just looks unreal.” The couple needed no more convincing, deciding on Telluride without even visiting. From there, they brought
Telluride Unveiled on board and invited 120 guests to partake in a weekend of events filled with unique mountain town charm.
As friends and family rolled into town on Thursday, Lauren and Sean spontaneously texted everyone to meet them at the historic Transfer Warehouse for an informal drink, where free live music just happened to be kicking off the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. “We could not have planned a more perfect welcome to Telluride,” Sean shares.
Friday’s festivities included an intimate dinner with the wedding party and immediate family, followed by a cocktail welcome party hosted by Sean’s parents. “It was so special because we were able to spend time with everyone who flew in,” Lauren notes.
All the guests stayed together at Mountain Lodge Telluride. “It was cool to see our friends and family coming and going from the Gondola all weekend,” Sean says. “Everyone made their own trip out of it, exploring downtown, buying hats and bolo ties — really embracing Telluride.” On Saturday, the guys enjoyed the Mountain Village Disc Golf Course, while the girls began to get ready for the wedding.
Upon arriving at San Sophia Overlook for the ceremony, Lauren says, “it was an out-of-body experience. I was surrounded by all my loved ones, about to say ‘I do’ to my favorite person in one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been.” The short walk to the reception at Allred’s Restaurant made for a seamless transition to keep the magic going. “With the beauty of the mountains, you really don’t need much decoration,” explains Lauren, who opted against tablecloths in favor of the exposed wood, kept florals in an earthy scheme and selected gold accents in line with the natural aesthetic.
The DJ kept the dance floor buzzing all night, but Lauren and Sean didn’t want the evening to end. “We ended up having an impromptu party back at my parents’ cabin where my mom made margaritas for everyone,” she says.
Luckily, the couple had more fun planned for Sunday morning. Instead of hosting a typical brunch, they chose to guide a group hike. “It was important to us that we did something that was specific to Telluride,” shares Lauren. They ended the weekend at Bridal Veil Falls — an appropriate nod to their nuptials and the perfect mountain send-off. “We’ll definitely be back,” concludes Sean.
