In order to celebrate the wedding with the Louisiana contingent who were unable to make the wedding in July in Colorado, we held a second event at Tamahka Trails Golf Club in Marksville, Louisiana two months later.
Honey, Ed, Nicole and Hunter
Many of Shawna's friends from high school (including Amy, Gene, Janelle, Alison, and Hope) and grammar school (including Ginger and Sandy) made it as well as friends of Shawna's parents. Shawna had not seen some of them for several years so the event also served as a mini-reunion. Keith's parents came along with Jessie, Magda and Frank from Texas.
In typical Louisiana style, there was plenty of yummy cajun food and desserts. We also had a band playing so some people danced.
The morning after, Shawna's mother held a brunch at her house and invited many of their friends. After a day of eating, we opened up all of the gifts that people had brought.
Magda, Keith and Frank
It was truly wonderful to catch up with old friends!
Shawna's dream honeymoon most of her life was to go to Hawaii. Instead, we decided to hike the Inca Trail in Peru! However, as a small bow to the original plan, we decided to finish the honeymoon in St John to do a little relaxing after the week long of wedding festivities!
Peru
We flew from Colorado to Cusco via Lima and stayed at the Hotel Libertador. We spent a couple of days in Cusco getting acclimatized and looking for a tour group to take us on the trek.
Cusco
As we were preparing to leave on the four day trek, we got our packs in order and found a couple of presents from Steve, Jan, and Mia: a couple of heavy rocks that they had signed in Colorado and hidden in our backpacks! We did the hike with a group, so we were all shipped by van to the beginning of the trail where we began our days of hiking. This was the first trek we had ever done where we paid porters to carry our backpacks - all we had to do was carry day packs with jackets, water, and snacks. Shawna is now officially sold on this trekking technique! These porters were amazing -- often carrying a backpack or two along with camping supplies, wearing flip flops made from car tires and passing us up like they were on a casual stroll.
The scenery along the way was gorgeous, with the massive terraced valleys and the cascading rivers at the bottom. We saw several ruins where we stopped and learned about the history from our guide. One day, we hiked over Dead Woman's Pass (it sounds worse that it really is) which was at 4200 meters. The day before we made it to Machu Picchu, the porters decided to challenge the hikers to a game of soccer and thus on a terraced field overlooking a beautiful valley, we played soccer -- I'm sure I don't have to tell you who won!
Dead Woman's Pass
On the last day, we got up at 4 am and hiked a couple of hours so we could arrive at the Sun Gate at the top of Machu Picchu to watch the sunrise. It was magical - and the best part is that we beat all the day tourists to the site so had a couple of hours with just the few hikers before the entire place was overrun by tourists. We were prepared to take the train back to Cusco, but found that for a mere $100 we could take a rickety old Russian helicopter back and cut the travel time from hours to only 45 minutes or so. Definitely worth the money! We were back at the hotel, showered, and rested via a nap before the rest of the trekking crew were back in the city for a post-trek celebration.
We spent a few more days in Cusco touring the city and the surround area. We walked around the Plaza de Armas (the main square in town) and visited the Cathedral of Cusco with the painting of the last supper complete with a Guinea Pig! There was guinea pig served on lots of sidewalk grills but we both decided to opt out of that part of the culture. We also took a day trip to the Sacred Valley, visiting several of the famous ruins including Sacsayhuaman and Ollantaytambo.
St John
Westin Hotel
After only a few days in Peru we flew to St Thomas where we then took a quick boat over to St John where we stayed at the Westin. We chose St John since it is mostly a national park. However, after a week of wedding events and then hiking the Inca Trail, the last thing we wanted was to do anything! So pretty much all we did was eat and relax at the pool for four days.....glorious! We were so lazy that we only made it the beach once. The only time we left the resort was for the "Informative Island Tour" which was pretty much anything but informative.
Well, after an almost two year engagement, two scouting trips to Colorado, and two family "practice" trips, the event is upon us. We had decided to have a destination wedding so that we could combine our love of travel with spending lots of time with our friends and family. And, we chose Colorado for the destination because we love the mountains (we even got engaged in Switzerland). The wedding was a week long of activities, making it a vacation for those who made it. Apparently, we did a good job planning and marketing because we had 185 people attend (well over the 90 people that we had guessed -- good thing we booked the larger room for the reception)!
Many people were amazed that at our wedding invitation contained 11 events to select from and even asked for people's credit card information. And, of course, they could not stop making fun of us for planning the ceremony and reception down to the minute - literally! What can you expect from two people who love organizing.
Accommodation:
We had blocked off rooms at the Keystone Resort. We both shared a four bedroom condo in River Run with our siblings (Keith's brother and sister as well as Shawna's brother), while Jean and Dick arranged to rent a fantastic four bedroom condo centrally located in River Run (room 8130).
Activities: Saturday, June 30th
We arrived at Keystone on Saturday, June 30th, which is Jean's birthday. Also arriving that day were Pete and Paddy, Ruth, Karen and Claire, Keith's parents, Shawna's parents, Jessie, and Margaret and Dwight (who came from Golden). We celebrated Jean's birthday over dinner at the Hearthstone restaurant in Breckenridge.
Jean's Birthday Dinner at Hearthstone
Sunday, July 1st
The following day, we were joined by Steve, Jan and Megan, Anne and Eloise, as well as Patrick. A large group of us hiked along the continental divide, getting to spend some wonderful time catching up on old times. Dinner that evening was at Kickapoo Tavern where we had beer and burgers.
Continental Divide Hike
Monday, July 2nd
Monday was a pretty big day for us: we had to go to the Office of the Clerk and Recorder to get our marriage license. It was quite perfunctory - no one quizzed us if we were really willing to spend eternity with each other! Shawna then moved to the most important part of the day - the practice-hair-styling trial. Seriously, yes, she practiced doing the hair in the style that she wanted. Fortunately, the stylist passed, so the rest of the day had no stress. That evening, Jean and Dick hosted a lasagna dinner at their condo. The wine was provided by Jim and Maryann who drove it to Keystone from their house in Sabastapol, California. By the evening, the crew had grown quite larger as additional guests started to trickle in.
Lasagna Dinner at Jean and Dick's Condo
Tuesday, July 3rd
We decided to push the limit on Tuesday by having some of the crew bag a couple of '14ers: Greys and Torres mountains. The intrepid explorers included Keith, Steve, Patrick, Jean, Margaret, Dwight, Peter, Paddy, Ewan, Mike, Mia, Pete, Jed, Ellan, Sharon, Kirsty, and Byron. Margaret led the gang, all meeting at 6:45 am at the Starbucks in River Run for a 7 am departure. The great news is that everyone made it - we had a beautiful day and did make it back in time for margaritas. Shawna opted to spend some quality time with her parents and grandmother - they took a train ride on the Georgetown Loop Railroad which weaved through the mountains and passed by old gold and silver mines.
14er Hike: Greys and Torres Mountains
That evening we had a large dinner at Mi Casa restaurant: the one (and only) "disaster" of the week. It seems that the confirmed booking had been forgotten by the manager, so we had 50+ people showing up for dinner/drinks with not enough waiters to serve us or cooks to make the dinner. Some people never even got to eat. However, if it was the worst thing that happened, it was hardly a catastrophe.
Mexican Dinner at Mi Casa
Wednesday, July 4th
We offered two types of biking: either mountain biking in Keystone or "leisure biking" to Lake Dillon. Shawna led the leisure biking trip which included Dick, Nancy, Danelle, Ruth, Claire, Scott and Ruth. The group rode to the lake and then had a picnic along the shore of the lake, retiring to Keystone a few hours later.
Leisure Biking to Lake Dillon
Keith led the mountain biking trip - which was made quite a bit easier by taking the bikes up the chairlift, cycling down, and then repeat. There were about ten people who did this and we had a blast. The only big upset of the day was toward the end: Keith started getting a little bit cocky, cruised over a sandy section, and flipped over the handlebars, developing some serious trail rash. During a quick call to Shawna on her cell to report the news, Shawna only had one question: is your face OK? Yup - the priority was the wedding photos!
By Wednesday evening, most of the guests had arrived and thus we held the unofficial kickoff of the wedding festivities with a pizza party catered by Pizza on the Run, along with a couple of kegs of beer from Great Northern Tavern. We held the event in the "backyard" of Keystone next to the small amphitheater. To facilitate the "mixing" we made a 5x5 matrix where everyone had to find a person who fit a description such as "is in the AAUW" or "speaks 2 or more languages". The winners were Michelle, Anne, and Kirsty - always competitive! We also had a birthday cake for Danelle that evening as it was her 30th birthday and then watched the fireworks before heading to Kickapoo Tavern for post-party drinks.
Pizza Party
Thursday, July 5th
On Thursday, we continued with more adventure: guests had the choice of either rafting with Breckenridge Whitewater Rafting on the Arkansas River or a "Leisure Hike" to Crystal Lakes Basin. Keith was with the group doing the rafting while Jean and Dick led the leisure hike. The rafting was a lot of fun (if a bit cold). The only downfall is that Larry broke his ankle when he fell in the water, so had to spend a few days on crutches/in a wheelchair! Though we did not do the hike, it was reportedly not quite as "leisurely" as advertised - perhaps it all depends on your reference point!
Leisure Hike to Crystal Lakes Basin
Shawna was supposed to join the rafting group but woke up with a sore throat so opted not to push it and instead decided to relax by the pool. In all of her wisdom, she decided to 'reverse tan' where she had tank top marks, only applying sunscreen to where the tank top marks appeared. Sadly, this did not turn out as planned and she ended up with a pretty bad sunburn on her chest!
The evening, Keith and Shawna sponsored a casual evening, a hoedown at the Keystone Stables. Everyone came in their best 'cowboy/cowgirl' gear! We had BBQ and games - including roping - as well as a country band with people who taught us how to two-step. Following this, the younger crowd ended the evening with drinks and pool at the Out of Bounds bar.
BBQ Dinner
Friday, July 6th
On Friday, a group of 28 people went rock climbing with the Colorado Mountain School in Eldorado Canyon. While Keith went with the rock climbing group, Shawna treated the women in the bridal party (Moni, Kelly, Chris, and Ginger) as well as Margaret, Jean, and Honny to a spa day at the Allegria Spa at the Hyatt Beaver Creek. Everyone got massages and their nails done and relaxed to a yummy spa lunch with champagne.
Rock Climbing Crew
Dick Giving Toast at Rehearsal Dinner
That evening was the rehearsal dinner at the Great Northern Tavern. The bridal party met ahead of time to review the minute-by-minute schedule for the next day, while the rest of the group started on cocktails and beer in the Tavern. During cocktails, a slide show was on display (prepared by Dick) which had photos of Keith and Shawna from their childhood as well as adult years. For dinner, the Tavern attempted Cajun cuisine, which while quite good was apparently not the same as being in Louisiana! After dinner, it was roast time, where Ed, Dick, Peter, Kelly, Moni, Chris, Ewan and Christine all took the opportunity to berate us in front of all our friends and family, with Mia and others providing some cameos as guest speakers!
Saturday, July 7th - The Big Day
The ceremony was at 5 pm atop Keystone mountain but it took the whole day to lead up to that moment. In the morning, Shawna, along with the bridal party and moms, had their hair and makeup done. We bit our nails all day hoping that the normal afternoon showers did not settle in and even worse that lightning did not appear -- if there was lightning, they shut down the gondolas which was the only way for everyone to get to the wedding. While it looked ominous at times, we truly lucked out with fabulous weather!
After we were all dressed, the bridal party and immediate families headed to Keystone Ranch for the photo shoot. We then headed up the gondola early to take more photos as we had asked the rest of the guests to leave between 3:45 and 4 pm so we could get all 200 people up the mountain. The ceremony, conducted by the minister, Deborah Lupton Voss, on the deck of the Timber Ridge Lodge was just stunning, with beautiful views of the mountains in the background.
Photo Shoot: Dodds Family
Photo Shoot: Dubroc Family
Following the ceremony, we signed all the paperwork to make the whole wedding official, took thousands of pictures, then joined everyone for cocktails. After the cocktail party, everyone sat down at tables which we had named after places we have traveled to add a bit of personal flavor. The wedding party was introduced, then speeches were given by Dick and Ed, followed by our first dance to "Have I Told you Lately that I Love You" - the steps of which cost us a few hundred dollars of dance lessons and a few arguments about whether or not Keith knew how to lead! The wedding party joined us toward the end of the song, then all guests were asked to join for a few songs.
Ceremony on Balcony at Timber Ridge Lodge
Between courses, there were toasts by Peter (the best man) and Moni (the maid of honor), as well as the two of us. We did a joint mother/son and father/daughter dance to "What a Wonderful World", and then the parents danced to "Somewhere Beyond the Sea".
For dinner, we all had Wild Mushroom Ravioli with Red Pepper Coulis and a Composed Salad of Young Lettuces, Pear Tomatoes, and Feta Cheese with Herb Vinaigrette. Everyone had a choice of three entrees: Grilled Filet Mignon with Whipped Garlic Potato and Charred Tomato Jus, Sesame Encrusted Salmon with Whipped Garlic Potatoes and Chive Buerre Blanc Sauce, or Wild Mushroom Risotto with Grilled Vegetables. Dessert was a choice of Double Chocolate Truffle Fudge Mousse Torte Wedding Cake or Red Raspberry Creme Torte Wedding Cake. And, they served BV Coastal Chardonnay or Meridian Vineyard Cabernet wine all evening.
Photo Shoot: Bridal Party
We also celebrated the five birthdays that had occurred that week: in addition to Danelle, we sang happy birthday to Jean, Scott, Fran and Reed. We also did the traditional bouquet toss (caught by Dawn Whindle) and garter toss (caught by Ewan Parry).
Reception: Fuqua Gang
The night was a blast, with lots of drinking and dancing and time with friends and family we love. While the whole event was supposed to wind down at about 11 pm, a storm had come through and stopped the chairlift for an hour or so. Therefore, we had to re-open the bar and keep people entertained until everyone was allowed to return down the mountain to their condos.
For those who didn't want to stop the celebrations, Keith and Shawna hosted an after party at their condo - the crew had drinks until early in the morning.
Sunday, July 8th
In the morning, Jean and Dick hosted a brunch at their condo so that guests could stop by on their way out to grab a quick bite to eat and to say their goodbyes. We spent the remainder of the day getting organized and set for our honeymoon departure on Monday - including Keith needing to buy brand-new hiking boots after his old ones had fallen apart during the hiking of the week. That evening, Jean and Dick hosted a pizza dinner at their condo which wrapped up a wonderful week of friends and festivities.
