With their wedding day at the Silverthorne Pavilion postponed due the the Covid-19 pandemic, I encouraged Jon and Elise to still celebrate their original date with an activity that would make it special to look back on. We chose to go on a sunset hiking adventure in Summit County near the mountains where they live. Though choosing to postpone their original wedding date was definitely a bummer for these two, we had a grand time exploring together in a location that we all love. Plus, it made the excitement of actually getting married more real with their newly set date to look forward to. I used to live in Wildernest, CO, so when Jon and Elise explained the trail system they wanted to hike in, I almost squealed out of excitement. I knew the trails very well, having mountain biked and ran along it on my commute to and from work. This area is truly a local’s paradise due it’s location. It is also such an underrated spot for hiking, even while sitting on the continental divide, as most choose the more popular Lily Pad Lake or South Willow Creek trails in the Eagles Nest Wilderness of the Gore Range to explore.

So, what should you do on your original date if you have to postpone your wedding day? There are truly no wrong answers here, just the need to celebrate it in some way shape or form! If you need options though, I did come up with a few ideas. But first, why celebrate? Because you should celebrate your love anytime you possibly can! And what better day than this to take time to invest in one another and create memories together. For some couples, your chosen wedding date may have been a day that had very special or intentional meaning for you. It may have been a combination of your lucky numbers, or it might have fallen on the same date you shared your first kiss. It could also be your parents wedding anniversary that you want to share with them, or then again, it may hold no real significance to you at all. Whether you are deeply saddened by the change of date or the switch is merely an inconvenience to you, your original chosen date deserves some commemoration. Celebrating on your original date may be healing if you’re heartbroken over the postponement. It can also simply be a lot of fun, and our world needs more of that right now!

Let’s get on to some potential ideas! I’ve listed several below that will help you navigate changing your date while also celebrating your commitment to one another. Each idea is a suggestion on how to be intentional and make this day memorable. You may find inspiration here or you may find that you have a better idea than listed below. If so, please share with me how you celebrated!

+ Write letters and read them to each another. This is the day you would have shared vows with one other. It may not be the day you had imagined but, there is no better time than now to tell your partner how excited you are to intertwine your lives and build a future together. Another alternative is to actually write out personal vows to one another and share them privately on this date. When your postponement day comes around you can re-read these for all of your guests to hear or these can be solely yours to hold onto and cherish. If you choose this route you can even write new vows to share on your wedding date to reiterate your commitment and to share fresh promises with one another. This is a lot of fun because so much can happen within a few months to a years time. You may find that the new vows you have to share hold even more depth and meaning to you both.

+Go on an adventure! Intentionally make time to put everything else in your lives aside and invest in each other. This could look a million different ways but my favorite ideas are listed as such: 1. Do that one hike/backpack trip you’ve always talked about. Make it happen and make freaking awesome memories together! You could even invite your friends and enjoy a camping adventure where you snuggle in sleeping bags and share stories about your relationship/friendships around the fire. 2. Splurge on a weekend date and stay in an airbnb somewhere new or somewhere you love - for this one, turn your phone off because you’re not available to anyone else and spend all of your time relaxing, playing games, and taking long walks together while dreaming about your future. 3. Change your plans! Elope in any way you’d like to make it official and then stay excited for the celebration that will follow later on with your loved ones. Lastly, get fancy by getting all dolled up and go out on the town to a nice restaurant to celebrate your prolonged engagement - OR - wear a sequin suit and bring me along to Vegas to help you elope the wild old fashioned way! We can keep this secret between the three of us or you can share and still hold a grand celebration with your family and friends on your rescheduled wedding date!

+Take off work and stay home for a fun evening together. Make your favorite meal and have your favorite drinks to pair it with. Light candles and eat on your nicest fancy plates. Put together question cards for intentional conversation that you’ll both answer, such as: “What are you most excited about for our wedding day?” “Thinking towards the future, what is something you look forward to once we’re married?” “Name one goal you have for us in our first year (or 5 years) of marriage” “What attribute do I have that you enjoy most?” “In story form, describe the moment you first knew that you loved me.” “Share your most cherished memory of us.” After dinner you can play games (our personal favorites are the card games Rummy and Golf) or watch a movie you will both enjoy. If you partake in occasional libations you might pop a bottle of champagne, splurge on a nice aged whiskey, or open a vintage bottle of wine to enjoy as well.

+Set up a video chat with all of your closest family/friends and host a virtual wedding! You can do this in your living room in your pj’s, on a mountain top in your hiking attire (choose one with good cell service unless you plan to record it), or by eloping in your wedding attire in your dream location. This idea works well no matter what you choose and is a really fun way to celebrate and document your original date and include your far away guests who are looking forward to attending your wedding!

The point with each of the above ideas is to create memories you’ll both cherish and hold onto as you walk forward through life together. It may not look like how you had originally hoped and planned but, we can make this a date to remember for a lifetime!

Jon, Elise, and I hiked all over the mountain side on the Continental Divide and Mesa Cortina trails that lead up to Buffalo Mountain near Silverthorne, Colorado. The trails were quiet and you could hear the mountain streams trickling past, moving to join the Lake Dillon Reservoir as we walked. We shared some Montucky Cold Snacks and craft brews as we hiked up towards the changing sky. Our trail headed straight up towards Lily Pad Lake trail which begins from one of two points, Wildernest or Frisco. Our hike started in Wildernest, a rural community sitting in the afternoon shadow of Red Peak and Buffalo Mountain. Once we drew close to sunset we stopped in a mountain meadow where Jon and Elise read personal letters to one another. Looking over the valley you could see Frisco in the distance along with Lake Dillon Reservoir. The light filtering in over the Gore Range and into the valley was incredible due to the wildfires being fought throughout Summit County. The pink and orange hues created such a pretty backdrop for this sweet moment. Jon and Elise pulled out their handwritten letters to read privately together. After reading letters we popped some champagne. Jon had an absolute blast with this as he shook the bottle and then sprayed it back and forth overhead! There was only a little bubbly goodness left in the bottle after the champagne spray but just enough to make a toast to their love and commitment to one other. Commemorating this evening made the sorrow of postponing their wedding day wash away and gave us all a glimmer of the joy we had to look forward to on their newly scheduled date at the Silverthorne Pavilion. I have so much more to say about this couple and their story but, I’ll save that for their wedding blog. That way, you will have something to look forward to as well!