Blog Post

Mountain Dreaming

Dec 23, 2020

Megan and Peter's mountain wedding

COVID-19 has forced couples everywhere to adjust their wedding plans. For some, though, an intimate ceremony was always the dream. That was the case for Megan and Peter whose small ceremony in the mountains was just what they wanted!

When social worker Megan met chef Peter through mutual friends, she wanted to be friends rather than romantic partners. She was unavailable at the time and turned him down for a date. “He was persistent, though,” Megan recalled, “and the second time he asked me out, I was interested and said, ‘yes!’” Megan and Peter found they were a balance for one another, with Peter being outgoing and social and Megan being more reserved. They had different personalities but shared common passions such as a love for animals. When the couple met, Peter did not like cats, but Megan’s three kitties changed his mind. The couple has adopted a fourth cat together, as well as a horse!

The pair also shared common life experience with kids. Both had children, so it was important to the couple that each partner meshed well with each family. “. . .We waited a couple months to tell our kids before things got serious. My son thought he was just my friend. He loved him and thought he was awesome!” Megan explained. “Then, when he found out we were dating, he was like, ‘I don’t know about this,” and gave him a hard time. But now, he really likes him. . .Our kids also really like each other and get along.”

Peter proposed to Megan in the spring of 2019. He set up a grand trip to Colorado for Megan’s 30^th birthday in August during which he planned to pop the question. His nerves got in the way, however, and he could not stand to wait for the trip to propose. He bought a ring in May and proposed shortly after. “He was so nervous and couldn’t hold it together. . . He was like, ‘Okay. I have to do this,’ and he was so nervous that he ended up doing it that Wednesday night,” Megan explained with a smile. They went to downtown Kirkwood and bought lattes. Megan noticed the lattes had hearts designed in the foam. They then walked outside to the fountain where they first met. “It was kind of raining,” Megan said. “But he wanted to go to the fountain, so we did. . .I looked at the fountain and turned around, and he had the ring out!”

It was time for wedding planning! “I never wanted a big wedding,” Megan explained. She looked for a scenic outdoor venue and stumbled across Diamond Cross Ranch. This venue was the perfect fit for Megan and Peter because it offered beautiful mountain views and horses, which the couple enjoy riding. To help with planning an out-of-state wedding, Megan hired a wedding planner who could help coordinate vendors and pull things together on the big day.

Megan’s search for the perfect dress brought her to Clarice’s Bridal after purchasing a gown she did not love. She went to two shops before coming to Clarice’s and bought a wedding dress from a bridal chain. Megan explained, “. . .I went to [a bridal chain store] and tried on a dress and bought it. Later I was like, ‘I don’t think I like this.’’ Having a longstanding relationship with the owners of Stallone’s Formal Wear, the menswear store in the lower level of the Clarice’s building, Megan visited Clarice’s on the upper level. “I came to Clarice’s and fell in love with the Allure dress and returned the other one. . . [You have to] trust your gut and go with the dress that suits your personality,” she advised. “If you try to be someone you’re not with your dress then you don’t feel like yourself on your wedding day.”

On June 29, Megan and Peter promised forever to one another in their beautiful mountain ceremony. Only seventeen people attended the wedding, and everyone stayed in one large rental house in the mountain valley. Guests got to see moose and other wildlife in the backyard. The background created an environment that was easygoing and flexible. “I didn’t pay a lot of attention to the small details,” Megan said. “That really allowed me to just enjoy the day and live in the moment.” A string duo provided music for the ceremony. At the pronouncement of marriage, horses were let loose and ran behind the couple. Although Megan’s son had insisted during planning that he wouldn’t dance with his mother at the reception, he asked to share a dance with her in the moment. “That was a really touching [experience]. . . Dancing with our kids at the wedding was really neat because we had our children celebrating with us!” Megan explained.

Six months post-wedding, the family is enjoying their time together. They had planned to move in together after marriage, but circumstances related to COVID-19 pushed the family into the same house before their June ceremony. Megan said of the move, “It’s been a roller coaster moving two families into one house, but it’s been really good. Lots of adventures and fun times in our new house together! Right now, we are just focusing on continuing to come together as a family. Obviously, [it] takes time to blend as a family. We are spending time getting to know each other and adjust and come together.” The Clarice’s team wishes the new family every blessing!