A Luxurious Backyard Wedding at a Private Residence in Cherry Hills Village, Colorado

Caitlyn Bell (25 and works in business development) and Luke Van Valin (29 and an NBC and ESPN sports broadcaster) met in a bar in Aspen called Belly Up. Six years later, Luke proposed. Caitlyn loved the home she grew up in, which was lovingly nicknamed The Castle. Knowing how important it was, Luke took a day to decorate the roof with a piano, rose petals, candles and a marble pillar for the ring. The view overlooked the mountains, city and sunset, which was a perfect backdrop for the romantic proposal. During the year of their engagement, Caitlyn’s father was diagnosed with ALS. The Castle was one of his favorite spots, so it was an easy choice for the wedding venue. They built a bridge down the middle of the pool for a waterfront aisle. The natural fountains, foliage and canopy of grape vines provided a lush backdrop for the backyard ceremony. After the ceremony, the couple moved to a tented reception decorated with tall hydrangea and taper candle centerpieces and gold and green linens. “Everything was very classic and ethereal,” Caitlyn says. “Picture old hollywood meets the mossy wood of fairytales. Elegance is very important to me, and my husband loves the outdoors, so we combined our two worlds.” The best part was the sentimental vintage wedding dress. Caitlyn decided to wear the wedding dress her mother married her father in. She didn’t tell him, so it was a surprise. He passed away from the ALS a few months after the wedding. “It meant everything to have him walk me down that aisle and see me in my mother’s dress,” Caitlyn says.