Today we are taking a trip to the Chamonix region and sharing in Elyse & Andy’s wedding Chamonix celebrations for their outdoor mountain wedding in September organised by destination wedding planners Haute Weddings. American ex-pats living in Geneva the couple loves the mountains and decided to exchange their wedding vows under the towering spires of the Mont-Blanc range inFrance.
Their 50 friends and family all wore hiking boots and tennis shoes to access the ceremony location in a clearing at the Plan d’Aiguille above Chamonix. The crystal clear blue skies and radiant sun dazzled the couple and their guests as paragliders flew overhead, the glaciers glistened in the distance, and the guitarists notes carried high up the mountain tops.
Elyse tells us more:
“The dress was something I didn’t want to spend a lot on, would rather put our budget into the food, drinks, transportation up the mtn, amazing location, etc. I wanted something simple that I could easily hike in, I had a hard time finding a dress without a long train and all the poof so I actually ended up buying a bridesmaid dress from NYC Bridal in Charlotte, NC that I was able to order in Ivory color so it looked like a wedding dress but only cost $380. The designer is Jim Hjelm. It actually cost more to get the dress altered in switzerland than to buy it in the US! “
“My mom made the flower clip I wore in my hair, I think she spent about $5 on fake flowers at Michael’s craft store. The earrings were from Tiffany’s, pearls that Andy gave to me on our first anniversary together. The necklace was costume jewelry by Carolee.”
“I do social media marketing for Nike. The sneakers were compliments of Jessie, a friend who works for nikeiD.com. It was very rocky up on the mtn and there was no way to wear heels! We required all our guests to wear either sneakers or hiking boots with their dresses for the ceremony”.
“Anabel florist in Chamonix created the boutique, I loved it! I didn’t want a tightly bound traditional bouquet that you hold in front of you, I wanted the bouquet to look like it had just been picked from wildflowers up on the mountain.”
“Andy wore a Hugo Boss suit, Ralph Lauren tie and fly fishing cuff links!”
The emotional ceremony was personal and interactive with each one of the guests making a one word wish for Elyse & Andy on the wedding rings as they were passed around the group during the celebration…love, patience, forgiveness, laughter, health…The vows they shared with one another brought tears to everyone’s eyes and the love that flowed between the two was felt by all!
After popping the champagne & toasting at altitude everyone took the cable car back down the mountain to the reception location at the gorgeous Chalet Cerisier in the Chamonix Valley.
The setting with a marquee tent in a meadow with the dramatic Dru peak in the background left everyone gawking. The evening festivities were relaxed and memorable with garden games, gorgeous French wine, sophisticated BBQ, and laughter that floated to the heavens….
Thank you to Haute Wedding and Elyse and Andy for sharing their special day.
Credits
Wedding Planner: Haute Weddings
Photographer: Erlend Haugen
Dress: Jim Hjelm
Earrings: Tiffany
Necklace: Carolee
Trainers: NikeiD.com
Grooms Outfit: Hugo Boss and Ralph Lauren tie
Wedding Celebration Venue: Chalet Cerisier
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