‘I Do’ With a View
By Linne Halpern
Photos By Ryan Bonneau
When two Telluriders find each other and marry, the occasion becomes a community affair. Such was the case for Amanda and Luke Richter, a psychology Ph.D. student and a home designer and builder.
Less than two years ago, Amanda was set to meet Luke for a first date at Petite Maison. She remembers a friend who worked at the restaurant telling her to give a wink if she needed an exit strategy. Later in the evening, she walked past the friend and whispered, “I don’t need out of this one.” Within three weeks of dating, the couple set off on an adventure that took them from Colorado to Africa and Europe together. “That’s when I knew,” says Amanda. Luke designed a ring with the help of Jim Doyle at Elinoff Gallery and ultimately proposed on the final night of a trip to Italy’s Lake Como.
Despite their far-flung explorations, the couple knew they wanted a small wedding in the place they’d both come to call home. “I mean, people travel all over the world to get married here,” says Amanda with a laugh. A friend, Todd Herrick of Telluride Helitrax, offered to fly them in a helicopter for a one-of-a-kind winter elopement on Ajax Peak, which towers over the east end of the Telluride valley. They called upon another friend, Sarah Stephan, to officiate, while local photographer Ryan Bonneau agreed to photograph the special day.
The pair spent the wedding morning casually, sharing coffee before getting ready with loved ones. Amanda chose a vintage-inspired gown and paired it with a borrowed fur stole and crystal tiara. “Luke treats me like a queen so I thought, ‘If there were ever a day to wear a tiara, it’s today’,” she says. After enjoying a “first look” outside their home, the couple headed to Mountain Village to board the helicopter. Friends and colleagues gathered to cheer them on as they embarked on the journey.
A gorgeous, sunny day awaited Amanda and Luke atop the peak, where they shared emotional vows from the heart. “It was a surreal, magical experience,” says Luke. “As people who love being in nature, it felt like such a gift to have this special moment on top of the mountain.” While the backdrop may have been striking, the ceremony itself was deeply personal.
Upon their return, they toasted with champagne from Bryan Thames of Mountain Village Wine Merchant and headed downtown for festivities. “We always wind up at the Sheridan when something big happens,” says Amanda. In their wedding attire, the couple meandered from dinner at the Chop House to There, the bar/restaurant, for a shotski, running into everyone they know and picking up pals along the way. In classic Telluride fashion, Amanda remarks, it felt like the whole town came out to buy the newlyweds a drink. The weekend continued with an intimate reception in Mountain Village, catered by Ania Aniola. “The people of Telluride really made this wedding happen,” says Amanda. “It brought everyone together.”
Says Luke, “When I first moved to Telluride, I was looking for my person and I wasn’t sure if I would find her. Amanda felt similarly and neither of us were sure if we’d stay. And then we found each other here.”