ºÃÉ«tv

Surrounded by snow-covered trees, craggy wind-swept peaks and curious onlookers, a record 130 couples converged on the Forest Meadow run near the Continental Divide on Friday, clicking into skis and strapping on snowboards for the mass wedding ceremony. Some wore traditional wedding attire like tuxedoes and gowns, while others dressed in all manner of wild costumes — colorful tutus and veils, heart-shaped sunglasses, even a T-shirt resembling a tuxedo — to mark the occasion.

At the direction of an officiant, the couples said their vows and smooched and party music played.

“They love the idea of being able to celebrate their love, celebrate their significant other, while also spending the day on the slopes doing what they love in a place that they love. And so I feel like it combines so many aspects of the people’s life that they cherish into one special day,� said Sage McCririck, Loveland’s marketing and events manager.

Sander and Kelley Wyjad renewed their vows Friday on the mountain where they were married 20 years ago. Kelley Wyjad wore the same homemade wedding dress and veil with embroidered snowflakes she wore on that Valentine's Day.

They met in 2003 skiing at a different resort in Colorado.

"We met on skis. We might as well get married on skis,� Kelley Wyjad said.

The mountaintop matrimony event is special because skiing is such a big part of who they are as individuals and a couple, Sander Wyjad said.

“Just being in the mountains, being around all these people who are sharing this day with us, and they all have a passion for being outside and in the snow,� Kelley Wyjad said. “That's what makes it really special.�

Loveland Ski Area, which got its name from nearby Loveland Pass, was founded in 1937 as the Loveland Ski Tow Company and held its first Valentine's Day wedding ceremony in 1991, when one couple got married on the deck of the Ptarmigan Roost cabin, a low-slung wooden structure with sweeping views of the Rockies. The appropriately named ski area saw an opportunity to hold a fun, lively gathering during what is normally a cold, snowy part of the season, and a tradition was born.

Only a few couples participated during the first several years, but many more now gather every year for the opportunity to get hitched or to renew their vows on Valentine's Day.

“It continues to grow. We continue to kind of add in a handful of couples. Word of mouth has definitely spread,� said McCririck, who has worked at Loveland for about a decade.

At least 300 couples have been married during the ski area's Valentine's Day nuptials. Many participants are repeat customers, and about 80% are renewing their vows.

“One reason that the guests love it so much every year is because they may have gotten married here 20 years ago. They’ve come to renew their vows every year in the past 20 years, and it’s the same event that they know and love,� she said.

More or less.

The pandemic shuttered Colorado's ski resorts in March 2020, and mountain employees had to get creative the following Valentine's Day as skiers and snowboarders were required to wear masks and to socially distance. The ceremony was moved from the Ptarmigan Roost cabin to the more spacious Forest Meadow run. Each couple stood in a red heart painted in the snow at least 6 feet (1.8 meters) apart, and signs read, “Love is forever. Social distance is temporary,� McCririck said.

The modified ceremony was the only event Loveland organized that season, McCririck said, proving that love indeed endures.

Now, with the pandemic in the rearview, there is very much a sense that the party must go on.

On Friday, newlyweds gathered at a cabin at the base of the mountain, sipping cider and beer while munching on wedding desserts as heavy snow fell.

And, of course, a wedding wouldn't be complete without party favors.

“I do� and “Love� were printed on the lift tickets, and couples also took home a Loveland-branded photo frame and bottles of Coors Banquet beer with a custom logo.