Wedding in Colorado. Bridal dress, a baroque dream embroidered with pearls

The Colorado wedding of Eve Levine and Matthew Bowman. Amidst breathtaking landscapes, rustic-chic atmosphere and tons of vintage fashion. with a touch of halloween

Attorney Eve Levin and professional baseball player Matthew Bowman met in college in 2013 and have been a couple ever since. In 2021, they took the risk and got engaged. “We decided to do this soon after anti-Covid vaccines were authorized but before they were widely available,” says Eve. “We decided to set the wedding date for nine months, without realizing – I know, it sounds very naive to us now – that the pandemic is not over yet.” Eve explains that although she has taken many precautions, she has kept the guest list limited to a “small” group of family and friends.

They are married in the fall of 2021 in the small town of Crested Butte, Colorado. “My family has lived in Crested Butte since the 1970s, and the place is very dear to Matt and me,” explains Eve. “However, it was not an easy decision – the things that make Crested Butte what it is also make it a terrible place to plan a wedding. But we knew that if anyone could handle such a challenge, it was Steph.”

The “Steph” in question is wedding planner Stephanie Cove, who was hired by the couple to organize the wedding weekend. “Choosing Steph was our first and best choice,” says Eve. “All three of us are homogeneous souls. This not only made the planning process psychologically tolerable, but also made it a special experience in itself. It didn’t hurt that Steph has impeccable interests and is the best at what she does, but it was just one of many points in her favour.”

an old wardrobe

Eve was equally finicky when it came to her weekend wear. Her search was oriented toward appearances that expressed her personality, whether she was a “bride” or not. “I also tried to choose items that I could re-wear or re-purpose,” she explains. “I also wanted them to be fun to wear, because a wedding weekend should be healthy fun as well. ” Finding vintage clothing and accessories, especially online, was one of her first things to do. “A lot of what I wore was vintage,” she says.

Read also: Vogue’s global guide to the best shops for secondhand and vintage fashion

On TheRealReal, Eve wears a bustier top from Alaia and J.J. One of Mendel’s shorts was found, which she wore to sign her marriage license at the Gunnison, Colorado courthouse. For the rehearsal dinner, he chose a vintage Dolce & Gabbana lace suit, consisting of a long shirt and wide trousers, found by One of a Kind Archive, which he fashioned in the shape of a tarot card belonging to Maria Grazia Chiuri’s first collection. Was paired with K Minaudier. For Dior, also found on TheRealReal. However, for the welcome party, she chose a vintage Celine sweater bought on eBay, a raffia skirt made by Alaia, and a turquoise necklace from her grandmother.

“Until death do us part” theme party

Friday night’s party took place at a Crested Butte bar/restaurant called Bonez. The atmosphere was camp and sinister at the same time: Eve and Matt love Halloween, so they chose “Until death do us part” as their dress code. «Many guests wore only dark clothing, but others showed up in actual costumes,» recalls Eve. I chose an archival Alexander McQueen dress and a late-19th-century necklace purchased from New York’s Madison Avenue jeweler Stephen Russell Crested Butte is a historic mining town and Bonez is located in an 1889 building that once housed the local power station. The ambiance is dark, old-fashioned, almost decadent, and the attire reflects this perfectly. From afar, it What looked like a simple black lace dress, but, if you look closely at it, one can see it is made of two layers, with the outer layer appearing to break, revealing the layer underneath. Is.”

river flows in the middle

The next morning, Eve and Matt take their guests on a trip to the Slate River, which includes a picnic lunch. “We thought no more than twenty or thirty people would want to follow us, as we had been pretty late the previous night and not all of them were expert hikers anyway,” says Eve. “Instead, almost everyone came. This was really special to us because what makes Crested Butte so incredible is, above all, the landscape, the possibility of being outside. The image of 80 of our closest family and friends walking alone through the mountains and fall leaves is something I will always cherish in my memory.”

bride in pearl dress

The ceremony took place against the backdrop of the Elk Mountains. The wedding dress, made to measure by the atelier of New York brand Danielle Frankel, was a true labor of love for Eve. “A friend suggested the idea of a pearl-embroidered dress to me by sending me a picture of Leila Moss’ look at Kim Jones’ first Fendi show,” explains Eve. “I showed it to Steph, who put me in touch with stylist Carrie Goldberg of CLG Creative and her head associate, Lex Alexandris.”

Read also: Leila Moss in Jacquemus wedding dress that reminds me of mother Kate

In return, Carrie and Lex introduce her to Danielle Frankel designer Danielle Hirsch. Over the next seven months, Eve worked closely with Goldberg, Alexandris, and Frankel to bring her vision of a pearl-embroidered baroque dress to life. Since there was no pre-existing model to base it on, everything from the silhouette to the decorations had to be decided. “Danielle and her team are very careful,” says Eve. “During one of the last fittings before the wedding, she checked all the pearls to make sure they were perfect. Some were rejected because they were too big or too small.”

After this experience, Eve realized that customizing clothes is not for the faint of heart. “Because the embroidery had to be done from scratch, the first time I saw – I say ‘saw’, not ‘worn’ – the outer layer of the dress was two weeks before the wedding,” she says. “But it was worth it, not only for the end result, but also for the process. I love being a lawyer and feel privileged to have a job that I do, but my daily life doesn’t always leave room for artistic or costume-related creativity. So taking part in the making of the dress was a creative outlet of sorts for Eve, who adds: “I was able to share this experience with my loved ones, which made it even more special. For example, with my friend Colin McGregor, who is the design director of the clothing brand La Ligne, we exchanged dozens of improvised sketches whenever we thought of changing some detail.

Read also: Wedding Dresses: All Styles’ Complete Guide to Finding the Perfect Dress

groom in tom ford

As far as the groomsmen go, Matt has expanded his wardrobe with some new items to prepare for the wedding weekend, but he’s also taken advantage of the things he already has. “In general, her style is effortless and restrained,” says Eve. On his first night back, he wore a Ralph Lauren Purple Label cashmere hoodie, while for the ‘Til Death Do Us Part party he chose a dark gray suit that a former teammate gave him when he made his Major League debut in 2016. given during the season. Finally, for the ceremony and reception, he wore a black tuxedo with a Tom Ford shawl collar.

Read also: Tuxedo, suit, tights or tails? Here’s how to choose the perfect groom’s suit for your wedding

marriage ceremony

The ceremony was officiated by Mr. Srinivasan, Chief Justice of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, with whom Eve served as assistant. Eve says, “In the legal field, Judge Srinivasan is known as a gifted speaker and thinker, but he is also an unusually kind, warm and engaging person and we are fortunate to have him as officiator. Could.” “Our respective brethren have given their own modern and secular interpretations of the seven blessings (or sheva brachotare part of the Jewish wedding ritual), while Kevin Gallagher, Matt’s father’s best friend, read poetry last pieceby Raymond Carver.” The bride and groom wrote their own vows. “I’m not good with words without sounding awkward, so I won’t try,” comments Eve. All I can say is that everything was fine.”

On his part, Matt says: “We both feel very fortunate to be able to celebrate in that environment. I’m not sure what we felt inside can be mirrored elsewhere.

dinner and after party

After the ceremony, as the sun set behind the Elk Mountains, cocktails were served outside and guests proceeded to a specially set up pavilion to host the wedding dinner. For the latter, the bride wore an archival Alexander McQueen gown (found with Goldberg’s help), which she accessorized with a pair of her mother’s earrings. However, for the after-party, she chose a minidress by Azzaro Couture. Stephen Russell’s team made sure that the stars of the necklace worn at Friday night’s party were removable and turned into earrings, so Eve wore them after the party.

Also Read: Bridal Earrings Perfect For Your Wedding: How To Choose Them Based On The Dress

Cove and Madison Hartley of Hart Florals took care of the pavilion’s decorations, placing a network of branches studded with resin beads over guests’ heads, reminiscent of both the morning dew and the pearls of Eve’s dress.

Eve says, “We are fortunate to have so many talented and witty friends and relatives, who vie with each other to entertain us with their speeches at toasts.” “It was a dream. And it would have happened even if we had decided to do things differently: marry in court, elope, or whatever. Because marrying the one you love is already in itself is a dream. But the speech, the mountains, the party, the gathering of the closest people at the place we love the most… these are the things that make lasting memories.