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Snowstorm providing Nature's confetti at Peta (left) and Jen's wedding
at Sun Peaks Chapel on Friday - Photo by Sun Peaks' artist Edit Pal |
What could be more romantic than dating on a ski hill? Getting married in
a tiny mountaintop chapel at the top of the chairlift in winter! That’s what
Australian couple Jen Webber and Peta Lawlor did last Friday. Keen skiers, the piste
pair are ‘head over
hills’ about Sun Peaks - and each
other. “We adore this place and love the sense of family that it brings to our
lives. We always feel welcomed as locals and this place is held close to our
hearts forever,” says Jen.
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| Peta (left) and Jen trying to keep warm at their wedding at Sun Peaks Chapel on Friday |
With
a wedding party of 15 friends from Australia and 10 Canadians who they consider
their family, they made it official in the miniscule but magical Sun Peaks
Chapel on Feb 7. For the ski back down Five Mile to their après-ski reception, they wore beautiful lacy dresses – Jen’s black and Peta’s winter white – and matching white fur-trimmed
ski jackets. No head gear that day – couldn’t let helmet hair spoil the beautifully coiffured
locks! “We used local hair and make-up artists, a local
celebrant, flowers, cupcakes instead of a wedding cake, and a BC videographer
and photographer,” says Jen. After the ceremony, they posed for pics outside
the picturesque chapel during a champagne reception. Skiing down to the base
with videographer in tow, they ended up at the patio and conservatory at Bottoms Bar & Grill for their reception.
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| Peta and Jen on Morrisey |
During
the run-up to the big event, they were out skiing every day and also joined the Polar Bear
Club, an all women ski group that meets every Wednesday morning for a two-hour
ski followed by lunch at Cahilty Creek. Having fallen in love with the Alchemy of Ride brand, they also attended the Pop-Up Sale in the Sun Peaks Grand
after which Jen was seen sporting her brightly coloured AOR shirt around the village.
BTW: I know we all try to pad out our ski bags with thermals, socks and ski wear. But this practical pair somehow managed to squeeze in their delicate lace wedding dresses, too! "We protected them with other clothing and somehow they survived the journey without even creasing," said Peta.
Wintersports are Cheaper
than Couples Therapy, according
to Katie Burrell, a YouTube comedian who also made a short film about Dating
in a Ski Town. Ski movies are
really trending at the moment BTW – premiering on Feb 14 is Downhill starring Will Ferrell and Julia Louis-Dreyfus who will be seen trying
to patch up their marriage by taking the whole family to the Austrian Alps.
Although
much of this TV coverage is tongue-in-cheek, the consensus is that snowsports
can be very bonding, cementing fledgling relationships, adding to the mutual
allure and helping to establish strong shared memories – all with an edge of
danger and daring.
Mountain Marriages: Some couples
have made skiing into a partnership, business, and lifestyle: for
example, Nancy
Greene,
Olympian and Canada’s most decorated female ski racer, and husband Al Raine (pictured above). They met when they were
both ski racing in British Columbia. She was racing for the National Ski
Team and he went on to become a coach, first in Quebec, then in Ontario, where
he established the Nancy Greene Ski League. Al then took over as Program
Director of the National Ski Team just after Nancy retired. Their paths
crossed, they fell in love, married and lived happily ever after!
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| Nancy Greene Raine and Al Raine - Credit Sam Egan Cedar Line Creative |
After Al retired from leading the ski team,
he got involved in leadership of the fledgling Whistler Resort while Nancy was
busy with twin sons and a promotional career. Eventually they got into the
hotel business, first at Whistler,
then twenty five years ago moving to Sun Peaks Resort, where Al has
served as Mayor since it became a municipality and Nancy is Director of Skiing. They also
built Nancy
Greene’s Cahilty Hotel, which houses one of the resort’s most popular après spots, hosts skiers
and conference visitors from all over the world, and is home to Nancy’s impressive
collection of medals and trophies. Nancy enjoys meeting guests on
the slopes five days a week - watch for signage at the lift mazes on days she
is skiing. As well as being integral in the early development of Whistler Blackcomb, the charismatic
couple have guided Sun
Peaks through
several phases of its Ecosign-designed master plan, championing a
school on the slopes (at the top of the beginners’ lift!), encouraging community
commitment to the vision from full-time and part-time
residents, and thereby creating a homey hub for likeminded lifestyle relocators
– not to mention a world class ski resort, Canada’s second largest with 4270 acres of terrain.
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| Darren and Tennille Southcombe |
Surely it's Knot Snowing? Tennille and Darren Southcombe
picked June to tie the knot at the historic Kosciuszko Chalet Hotel in Charlotte
Pass, Australia -
expecting a snow-free mountain wedding. However, a 40cm dump meant the
bridesmaids had to be persuaded outdoors for photos in skimpy gowns and
sandals. “It wasn’t what we’d planned,” says Tennille. “But it was great in the
end as the people coming from Queensland all got to ski.” Sealed by this snowy
ceremony at the top of the chairlift, the Sydney-based couple have skied
together for 25 years. They met in Canada where Darren was a ski technician and
Tennille an instructor: “I came over for a Canadian and got an Australian, damn
it,” quips Tennille. Adding instructor’s dibs to his resumé too, Darren worked
alongside Tennille at ski schools in Deer Valley, Utah and Australia. They now
skip between a container business in Sydney and Sun Peaks, Canada where they
run Snowlife
Tours, a
family ski adventure service.
Here's how you can celebrate Valentine’s Day on snow this year:
Sun Peaks: Feb 14 Friday
Race Series – best place to pick a winner! Fast forward to the 9pm Speed
Dating in Bottoms Bar (get there by 8pm to sign up). If you’ve already clinched
the deal, there’s a three course Valentine’s meal package at Mantles
including sharing platter, choice of main, and a chocolate trio for two. And
the Sun
Peaks Grand Ballroom shares the love with the whole family with a sumptuous
Valentine’s Buffet.
But my favourite intimate dining venue would be the new Fondue
Stube where you can share every course. Start with succulent cheese fondue, and then move on to meat and
fish fondues. Yes, fish! It comes with scallops, prawns and salmon and the meat one is a mix of beef, bison and port.
And if you can cope with more delectables, top it off with chocolate fondue. Enough to ‘melt’ any heart
(particularly mine)!
Food of Love: Candlelit cozy couples’ cuisine
is a Valentine’s staple at other resorts, too, including Big White, which this year offers a five-course feast complete
with bubbly and custom-blended chocolate creations. Earl’s Lodge at Snowbasin, an opulent chandeliered and
sumptuously carpeted daylodge, fields a fine-dining foodie fantasy including
lobster bisque, BBQ, braised short rib, decadent cheesecake and chocolate
strawberries. After a day of downhill many a proposal has been made at Kicking Horse’s high altitude Eagle’s Eye Restaurant.
Snuggling in a private gondola on the way up, Valentine’s Date Night kicks off
with a Prosecco proposition, before indulging in three courses of romantic refreshment. And my favourite because
I love dancing: at Arapahoe Basin, CO Valentine’s dates are decided
during pre-dinner Salsa lessons.
Valentine’s Extravaganza: Fork out $3,000-plus and get your
Valentine’s treat designed by the Viceroy
Snowmass. The
Omakase package – meaning in Japanese ‘I’ll leave it to you’- saves much
heartache and hassle in creating the ultimate Feb 14 surprise. It’s an exploration
including such activities as a snowcat ride on
Snowmass, guided snowshoe hike through Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness lakes and
aspen groves, a private guided cross-country ski excursion, wine tastings from
rare Argentinian and Spanish wines, hot air balloon rides, and more.
Leap of Love: Although Squaw Valley similarly hosts a mountaintop Valentine’s
wine-paired feast, it’s actually Feb 29 this year that gets the ‘amour’
award. Leap of Love is a collective Leap Year Day
mountaintop wedding with up to 50 couples getting married or renewing vows at
the picturesque High Camp Upper Observation Deck. After all the ‘I doing”, the group
skis the 3.2 mile run back down to Squaw Village.
And for more 'sno-mance' inspiration, go to:
