Celebration of Love in Colorado

Trafton B.

July 25, 2010 - 5:25 PM

Congratulations to newlyweds, Briar Goldberg and Elliot Freeman, who celebrated their marriage on July 24th 2010 at the picturesque Spruce Mountain Ranch in Larkspur, Colorado. It was a day (and night) for the ages.

The Bean Family has known the Goldberg Family for decades now. It all began when the two patriarchs, Bruce and Mark, were introduced in the summer of 1976 by their common work associate, Jack Beavers. The reason I tell you this is because Jack is without doubt the most highly regarded friend amongst both of our families. Without Jack our lives just wouldn't have been as rich. There would be no summer trips to Aspen, no stories in ‘Alf' language, and there certainly wouldn't be Gold-Bean Theatre productions. I realize that the majority of my audience won't understand these allusions, but know that it means a great amount for those that do understand. And these were the people at yesterday's wedding.

Back to the present. The wedding couldn't have been more perfect. Beautiful venue. Gorgeous couple. Friends and family traveling from all stretches of the nation. The ceremony itself was....well....it was very "Briar and Elliot." That's the only way I can describe it. It was a perfect combination of laughter, tears and tenderness. Let me explain.

First, the wedding officiators. Rather than looking for an official wedding officiator, as well as having to choose between a Catholic priest and a Jewish rabbi (yikes!), the bride and groom made the ceremony more personal. Briar's sister, Alex, and Elliot's college buddy, Jacob, presided over the ceremony. Plus, they chose not to have any bridesmaids or groomsmen, so it was just the four of them standing under the chuppah, which was built by family members from both sides of the family.

Second, the vows. As they stood holding each other's hands Briar and Elliot prepared three vows for one another. It was part of the short-and-sweet theme of the ceremony, which the gallery particularly appreciated considering the Rocky Mountain heat. Some were said with joyful compassion and others with playful honesty. There was even a little Italian spoken, a tribute to when the couple first met while studying abroad in Italy. When it was finally time to say ‘I do,' Briar responded with a "You bet!" and Elliot proclaimed "ABSOLUTELY!" He stomped on the glass bottle and they raced down the hill and through the meadow with the audience cheering in the background.

Third, the reception. Truthfully, the wedding reception was the most traditional part of the entire night. Parents welcomed their new in-laws to the family. Brothers and sisters told embarrassing stories. We laughed at baby photos. We cried at videos that the two took of each other in Italy before they dated. And then we danced the night away!
When I say ‘danced the night away,' I really mean it. There was not a single time between seven o'clock and midnight that the dance floor wasn't completely full. We rocked out to everything from Louis Armstrong to Hava Nagila to Bon Jovi. The final shuttle back to the hotel left at 12:30. We were ready to have the after party in Room 720 at the Hotel Magnolia, but the hour long ride from Larkspur to Denver put a roadblock in our lofty goals. Everyone ate their complimentary parting gift, a breakfast burrito courtesy of Santiago's Taquería and instantly fell asleep. The eight people that showed up breathed a sigh of relief when Briar and Elliot turned in for the night. It was the best fifteen-minute after party you could imagine.

Once again, congratulation to the happy couple! Enjoy the honeymoon and we'll see you when you get back. Cheers and Mozel tov!

We've known the Goldberg Family since Gold-Bean Theater
Picturesque Spruce Mountain Ranch in Larkspur, Colorado
Parents telling embarrassing stories
Dancing late into the night
Breakfast burritos on the bus ride back