As part of an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, McNary and White discuss the circumstances surrounding their wedding on a hilltop in Colorado.
It is possible that fans of Bachelor Nation will recall that Chase McNary made an appearance on both JoJo Fletcher’s season of The Bachelorette and season 6 of Bachelor in Paradise with the aim of finding potential romantic partners. But it wasn’t until after he had left the small screen and discovered Ellie White on social media that he found The One.
At the mid-mountain lodge of the Arapahoe Basin in Dillon, Colorado, on Saturday, July 6, the pair formally married the knot, and they are sharing with PEOPLE all the details about the “super fun” yet romantic ceremony that they had.
“We wanted to get married at the venue, so the mountaintop was kind of the most important part for us. We’re going [to be] at 11,500 feet, so we’re kind of just basing everything off of love reaching new heights,” McNary says.
“It’s kind of our theme for our wedding. So, 11,500 feet, love reaching new heights is kind of like our tagline on everything,” he continues, “And then, not being a stiff formal wedding, because that’s just not us. We’re doing super lax, super fun, casual and also, just a full weekend with the people that we love.”
As a result of the location at which they are situated during the ceremony, McNary has expressed that it “feels like we’re on top of the world.”
“Pretty cool little spot,” he adds. “The views are just insane. It’s breathtaking and that’s the whole reason why we waited for it.”
Who designed the Ellie White’s Dress?
“A less traditional route” was chosen by the couple since they had “more of an artistic” vision for their big day. The couple became engaged on July 2, 2022, and they now have their dogs, Dan and Dewey, as witnesses on their marriage certificate.
“We got linked up with MARKED by Alex, and she’s a florist in Denver. She’s known for really artsy, unique floral arrangements instead of just the typical white. So she’s doing our flowers and I’m so excited,” White shares. “She’s doing the [florals] beside the altar, all the tables, all that kind of thing.”
McNary notes that “the reason why we waited two years to get married” is because they “got engaged on Loveland Pass, and this is the closest ski resort to Loveland Pass. So it’s all on the same mountain range in Colorado.” Fortunately, it all appears to be worth the wait, especially as they “rented an estate for our wedding party to stay in together” to make the experience all the more intimate.
“Leading up to the wedding, we can just be with our core group and just ease into it. So Wednesday, 4th of July, we have a chuck wagon dinner. So we’re going to do [an] American-themed, red, white and blue type thing,” White explains. “We get on horse-drawn wagons, and they take us into the middle of the woods and do an old-school cookout. Then there’s also a Western show and cornhole and that whole thing. And then, we have a rehearsal dinner then the next day.”
What McNary was wore on his wedding day?
The full-custom suit that McNary donned for the special occasion was purchased from Nick’s Menswear in Scottsdale, Arizona. According to him, his look is “pretty flashy.”
“Our whole wedding is mountain cocktail attire themed. We wanted [his suit] to be fun textures, fun colors,” White shares. “We didn’t want it to just be plain boring and formal. I’ve always been [of] an artist mindset. And so, the more colors, textures pop, the better. His suit is so fun. It’s patterned, it’s got floral undertones.”
According to White, the discovery of her Galia Lahav wedding dress was a “dream” that she has had “ever since I was a little girl,” she says.
“I had grown up in a household that was a little less fortunate but still very, very happy. I grew up in the country.” To put that into perspective, I never in a million years imagined that I would be in a position where I could purchase a dress designed by a designer. Nevertheless, the one that I had kind of admired, in terms of the designer,” says White, whose makeup was done by the Denver artist Face It by Ariel and whose hair and extensions were done by the Scottsdale hairstylist Julia Ward, who is the founder of Muse Extension Lounge.
White’s Mill & Habs bridal hat completed the look.
In keeping with their non-traditional approach, McNary chose a Best Woman and White a Man of Honor. The guys, who wore The Modern Groom suits, including Bachelor Nation’s Luke Pell and Big Brother’s Corey Brooks.
McNary and the wedding party proceeded down the aisle to Elton John’s acoustic “Can You Feel the Love Tonight.” Jason Mraz’s acoustic “I Won’t Give Up” played when White entered in her Galia Lahav gown.
The couple’s friend Brendan Hans officiated the ceremony, which began at 3 p.m. local time and lasted until 8 p.m., which McNary says was “intentional.”
“It’s called Alp and Glow. So in the mountains of Colorado, it’s like golden hour in the mountains,” he explains, noting that they will “be able to get photos and all that stuff throughout the evening” during that time, which they believe will add to creating “a different feel than in traditional weddings where it’s like the sun goes down and then everyone just kind of gets drunk and blacks out. So it’s a little more memorable. Not quite a day party, but not quite a night party.”
After the ceremony, Ben Higgins recommended the Jordan Kahn Orchestra, which provided a three-piece band for cocktail hour and a 12-piece orchestra for reception. The couple danced to Jason Aldean’s “You Make It Easy” during their first dance.
The wedding location served tomahawk steak for dinner. The dessert table and late-night nibbles like empanadas were plentiful. No cake, but top-notch wine and liquor were served.
Looking beyond the wedding and reception, McNary and White’s honeymoon plans aren’t set in stone, but the pair are mulling over visiting places like Fiji and New Zealand to commemorate their milestone. However, at the end of the day, the twosome are most excited to continue growing together.
“I think that can apply to a lot of things. I think growth and our love, growth in our number of family members in our household, growth financially,” White says. “We have a bunch of goals that we want to hit and we’re both very, very driven individuals. So I think that this next chapter is growth.”
As for McNary, he adds: “I just want to continue to do better and better so that Ellie has a better and better life.”
