Brides Live Wedding: Riker Lynch and Savannah Latimer's Special Day

Savannah Latimer and Riker Lynch both grew up in Colorado, so it's only fitting that they marry in the mountains—even if they didn't choose their wedding venue themselves!

After Riker proposed on the beach in Malibu last September, the couple—he's a musician and actor; she's an influencer—began working with Brides to say "I do" in our annual Brides Live Wedding. In doing so, they invited Brides readers to follow their journey down the aisle, documenting the lead-up to the wedding on social and asking our audience to vote on every wedding detail from the dress to the décor. After five months of planning and thousands of votes cast, everything was officially revealed on September 20, 2019, when Savannah and Riker married at the Montage Deer Valley in Park City, Utah.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Brides readers did a great job choosing the day's details, ultimately selecting a stunning color palette for the design, a classic tux for the groom, and a glamorous ball gown for the bride. Everything coordinated with the mountain setting and (unexpected!) early-fall snowfall, but the day was not just perfectly curated. It was a real wedding, and it was tailored to the couple as well: Savannah and Riker wrote their own vows; a close friend officiated the ceremony; and friends and family performed at the reception.

Keep reading to see how Savannah and Riker married in style, with planning by Brooke Keegan Special Events, photos by Lucy Cuneo, and video footage (above) by Elysium Productions.

The couple invited 101 guests to Deer Valley and worked with Cecile's Paper Co. to set the set the tone for a chic mountain wedding. They first did this with the invitation suite, which featured a rich emerald green lining alongside a custom logo that was woven through the day-of signage and welcome bags.

Utah-based florist Sarah Winward was on hand to create a romantic, seasonal setting—even after snow forced everything indoors. Despite the venue change, the décor still felt natural to the setting thanks to Sarah Winward, who incorporated foraged grasses in every design element from the ceremony aisle to the bridal bouquet. Boutonnieres were made with sage, ferns, and peppergrass, while the bridesmaids' bouquets were made with lisianthus and dried peppergrass.

Savannah got ready with her bridesmaids, who all dressed in matching lace robes and toasted with Rosa Regale sparkling wine.

The bride wore an embellished ball gown by Maggie Sottero that was ultimately voted on by Brides readers. "When I tried this dress on, I knew it was the one," she says. "It was the only voting category I was actually worried about. Luckily, everyone else agreed it was the one too!"

Savannah paired her glamorous gown with a lace-lined veil, her grandmother's blue ring (her "something blue"), and a custom gold crown by Anna Marguerite. She completed her look with romantic waves and a bold red lip.

The bridal bouquet featured lisianthus, honey dijon roses, peppergrass, and autumn clematis vine.

Riker and his four groomsmen—including brothers Rocky, Ross, and Ryland and brother-in-law Chase Meyer—wore classic Calvin Klein tuxes from Men's Wearhouse.

As mentioned, the ceremony was moved inside just hours before go time. Planner Brooke Keegan and florist Sarah Winward sprung into action, transforming an indoor library space with a crawling installation of fall foliage. A fireplace acted as the focal point for the design, and guests sat on singular wooden benches on either side of the aisle. The 60-foot aisle was enhanced with two statement arrangements at the entrance and foraged tumbleweeds (yes, really!) at every bench.

The altar was decorated with Aspen leaves, ferns, and peppergrass alongside foxglove and Japanese anemone blooms. The resulting design—plus the lit fireplace!—made for a cozy, fall-inspired vibe inside the space.

Cones were filled with dried strawflowers and mini daisies for guests to toss once Savannah and Riker were pronounced "Mr. and Mrs. Lynch."

Riker walked down the aisle arm-in-arm with his mother and father. His mother wore an emerald green gown to coordinate with the mother-of-the-bride and bridesmaids.

Savannah made her grand entrance with her father, Fred Latimer, as Dean Martin's "La Vie En Rose" played. The couple chose to not see each other prior to the ceremony, which they say made the moment even more memorable. "Before I walked down the aisle, I could hear Riker talking with his brothers and all I wanted to do was run downstairs and kiss him," Savannah recalls. "Then all the groomsmen and bridesmaids started singing 'Going to the chapel and we're going to get married...' It was so sweet!" Riker agrees: "Seeing Vanni walk down the aisle for the first time was incredible," he says.

Riker's Glee costar and best friend Titus Makin officiated the ceremony, filling his script with lines from Dr. Seuss, several jokes, and personal accounts of meeting Savannah and Riker for the first time.

The couple chose to write their own vows, though they admittedly took different approaches. "I wrote my vows in the car with Riker about two weeks before we left for the wedding," Savannah recalls. "Riker was driving so I wasn't worried about him seeing them. I was holding his hand the entire time." Riker, on the other hand, worked on his until the last minute. "I kept working on mine until like the last minute possible," he admits. "I just wanted them to be perfect, and I was a little nervous about them because it was such a personal moment. The rest of the wedding was basically set up for me, so my vows were a major part that I had direct control over."

The officiant said he "felt like the genie in Aladdin" before announcing the couple—and their first kiss!

As guests tossed petals, the newlyweds recessed down the aisle to Earth, Wind & Fire's "September"—a fitting choice given their wedding date.

Because Savannah and Riker opted to not do a first look, they posed for family portraits after the ceremony while other guests enjoyed cocktail hour on a terrace directly above them.

After a day of rain, hail, and snow, the sun came out just in time for the newlyweds' portraits, and they wouldn't have had the weather any other way. "It was so magical waking up to the snow," Savannah recalls. "Riker and I fell in love in the mountains around Christmas so it felt very nostalgic. Plus, it’s supposed to be good luck when it rains on your wedding day so it must mean we are extremely lucky"

Meanwhile, guests enjoyed his & her cocktails in the resort's Vista Lounge & Terrace. The space was enhanced with leather lounge furniture and Moroccan poufs from Tavolo Rental.

Escort cards were placed on a pool table covered in nude pillar candles, gray linens from BBJ Linen, and a cascading display of old man's beard (bloomed out wild clematis).

Inside Vista Lounge, a mix of round and square tables were covered with more gray linens. Each was decorated with nude votive candles and textured arrangements of peppergrass, lisianthus, heuchera, sage, scabiosa, and honey dijon roses.

Each place setting was complete with a concrete stone charger, brushed gold and slate flatware, and a caramel suede menu done in a fan-like design. "It was a fun interactive piece for the guests as they sat down," adds planner Brooke Keegan.

Savannah and Riker wanted to sit at a sweetheart table, so that was set in the center of the room in front of a statement fireplace enhanced by nude pillar candles.

The couple chose Nat King Cole's classic L-O-V-E for their first dance, and Riker sang to Savannah throughout.

Savannah and her father chose "Unforgettable" by Natalie King Cole and Nat King Cole for their special dance.

Riker and his mother, however, opted for a more unexpected tune for their (choreographed!!) dance: "Bye Bye Bye" by *NSYNC. "It was so special because I grew up learning all the dance moves from *NSYNC, and she would buy me all the videos and CDs," he says. Riker also had a special musical moment with his father. "I had a great moment with my dad when 'Human Touch' by Bruce Springsteen played during dinner," he recalls. "We would jam to that song in the basement of our house in Colorado when I was little, and he would throw me in the air. It’s one of my earliest memories as a child, and when the song played at the wedding, we both got pretty teary-eyed remembering that."

Music naturally took center stage (literally!) at the reception, so the space was decorated accordingly.

The night continued with special performances from New Beat Fund and Jon Robert Hall, but the wedding's most memorable set came from Riker, who told he and Savannah's love story by mixing monologue with songs such as Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl." "I just thought it would be fun to tell the story of Vanni and I falling in love and to play some of 'our songs' and songs that tied into our little story," he says. "I felt so good about it! The guys nailed all their parts and we only had two rehearsals for it. Definitely one of my favorite memories from the weekend." Savannah agrees: "It was the most magical performance ever! I couldn't stop crying!"

While Riker says choosing the night's music was the easiest part of wedding planning, Savannah says it was choosing the flavor of their cake: Samoa!

The couple cut into the cake at the end of the night, just before DJ Jon Brown played Earth, Wind & Fire's "September" to officially end the party.

"The end of the night was probably my favorite part," Savannah admits. "I was expecting to be a little bummed that it was over, but I was actually really tired! The Montage decorated our room with roses and candles, and we just sat there eating wedding cake and talking about the day. It was so fun!" Riker adds, "It was absolutely perfect."