Couple climbs 11,000ft to wed on mountain top

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January 27, 2015 2:34 PM

The couple from Lander, Wyoming, spent a whole day travelling across 50 miles from their home to the top of the Pingora Peak, one of the Cirque of the Towers mountains.

Brian and Mandy Fandel took their relationship to a higher level when they held their wedding ceremony at the top of a 11,000-foot mountain.

Last August, the bride, 29, and groom, 32, began their wedding day by journeying 10 miles on bicycles, which was followed by a grueling 25-mile hike, before taking on the tricky final stages of their climb onto the mountain.

Despite the unique location of the wedding, the couple stuck to the tradition when it came to the bride's wedding dress - a simple white dress for the high-altitude ceremony - which she bought for $8.

According to couple, the 12-minute exchange of vows was just what they had dreamed of and left them sky-high.

The bride said: "It was completely perfect. We were atop Pingora Peak in the Cirque of the Towers and the views were astounding. The weather was fantastic, and we had the place to ourselves.

"After we returned we heard a lot of 'well, it doesn't surprise me in the least', and people were genuinely happy for us."

The idea for this unusual ceremony came 5 years ago from the couple's long-time friend, Jamie O'Donnell, but it was only after attending several other weddings during the year that they realized they wanted to go ahead with the unique plan.

During a 3-hour car ride back to their home following one of these weddings, the experienced climbers thrashed out the key details of the ceremony – and how they were going to get there.

Mrs Fandel said: "We figured there would never be a better time to take on a big objective and have the perseverance to see it through. We've been together for six years and own a house together, so life together feels pretty comfortable.

"We decided that not telling people would help us keep the pressure off. We knew all along we would get married in the mountains and we didn't want people to be disappointed if we didn't reach the top."

The climbing-mad couple only mentioned their plan to their parents a few days after the wedding and were only accompanied on their trek by O'Donnell – before being joined by some other friends, who had opted to take an easier route to the peak.

O'Donnell actually signed up for an $8 online marriage license in order to preside over the ceremony, after committing to making the human-powered ascent alongside the loved-up couple.

The couples' friends, Kyle Duba and Sam Lightner Jr, took a much easier route to the summit and filmed the ceremony.

Mrs Fandel, a charity worker, and Mr Fandel, a director at the Lander Chamber of Commerce, plan to throw a party to celebrate their marriage in July.

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