Rachel & Bradley

The atmosphere’s the limit for Rachel and Bradley Cheetham. The couple met at an aerospace conference in 2010 and went on their first date to the summit of Flagstaff Mountain, where they hiked, ate burritos and watched the sunset. Brad returned to that summit overlooking Boulder for his proposal on April 12, 2014. Brad is fairly confident he won’t forget the date, because it coincides with the day that the first human traveled to space in 1961 and the first flight of the Space Shuttle in 1981.

The blissful couple tied the knot on August 8, 2015, in a delightfully creative and meaningful ceremony and reception at Highlands Ranch Mountain. Rachel was attended by her sister, Alexandra Hakeem, sisterin- law, Caroline Hakeem; future sisters-in-law Amanda Cheetham and Haley Cheetham, and friends Ariane Cornell and Kelsey Ellis. Standing with Brad were his father,
William Cheetham, future brother-in-law Adam Hakeem, and friends Nate Medford, Matt Cannella, John Grimble and Brett Silcox. The officiant was a long-time mentor of both bride and groom who had known them as singles as well as a couple.

The space-themed event embodied Rachel’s elegant nature. Aerospace elements encompassed Brad’s wedding band, made of meteorite; the guests launched foam rockets at “T-0 to the Kiss” during the ceremony; and the groomsmen wore 3D-printed satellites as boutonnieres in memory of a dear friend who had passed away. The wedding hashtag was #tocheethamandbeyond.

The reception seating cards were made in replication of remove-before-flight tags. For non-aerospace guests, the meaning of the tag was explained as the following: “These red Remove Before Flight tags are safety warnings commonly seen on air and spacecraft components. It is important they be removed prior to flight! With Rachel and Brad now married…You may safely remove
your tag and launch to the Reception!”

Other personal touches included programs printed on plantable paper and a signature cocktail, The Cook Island Cocktail, named after the couple’s honeymoon destination. Four generations of wedding photos from the bride and the groom’s families, going back to as early as 1910, were on display at the mansion. Also honoring tradition, Rachel’s bridal bouquet contained the same flowers as those used in her mother’s and grandmother’s bouquets. As Brad and Rachel come from large families, they decided to serve the food family style to honor the traditions of each family sitting around a large table sharing a meal. The food was a reflection of the bride’s Italian and Lebanese heritage, with traditional Lebanese appetizers and Italian food during dinner. The food was displayed on risers in lieu of traditional centerpieces to ensure the food was the center of attention on the tables. Rachel’s aunts and grandmother prepared special desserts that were laid out on a large table for the guests to enjoy and take home

The bride hand made a life size Jenga game for the guests to enjoy during the reception and decorated each of the end pieces with wedding insignia. And instead of dancing to a traditional song during the father-daughter dance, Rachel and her dad played catch across the dance floor as they had done all throughout her life. Rachel and Brad honeymooned in the Cook Islands on the island of Rarotonga, and finally, after a little more than a week, came back down to earth. HLM