As Bachelor Nation fans may remember, Chase McNary appeared on both JoJo Fletcher‘s season of The Bachelorette and season 6 of Bachelor in Paradise in hopes of finding love. But The One didn’t come until after he left the small screen and came across Ellie White on social media.

On Saturday, July 6, the couple officially tied the knot at the Arapahoe Basin‘s mid-mountain lodge in Dillon, Colorado — and they’re telling PEOPLE exclusively all about the “super fun,” yet romantic ceremony.

“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.”

Because of where they are positioned during the ceremony, McNary says 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.”

The couple — who got engaged on July 2, 2022, and now have their dogs, Dan and Dewey, as witnesses on their marriage license — took “a less traditional route” as they had “more of an artistic” vision for their big day.

“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.”

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For the big day, McNary wore a full custom suit from Nick’s Menswear in Scottsdale, Arizona. He notes the 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.”

As for White, finding her Galia Lahav wedding dress was a “dream” she’s had “ever since I was a little girl,” she says.

“I grew up in the country, a little less fortunate, still very, very happy household. So I never in a million years thought that I would be in a place where I could afford a designer dress. Nonetheless, the one that I had kind of idolized, designer-wise,” shares White, whose makeup was done by Denver artist Face It by Ariel and hair and extensions by Scottsdale hairstylist Julia Ward, founder of Muse Extension Lounge.

White tied the full look together with a custom bridal hat from her designer hat brand, Mill & Habs.

“I’m a milliner. So I build these hats by hand. I get them as flat animal pelts, and then I dye them myself. I heat them up and mold them and block them to head sizes. And then I shape them. Then I hand sew them. And on the back end is when I actually design,” she shares, with McNary noting she has “got a cool studio in Old Town Scottsdale.”

In keeping with their non-traditional approach, McNary opted to have a Best Woman while White selected a Man of Honor. The former reality star’s groomsmen even feature some familiar faces, with fellow Bachelor Nation star Luke Pell and Big Brother alum Corey Brooks helping round out the group, who all wore suits by The Modern Groom.

McNary and the wedding party walked down the aisle to an acoustic version of Elton John‘s “Can You Feel the Love Tonight.” As White made her grand entrance in her Galia Lahav gown, she walked to an acoustic version of “I Won’t Give Up” by Jason Mraz.

The ceremony, officiated by the couple’s good friend Brendan Hans, started at 3 p.m. local time and the festivities ran through 8 p.m., which McNary indicates 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.”

A three-piece band performed during the post-ceremony cocktail hour and a 12-piece orchestra band took over for reception, all of which were by the Jordan Kahn Orchestra, whom Ben Higgins referred them to. And as the couple hit the floor for their first dance, they danced to “You Make It Easy” by Jason Aldean.

For dining, guests were treated to the wedding venue’s food offerings, which included a tomahawk steak. There was also a dessert table and plenty of late-night snacks like empanadas to go around. Although they opted to forgo having a cake, top-shelf 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.”