Caelynn Miller-Keyes and Dean Unglert are married!
The Bachelor in Paradise stars tied the knot on Sept. 23 at a private mountain retreat in Meredith, Colorado, near where Unglert gew up.
The couple’s “Camp Bell” wedding theme was a sentimental nod to Miller-Keyes’ longtime love for summer camp and Unglert’s late mother Debbie Bell, who died from breast cancer when he was a teenager. After the couple’s wedding, the pair plans to change their last name to Bell in her honor.
“We both love the [Colorado] area and it made it even more special,” explains Miller-Keyes, who first met Unglert on Bachelor in Paradise in 2019. “We also wanted a way for everyone to be together all weekend versus just for a night or two. When we toured this venue we immediately knew it was the one. Everyone has their own cabin and is staying on property.”
Ahead of the couple’s big day, Miller-Keyes told PEOPLE that the festivities were going to be “very unique and special. I’m so excited to be able to spend so much time with everyone. It won’t be super traditional.”
To kick off the weekend celebration, Miller-Keyes and Unglert hosted a “bright and colorful” welcome dinner, where all 75 guests enjoyed a meal together at one long table.
“I loved summer camp more than anything growing up, so we incorporated some camp themes throughout the weekend, like field day, to really allow everyone to get to know each other,” she says. “For the welcome dinner, we also wanted to incorporate a little bit of Italy, one of our favorite places we’ve been to together.”
They kept decor for the nuptials “minimal” in terms of color, and incorporated white and green throughout the ceremony. Carly Wilde and Emily Mournian from Milk Glass Productions helped plan the details of the wedding, while Lady Sunshine Floral created the floral arrangements. “We wanted this day to feel like an elegant night in the mountains,” she says. “The whole weekend will be a perfect mix of us as a couple.”
Miller-Keyes adds that one non-negotiable for the pair while planning their wedding was to be able to bring their dog, Alastor. “Luckily we found a venue that allows dogs and has acres and acres of land for him to run around on,” she says.
For her walk down the aisle, the bride wore a Lihi Hod gown from NWLA. “It was the second dress I tried on and I immediately knew it was the one,” she says. “I wanted something simple, classic, and elegant. The designer allowed me to make a few customizations, we lowered the waistline a bit, removed the pockets, and added a removable corset.”
She later changed into a second dress by Katherine Tash. “I went into my dress fittings knowing the style of both dresses I wanted, and I’m so happy with how they turned out,” says Miller-Keyes.
She adds: “I worked with PS Bridal Rental in the UK to help style each look. They helped me from the very first dress fitting, before I picked anything, to figuring out the perfect jewelry and shoes.”
One of Unglert’s best friends, Jackson, officiated the wedding ceremony. Unglert entered to “Don’t Worry Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin, while Miller-Keyes chose “Kiss Me” by Sixpence. At the altar, the couple exchanged wedding bands — Unglert’s from Stone and Strand and Miller-Keyes’ Nicole Rose Jewelry — and personal vows.
“I’m most excited to hear Dean’s vows,” she told PEOPLE ahead of the ceremony. “He’s such a good writer, he’s a good public speaker, he’s great at articulating his feelings, and I think he’s hilarious, so I know they will be perfect.”
During the reception, guests dined on Alaskan salmon and rib eye, plus a three-tiered vanilla cake and ice cream sandwiches from Afternoon Delight, while Stratosphere from the Jordan Kahn Music Company performed.
Later, the couple shared their first dance to “Bring It On Home to Me” by Sam Cooke. “We looked up the meaning of the song, and it’s about a guy who loses a girl and will do anything to get her back,” she says. “It felt very true to us and how our relationship began on the beach in Mexico when Dean came back.”
Following the wedding, Miller-Keyes says she and her husband will head to Aspen to relax and simply enjoy being married before they jet off to South Africa in December for a honeymoon.
“Dean is so compassionate. He has a way of making everyone feel so special and I really admire that about him,” Miller-Keyes says. “He’s taught me a lot in the past four years of us being together. He never says no or he can’t do something, he always tries, and almost always succeeds and it’s been great to flip my perspective on things and start challenging myself more.
“Each year with Dean gets better, so I’m excited to see how we grow as husband and wife,” she says. “Hopefully kids are in our future as well.”