Wedding pictures from The Lodge & Spa at Breckenridge

We encountered every type of fall Colorado weather imaginable on Alexis & Kevin wedding day at The Lodge & Spa at Breckenridge. The weather jumped around all day from sunny & warm to rainy…mostly rainy, and even some hail & light snowfall. It was surreal, it was dramatic, it was nature’s way of entertaining us. Even though we had to do a lot of rain dodging during pictures, luckily the sun stayed out long enough for a quick ceremony on the outdoor patio & the views were still spectacular.  Alexis & Kevin actually got married at a private ceremony the day before, so for this day they decided to see each other in advance and they even walked up the aisle together.  Kevin brewed a batch of home-brewed beer for the wedding, which I thought was a great unique idea.

Fleur de Liz created the beautiful bouquets, Blue Moon Bakery created their fabulous cake, Erin with Elegant Productions documented the day on video, & DJ Paula with Center Stage Entertainment kept the crowd pumped up & dancing all night long!  Play the slideshow below to see a glimpse of how wild the dance floor got, as well as to see their unique mountain vista cake design.

Della Terra wedding in Estes Park

I’m back from Italy (those pictures to follow) & glad to be able to catch back up with my blogging.  Jennell & Rick had an amazing wedding at Della Terra in Estes Park, Colorado. Della Terra is according to their website, “a place where natural beauty and romantic design are brought together to create the perfect secluded mountain venue for your wedding”, and I couldn’t agree more.  Even the modern marble designed bathrooms at Della Terra are impressive enough to make you almost want to sleep in the bathtub. If anything they certainly make for a great place for some interesting dress & detail shots.

A gorgeous wedding dress hangs in the beautiful rooms of Della Terra

Everyone got a little nervous when it started to pour just 45 minutes or so before the ceremony. But luckily the rain subsided just in time for the guests to get seated and the wedding to go on as planned under the trees and against a magical mountain backdrop.  Jennell & Rick even planted 2 of their own Aspen trees as part of the ceremony, which was certainly a unique touch (see the picture below).

Wedding Ceremony at Della Terra

Jennell & Rick wrote their own wedding vows, which I know from experience is not easy to do, especially when you have to recite them in front of everyone you know. But when you speak from your heart, even when your vows are full of inside jokes and un-perfect grammar, it truly makes for such a more honest and romantic declaration of your love for each other.

wedding party at Della Terra mountain resort

Della Terra is also a great venue for a wedding reception with its high celings, balcony views, and modern lighting & decor.  The couple’s pick of wedding colors played perfectly with the the venue and looked great on the wedding party and in all the details.  Jennell & Rick had a gorgeous cake created by Shamane’s Bake Shop along with a fancy candy buffet designed by Lemon Sprinkles Events

Dancing, Cake, & Desserts

The wedding celebration continued on without a glitch. DJ Paula with Centerstage Entertainment kept the dance floor shaking all night, Jubilations Catering kept the palettes salivating, Stalls Video documented the event, and the fabulous and extremely organized coordinator, Julie, with Bliss Elevated kept everything running smoothly all night long.

Great tunes by Centerstage Entertainment kept everyone dancing

For the first time I introduced my “Fun & Funky Photo Station” After dinner I had my assistants set up a backdrop and take pictures of guests with props. It was a hit and I’m excited to now be able to offer this to my brides for some fun & unique pictures of their guests.

Our new Fun, Funky Photo Station!

Steampunk Wedding Pictures - Our Lady of Loretto Chapel

When Nell, the coordinator for Faith & Tim’s wedding, first contacted me about photographing a “Steampunk” themed wedding I had to  do some research to see what she was talking about. I knew anything with the word “punk” in it had to be cool, but “steampunk?” Well, now about a year later I’m giving people advise on how to put together their own steampunk themed wedding & finding myself drawn more & more to gears & metal! I’m not going to even try to explain Steampunk, but check out the pictures below for plenty of visual explanation.
Faith & Tim put together the most amazing & unique Steampunk themed wedding, with a ceremony at Our Lady of Loretto Chapel at Colorado Heights University & reception at Mile High Station in downtown Denver, CO.  I was so impressed by how many of their guests got into full costume and by all the unique details that went into this wedding.  Every detail from the incredible cake to the custom made metal tree sculpture was a work of art.  And everyone in attendance, from the guests to the servers, were so excited to be there and to be part of such an amazing event.  I even caught the security guard flashing a smile as guests existed past him.  Spirits were high & no one wanted this party to end.  I was one of the last ones to leave just because everytime I would try to walk out I would spot another little detail that would inspire me to take just one more picture.  Faith & Tim and there familes hosted an amazing night that surely no one will forget. And there were so many people that helped make this all possible that I just had to list as many as I could below.
Now Faith & Tim are off on their honeymoon at Burning Man, and I’m crossing my fingers they get to see this before they are pleasantly disconnected from default reality.  By the way, if you are readying this groomsman Timothy, I LOVED your pre-ceremony speech about you & Tim’s first year on the playa at Burning Man where you realized everything in your life from here on out would be different.  And how you compared that new perspective on the world to Tim & Faith’s new life together as a married couple….full of challenges, unexpected adventures, and lots of love, and loud music.  Enjoy your honeymoon, and hopefully I’ll catch you at Burning Man next year for a 1 year anniversary picture!

Wedding Planner: Stellar Events
Catering: Three Tomatoes
Lighting: Pink Monkey
Flowers: Fleur Decor
Cake: Elegant Bakery
Linens & Plates: Event Rents
Hair: Keri Winters
Getaway car: Ambassador Rolls

Steampunk Wedding Pictures - Our Lady of Loretto Chapel

Steampunk Wedding Pictures - Our Lady of Loretto Chapel

Steampunk Wedding Ceremony

steampunk wedding in Denver, CO

Steampunk wedding details & cake pictures

Steampunk wedding pictures at Mile High Station

Mile High Station Steampunk Wedding

A Steampunk Farewell

Franciscan Event Center wedding pictures

Jessica & Eric recently got married at the The Franciscan Event Center in Centennial, CO. Other then a few drops during family pictures we got really lucky that the weather stayed clear & beautiful for their wedding day. We have had so much rain this summer I feel like I’m back home in wet New Orleans….well without the 100% humidity thankfully. I loved Jessica’s simple yet stylish wedding dress & the bright colors she chose for the bouquets looked perfect with her dress and the modern black bridesmaid dresses. Their wedding was full of friends, family, and LOTS of kids! These kids loved the dance floor & kept the non-dancing guests quite entertained from their chairs. Other then the great music, I think the mirrors surrounding the dance floors truly entranced the kids. Some photographers may get freaked out by so many mirrors, but personally I love the challenge & all the cool shots I can get with the help of a mirror. Take a look at some of the reception shots I got below, I especially love the bouquet toss shot where I captured Jessica’s reaction to her friend’s catch in the mirror. It was certainly a fun entertaining wedding to be a part of, and I know the guests loved the venue too. So much in fact that a couple people jumped in the Franciscan’s pond fully clothed! I happened to overhear these girls plans, which I didn’t think they were serious about, but I secretly followed them outside just in case, and sure enough they jumped right in the water! Play the slideshow below to catch that picture. From a vendor’s perspective the Franciscan was an amazing place to work. They have the venue set-up perfectly for weddings and the service was extremely helpful & friendly…unfortunately not always the case at all venues.  I also have to give props to Jeff with DJ on Demand for his excellent MC skills & for keeping the dance floor packed. Also, amazing flowers by Kimball Floral & delicious cake by Mulberries. And of course thank you to Jessica & Eric for putting together a fabulous wedding & for trusting me to document it all.

Wedding at the Westin in Westminster

Kimmy just moved to the US a few weeks ago to be with the man she loves.  And in two weeks (yes, you read that correctly, 2 weeks!),  she booked her venue, found Rev. Lucinda to marry them, Das Meyer to create a beautiful cake, me to document it, & they tied the knot!  About a dozen of their closest friends & family members came together for an intimate wedding ceremony at The Westin in Westiminster, Colorado.  The staff at the Westin did a great job assisting with these last minute arrangements, the Reverend performed a beautiful ceremony, and in the end everything came together perfectly….including the beautiful bride & groom.  Play the slideshow below to see their picture preview.

Wedding at Beaver Meadows in Red Feathers Lake, CO

It is always an honor when another photographer, or in this case videographer, asks you to take their pictures. Kevin Stalls, of Stalls Videography, has worked side by side with me on numerous weddings in the past, but I never imagined I would one day be documenting his wedding!
Kevin & Jelair are one of those perfect couples & clients to work with. Despite rain, and lots of it, they didn’t let it damper their wedding day one bit. They still had a laid-back, fun, & intimate wedding at one of the most beautiful locations, Beaver Meadows Resort Ranch in Red Feathers Lake, CO.  Kevin was also the first groom to ever call me the morning of the wedding to give me better detailed directions then Google Maps, insist on getting me & my assistant a room for the night, and knowing the time constraints of post production, tell me to take 6 months to edit if I need it!  I won’t need that much time, but it sure was nice to work with someone that knows how it is to be on the other side of the camera, thanks Kevin!! And thank you to DJ Guy for the great music!
Kevin & Jelair have been together for many years, through Texas, L.A., and now in Colorado, and they have been waiting for this day for a very long time. The love they have for each other (and for their dog of course) is really incredible and I was glad to be able to share this day with them. Play the picture preview below for just some of my favorite pictures from their wedding day.

Wedding at Brown Palace Hotel in downtown Denver, CO

Khristina & James got married at St. Ignatius Loyola Church followed by an elegant reception at Brown Palace Hotel in Denver, Colorado.  It was a large wedding full of lots of people & lots of fun!  After the wedding ceremony at the church we went across the street for some pictures in City Park and then back to the beautiful Brown Palace for more pictures & for the dinner celebration. I’m a little short for words today as I run out the door to shoot a wedding….so I’ll just let the pictures do the talking.  Play the slideshow below to experience the love, emotion, and beauty of this couple’s wedding day.  Be sure to select “full screen” icon to see the images at their largest size.  Enjoy!

Rebekah & Ryan held a beautiful mountain wedding at the Snow Mountain Ranch YMCA in Granby, CO.  When Ashley, my 2nd photographer, & I first got to Granby super early that morning the sky was so dark & foggy we thought for sure it was going to pour down rain for the wedding.  But thankfully, Colorado changed its mind, as it so often does, and we ended up having a really bright & sunny day for their 11am ceremony.  The clouds dispersed and Rebekah & Ryan had the most amazing view of the mountains for their ceremony!  Then after pictures everyone headed to the Mountain Air Cookout spot also in YMCA’s Snow Mountain Ranch.  Family members cooked the cutest homemade heart shaped waffles, and everyone helped themselves to mimosas & waffles.   A few heartfelt toasts were made and the wedding ended with the bride & groom taking a swing together on the playground.  The love this couple has for each other & their families is evident in their pictures.  Play the slideshow below to see for yourself, and be sure to select “full screen” for best viewing.

By the way….I love this shot of the bride, Rebekah, walking through the meadows.  But in case you are wondering…no, its not film, and yes I did purposely add noise to this picture,  just me having fun with one of the many filter effects I like to play with when editing.  Please leave a comment below if you like what you see, thanks!

Lower Lake Ranch Wedding Pictures in Pine, CO

Val & Tim had a beautiful intimate ceremony at Lower Lake Ranch in Pine, CO.  We had a few bursts of rain showers throughout the day, but when the ceremony started & when we were outside for pictures the skies stayed dry just for us.  Their breathtaking ceremony was followed by a joyous celebration at Crystal Rose in Highlands Ranch.  The reception had a fun playful tone filled with lots of kids and even games to play.  It was an emotional & exciting day for everyone involved and it was an awesome experience to be able to photograph it.  Play the slideshow below to see the excitement of their day in this picture preview.

Megan & Darcey Picture Preview – Wedding at Canongate Blackstone Country Club in Aurora, CO

wedding at Blackstone Country Club in Aurora, CO

Megan & Darcey had a beautiful wedding at Blackstone Country Club in Aurora, CO.   After photographing over a hundered weddings you would think I would have seen it all.  But every wedding is different from the last & Megan & Darcey certainly added their own unique twist to their day.  This bride certainly has style with amazing dresses chosen for herself & bridesmaids, unique flower arrangements, and my favorite….the hip hop violinist that performed for the ceremony & the reception.  Megan & Darcey also skipped many of the traditional dances & bouquet tosses in exchange for more time to just hang out & dance with their guests…and more time for toasts.  It’s funny the things I learn about my clients during the toasts, and this bride & groom certainly had a lot of people that wanted to talk about them…in a good way of course!  This was a day Megan, Darcey & their families had been waiting for for a long time for, and I was honored to get to be a part of it. Congrats Megan & Darcey on a successful & beautiful wedding celebration!  Click the link below to view their picture preview.