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Elizabeth & John’s Colorado Wedding in Leadville

Weddings

Back in late Summer we had a kinda crazy weekend. Crazy scary and crazy awesome. We photographed Lisa and Elaine’s wedding in North Carolina on Saturday and then attended, as well as photographed, our dear friends Elizabeth & John’s wedding on Sunday back here in Colorado! Normally we would not attempt such a feat, lest we tempt the travel gods, but we just couldn’t miss either one. And that’s what planes are for anyway, right? Well, our journey involved not only planes, but trains and automobiles (if you count DEN’s monorail).

We really thought it through…to speed things up, we parked in daily parking right next to the terminal (no economy lot for us this time!), charged batteries after Saturday’s wedding, already had our wedding clothes hanging in said automobile and changed in a hotel lobby on the way up through the Colorado Rockies. Thanks to our good karma, said travel gods smiled upon us and we made it to J&E’s wedding in plenty of time, ahead of both the bride and groom in fact! And we’re so glad we did.

Talk about a perfect day for these two. We loved every minute of it and since John’s a fellow photographer, we were especially honored to be asked to photograph it, even though there would be other photographer friends in attendance with their cameras. Perhaps one of the craziest parts involved the weather. On Saturday we were ahem, “glowing” in hot, steamy North Carolina and on Sunday, shivering at 10,000 feet where it didn’t make it much past 50 degrees! After some early clouds though, the sun came out just in time for their ceremony and bathed us all in some sweet, warm sunlight reflecting off the mountain lake behind the couple. Guests were asked to bring their camp chairs for the lake side ceremony and lots of other friends volunteered for various jobs, like catering and reception music playlist. E&J met each other among the trees, each with one of their pups and walked to meet their guests together hand in hand. The intimate ceremony they designed was officiated by Elizabeth’s Mom and included readings from several family and friends, as well as a serenade from John to his bride. At one point, they asked their guests to say and share a “word of the day”, which is a tradition E&J started where they share a word each day with one another that is meaningful in some way. Such a cool idea! Needless to say, we love these two and are tickled pink (do the kids say that anymore these days?) to have been a part of it. We also can’t thank them enough for the patience in understanding our crazy travel schedule! With that, on to the photos!

Venue: Leadville National Fish Hatchery

colorado-rocky-mountain-wedding_JE-1710-03x colorado-rocky-mountain-first-site colorado-rocky-mountain-processional colorado-rocky-mountain-recessional colorado-rocky-mountain-sneak-peek And then he turned the camera on us. Not everyday we wear jeans to a wedding!

Oh, those Colorado skies…

colorado-rocky-mountain-wedding_JE-1836-36x We wouldn’t mind if more weddings ended with a campfire.

Congratulations, E&J and thank you so much for your faith and trust in us. We love you guys!

xoxo,
…a&b

Lindsey & Rob’s Mountain Wedding at Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Featured, Weddings

The air at 9000 feet is always pretty crisp, and it wasn’t any different for Lindsey & Rob’s sunny Colorado wedding up at Steamboat Springs this fall. Their guests arrived at the mountain ceremony site via gondola and were treated to breathtaking views while the couple said their vows to one another. Not that anyone was looking at anything other than the happy couple, of course ;-). Talk about a breath of fresh air.

Our wish for every couple is that they have a wedding that feels like them where their friends and family can’t imagine them marrying any other way. Steamboat fit them to a tee, reflective of their adventures together (she hikes 14’ers in a day for fun, and their travels have taken them from Australia to Dubai. You might remember them from their relaxed Boulder County Fair and CU engagement session this Summer–we all had such a blast (plus some cotton candy). Check out a few of our favorite moments and images from their wedding, and of course their complete gallery. The password is Lindsey’s maiden name and is case-sensitive. Enjoy!

The awesome team:
Venue: Steamboat Springs Resort
Catering: Steamboat Meat & Seafood
Florist: One Fine Day Productions
Hair/Make-up: Waterside Day Salon
DJ: Marc with Complete Music
Baker: Cupcake Mini Bar

B’s faves of A’s:

It was such a scenic spot photographing the Steamboat valley below, with L&R’s wedding site behind us.

Even at 9000 feet, the mountains rose up and to the right of their wedding ceremony.

How cool is it to get a private, surprise wedding gondola for the ride down the mountain? It was just the right timing to photograph L&R as they sped down toward their wedding reception.

Don’t you just love these late-afternoon shadows? A wedding photographer’s dream.

A’s faves of B’s:

A gaggle of groomsmen.

We loved photographing the wedding ceremony at Steamboat Springs, with mountains on one side and a long valley down the other.

The sun’s so bright at Steamboat Springs even the dogs wear shades.

Photographing sunset at L&R’s wedding reception at the base of Steamboat Springs.

Some sweet details:

getting ready

reception

Another cake at L&R's wedding at Steamboat Springs

Dear l&r,

Some of our favorite moments from your wedding day are:
Your uncle’s quiet moments, Lindsey, stolen away from arriving guests as he prepared to officiate your ceremony. Lindsey, your dad’s emotions as he spoke during your ceremony, and the comfort your mom offered as he returned to his seat to witness the rest. In an only-in-Colorado-moment, a ready-made welcome committee of ultra-marathon race fans cheering you as you walked from the gondola to the start of your reception. Eschewing a more traditional (and some might say boring!) way to feed each other your first piece of cake, you instead tossed the pieces up in the air and each caught them in your mouths. Impressive! The peacefulness you had around your first dance. It was as if you were just lost in each other. Not sure what game it was, but the intensity with which your college friends kept their fingers intently on that beer was fun to watch.

Congratulations, you two and we look forward to sharing a beer sometime soon!

xoxo…
…a&b

Laura & Gavin’s Wedding at Lionscrest Manor in Lyons, Colorado

Weddings

When we first moved to Boulder we worked closely with our realtor Chad St. Onge and his awesome team, one of whom is the wonderful Laura. She and Gavin were engaged in Europe shortly before we moved out here and we were so excited when they wanted to talk with us about shooting their wedding up in Lyons, just a short drive outside of Boulder. We all hit it off and the only thing we were bummed about is that Summer 2014 seemed so far away at the time!

You might remember hers and Gavin’s Boulder engagement session from a couple of months ago and their wedding was done in true Colorado fashion. Just look at that view! As you’ll see their nieces and nephews enjoyed running around the grounds, as well.

Below are just a few of our favorite moments and details from their celebration, and of course you can see everything on their gallery. The password is Laura’s maiden name and is case-sensitive. Enjoy!

The wedding team:
Venue: Lionscrest Manor
Catering: Greenspoint Catering
Cake: Indulge Bakery
Flowers: Crab Apple Creek Flower Company
Officiant: Keith Vandegrift
Hair & make-up: Salon Salon
Reception Music: Pure Sounds
Stationer: Paperzest

Bill’s faves of Anne’s:

Anne’s faves of Bill’s:

Some sweet details:

outside

bouquets

fountain

invite

LG-1947-20y

reception

Dear l&g,

Some of our favorite moments while photographing your wedding include:
Gavin, your arrival at Lyonscrest Manor with your groomsmen was among the most celebratory we’ve ever seen. Joyous, fun, tight with your guys. It was awesome. That mischievous grin on your face, Laura, as you approached Gavin during your first sight. For each of you, when your respective moms saw you dressed for the ceremony that day, they had the most loving, caring, adoring looks on their faces. Your maid of honor’s assertion, holding up her iPhone, that she was being a true Boulder-ite by going paperless with her toast, ha! The semblance of comity (just a semblance) during your cake cutting. You knew you had to do it.

Congratulations, you two!

xoxo…
…a&b

Annie & Adam’s Wedding at Devil’s Thumb Ranch

Weddings

You may have remembered the floods that ravaged Colorado last year (it got press as far away as Scotland). A lot of people were displaced, and several had their homes demolished. Houses weren’t the only thing swept away; venues, many with weddings scheduled for that weekend, were also severely damaged. Annie & Adam’s original choice for their wedding was one of those affected. But thanks to a Facebook group, Save My Colorado Wedding, many of these couples found alternate venues, usually changing their wedding date in the process.

We were delighted to assist a good friend, Liesl, as A&A changed their date to one for which Liesl was already commissioned. So we stepped into shoot the weekend’s festivities at the beautifully rustic Devil’s Thumb Ranch in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. A&A were such a relaxed, happy couple, and we couldn’t have asked for a better start to 2014. Here are a few of our favorite moments from the day, and we hope you enjoy!

The incredible team:
Venue: Devil’s Thumb Ranch
Planner: Jessica Adler of JA Special Events
Band: Kinetix
Florist: Sweet Pea Flowers
Video: Pure Cinematography
Lighting: Pure Energy
Stationery: Jenny Wittlinger
Calligraphy: Bumble B Design
Hair: Untamed Hair
Make-up: Blush Artistry
Gown: Christos

Bill’s faves of Anne’s:

Anne’s faves of Bill’s:

Some rockin’ Colorado details:

Dear a&a,

Some of our very favorite moments from your wedding day include:

Your first sight, when all your built-up nervous energy just utterly washed away. The readings during your ceremony, particularly Adam’s brother, as he became overwhelmed with love. The awe your guests felt when they walked into the barn for the first time for your ceremony. When your niece and nephew wanted to join in during your first dance–classic. The tenderness with which you first looked at Adam after your dad escorted you down the aisle, Annie. Your laughter-especially during your hora.

Congratulations, you two and we can’t wait to share a beer with you soon at your favorite brewery!

xoxo…
…a&b

Best of 2013 – Bill’s Faves of Anne’s

Buzz, Weddings

Today we wrap up our favorite images (we somewhat randomly selected 25 each) among the nearly 15,000 we delivered to our wonderful clients in 2013. These are images Bill loves that Anne captured, vs. Anne’s faves Bill captured. We hope you enjoy them, reminiscing about each of the weddings (click on the link for each couple to see more). Have a great weekend everyone and we’ll soon be sharing a sweet and fun wedding right here in Colorado at Devil’s Thumb Ranch.

Alicia & Gio’s wedding at the Hay Adams Hotel

Ashley & Kevin’s wedding at the Army Navy Club

Cristin & Nima’s wedding at Veritas Vineyards

Elizabeth & Ryan’s wedding at Woodbury Forest School

Joy & Jerry’s wedding at Vail Mountain Resort

Jenn & Mike’s wedding at Clifton Inn

Lindsay & Charles’s wedding at Hotel Monaco

Lindsay & Kyle’s wedding at the National Museum for Women in the Arts

Laura & Tony’s wedding at The Barns at Hamilton Station

Mary Beth & Chris’s wedding at Shrine Mont

Misty & Roby’s wedding at the Mellon Auditorium

Sam & Casey’s wedding at Panorama Farms

Sheryl & David’s wedding at The Homestead

Sarah & Jason’s wedding at The Homestead

Tammy & Andrew’s wedding at The Mill at Fine Creek

Best of 2013 – Anne’s Faves of Bill’s

Buzz, Weddings

Before things really get cranking in 2014, let’s take a quick look back at some of our favorite moments and images from our 2013 weddings! It was so insanely difficult narrowing down our selections to just 25 (seemed like a reasonable number taken from the 14,983 photos we delivered last year to happy clients). Today we’re looking at some of Anne’s favorite images that Bill captured from the past year. Thanks so much for all our incredible, loving, and happy couples for sharing these moments so we could capture them!

Alicia & Gio’s wedding at the Hay Adams Hotel

Ashley & Kevin’s wedding at the Army Navy Club

Brooke & Phill’s wedding at the National Museum for Women in the Arts

Cristin & Nima’s wedding at Veritas Vineyards

Healy & Tim’s wedding at a private residence

Jenn & Mike’s wedding at Clifton Inn

Joy & Jerry’s wedding at Vail Mountain Resort

Kaitlyn & Mark’s wedding at the Mellon Auditorium

Lauren & Chas’s wedding at Fat Cat Farms

Lindsay & Charles’s wedding at Hotel Monaco

Laura & Tony’s wedding at The Barns at Hamilton Station

Mary Beth & Chris’s wedding at Shrine Mont

Sam & Casey’s wedding at Panorama Farms

Sarah & Jason’s wedding at The Homestead

Tammy & Andrew’s wedding at The Mill at Fine Creek

Joy & Jerry atop Vail Mountain’s Wedding Deck

Weddings

Those of you who live in or near the Rockies know weather can be, well, a bit fickle. Such was the case with Joy and Jerry, who celebrated their vows once more (first and second times here on the same day) atop Vail Mountain, where Jerry spent some time way back when. The original time for their intimate (just the two of them and their officiant) was set for 2pm, but Jerry was concerned about the near-daily afternoon thunderstorms, so the decision was made to shift to 11am. Well, you can see the results below, but at least his choice in bride was clearly an excellent one. 🙂 During their short ceremony the temperature topped out at a gusty 46 degrees. In August. Not only did Bill have to purchase a last minute fleece pullover, Joy found a sweater to go over her sleeveless dress. Hmm…perhaps the mountain resorts are in cahoots with Mother Nature!

We were lucky enough to be able to let the storm pass with steaming cups of coffee and pictures around Vail Village and then head back up the mountain for some additional portraits with the two of them when the sun came out later that afternoon. Their ceremony was further evidence that a wedding may last only one day, but the marriage is long lasting. Even when it’s briefly interrupted, as was the case here, the base friendship and love survived, and the two of them are back together again. We’re so happy about that and really enjoyed seeing them again.

Their vows opened with a few minutes of meditation led by their wonderful officiant Tara van Dernoot…

Not just rainy, but windy too.

We love the expression on Joy’s face here. It says, “I love you, but I’m freezing. Can we hurry this along?”

Needless to say, the weather at the base was significantly different.

Bikers were driven to distraction (and laying down a bike) because of these two!

Dear j&j,

What kismet, that we would find ourselves in our new adopted hometown of Boulder, Colorado just a few weeks before your re-marriage ceremony atop beautiful Vail mountain. Despite the chill, Joy, you were literally radiating, well, joy and Jerry, you looked so happy and healthy. We can’t tell you how happy we are for you both, that you’ve found your way back to each other, stronger and more in love than ever. It may be cliche, but perhaps love really does conquer all.

Love you guys!
…a&b