Crested Butte Wedding First Look

Growing up in a small town in West Virginia, I knew I always wanted a destination wedding. I loved my family and friends at home, but also knew I wanted an intimate and smaller ceremony later on in life. So when I (Taylor) fell in love with a Colorado native, it was pretty much a guarantee our wedding would be in the Rocky Mountains, a place our hearts loved.

When we first chatted with Lauren and Kyle, their hesitation to have a Crested Butte wedding in their adopted home revolved around the same concerns. They wanted to get married in the mountains, but wanted to keep the intimacy of utmost importance and decided to get married two hours away in Salida, Colorado. However, those beautiful mountains and wildflowers in Crested Butte weren’t going to get off so easy!

When Lauren suggested having their first look a few weeks before the wedding in their hometown, we were so stoked! First, wildflower season, duh. Crested Butte is notorious for its small town charm…and wildflowers. We started out shooting their engagement portraits with Doc Holiday (their beloved and sweeter than pie pup), and made our way to their home so they could each change into their respective wedding day attire. From there, we headed into the mountains.

“A couple weeks before our wedding, we put on our full wedding outfits and chose a special spot in our town to do formal photos and a first look. We loved doing this because it was a moment that we didn’t have to share with anyone, and we didn’t have any of the wedding day stress. Our photographers had time to take lots of different types of photos, which we wouldn’t have been able to do on the wedding day. I would recommend this to anyone!”

Lauren & Kyle

Needless to say, this opportunity to not only get wonderful photos, but to enjoy some champagne amongst the Rocky Mountains was such a wonderful change of pace for us and for our sweet couple. To view more photos from Lauren and Kyle’s wedding day at the Salida Steamplant, click here!

We’re so excited to share one of our beloved couples weddings with y’all from (practically) our backyard. Mike and Brenna’s The Barn at Sunset Ranch wedding has been hands down one of the most special and emotional days we’ve had the honor of being a part of. From the multiple conversations and coffee date we got to have with this sweet couple leading up to their wedding day, it was obvious they were made for each other.

A HUGE congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Morgan! Read on to see more of their love story and wedding day photos.

Love, Mike and Tay

How did the two of you meet?
“Mike and I met a dueling piano event at a bar in the Springs. He asked to buy me a beer, we talked for a few minutes, and he gave me his business card. I text the number on the card later that night, only to hear crickets. I decided to try again a few days later, again, nothing. At this point I deleted the messages and decided to write him off. Monday morning at 6am I get a text from him. Very irritated at this point, I tell my friend that I’m not going to text him back since giving me the cold shoulder. She convinced me that A) maybe he had hot friends or B) if I dont text him back, I’m going to be a single cat lady for life……I text him back!”

Tell us about your first date!
“Our first date was at Hacienda Colorado. We each ordered their famous sangria and nervously sipped for on them for a couple hours. The fruity drinks turned out to be more than we could handle. A couple of his friends happened to be there as well and sent over two more sangria drinks. We decided to go say hello, and give them a fake “cheers”, leave the drinks on their table, and walk out before we stumbled out. Best idea ever. Once we got to the parking lot, we had the most awkward worst first kiss ever. We both figured we would never see each other again……but look at us now!

How did Mike propose?
“We were building a house in Colorado Springs, it was in framing. He and some coworkers spent most of the day hanging Christmas lights on every frame (we both love Christmas lights). I met him at the house after work, as we did most weekends to check the progress. He had me close my eyes as we walked in. He turned on our favorite song, “This is It”, and got on one knee. He had also stenciled on the floor “Brenna Jae Nelson Will You Marry Me?”

How did you guys choose to have your wedding at the Barn at Sunset Ranch?
“My father’s neighbor in BV mentioned “some new barn” to him. I looked it up online and hated it. It looked boring and dry. To their defense, the website was new and did not have much content. Mike convinced me to look at it any way while we were in BV checking out a couple other venues. We fell in love. What sealed the deal was a sign on the bridal room wall that read “love you more”….that’s our saying to each other. #iloveyoumorgan

What was the most fun part of wedding planning for you?
“Is this a trick question? No part was fun!! I was ready for the wedding to be here already so I could marry my dream man!! By the end, I was creeping up on “bridezilla”.

What was your most memorable moment from your wedding day?
“Thanks to Taylor for suggesting a “first look”. It was such a special moment for just the two of us. Knocked off the nerves for the ceremony. We were both so nervous and excited.”

What are you most looking forward to in marriage?
“Building a family together.”

If you could pick one word to describe your wedding ceremony, what would it be and why?
“PERFECT! Everything about that day was seamless. I was SHOCKED!”

What advice do you have for couples planning their wedding now?
“It’s all worth it in the end. If things don’t go perfectly, you’re the only one that will ever know.”

There is seriously everything to love about this epic day at the Barn at Evergreen Memorial Park wedding. Food trucks, Harry Potter, and boatloads of rain before the clouds break, but just enough to add some drama. Seriously, what more could you ask for on your wedding day? For Bailey and Taylor, there was no question in their mind that they were having an outdoor ceremony with or without rain! They invited guests to grab their umbrellas and join them on an adventure at the altar. However, once all their loved ones arrived, the clouds broke and the blue sky poked itself through!

We are so thrilled for this wonderful couple. Being entrepreneurs themselves, we’ve had such great time getting to know them and chat about all things business, marketing, and social media. Not to mention they’re a hilarious duo to be around! We’re so thankful they invited us to be a part of their wedding day. Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Middlebrooks!

Love, Mike and Tay

How did the two of you meet?
Match.com!”

Tell us about your first date!
“We met at Caribou coffee. We talked about life and drank chai (which Taylor does NOT like hah). He was late because he got lost (typical) and I was on the phone with a client once he arrived. We thumb wrestled and talked about Taylor’s weird dislike of apples.”

Taylor, how did you propose?
“Me and Bailey went to Albuquerque for the hot air balloon festival with her cousins. I found a time to sneak away from her photographer cousin, panicked for 45min, eventually wrapped my arms around her saying some sweet things then pulled the sweaty ring out of my pocket and held it up to her and asked her if she’d love me forever. Or maybe I asked her and then held up the ring… Either way she said yes. :)”

How did you guys choose to have your wedding at The Barn at Evergreen Memorial Park?
“Bailey’s dad found the place. He called to make an appointment the Monday after we got engaged. It was perfect because Bailey grew up in Evergreen but had never been to the barn before so it was new but home towny all at once.”

What was the most fun part of wedding planning for you?
“Getting to see it all come together towards the end. Lots of hard work, a talented D.I.Y. mom, and all of the food truck tastings make for a beautiful wedding.”

What was your most memorable moment from your wedding day?
“Ah, the whole thing really. I may be biased, but I think we had the best wedding of all time. The cherry on top was the monsoon of a storm ending and the last drop of rain landing right before Bailey walked down the aisle.”

What are you most looking forward to in marriage?
“Just life. Doing it together. The marvelous and the mundane.”

If you could pick one word to describe your wedding ceremony, what would it be and why?
“Perfect. The pastor and his message were heartfelt and everything we needed to hear. Everyone was included, not just us, which I think is really important.”

What advice do you have for couples planning their wedding now?
“Don’t let the stress overwhelm you. The details matter, but not thaaat much :). Help each other manage the tasks and get all the outside (family and friends) help you can get!”

Vendors
Venue: The Barn at Evergreen Memorial Park
Bridal Salon: Platinum bridal
Hair and Makeup: HD Hair and Make up (Heather)
Food Trucks: Pink Tank and Taco Block
Bar and Alcohol: Mix and Shoot Beverage Service
DJ: Quality Mobile Sound (Jon)
Florist: The Holly Berry
Cupcakes and Desserts: Cupcake Gypsies
Officiant: Dan DeMey
Rentals: Evergreen Rentals
Videographer: WeddingMix

Hutchinson Ranch Wedding in Salida, Colorado

Shayla and Eric’s Hutchinson Ranch wedding is one for the books, y’all! These high school sweethearts planned their country wedding last fall, and the most perfect fall day it was in Salida, Colorado. That weekend we had 4 weddings all across the state of Colorado. From a pristine golf course, to the mountains, from a mansion to the ranches of Colorado, it was an amazing weekend filled with so much love.

However, hands down, Shayla and her loved ones did the most DIY wedding projects of probably anyone in our 2018 wedding season! From bringing their own chili, to decorating with beautiful works from her parents business (Salida Stove & Spa), they were in wedding mode for quite some time leading up to the big day and their hard work paid off when the Hutchinson Ranch glistened with rose gold glitter, smelled of fall candles, and you could find pumpkins around every corner.

We’re so excited to share Mr. & Mrs. Glovan’s Hutchinson Ranch wedding with y’all today! Maybe you’ll even get inspired for your own big day with all these lovely fall decorations!

Love, Mike and Tay

How did the two of you meet?

High School, through a friend I used to hang out with.

Tell us about your first date!

Well, I don’t remember too well. We never had an official date, we just used to cruise around in his grandparents car. And kinda just started dating.

Tell us about your proposal!

Christmas is my favorite time of year, so Eric took me down to the Holiday Park in Salida and proposed at the end.

How did you guys choose to have your wedding at Hutchinson Ranch?

We’re country people at heart for sure. I loved the rustic vibe and the barn not to mention the beautiful green field where we had are ceremony. I also love Abby, she was so great to work with.

What was the most fun part of wedding planning for you?

Going dress shopping and also picking our all the decor!

What was your most memorable moment from your wedding day?

My first look for sure. If I had to recommend something it would be doing the first look. I was such a mess and when I saw Eric every worry I had went away. I was so much more comfortable with everything going on.

Tell us about your first look! Having done one, would you do it again?

Yes, yes, yes!!! This would be the number one thing I would recommend to someone. It was so special having that 30 minutes or so together before everything goes completely hectic. Such a special moment. I though I was going to be a mess the first time I saw him but I was just so happy. I remember the drive the the venue with Taylor telling me everything was going to be fine and I didn’t believe her but she was so right!

What are you most looking forward to in marriage?

Knowing that I have my whole life ahead of me with my best friend in the world.

If you could pick one word to describe your wedding ceremony, what would it be and why?

Amazing. I know that’s so generic but it truly was. I was so nervous for the ceremony and being in front of all people. But it went so smooth and walking to Eric knowing our next chapter was about to start in this crazy beautiful life we live was amazing in itself.

What advice do you have for couples planning their wedding now?

Relax!!! Everything is going to be great. Things are not going to go as planned but it’s fine. Chances are you won’t notice and guests for sure won’t. A few months after the wedding all you’re going to remember is the amazing memories with family and friends. Trust me, people won’t notice if something is out of place. I was so worried about that but when the day comes it’s the last thing on your mind!

Salida Colorado Adventure Elopement Wedding | Andy and Jill Akin

You know those people you meet and have an immediate connection with? For me and Jill, this was the case before we even met! From the first time I heard from Jill via e-mail, I knew we just had to play a part in their story. Her initial message was one filled with love and sincere appreciation for she and fiancé Andy’s long journey to each other. As she described their Colorado Adventure Elopement coming up in just a few short months, her fervor was contagious and we immediately scheduled our coffee date!

I wanted to share our first e-mail, because upon reading our blogs, she knew immediately that we appreciate an epic love story:

“I want to share our story with you because it is a special one. Andy & I emailed on a dating site in summer of 2012. I only stayed on that site (or any other dating site) for 2 weeks & then went back to the real world. We never met at that time, only exchanged emails during the 2 weeks that I was on the site. We both went on to spend the next 5 years happily single & to separately do all of the things that bind us today- hike, camp, kayak, ride bikes, & travel the world. Most of time we were within miles of each other, as we both love our Smoky Mountains & spend much time there. Also in the meantime, in December of 2012, my friend asked me, as a gift to her, to write down all of the things that I desired in a life partner. Being solidly single, I reluctantly did this & then stored that list on a shelf for over 5 years.”

“Five years later, in summer of 2017, Andy shows up at my studio door as a “client.” He’d booked an appointment unbeknownst to me to meet the girl who was still on his mind after 5 years…and in the end we found out why. God had been giving him direction for 5 years, but Andy was following his own will. Until one day when he just told himself, “I’m going to meet this girl just to get it over with so that I can move on from it.” Well, we’re moving on, alright- TOGETHER! After Date #1 (which was 13 1/2 hours, but who’s counting?), I was packing away some items from my bookshelf & ran across the list that my friend had asked me to make. And I got chills as I read the extensive list & realized that I ALREADY KNEW AFTER ONE DATE that Andy met all but 2 of the things on the list. Date #2 sent my heart aflutter because the last 2 items on the list were revealed to me & checked off. This man was TRULY my heart’s desire, the man of my dreams. This was completely unexpected for both of us given our ages & amazing single lives that we staunchly led, but there was no denying that he was designed for me and I for him. We knew that we would be married & that our lives were going to expand in unfathomable & thus far unimagineable ways. We are 37 & 47, neither of us have been married, and neither of us have children. When we told our families & friends that we’d met the person we were going to marry, PURE SHOCK was running loose in Tennessee! No two were more shocked than Andy & I. We still are.”

“He proposed in January, COMPLETELY surprising me! I was so caught off guard that when he asked, even though he was down on his knee (both knees actually!) I asked, “Are you serious?” He WAS serious, and I said, “YES, OF COURSE!” & jumped all around. Now we are simply READY TO BE MR. & MRS. and get started on the incredible journey ahead.”

Their story truly is an inspirational one and we’re thrilled we got to play a role in capturing their Colorado Adventure Elopement memories! Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Akin! We adore y’all and can’t wait to see you in Colorado again!
Cheers,
Taylor and Mike

Rocky Mountain National Park Elopement

Rocky Mountain National Park Elopement | Adam and Jhori Rippy | Trail Ridge Road Elopement

I’m not going to lie, my photography wanderlust has been driving me to shoot an intimate Rocky Rocky Mountain National Park Elopement for quite some time now. So, when Jhori e-mailed and said that she and fiancé Adam were still working out the details of their intimate Colorado wedding, I was hooked. She let me know that while they didn’t know all of the details just yet, they knew they wanted to work with us. Naturally, my heart fluttered and I melted. We chatted for a couple months about location ideas for them to say their vows. However, without a doubt, these two were set on having their portraits taken on the ever lusted after Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park. I would later learn (at 10,00ft) that Jhori has an insane fear of heights. So picture it…a windy, daunting, and intimidating 12,183ft above sea level as a storm rolls in. This isn’t a likely spot for portraits for someone with a fear of heights! Nevertheless, Jhori did say that her friends and family would be so proud of her when they saw the heights she was willing to summit in the name of beautiful portraits! And girl, it totally paid off!

With their three kids and closest family members in tow from Indiana, everyone headed west for Jhori and Adam’s beautiful wedding ceremony. It was truly one of the most magical days I’ve had the honor of being a part of. With close family, raindrops, elk, incredible 14,000ft mountains surrounding them, and in true Colorado form with storm clouds chasing us, could it have been more perfect? I think not! Plus, a bride who wears Birkenstocks under her wedding dress so we can hike, is my kind of gal!

Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Rippy! I am so thrilled you invited me to be a part of your incredible and intimate wedding day. We can’t wait to see you again in Colorado!

Love,
Taylor

Highlands Ranch Mansion Wedding

Highlands Ranch Mansion Wedding | Kevin and Katie Lewis

We are so excited to share Katie and Kevin’s Highlands Ranch Mansion Wedding with y’all today! I think if one of our brides was my spirit animal, Katie would be it! In all honesty, we adore this couple from the bottom of our hearts! From the first time we met Katie, her mama, and her best friend/MOH Chelsea, we were totally drawn in. Her energy and zest for life was absolutely contagious. Not to mention, she was excited about everything we talked about: her Pomeranian puppies, she and Kevin’s relationship, our then pregnancy…Katie was truly a special gal, and we were so thrilled for the opportunity to be apart of their story.

Fast forward a couple weeks to when we got to meet Kevin, a start contrast from outgoing Katie. Kevin was quiet, charming, and undeniably adored his adorable bride. Their engagement shoot at our ranch was a whirlwind of excitement, puppies, and laughter between these two. Needless to say, Katie and I developed a friendship that I cherish over the next year as she planned their wedding. The day they said, “We do” was one I shamelessly cried at and felt so much love from everyone there! Mr. & Mrs. Lewis, congratulations you two! We adore you both and are so excited to see where your love takes you!

Love,
Mike and Tay

How did the two of you meet?

Highlands Ranch Mansion Wedding Vendors