Last weekend Sean and I had the pleasure of shooting the wedding of April and James. We were only hired to photograph a small portion of their day; the portraits, which we did at Red Rocks National Park in Golden, Colorado, and the ceremony, which took place at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Westminster.

James arrived donning his handsome Army dress blues and we immediately set up a first look.

The way the couple's day was scheduled, we were forced to shoot all the wedding party and bride and groom portraits at noon which is the absolute worst time of day for outdoor light. Fortunately, the wedding party members were game for anything we put them up to, and Sean and I came armed with Alienbee strobes, reflectors, umbrellas and Vagabonds that allowed us to create our own light much more worthy of this beautiful group of guys and gals!

Without a ton of time remaining for bride and groom photos, we took advantage of just a few last nooks and crannies we came across on way out of red rocks.

The staff at Holy Trinity originally told us no photographs were permitted AT ALL during the ceremony! Cue panick! Thankfully, lovely bride April had a chat with her pastor the night before and we were permitted to shoot, but only without flash and from certain locations in the church. We made the best of the situation and came away having captured all the important moments for this very special bride and groom.

To April & James: Thank you so much for having Sean and I be part of your day! You are a beautiful couple outside and in and were a real pleasure to work with. We wish you both a long and happy future together as husband and wife!

Ever since Sean and I moved back to Colorado we have been looking forward to shooting weddings featuring the blue skies and rocky mountains that make this state one of the most picturesque places to get married in the country. With perfect weather, a gorgeous couple, a fabulous venue, and mountains in every direction, Mindy and Tyler's wedding up in Crested Butte, Colorado, could not have fit the bill more perfectly!

The entire event took place in and around the Club at Crested Butte. I photographed Mindy getting ready in the club's bridal suite while Sean photographed the boys in one of the housing units nearby. Mindy and Tyler are some of the sweetest people you'll ever meet, which made being their wedding photographers a real pleasure for both of us!

And now onto the boys! Sean did a wonderful job as usual!

We were in love with the couple's romantic outdoor mountain view ceremony site. There wasn't a bad direction to take pictures from! When all was said and done, I especially loved how happy these two looked walking back down the aisle during the recessional.

We had time for a quick bridal party shot on the golf carts, and then it was on to the bride and groom photos we were just itching to take from the moment we laid eyes on this venue! We already knew Mindy was a rock star in front of the camera from her bridal portrait session a couple of weeks earlier, but Tyler surprised us by letting himself fall into some really beautiful natural moments with Mindy that it was our pleasure to just stand back and capture!

 

With its bright classy cabin atmosphere, the reception hall was a true reflection of the Crested-Butte charm we noticed was just everywhere in this little town. The couple celebrated with some emotional first dances, followed by moments of pure laughter and fun!

To Mindy & Tyler: Sean and I can't thank you enough for choosing us to photograph your wedding! It's not every day two people as beautiful, successful, and down to earth as both of you find each other. We could see the love written on both of your faces every time you so much as looked in each other's direction, and were so inspired by it. It's been our privilege to be part of your day!

Second Shooter: Sean Brimhall

Venue: The Club at Crested Butte, Crested Butte, CO

Bridal Portrait Session: The Colorado Railroad Museum, Golden, CO

Rehearsal Dinner: Garlic Mike, Gunnison, CO

Hair & Makeup: Metamorphosis Salon & Spa

DJ/Ceremony Guitarist: Ryan Herr

Florist: Misty Mountain Floral, Gunnison, CO

 

This weekend Sean and I were up in Crested Butte, CO, to photograph the wedding and rehearsal dinner of Mindy & Tyler. In spite of a 40% chance of scattered thunderstorms on Friday and a 30% chance of thunderstorms on Saturday, this couple was blessed with the most beautiful weather all weekend through, and all their perfect outdoor wedding plans went off without a hitch.

And it's a good thing, too, because I imagine it would have been pretty difficult to send all of their rehearsal dinner guests down to dinner on rafts in the middle of a thunderstorm! Instead, with just a few wet-bottomed-casualties, everyone enjoyed their raft ride and arrived safely at Garlic Mike's Italian Restaurant in Gunnison, where the family had rented out a tent just for the occasion.

The restaurant was quaint and definitely had no shortage of the summer/Crested Butte charm.

Tyler's father gave a heartfelt speech, after which the guests feasted and socialized and the children were occupied with a fun game of Duck Duck Goose.

While the rehearsal was an adorable event, nothing could quite prepare Sean and I for the absolutely amazing wedding the couple and Super-MOB Nancy had planned for the following day. We rested up at the Elk Mountain Lodge Hotel for the night in great anticipation for what was to come!

One of the first things we noticed about Brenda and Jarrod was that Brenda was going to make an absolutely gorgeous bride! As for Jarrod, he's certainly no toad, hehe, and I knew right away he would hold a special place in Sean's heart being a Law Enforcement Officer (LEO). As many of you know Sean is a Marine Corps Veteran and loves all things freedom and USA. Loyal officers like Jarrod help us to maintain the principles that this country was founded upon, which is one of the reasons we like to offer a 10% discount on our services for all active duty military and law enforcement officers as a measure of thanks for all they do.

But enough USA butt-kissing for now; let's get back to our lovely couple! Brenda and Jarrod were happily married at the Stonebrook Manor in Thornton, CO, this past Friday. As they prepared for their fateful march down the aisle, I captured some shots of the girls getting while Sean covered the boys.

The ceremony was set in front of an arbor, with the sun hanging low in the sky directly behind it. It was an interesting lighting situation, and I don't think I've ever seen so much sunflare! Luckily we were able to get close enough for a nice mix of photos with/without the sunflare look.

We knocked out the family formals as quickly as possible, but still were left with only minimal time for wedding party and bride and groom photos. Thankfully we had a very cooperative and fun wedding party to work with, and you just could not take a bad picture of Brenda and Jarrod!

The reception kicked off with speeches and dining, and the guests were lively enough for just a few fun dance shots before it was time for us to head home.

To Brenda and Jarrod: It was a pleasure working with you both! It was easy to tell from your speeches and love letters you shared just how much you truly care for one another, and it's a couple's love that truly makes ANY wedding day special. We were so glad to be a part of yours, and this last mention goes out to both  my 2012 brides from the state... Kansas rocks!

Second Shooter: Sean Brimhall Ceremony and Reception Venue: Stonebrook Manor, Thornton, CO

 

Mindy is the kind of bride we just LOVE to work with - she has the perfect array of beautiful and balanced features, from model looks and sophisticated taste to being so completely modest,  fun loving, and down to earth. Her fiance Tyler is one VERY lucky man to be marrying her in just 10 short days at the Inn at Crested Butte, and we are some very lucky photographers to be shooting their wedding!

When we asked her what type of look she was going for with this session, Mindy mentioned something on the rustic side. I thought old trains might fit nicely, and would give us a much needed rest from the usual beat-down farm/farming equipment that usually dominates the "rustic" category. We managed to find the perfect location in the Colorado Railroad Museum, and everything came together very quickly from there!

Anticipating this would be a really fun session, Sean came along to second shoot and lighting assist. I must say, when we got home and I saw his photos, I was BLOWN AWAY. Half of the shots on this blog are his, including these next two!

In spite of it being a bit early in the day, we managed to find some beautiful light, and both Mindy and her Rina Di Montello gown were just glowing in it.

We headed over to an ominous looking black train and proceeded to set up some dramatic lighting to complete the look for the photos we had in mind here. Mindy struck the perfect poses for us, and these next few photos were born!

We ended the day with some fun shots by a random milk cart and on the caboose of this extremely bright red train at Mindy's cousin's suggestion. I love how it looks like she's just riding away on the back of the train in the last photo.

 

Mindy: shooting with you on Monday was an absolute blast! You were a fantastic sport about the dress, the heat, and even the yellow jacket that decided to make itself a new nest in the layers of your tulle - may he rest in peace! When I look at these photos I know if you had been any other bride they would not be what they are. We hope you like them, too, and absolutely can't wait for your wedding!