christine & dave (durango wedding photographer)

Since today is my birthday, I let myself postpone finishing up my taxes for one more day, and I edited Christine & Dave's lovely Durango wedding instead :)  This one was incredible!  I definitely am super biased towards destination weddings.  If you're even slightly thinking about planning (or switching to) a destination wedding, I can't recommend it enough!  They are so mellow and laid-back and I just love the vibe of small, intimate events like this one.  There's so much less pressure and you will definitely get an opportunity to talk to all your guests!  If I were to get married again, we would definitely have a small destination wedding somewhere cool :)  Dave and Christine were originally planning  a larger wedding next winter, but decided to move the date up, switch the location, and get married on a mountaintop in Durango last weekend with 20 or so of their closest friends and family.  It was absolutely magical (as you will see)!  Adding to the total specialness of this wedding was the fact that I got to make the drive with my friend and favorite wonderful officiant Heather from Higher Elevation Celebration.The thing that keeps coming to mind as I watch Dave and Christine together is how genuine they both are, both towards others and with each other.  They are so clearly in love, and this shone so evidently through their super fun engagement session in Reno and Lake Tahoe, the details of their wedding day, and through the ceremony and reception.  There were so many special moments during this day and I was constantly reminded of how lucky I am to be able to capture moments like these.  Also, I have to give a huge shout-out to Jackie, Shannon, and the rest of the wedding coordination team at Durango Mountain Resort (aka Purgatory) - wonderful people who are totally on top of it, helped the day go so smoothly, and helped everyone relax and enjoy the wedding!  I highly recommend working with them, and if you're looking for an epic place for a mountain wedding, please please check them out!

Loved that I got to catch moments like these all day.  Christine & her mom...

... and her sister helping with the dress.

One of my personal favorites from the day, just because it's so random.  The entire group rode up to the site in sleighs, which loaded right at the base of one of the lifts.  In case you don't know me very well, me calling something "random" is one of the highest compliments I can think of :)

Watching the bride come up the "aisle" in a sleigh was so breathtaking & dramatic!

This is how great Heather is:

Throughout the ceremony, you could hear little silver sleigh bells jingling:

Love this shot of Christine & her dad:

Dave & Christine - congratulations on your marriage!  It was a privilege to be a part of your day!

brandie & tim: part two (telluride wedding photographer)

I loved everything about Brandie & Tim's Telluride wedding - the gorgeous results of attention to detail, the intimate vibe, the laid-back, happy atmosphere, the two-dress factor... love!  You can check out their rehearsal dinner here.Brandie & Tim tied the knot at Tim's gorgeous home in the mountains of Telluride, on a mellow, snowy day in December.  Brandie did such an amazing job putting this wedding together - everything looked completely perfect, and still, she was so relaxed and seemed to enjoy every moment of the day.  I just love that - mellow weddings are my favorites!

I love the modern elegance of short dresses:

Two dresses call for two pairs of fabulous shoes.  Top pair: Badgley Mischka.  Bottom pair: Jimmy Choo

One of my favorite parts about shooting in this house was all the amazing lighting - bathrooms included.  I love the flowers in Brandie's hair!

Brandie, you are so lovely!

The happy couple, and Tim's cutie son & ringbearer:

Thanks to Siempre Flores for an amazing job on the flowers!  Love them!

Love the following shots of everyone getting ready to walk down the aisle:

... and Tim making sure his son still has the rings :)

Aren't these tables gorgeous?

I feel so honored when I'm able to capture moments like this:

Okay, maybe one of my favorite shots of the night - Brandie looks so graceful and elegant:

Another favorite shot of the night- a sweet moment between Brandie's parents:

Guests soaking in the gorgeous music of Zane Williams:

Congratulations, again, Brandie & Tim - congratulations and my deepest wished for your happiness!  The rest of your images will be ready soon :)  Thanks again for letting me be a part of your day!

rocky mountain bride magazine!

Okay, wow.  I am so hugely honored and excited to be featured in the Winter/ Spring issue of Rocky Mountain Bride magazine - not just once, but twice in the same issue!  It's always a bit surreal to see your work or your name in print and I'm so freaking stoked that I feel a little nerdy about it.  Lindsay & Aaron's Salida wedding was featured in the "Real Weddings" section with a huge, multi-page spread that was so awesome that it was embarrassing, and then I had the opportunity to write and provide some  images for a cover article called "Best of BV".  Thank you SO MUCH to the great people at Rocky Mountain Bride and to all my lovely couples for being so photogenic.

I'd especially like to thank Brad and Danica, who had no idea what they were getting into :)  I love and miss you both tons!

brandie & tim : part one (telluride wedding photographer)

Phew!  I just got back into the country and have been dying to share some images with you all from the lovely Telluride wedding I shot just before I left.  I was able to join Brandie & Tim for the rehearsal dinner at Rustico Ristorante the night before the wedding, and I was so glad that I did!  I loved the simple, elegant details, and it was a pleasure to meet the seriously talented Zane Williams, who flew out to perform at both the rehearsal dinner and wedding.  Enjoy a  few images from the rehearsal dinner, and images from the wedding will be coming soon!  Thanks, Brandie and Tim, for a wonderful evening :)

Thanks again, Brandie & Tim!  The rest of your images will be ready soon!

telluride wedding sneak peek

I'm headed out of the country for the next few weeks, but before I go, here's a quick sneak peek from a gorgeous, cozy Telluride wedding I shot last week.

I won't be checking email or voicemail while I'm gone, but I'll get back to you when I get back into the studio on January 20th.  Happy New Year!