A couple of weeks ago, I finally had a chance to see what all the buzz is about over at Crooked Willow Farms.  It’s everything it promises as a wedding venue, and then some.  The staff was helpful and friendly, and I don’t need to tell you that the place itself is simply stunning!

You probably remember Mike and Tina from my 2010 giveaway and their engagement pictures, which were also done at Crooked Willow.  Their wedding was absolutely beautiful, and so much fun.  Thanks so much, Mike and Tina!  Hope you had a great time in Jamaica…and I can’t wait to show you your images!

Mike and Tina opted for a first look so that they could have a little more time after their ceremony and a carriage ride.  While they had seen each other that day while they were setting everything up, this was the first time they’d seen each other all decked out.  Look how cute Mike was…I suppose he was trying to savor the moment.  :)

Crooked Willow is just as breathtaking at night.

Big thanks to Nicole, my amazing assistant, and to Caroline Pippin who came along to help as well!

I think she was the happiest bride I’ve ever seen.  All day, right from the moment I first saw her, Kristin had a big smile on her face, and it was obvious that she was on cloud 9.  And why shouldn’t she have been?  After all, she was marrying the man of her dreams.  You probably remember Kevin and Kristin from their engagement pictures earlier this year.  I’m pleased to announce that their wedding was even more fun to photograph than their engagement shoot!  :)  They were married on 7/11 at the Lionsgate Events Center in Lafayette, Colorado.  I was totally prepared to be rained on all day, but as luck would have it, the clouds just gave us a beautiful backdrop for their gorgeous wedding.  I had such a blast with these two and their families!  I’m sad to say that I don’t have time to show you all of my favorites, but here is but a selection…

My wonderful friend Nicole came along for this wedding as well.  She had a LOT of really great shots, but this one of hers is my favorite:

In addition to being an absolute joy to photograph, I think Kristin and Kevin hired models to be a part of their wedding party.  It’s the only explanation for having that many beautiful people!

Rawr.

It’s so fun when a blast from your past comes back into your life.  Jane sent me a Facebook message a few months ago to let me know that she was going to have her wedding celebration at Ellis Ranch in Loveland, Colorado.  I have known Jane since I was in grade school, when we rode the bus together.  Hearing from her brought back all sorts of memories of being a little kid.  I was excited to learn that she now has a little one of her own.  She and her husband Bret had a small wedding about a year prior, but this year’s party was to be the big celebration of their nuptials with their family and friends.  She just wanted a few hours of coverage and I was so happy and excited to be able to provide that for her.  Bret and Jane are SO very in love, and completely natural together.  Their wedding party was spunky and such a blast to photograph.  Here’s a collage of a few of my favorites!

Thanks so much, Brett and Jane!  I had a great time at your wedding, and I hope you had a wonderful time in Belize!

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At the beginning of June, I had the absolute honor and privilege of  photographing the wedding of Jarrad and Brittany.  Don’t let their looks fool you.  While this couple is a little young, these two have been in love and together for 5 and 1/2 years!  This wedding was a long time coming.  Brittany contacted me and asked me to photograph her wedding way back in 2008.  I’ve been looking forward to it for such a long time, and I absolutely love their pictures.  It was certainly worth the wait!  For their wedding location, Brittany and Jarrad selected The Pinery in Black Forrest.  I was very excited about this venue, because it is all inclusive.  As a photographer, most don’t get to shoot there because of the way The Pinery is all-inclusive, and has it’s own photographer.  Brittany and Jarrad wanted me to photograph their wedding, and I was so happy to do so!  Brittany and Jarred and their families have made me feel so welcome, and they have treated me like an honorary member of their family each time I’ve seen them.  I would like to give a big thanks to all of them.  The wedding was absolutely gorgeous.  On some level each photographer is only as good as the couples they photograph, and these two made my job that day easy!  Another person who made my job easy that day was my assistant, Nicole.  She is likely to become a regular assistant at weddings…she did a phenomenal job, and was great to have along.  Thanks Nicole!  All the detail pictures below are hers.

It is always exciting for me to watch the groom take in his bride for the first time.  It doesn’t matter to me whether it’s at the beginning of the ceremony or in a special place with just the bride and groom.  Brittany and Jarrad chose not to see each other before their wedding, but Melinda, Jarrad’s mom, had the idea to try to get a picture of the two of them holding hands with something between them, so that they couldn’t see each other, but could be next to one another.  I scoped out the Pinery, and thought the pretty curtain they have outside the ballroom would do nicely.  I was so proud of Jarrad and Brittany, because neither one of them peeked for the shots you see below.  Good job, guys!  :)

So, like I was saying…the groom’s reaction is always my favorite part.  When everyone else is looking at the bride, I watch for him.  I can always tell when she enters by the look on his face, but I was definitely not expecting Jarrad to cry.  She was breathtakingly beautiful, though.

One of my favorite things about Brittany and Jarrad’s wedding was that they released live butterflies after their ceremony.  Brittany was absolutely giddy with excitement, and the butterflies were a hit.

My other favorite thing about this wedding was that there were so few people sitting in their seats!  This group wasn’t afraid to have a good time on the dance floor.  This could also be attributed to the awesome DJ’s, DJs With A Pulse.  They had all the guests up and dancing at one point or another during the evening.

Thanks so much, Jarrad and Brittany, and to your families!  I had a wonderful time at your wedding.

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