I am SO excited to share this wedding! If we didn’t tell you the story of how the wedding had to be relocated last minute because of the torrential rains that we got last September, you would have no idea that every single detail didn’t happen exactly as originally planned. This wedding is color-coordinated so perfectly, and is sure to be pinned in boards for weddings to come!
Here’s the wedding story from Stephanie Whitehill who so perfectly captured Laura and Steve’s day:
“When I met Laura and Steve, I remember thinking that I REALLY wanted to shoot their wedding. At that time, it was going to be at Lily Lake in Estes Park, with just a few benches right next to the lake. I saw a wedding there once when I went hiking with my husband and thought it was awesome! (David and I love Lily Lake and Lily Mountain, so I automatically knew where they were having the ceremony). The reception was also going to be outside near the river with lawn games. It sounded so wonderfully simple and beautiful! I was worried that we might potentially not fit into their budget, but they called me one day and said photography was something they didn’t want to skimp on. I was SO happy.
After the floods started, I’m pretty sure both the ceremony site and the reception site were completely under water. So they ended up moving the wedding to their mom’s back yard. The yard was perfect, as it was right up against a creek with plenty of trees and space. (But not in the danger zone of the floods – whew!) Although it wasn’t flooded, it still rained the ENTIRE wedding day. I was so amazed at how calm Laura was about everything. She wasn’t going to let the rain get her mood down. In fact, they still wanted to do a first look outside! I happened to have a wonderful green umbrella that went with their style, so we used that for the first look.
Still raining at the time of the ceremony, they decided to keep it outside. Umbrellas were everywhere and people were getting wet. I don’t think I heard a single person complain (it was really raining too, not just a sprinkle). The reception was in a small tent with live music and waffles and bloody marys on the deck. Everyone pulled together to make it so special, despite the constant rain.
Afterwards, we kept putting off the wedding photos in hopes of a little sunshine. I ended up staying 2 hours over because I felt so bad for the whole situation. I was bound and determined to get them the wedding photos they had dreamed of. We went to a nearby open space and had practically the only 2 hours of the whole day where there was no rain to shoot the wedding party and couple. I’m pretty sure it started raining on my way home.
I really loved them and their wedding. I remember during the speeches, Laura got up to thank everyone for being there and she said “This may not have been the wedding I planned, but it was still magical”. I seriously teared up!
Anyway, all that to say they were such a great couple to photograph and were so amazing during all of the challenges. I don’t think I would have been so calm if it were me!”
A special thanks to the incredible vendors:
- Dress: Little White Dress
- Cake: Azucar Bakery
