Mountain Wedding in Colorado | Jasmine + Riley

Jasmine + Riley’s Colorado wedding was such a beautiful, sun soaked day! They got married on their seventh anniversary in Westcliffe, a small town in Southern Colorado. These two are obsessed with each other, and so in love. They got ready in cabins within the ranch area, had a first look under a willow tree, and said “I do” under the warm fall sun, with a backdrop of epic mountain views. This mountain wedding was such an amazing day, and I’m so glad I got to be a part of it!

Keep scrolling to see all the joyous moments, the sparkler exit, and why sunset photos are 100% worth potentially stepping in horse p*#!

We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful fall wedding day! The sun was shining, and there was a nice breeze all day. The guys and girls got ready at cabins on site, and they were such a fun group! It’s always awesome when a bridal party is pumped up, and Riley’s groomsmen were on another level! Lol! Jasmine had two friends in her bridal party, and it was such a great way to keep the morning intimate. 

Riley waited under a willow tree on the property for the first look before the ceremony. Jasmine snuck up behind him and grabbed his butt (my fave!) to signal her arrival. They both totally cried. And then I totally cried! 

Having a first look before your ceremony on your wedding day is the perfect way to exchange your vows in privacy. 

They shared their vows privately and quietly, the only other sound being the wind rustling softly through the willow leaves. They used handmade handkerchiefs to wipe away tears - which hilariously had the phrase “keep your sh*t together” embroidered in the centre!

We took a few bride and groom photos under the trees, and then got ready for the ceremony to start. Their dogs Trixie + Brody were the Dog of Honour and the Best Dog - which was the cutest thing ever! The dogs walked down the aisle ahead of the bride, and Jasmine was beaming as she walked toward Riley. 

Literally everyone present cried during the ceremony. When Riley dipped Jasmine to the ground for their first kiss as husband and wife, it was all I could do to not yell out excitedly! While their guests listened to music and relaxed during cocktail hour, we took some photos before hitting the reception. The toasts given by family and guests throughout the evening were so great. Everyone cares so much about them, and you can tell that they just love the sh*t out of them! 

If you’re on the fence about whether or not to do sunset photos on your wedding day - go for it! Take 10-15 minutes out of your evening to go enjoy each other and get some beautiful photos. 

We snuck Jasmine + Riley out into the fields for sunset photos. The lighting was amazing, the breeze was warm and gorgeous, and we had a blast! Riley may or may not have stepped in horse poo - but that’s just the risk you take when running around in horse fields. LOL! The benefits far outweighed the risks, though - it was totally worth the great time and gorgeous photos! 

For sunset photos at a mountain wedding - 

double check with your photographer about the best time. The sun typically sets earlier in the mountains, so make sure you leave enough time (at the right time of day!) for your photos! 

During the reception, Jasmine did a fully choreographed father daughter dance with her dad, which was so fun! Her and Riley had a blast cutting the cake, dancing with guests, and using one of the ATVs for photos. They ended the evening with drinks and a sparkler exit. This was such an amazing wedding, and we talked about how much fun we had the whole ride home!

What Jasmine + Riley said about de la Fontaine Photography

“I'm speechless. I've been putting off this review because I'm honestly at a loss for words trying to explain how incredible de la Fontaine Photography is. As soon as I started wedding planning I knew the most important thing for me was to get beautiful photos of our special day and my expectations were exceeded and blown out the roof! I found de la Fontaine Photography online and fell in love - I knew I had to have Rebekah as my photographer so I decided to pay the extra fee to fly her out here (to Colorado).

I was a little worried about being able to communicate enough from another state, but Rebekah suggested we FaceTime and that worked out perfectly! She always took her time and genuinely cared and wanted the best for me and my husband. Rebekah eased my anxious wedding planning mind and helped me not only plan out what photos I wanted, but helped me plan non-photography related things like my day-of timeline. Since she has seen first hand how long certain wedding events take, she was able to help me adjust my timeline. Plus we were able to plan photos for the time of day with the best lighting which made for super magical dreamy photos.

I'm also very non-traditional so I was nervous to see if Rebekah would accommodate my "quirky" ideas which she did so happily and even encouraged me, that I didnt need to follow all the wedding "rules". From the moment Rebekah showed up (early which I really appreciated) I felt comfortable with her which is good because we jumped right into some boudoir photos. I thought I would feel awkward and not know how to pose, but Rebekah had so many helpful suggestions while still hearing what I wanted.

Her husband, Trevor, was her assistant for my wedding which was so fun! They made us feel so special and we actually had a lot of fun together. Rebekah is very professional, warm and genuine, and VERY talented. We got our photos back earlier than expected and we got a ton more photos than we expected!!! It was the best surprise ever. I can't even explain how much the photos mean to me. I will cherish them my whole life. Every photo has beautiful details. Even when we were stuck with harsh, bright lighting, she was able to capture beautiful photos! I am eternally grateful for de la Fontaine Photography.

If you're thinking about hiring Rebekah, know that you would be lucky to have her and that you'd be in good hands.”

also, so proud to have one of these images featured on wandering weddings

If you love this Colorado mountain wedding, you may also love this Arizona sunset bridal shoot!

PLANNING YOUR OWN COLORADO MOUNTAIN WEDDING?

CONTACT ME AND I CAN HELP!

4 Tips to Choosing the Best Elopement Location

My husband and I eloped last year, and it was incredible. We had always wanted to go to Iceland or Ireland, elope in the wild, and then have our honeymoon right after. Instead, we ended up getting married at Horseshoe Bend in Arizona because it was closer to home, and left us more time to relax. Our elopement was amazing, and I’m so happy we decided NOT to have a traditional wedding. Elopements are my favorite thing to shoot, and a lot of eloping couples have a hard time narrowing down a location. I’m spilling all my secrets today! Here are my top 4 tips to choosing the best elopement location - and they might surprise you! 

First, I wanted to explain why we opted for an Arizona elopement instead of heading across the Atlantic. We had picked Horseshoe Bend for our engagement photos. We had never been there before, but it looked amazing and we wanted to go somewhere cool and explore.

On the day of our engagement shoot, it was rainy and a bit stormy, but we started hiking anyway. Within a few minutes it got SO cold, but we went for it cause we were committed! Once we arrived at our pre-planned location, we got set up, and our photographer started shooting.

Me + my hubs on our elopement day. Photo by KMT Photos

For like, all of two minutes. All of a sudden there was a torrential downpour! We ran back to our car while water rushed everywhere around us, lightning struck down from the sky and hit the ground around us, and crazy, tornado-style winds threatened to blow us off the cliff…

I thought I was going to die. It still makes me anxious thinking about it. LOL. We only got about five photos, but since we had planned this whole trip just for the engagement shoot, we said NAH. We went back the next day for a reshoot and got fun, awesome photos. 

I didn’t want to have a tainted image of Horseshoe Bend, and we wanted our elopement to be someplace special, so we went back there to get married. On our elopement day, it was the perfect, perfect day. It was so calm, slightly warm with a gentle breeze, and the sun was shining. It was all in stark contrast to our previous visit, and it couldn’t have been a more perfect day. 

You may be thinking, “Rebekah, cool story - but what does this have to do with our elopement?!” 

Hang tight - and keep reading. 

Here are my Top 4 Elopement Location Planning Tips: 

1. Weather

It’s super important to look at what the weather’s going to be like for the location you want to elope in. Obviously if you’re not local to a particular area you won’t know what the weather is going to be like, but that’s why it’s a good idea to do some research ahead of time. 

Also - what do you want out of the weather on your elopement day? 

Are you hoping for a warm sunny day? Do you want to elope in the Grand Tetons in the snow? Even if you DO want snow, you may not want to be completely snowed out! I lived in Wyoming for a year, and when it snows you can’t get anywhere. A nice fluffy layer of snow is cute and pretty, but most people don’t want to be in a white out or blizzard on their elopement day. 

2. Time of the Year 

Think about what time of year you want to elope. You have a bit more flexibility when planning an elopement than you do with a traditional wedding. 

You don’t have to elope within the month, and you also don’t have to wait 2 years. You can elope anytime you want - just make sure that the time of the year or season works for you. 

3. Hiking Elopements 

To hike or not to hike? 

You may see gorgeous mountain elopements and envision yourself doing just that, but a lot of the time it’s a 14 mile hike both ways. If that’s what you want to do, then totally go for it! But consider how much you might be hiking, and whether or not you’re comfortable with that.

Some people want to drive and then just have a short walk instead of a day-long hike. 

Be mindful of the location you’re choosing and how much hiking is involved. Also, is a hike something that really speaks to you and that you want to incorporate into your elopement? 

I offer 2 day elopements if you want to hike somewhere awesome, camp out, and then hike the next day and elope at sunrise. :) 

This Zion elopement required some hiking, but it was SO worth it!

With hiking in a very specific place, you can always ask your photographer for suggestions. If you’ve narrowed down a general area (for example Zion or Yosemite), you can ask your photographer to help you pick a specific spot to elope in. 

Yosemite National Park is a super popular elopement location. It’s beautiful, but it’s SO busy. If you’re comfortable with it not being quite so private, though, then it’s a great spot! 

When we got married at Horseshoe Bend, it was so busy! We even ventured off the main stretch to get away from the crowds, but there were still so many people there. Despite the unexpected guests, we still had a gorgeous day! I’ll be the first to admit though, that it was a little distracting. I prefer more privacy for myself, and I like to have privacy for my couples as well. If you’re a very private person and don’t want the world watching while you tie the knot, that’s something to keep in mind. 

Popular Elopement Spots

You can also have your ceremony in a secluded, private spot and then go elsewhere for photos. If there’s an epic elopement location that you’ve seen and love, it’s not to say that you can’t go there if it’s busy. It may just be a better option to go there after your ceremony in case you run into hikers or people passing by.

4. Elopement Locations -

A new place vs. someplace special 

For your elopement, you have two options: 

1. Pick a place that you’ve always wanted to go to, OR 

2. Pick a place that’s really special to the two of you. 

Someplace special to the two of you 

For example: If you got engaged while on vacation in Ireland, or Redwood National Forest. If that’s your special spot and that’s where you want to get married, awesome! 

If you love Colorado and it’s sentimental to the two of you, then you can absolutely choose that as your elopement location!

Going somewhere you’ve always wanted to go:

I’m a big fan of eloping at a dream destination, because you can just turn it right into your honeymoon! 

If you’ve always wanted to visit Morocco, then that might end up being an epic elopement location for you!

You can elope, celebrate, and then immediately start your honeymoon. You can also have your photographer take cute honeymoon photos the next day. Picture the two of you just chilling, playing on the beach together, exploring… 

To narrow down your elopement location - you don’t have to pick an exact spot! 

Reach out to your photographer and let them in on your must-have list. If you want to hike, but don’t want to hike 20 miles, put it on your list. If you want to get married when it’s cool outside, but not snowing - add it to the list. If you have dream destinations on your list but aren’t sure if it will be perfect for you since you’ve never been, ask your photographer for advice. Elopement photographers are also elopement planners, so you can get way more help with making sure your day is perfect. 

I hope these top 4 secrets to choosing the best elopement locations were helpful! If you need some elopement inspo, contact me and I can help you plan your epic dream elopement! 

Arizona Sunset Bridal Shoot | Talyn and Kenny

Our bridal shoot with Talyn and Kenny was nothing short of magic. Not only are they hilarious and absolutely adorable together, we had one heck of an evening! 

From meeting a cow to being gifted a Bible from a drunken stranger, this Arizona sunset bridal shoot was one to remember! 

My hubby Trevor came along with me for the shoot, and we met Talyn and Kenny close to sunset. They looked amazing in their suit and wedding dress, and Kenny was killing it with his GQ-style poses. There were a ton of bugs (I would say there were killing it too), but we had a blast anyway! 

I love hunting for amazing locations for my couples, and I love shooting in state parks. For Talyn and Kenny’s bridal shoot, we went to a gorgeous creek. There was a lush, perfect grassy bank along a babbling brook, and the light was amazing. We were the only ones there (or so we thought!). It was so calm and serene. We then stumbled upon Milky the cow, who we later realized is a boy…(can you guess how we figured that out?!). We found his name hilarious, because he obviously doesn’t produce milk…so I said he’s more “Milk-ish”. LOL

Talyn and Kenny were loving their time together and took every opportunity to snuggle, kiss, and twirl. They were also happy to flip each other off with their ring fingers (which had us all laughing our asses off). They were pure magic together, and it was so awesome to be able to spend time with them.

That’s why I love bridal shoots and always recommend them, especially if you have a hectic timeline on your wedding day. It gives you a chance to spend some quality time together and get amazing, fun photos. 

Not sure what a bridal session is? Or are you hoping to include one in your wedding package, but not sure if it’s worth it? This is why a sunset bridal shoot is a must - and why you deserve it. 

We finished the shoot as the sun went down. As we were getting ready to leave, a car full of strangers pulled up to us. One guy started talking to us and it was immediately obvious that he was drunk. He was rambling and kind of freaked us out a bit, and then said to one of the other guys in the car, “yo yo yo, give me my bible!” Naturally we freaked out a little bit more!

Talyn and Kenny, still in their wedding outfits, watched with us as one of his buddies opened the trunk of the car and pulled out an ornate wooden box. Drunk Guy #1 opened the lid of the box to reveal a beautiful, white leather, gold embossed bible. 

He handed it to Talyn and Kenny and said, “this is your wedding gift!” He told the four of us (as we stood there dumbfounded) about his 4 marriages, and left us with very sage (albeit very drunk) relationship advice. With that, he left with his buddies, we breathed a sigh of relief, and then we proceeded to laugh hysterically at the randomness of it all. 

The setting sun was shining on the bible box, so I got one last shot of Talyn and Kenny holding their new wedding gift. We headed home, a night of randomness and hilarity coming full circle. I seriously could not have asked for a better evening, and I’m so glad that Trevor and I got to spend time with Talyn and Kenny to make (and experience) some magic. 

If you loved this Arizona sunset bridal shoot, then check out this Wyoming bridal shoot in Grand Teton National Park! 

You can also get more tips about planning your wedding day here on my blog!