The warm feelings of family and friends and the cozy atmosphere of the Hotel Boulderado was a nice contrast to the cold, icy night outside.  As the bride got ready at the Hotel Boulderado,  a random Santa walked by her room and we pulled him in for a fun portrait.  They had a traditional ceremony at the beautiful St. John’s Episcopal Church in Boulder followed by an untraditional reception at License No. 1, the  dark, moody, newly remodeled bar in the basement of the Hotel Boulderado.  The creative cake was made by Piece Love and Chocolate and featured a family crest of a banshee tree with a cock and dragon.  It was a cold night but it was easy to see that the hard spirits and cozy atmosphere of License No. 1 was a big hit with the wedding party and the guests.

 

This was a special wedding because Rachel was an assistant of mine a few years ago.  The wedding started at the cabins at Chautauqua in Boulder, Colorado.  We did a first look and some wedding party portraits in the meadow there and then headed up to the Flagstaff Amphitheater for the wedding ceremony.  After the ceremony and a few family and bridal portraits we headed back down to the Chautauqua Dining Hall for the wedding reception.  She has the most amazing hair that probably inspired the directors of Game of Thrones when creating their character Daenerys Targaryen.  My favorite image is the one of her reading the Ketuba before the ceremony.  The wedding coordinator was Lindsey from Bello and Blue Events, the cake pops were made by Three Leaf Catering, and the flowers came from Whole Foods.

What fun to work with a real Italian bride and her family!  I really enjoyed photographing the traditional Italian wedding dances like the Tarantella and others to Italian classics like Dean Martin’s That’s Amore.  The family recipe meatballs were so delicious and I don’t even like meatballs!  For the mid-day portraits overlooking South Boulder right after the wedding ceremony I used a combination of the new ProPhoto B-1 Air lights and natural light.  The images we make on a short walk after the wedding ceremony are always some of my favorites.  I was really impressed with Greens Point Catering.  They not only have amazing food but they are pros at taking care of every detail to make sure things run smoothly.  The ceremony was at Columbine Spiritual Center and the reception was at Horizon’s at Rock Creek.

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These Boulder wedding venues all offer brides something different, unique and special for their wedding day.  Here are a few of my favorites.

#5 St. Julien Hotel and Spa 

With it’s clean, modern lines and central Boulder location near the Pearl Street Mall and Boulder creek, the St. Julien Hotel and Spa is always a special place to work.  From the view of the flatirons to the eclectic bar, there is a variety of fun places to shoot.  The GM is a wonderful man and his staff are very experienced and helpful.  The service and food are both top notch.

 

 

#4  Chautauqua

With vistas of the Flatirons that wow guests it’s hard to beat Chautauqua views.  It’s also one of my favorite locations to do outdoor portraits and “getting ready” photos.  Clients and their guests always rave about their private cabins.  The historic buildings and cottages set against the foothills offer  a wonderful backdrop for photos any time of year.

 

 

#3  Pastures of Plenty

A beautiful organic working farm northeast of Boulder that also grows flowers would be enough for me to recommend this wedding venue but they also do catering using the freshly picked produce from their farm.  There is something magical about eating outside at a farm.  If you haven’t ever done this try meadow lark farm dinners.  It’s an amazing experience you won’t forget.  A unique experience for you and your guests.

 

 

#2  Hotel Boulderado

What makes the Hotel Boulderado so great is its knowledgeable, friendly staff, its historic architecture and its downtown location.  It’s not easy to photograph in this historic hotel but when done right the results are stunning.  From fun shots around downtown to the historic staircase leading up to the mezzanine,  there is an interesting mix of modern and old.  The food is consistently very good.

 

 

#1  Flagstaff Amphitheater

Ok, so you can’t have your wedding reception here but it is as amazing a spot to get married and take wedding photos as any in Colorado.  Only minutes from Chautauqua (on a steep windy mountain road), it offers beautiful views of Boulder and the continental divide to the west.  It’s a beautiful place to take a walk after the ceremony with your photographer and maybe even see some deer.

 

Their big wedding day started with getting ready at their house and the Hotel Boulderado.  The ceremony was the stunning European like mountain church of St. Melo in Allenspark, CO followed by some fun portraits along the peak to peak highway and a beautiful lunch at the Flagstaff House.  The reception was at the Boulder Country Club.  I love the shot on the fence where her vail becomes the snow on the peak – not the wind but just a very clever assistant.  At the reception the couple had guests fill out cards of advice for them to open on their first, fith, tenth and twenty-fith anniversaries that they will share with some good italian wine from their honeymoon.  What a lovely idea!  As a take away the guests got bags of coffee from their favorite coffee roaster, Boxcar Coffee on Pearl St. in Boulder.  It was truly an amazing day that we enjoyed being part of.

 

 

Brittany and Chad had a magical farm wedding at YaYa Farm and Orchard in Longmont, CO.  The details, her wedding dress, the flower girl, weather and the farm setting just to name a few all worked out so well.  She made a Pinterest page with some wonderful ideas before the wedding like spelling LOVE with the bridesmaids.  Did I mention that this couple can kiss like movie stars?

When it rains it pours.  I have never photographed a wedding in such a torrential downpour and I can’t imagine a better couple to enjoy it with.  They laughed through the whole wedding ceremony, as did most of their guests.  A true Colorado mountain experience.  I really appreciated the Nikon weather sealing on their professional cameras and lenses and my Kata rain gear.   It did clear for a little while and the wedding reception at Wild Basin Lodge was all that more special afterwards.

A gorgeous day for a Colorado mountain wedding at Boettcher Mansion in Golden, CO.  Aptly, Shayna means beautiful in Hebrew.  We did a walk with the bride and groom after the wedding around the venue grounds and got these beautiful images of them being together.   I love being a photographer in Colorado!  These beautiful flowers were from Petals from Heaven and the dance music by Quality Mobile Sound.