The Blog
Bell Projects Wedding- Denver Wedding Photographer
Alex and Brian’s small, intimate wedding was a nice little change of pace this wedding season! With her sister holding it at her art gallery, Bell’s Projects, in Denver, CO these two made sure it was going to be a very laid back and personal day for them. And it was absolutely beautiful!! With Brian controlling the music on his phone and these two partially winging the ceremony, there was no doubt they did it exactly the way they wanted to.
Including their precious baby girl, Matilda, in all the festivities made it all the more special! Alex and Brian were so much fun to be around and their goofy sides really made for an awesome work day for myself! You’ll be able to see their love for each other and their fun side in these photos below! Hope you enjoy!
Highlands Ranch Mansion Wedding- Denver Wedding Photographer
What an amazing day at Highlands Ranch Mansion in Denver, CO this past Saturday! Stevie and Keith had such a beautiful celebration and it’s so clear in the pictures how deeply they are in love with each other :)
These two are so fun loving together and that alone made it such a great day for me too! From the emotional first look to the goofy wedding party photos to the absolutely beautiful ceremony and reception, this wedding had it all! And I’m so excited to share some of those memories in the blog today. Enjoy!
All The Little Moments- Denver Wedding Photographer
There are so many beautiful moments tucked away in all the craziness of a wedding day.. such a large part of what I love to do is the photojournalistic aspect and getting those intimate, fun, and candid photos of my couples and everyone celebrating with them! Even my posing has a very candid vibe to it that my couples always appreciate. I just wanted to share a few of those on my blog today and really highlight what a special day this is for so many people! Enjoy!
Tips For Your Wedding Day
The big day is finally here!! All of your prep and planning is finally coming to fruition! With all of the hard work you put into it, it’s only natural you want the day to be perfect. But don’t forget this is your party and this day is about you and your soon to be groom or bride! The goal is to fully enjoy every moment and here are some tips that will help you on your big day.
Savor Every Moment
Practice mindfulness and sneak away to take in the moment. Everything will be handled by the photographer, planner, coordinator, bridal party, and family.
Feel Your Best
Do one thing that you know will calm yourself in the morning. Whether it’s a hobby, meditating, journaling, or just sitting back with some coffee and taking in the morning.
Check Your Mindset
Swap worrying about if people are having a good time with making sure YOU are having a good time. Remember everyone is here to celebrate you and your joy and happiness are what truly matters!
Trust Your Team
Your vendors are professionals specifically for this reason. Trust in the fact that they will be able to handle anything that comes their way to ensure you have an amazing day. It’s also always good to assign one or two of your bridal party to be the go to people so they can deal with the things you don’t have to!
Assign Tasks
Here are some easily forgotten tasks you can assign for your wedding:
Wrapping up leftovers
Taking home or storing gifts
Checking out with the venue coordinator
Tipping vendors
Checking in on parents
A planner or coordinator will be able to handle most of these, but if you don’t have one make sure you have family or friends that can take care of these for you!
Hang Out, Don’t Just Play Host
Make sure you’re actually enjoying your friends and family and hanging out! Do your rounds of greeting people for the first hour, catch your breath, and then commit to having fun the rest of the night. These are what cocktail hours are made for, so if you’re not taking photos, this is a perfect time to make the rounds!
Include Some Time Alone With Your New Hubby
Wedding day is a whirlwind and every couple I have ever worked with always remembers those small moments with their partner. Make sure to schedule in a few of these throughout the day!
Prep A Getting Ready Playlist
Have a playlist of all your favorite music to listen to while you’re getting ready. Whether it’s party pump up jams or something lofi to calm your nerves, have something ready. Music is such a mood changer so having a playlist makes a difference!
Add Buffer Time
As a photographer, my timelines always include buffer time for travel or in case anything is running behind. If we’re right on schedule then you just have more time to chill and enjoy the day!
I hope these tips help you prepare for your big day! As your photographer, I am here to make sure you get every last ounce of joy out of it. After all this is your party!!
First Looks and Why I Love Them
Your first look is an amazing part of your wedding day! If you aren’t sure about this tradition, this blog will explain why it’s such a romantic addition to your wedding day that not only adds to the experience, but also reduces stress! I never want my couples to feel pressured with this option, however I want to make sure I share all the benefits because there are reasons why couples do it and LOVE it!
Why It’s Worth It
More Portraits
You’re investing a lot into your wedding photography. With a first look, you’ll receive more portraits of the two of you and those are the images you’ll decorate your home with! With a first look, you’ll make the most out of this large investment!
Enjoy The Surprise Freely
With a first look you’ll actually get some intimate time with you soon to be husband or wife. Most brides don’t realize when you come down the aisle looking gorgeous… he can’t even tell you how amazing you look! He can’t touch you or really embrace you because you’re going right into the ceremony. You’ll have to 30 minutes to an hour after the ceremony for him to react and tell you how amazing you look! And after that time, the reaction isn’t quite the same.
Extend Your Day
First looks allow you to extend your wedding day. Normally the wedding day would start when you come down the aisle, then the ceremony would end and you’re rushing through portraits so you can make it to cocktail hour or the reception. With a first look, your wedding day is extended! Instead of being rushed for your bridal party portraits, you actually get to enjoy them and have fun hanging out with your best friends on your wedding day!
One Of The Few Moments You’re Alone Together
First looks allow you to be together and alone on your wedding day. When my couples see each other, not only is it intimate, but it was one of their only times they get to be alone all day! Normally portraits are a little rushed after family formals and it can be hard to get back in that “lovey dovey” mode… especially with family around. When you have just shared your first look, you’re READY to love on each other and I always capture super sweet images during those moments!
Diminishes Nerves
You get rid of your nerves! All of my couples who have done a first look admitted to being SO much more relaxed and ready for their ceremony after their first look!
First Touch
If you don’t think you want to do a first look, but still want some sort of intimate moment together, a first touch is another option you can plan into your wedding day!
Again, there is no pressure at all to do a first look! Plenty of my couples go with a first look down the aisle and that is great too! Not a lot of couples know a lot about how a first look works, so I just wanted to give you the info and some of the pros to having a moment like this! Here are a few more first looks for you to enjoy!
Rosie + David's Copper Mountain Wedding
Rosie and David’s Copper Mountain certainly didn’t disappoint on the winter vibes! This wedding was such a blast and had some really beautiful moments! Check it out on today’s blog!
Well Rosie and David were looking for a winter wedding and they absolutely got it last weekend up in Copper Mountain, Colorado! Copper Mountain is a beautiful little ski resort, and this wedding party braved the cold to get some really cool snow pics! The whole day was amazing starting with the David and Rosie getting ready in their lodges. Then a very cute first look on a covered bridge followed by the ceremony in a little chapel! After that was a party at Copper Station where everyone had a blast! Here are some pics from the day :)
Kelsey + Dylan Roxborough Park Engagement
Kelsey and Dylan killed their engagement session out in Roxborough Park in Colorado! They had so much fun with it and really brought out their personalities :) Come check out the gorgeous photos in the blog!
Being theatre kids, Kelsey and Dylan really brought the energy to this session! Being out at Roxborough Park just south of Denver, we got to have a beautiful back drop of all the red rocks! From sweet, romantic photos to dancing goofy in a field these two really showed off their personalities :) I can’t wait for their wedding, but for now here are some photos from this super fun engagement session!
Evelyn and Andrew Boulder Engagement
Evelyn and Andrew had such a gorgeous engagement session at the front range in Boulder. Come check it out!
Evelyn and Andrew came all the way to Colorado from Houston to get these beautiful mountain pictures! We ended up going with Boulder because that front range is absolutely gorgeous :) We had so much fun together at Chautauqua Park and the Lost Gulch Overlook and got some amazing pictures on top of that! Check out some of their photos below!
Kristina + Matt's Boulder Wedding
I absolutely love the intimacy and vibe of a small wedding and Kristina and Matt’s backyard wedding had the best vibes! These two are so laid back and down to earth so this wedding fit them so perfectly! So simple yet so elegant, it was such an easy going experience I forgot I was even working. Kristina and Matt are such an amazing couple and you could just tell these two were perfect for each other! Having their ceremony and reception at Kristina’s mothers beautiful home made for a great, carefree day for these two and the pictures turned out amazing! Here’s a little sneak peek of Kristina and Matt’s Boulder wedding! Enjoy!
Jenny + David's Mizzou Wedding
Going back to where I went to college to photograph Jenny and David’s wedding was such a blast and FULL of nostalgia! I spent four amazing years at the University of Missouri and it was so cool to spend a weekend back there to celebrate with these two! Rain has definitely been the theme of our time working together, starting with a little bit of a downpour during our engagement session in Colorado. But Jenny and David stuck through that and we ended up with a double rainbow!
Once again rain was looking to sneak into the day for these two, but at the last minute it decided to hold off and let Jenny and David have the perfect day they were hoping for! From some rooftop first looks to some fun pictures at the columns, it was such a fun day and night overall! Congrats Jenny and David! Here’s a sneak peek from the day to enjoy!
Katie + Tim Woodlands Colorado Wedding
Katie and Tim were my very first couple to book me when I moved out to Denver last year, and it’s been such an awesome year getting to know these two! Finally wedding day arrived for these two this past Saturday and I couldn’t be happier for them! It was very obvious from the get go that these two were meant to be and I love their story so much. From Tim being a “tour guide” for Katie while she was visiting to their hilarious pup, Scotty, these two are such kind and genuine people. With all that said, it made me so joyful to see them have a perfect wedding day because they absolutely deserved it! You two are going to have an amazing life together and I am so happy to be part of it! While you’re off on honeymoon, here’s a little sneak peek of the day to enjoy!
Starting with the beautiful details!
Loved these getting ready pictures with Katie and her mom!
First Look!
The ceremony is about to begin!
The beautiful bride!
Just a bride and her pup :)
And a graduation celebration on top of that!
We got the whole group!
Love the final night photos!
Wedding Advice
Planning a wedding can be tough! There’s a lot that goes into it and so many details to keep track of. One thing I pride myself on is helping my couples throughout the year so their day can be perfect!
So I decided to reach out to some past brides of mine and get their opinion on what they learned about their wedding day. You might notice there is a little bit of a theme :) Hopefully this advice can help my future AJP brides out while they are planning their own big day!
“I researched all my vendors very hard and loved everyone of them so I’m glad I took the time to do that extra work.
Looking back, paying for a day of coordinator would have helped with unnecessary stress. With that, my best advice is roll with the punches! For example, I didn’t do a bouquet toss because I didn’t want everyone to leave the dance floor since we were having a blast and I have zero regrets of that. Overall, it will be a great day whether it goes according to plan or not.”- Kristen
“I would say my advice is to not be afraid to ditch traditional wedding ideas and make it your own. At the end of the day, you are marrying your best friend and it’s a fun opportunity to showcase your relationship in the details.”- Abby
“RELAX - you’ve planned for months, something will definitely go wrong but you will be the only one who knows. At the end of the day you’re marrying your best friend so let everything else go and just enjoy the moment!
Hire a day of coordinator! Even if you plan everything yourself, have one person who does it professionally to execute your plans.
Let Austin steal you away and take sunset/golden hour photos. I’m so glad we took that time away because those are some of my favorite photos from our wedding!”- Andrea
“The advice I have been giving is that this is the one day in your life that is totally yours. Yes, you’ll have tons of amazing photos to remember it, but take mental screenshots of your day. Stop at certain times and take a mental picture. And after…remember that marriage isn’t hard. Life is hard!”- Alison
“To anyone I know getting married, I have always given the advice to do a two year engagement if possible. I understand some brides have specific dates they want to meet but if you have the option, do two years. It helped out financially to where we didn’t have any debt after the wedding, I had time to really think about what was and was not a priority, and I got to enjoy it instead of stressing over the timeline.
My other piece of advice would be to not worry about perfection. I had a vision in my head and that is exactly how I wanted that day to go but when I woke up that morning, I could not have cared less about the small little details I obsessed about. No one is going to notice if the centerpieces were flowers or candles. No one will notice if the braid in your hair it perfectly shaped. No one will notice if your flower girl was holding a basket or a teddy bear. Make sure the food is good, the DJ is good, and the photographer is good. Everything else is the small stuff that only you would notice.”- Martha
“Let the photographer run the day/schedule. This is so huge or else we would have been late to everything for our wedding!
Have fun with the pictures. Some of my favorites are ones that were spontaneous or Austin came up with. -try to really enjoy the day cause it goes by so fast. Things are going to go wrong that day that are out of your control. No one will notice but you and you will still get married and have a wonderful day!”- Lizzie
“Don’t stress over the little details- no is paying as close of attention as you think! It’s one day and goes by sooo quickly. Do what feels right- forget what everyone else does at their weddings! Just think about what makes you and your boo happy and do that.
Have a schedule for the day so it runs smoothly but make it flexible and leave extra time so you don’t feel rushed! Spend just as much (if not more haha) time preparing for marriage as you do for the wedding ceremony.
Trust your band, DJ, florists and photographers to do their jobs! They know what they are doing and will do a wonderful job! Don’t spend more than you are comfortable with and prioritize what matters most! Don’t be afraid to be a little different/out of the box. Most importantly have fun! Enjoy every moment of it!”- Annie
Paige + Ryan Mt. Falcon Engagement
What a fun session at Mt. Falcon out here in Denver!! Despite it being a bit dark and chilly we got some truly awesome pictures of Paige and Ryan for their engagement session! It even started snowing on the way back to the cars, so of course we had to get a few of them together in the falling snowflakes. These two are a ton of fun and I can’t wait for the wedding! Here are a few more from their session! Enjoy!
Of course had to start out with pics of their best friend, Duke!
Wedding Doggos
Some of my favorite pictures form wedding day or my engagement sessions are the ones where my couples include their furry friends! And we all know out here in Denver, everybody loves their pups! If you’re thinking of including you pet in your pictures for the big day, I can guarantee you with a little planning we can get some great memories of you all together! Here are a few examples of some wedding pups and a cat too!
Wedding attire for the pup is such a cute idea for photos!
A special bandana is a great way to commemorate the engagement with your pup!
There’s tons of options to get your doggo ready for the day :)
And sometimes all you need is a good mountain backdrop!
Or a beautiful forest!
You can even do a first look!
The more the merrier :)
So if you’d like to include your doggo in your engagement or wedding we have plenty of options!
And that includes your kitties as well!
Emily + Zach Boulder Engagement Session
When Emily got in contact with me saying they were coming up from Florida and wanted an engagement session out in the mountains, I was so down for it! Even more she mentioned she loved my Boulder sessions, which is one of my favorite spots, so I was even more excited! I love when couples from out of state come to Denver for shoots with me and these two were so good at working with the camera. I barely had to prompt them half the time, they were so happy and into each other! And you can 100% see it in the photos! Anyway here are a few from their Boulder engagement session!
We started at Chautauqua Park, where these two were having so much fun out in the fields!
It really was infections, made me smile the whole time :)
And then of course we had to go to Lost Gulch Overlook!
These views are just insane!
Cassie + Thomas Estes Park Wedding
After planning all year for it, finally Cassie and Thomas’ big day came! And it was absolutely beautiful!! The weather was perfect, the aspens were turning that gorgeous yellow, and all of their family and friends were in Estes Park to celebrate! One thing Cassie and Thomas were hoping for were those beautiful Autumn colors on their wedding and the day did not disappoint! Lily Lake had some of that great color they were looking for and then some! These two could not stop smiling and laughing with each other… and that makes for some great photos :) I had such a great experience working with these two and I’m so happy their day was so perfect! Congrats again you two and I can’t wait to get the rest of these photos to you!
Katie + Tim Mount Falcon Engagement Session
Third time’s a charm with this Katie and Tim’s engagement session! With a couple reschedules with the last one due to weather, we just beat out the rain for a perfect evening at Mount Falcon just outside of Denver! These two are so easy to get along with and made for such an easy session. They even brought along their pup, Scotty, who got in on the fun! Here’s a few from their session and I can’t wait for the wedding next May!
Big love for Scotty!
Such a good boy!
Loved the views out here!
And we had a little fun too :)
Your Final Photos
Some of my favorite pictures from my weddings are the final photos we do at the end of the night before I wrap up! These photos let me get creative with flash and will get you something very different from everything else we have gotten throughout the day. Another great reason for these is that it gives you a chance to have a little bit of time with your new husband or wife away from the hustle and bustle of the wedding night. It gives you two time to take a breather and just enjoy each others company! Plus it makes for some really cool photos! Here are a few examples below:
Jenny + David Boulder Engagement Session
Jenny and David came all the way from Missouri to get some beautiful mountain photos out in Boulder… well we got even more than that! After a good 20 minutes of rain we had to make decision if we were gonna stick it out, and wow were we glad we did! I’m honestly not sure if I’ve seen a double rainbow up close before let alone during an engagement session. I mean if that’s not a great sign for them, I don’t know what is!
On top of that we got some more great photos in El Dorado Springs and The Lost Gulch Overlook! Congrats you two and can’t wait for the wedding next year! Here’s a few from their session! Enjoy!
First we started in El Dorado Springs, right outside of Boulder, CO
And then the rain came… but these two were great sports!
When it stopped we got such a great surprise!
and then on to the beautiful Lost Gulch Overlook!
It was such a fun day with you two! Congrats again!
Chirco Family Session
One of the big pros of having some St. Louis weddings left, is being able to spend some time with my sister and her family! It’s been really great seeing them when I’ve been back in town and it’s really cool seeing my nephew Jackson and my niece Cami grow up right in front of me! So of course when they wanted me to do a lifestyle family session for them, I wasn’t going to say no. We had so much fun during the session and the kids did so great! I was a very proud Uncle :) I just wanted to share a few of these cute kids here on the blog!
These two love to have a lot of fun together :)
Dancing fun!
Such a cute family!
And of course we had to jump on the bed!
Momma and baby Cami
These two did so well!!
And finally finished off with some ice cream!
It was definitely a good day!