Destination Wedding in Rocky Mountain National ParkWedding Day Details:

Colorado Mountains beat Philly any day for wedding venue locations.  Maybe we are just a bit biased but we think Jon and Rach made the right choice with making it a destination wedding out to Colorado.  When your in a gorgeous place you don’t have to worry about all the crazy decorations.  When you do it in a destination you can keep things smaller which makes it less formal, more laid back, and ultimately more catered to what you would want.

It was comical to hear a couple times people giving input into ‘this is how you do _____ ‘.  Normally we find ourselves giving the ‘this is what a lot of couples do’ since we think your wedding day should reflect your unique personality.  Over Labor Day Weekend Estes Park, CO was a party.  Inside the park things were a little more tame.  We met up and got first look, bride – groom, and bridal party photos on a hillside with Longs Peak in view.

The day was like most afternoons in the Colorado Mountains – full of moody clouds and beautiful views!  We got to the Amphitheater a little early and found the wedding that was supposed to proceed it never happened.  This allowed us to get in a little earlier.  The ceremony was simple and well officiated.  We have seen some odd hired officiants over the years whereas we would have thought he was family if we didn’t know better.  Tears came for Rach after the recessional or in the Colorado mountains you might say the ‘wander’.  Lots of laughter, love, and sharing seen between everyone.

Champagne toasts topped off the ceremony time before going over to Twin Owls Steakhouse for a mini reception.  They have a nice upper room / loft that can have some good atmosphere and work well for a reception location.  The staff and service there has always been exceptional!

Here are the images from the Colorado Mountain engagement session a few days before their wedding.

Moraine Park Amphitheater Review:

It is an ideal outdoor wedding ceremony location for around 100 guests or less.  Located in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) you are surrounded by natural beauty.  The amphitheater is built into the rock hillside.  It has wooden benches for seating and stone steps.  There is good foliage  surrounding the amphitheater to keep things cooler in the shade and more private.  You get privacy at the cost of a limited of view of the colorado mountains from the ceremony site.  From what we have seen most seem to use it for smaller weddings.

Parking is limited but we have read that they offer a shuttle.  Acoustics are pretty good in there.  You could hear the ceremony, music, all the moments without amplification via microphones.  If your looking for a wedding ceremony site in the Colorado Mountains add this one to the list.  Supposedly the RMNP has around 14 ceremony sites but realistically every field, hillside, and overlook is a potential ceremony site in Colorado. If you like what you see here and are considering using Rocky Mountain National Park here are some of the other shoots we have done at Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP).