Non Venue Colorado Mountain WeddingWedding Day Details:

A lot of people get married in the Colorado Mountains but not enough get married IN the mountains of Colorado!  This Silverheels location was plan A, plan, B . . . plan E?  It might be that not everyone has as much of an adventurous side as Reid and Reikje but we don’t get why everyone doesn’t have weddings like their wedding.  For all the low budget weddings or just people who would rather spend money on something other than a building you should go find a hillside with a great view on public land.  It comes pre-decorated with raw Colorado mountain beauty, isn’t booked, and might require a quick talk with forest services if you need a gate opened.  For a reception find a nearby ranch and use the barn for a laid back reception.

We love adventurous couples!  One main reason is they enjoy they celebrate the wedding day in a carefree manner and just have more fun.  As we love to capture the day from an in the moment, emotion laden, photojournalistic style having fun on your wedding day is key.  There is also less worry about things like a flake of something outdoorsy getting on the white dress, less worry about things occurring perfectly according to the plan, and more focus on each other.  We are all for keeping the dress clean and following a schedule but we prefer the couple have a wedding that reflects who they are, what they love, and to enjoy it to the fullest degree!

We started by meeting up at a Sinclair gas station in Fairplay.  We had to wait a little bit for the coffee to show up but the 70 some people just talked, laughed, had fun.  From there we went to Silverheels Rd and stopped outside the gate up the forest road.  From there we walked a little ways to the chosen ceremony site were we had muffins, black bean corn snacks, coffee, and orange juice. Irish cream and Champagne found their way to the table as those are ideal for 9 AM.  The ceremony was on a hill.  Reikje arrived with her dad in a red classic pickup truck.  Guests formed an aisle then gathered in for the ceremony.  When one of your photographers starts to tear up you know its either really bright out or extremely beautiful.  In this case it was both.  There is a depth and heartfelt rich love shared between them.  What shows the depth all the more is that you see it in how they show that love to others.

The reception was down the road at Bristlecone View Ranch.  There were Surrey Rides, Bocce Ball, Corn Hole, horses grazing, and drinking.  Okay – a lot of Bourbon, Wiskey, Homemade Beer and Moonshine.  What more perfect way to enjoy those delicacies than with a shot-ski (sometimes referred to as a shotski)?  For those not familiar take an old ski and glue shot glasses to it.  They had 5 but 4 could work well too.  This creates a group effort and keeps you from backing out.  The irony is that at some point the moonshine was switched for apple juice.  I guess some guests wanted the appearance without the commitment?  There was lots of humor, laughter, dancing! The first dance to “In Spite of Ourselves” was hilarious.  They had imported cheese, barbecue dinner from Cabin Creek Smokehouse and fresh market cakes for desert. Gifts from the groomsmen were awesome.  There were classic guns.  Kudos to the idea for giving a cattle branding rod with an R and R reversed.  

What better way to end this book than with the words of the best man?  “May your honeymoon be like a kitchen table, all legs and no drawers.”