Intimate Telluride Wedding at the San Sofia Overlook

WeddingColorado

Jul 27

I've been sitting at my desk the past few weeks with a little polaroid photo propped up against my computer, and I have to say that despite being a professional photographer with lots of fancy gear, something about the raw honesty of a polaroid is so inspiring to me. Its a photo of Nate and me squeezing Sammie & Brooke between us at their reception and it makes me so happy every time I see it because our smiles are ridiculously huge and we're all squinting a little because of the bright flash. Sammie & Brooke gave everyone little frames for their polaroids as a wedding favor, and its so simple, but its definitely one of my favorite wedding favors I've received.

Sammie & Brooke said their vows in an intimate ceremony atop the San Sofia Overlook in Telluride, Colorado. The overlook is accessed by a gondola ride that takes you up through a Pine & Aspen forest to a 360 degree view of the San Juan range of Southwestern Colorado. The whole experience is quite remarkable, to say the least, and I can't think of a more appropriate way to celebrate the unique love these two have, than surrounded by some of the most beautiful and rugged mountains in the Rockies.

A love that's fought some battles and held on tight. A wedding that wouldn't have been legally possible until recently. Emotions were so raw at this wedding, and it was felt by everyone in attendance. I was a mess, and so was pretty much everyone else witnessing. I have so much admiration for the way Sammie & Brooke made their wedding wholly and completely "them". They put so much hard work into making their wedding personal, intimate, and meaningful to them and to those in attendance. Their coordinating outfits were custom made with beautiful lace that Sammie & Brooke picked out themselves, they ordered flowers wholesale and made all of the arrangements and table decorations themselves, and Brooke hand lettered the table markers and many of the other decorations for the reception. I love when the details aren't just there as decorations, but as essential pieces that deepen and reinforce the meaning of the unique story between a couple.

I admire Sammie & Brooke so much for their openness and their intense, unwavering connection to each other. When we went out for sunset pictures, Nate and I barely had to give direction at all, Sammie & Brooke simply celebrated their love together as though we weren't even there. It was definitely one of the more emotional sunset sessions we've done. We even stopped shooting for a minute to sit and watch as the sun dipped down below the mountains. It felt almost ethereal.