In Boulder, with Jennifer and John, and Kristin and Andrew

I usually make it up to Boulder once a month or so, but I've been up there a lot more frequently lately. This past weekend I had the opportunity to photograph a wedding at the beautiful St Julien hotel. I'll be back there the weekend of August 18th for another wedding. It's a great venue for a wedding, especially because I have the opportunity to work with one of my favorite people Angie Vossler, who is the event coordinator for the hotel. It was also the first time I had a chance to work with Heather Clark of Calluna Events, who was the wedding coordinator for Jennifer and John. Heather is also coordinating the wedding on the 18th. I'm looking forward to working with her again. She's great!

Jen and John wanted me to document their post rehearsal activities, so I spend Thursday evening with them. We started off in the stretch limo at the St Julien with a bunch of the children that were going to be a part of the wedding. It was their first limo ride and they were so excited to be riding in a limo with dark windows!

After they were dropped of at the sitter's, it was time for a most excellent glass of wine! Yes, I confess, I had a glass with them! Jen and John are serious wine enthusiasts.

First stop was the Flagstaff House which sits above Boulder.

John and Jennifer outside on the deck .

One of the benefits of living in Colorado, and especially as you trek up the foothills and mountains, is the wildlife that you get to see on a regular basis.

Looking down from the deck of the restaurant, the St Julien hotel and the terrace where the ceremony will take place. This was taken with a 200 mm lens.

After about an hour or so at the Flagstaff House, we headed to downtown Boulder for dinner at Frasca.
Friday, wedding day at the St Julien.

A view of the Flatirons above the colorful umbrellas on hotel terrace

Krista caught this wonderful moment in the bridal suite before the ceremony.

And this one, as the bride with her attendants, makes her way to the ceremony past the indoor pool.

This was Jen's escort down the aisle, Frank their bulldog.

John and Jen's artful place markers made from wine corks.

Onda tore it up, and had everyone on their feet.

Jen and John were a joy to work with! Here are a few pictures of the happy couple.


I've got to thank Jerry Ghionis and Bambi Cantrell for the inspiration on the next images. I attended their seminar the day of the wedding. Unfortunately I had to leave halfway through because of the wedding, but the part I was there for was priceless. Thank you!




A great way to end the evening's photographs. Jennifer, Makenna, and John.

On Sunday morning, I traveled back up to Boulder to photograph Kristin and Andy. Their wedding is in Aspen, Labor Day weekend at Pine Creek Cookhouse. Kristin is a sweetheart, with a great smile and infectious giggle. Andy is a cycling enthusiast like me, and we caught a bit of the final day of the Tour De France on the tube. Also, we're both eclectic collectors. Andy drives Kristin crazy in the same way my wife is puzzled by what I accumulate. I also noticed a King Sunny Ade poster on the wall. He saw the band in England, and I've seen them a few times, including a great performance at Red Rocks. Don't miss them if you have the opportunity.

Julie Proudfoot, who I had the privilege of meeting when I spoke at the Detroit PPA meeting in May, and is part of the mother-daughter Wally Spice Photography team based in Detroit, is flying out to photograph with me at Kristin and Andy's wedding. She's in for a treat, with both a great venue and great couple. It's going to be a fabulous wedding!

Gwen and Paul

I had the pleasure this weekend to photograph Gwen and Paul's wedding celebration in Aspen. I had yet to meet them because they are both from New York, and we did not have a chance to meet each other before the wedding's eve. I almost didn't make it in time. It was clear sailing on I-70 all the way up to Glenwood Canyon. As soon as I hit the canyon, the electronic sign indicated an accident ahead with a major delay. It's a good thing I alway allow for something like this to happen in transit, because my car sat still among the 18 wheelers, motor homes, and other vehicles for 55 minutes! I was scheduled to meet Gwen and Paul for the first time at 3:30, and pulled into the hotel parking lot at 3:20! With a very quick freshing up and change of clothes, I made it to the hotel lobby before they did.

Gwen looked stunning in the dress she wore for the rehearsal party to follow the engagement photos. She and Paul met each other through mutual friends in Aspen and wanted to have the wedding where they met. Here are few pictures of the good looking couple.



Before Gwen, Paul, their families and friends headed over to L'Hostaria for the rehearsal dinner, I photographed them in front of the Aspen Mountain gondola.

Wedding day arrived and we received some potentially bad news; the gondola to the top of Aspen Mountain was closed due to electrical problems. This was the first time it had ever broken down the day of a wedding. Thankfully, Marcy Knieper of Creative Weddings had the situation under control. She arranged for a fleet of 4 wheel drive vans to transport the wedding party and all 80 guests to the top of the mountain. Amazingly, the ceremony commenced only 50 minutes behind schedule!

I love the organized chaos before the wedding. While my favorite makeup artist in Aspen, Katherine Gordon, is putting the finishing touches on Gwen, her mom is getting her hair done, and her grandmother, sister, and nieces are awaiting their turn.

This was the first time I've been driven up Aspen Mountain. It was quite an adventure! The views were awesome (check out the other vehicles on the road down below us).

But the roadbed was challenging to say the least!

But it was all worth it for the spectacular setting for the ceremony.

I'm really proud of Krista, watching her grow as a wedding photographer. Every week she captures incredible images, anticipating the decisive moment to press the shutter.

I love her using the brides bouquet to frame of the flower girls on this picture.

Here they are walking down the aisle.

A picture perfect setting!

Gwen and Paul

While I was photographing them from the front, Krista was getting creative from another angle.

The Hava Naglia.

A little pillow talk!

The stunning bride.

They managed get the gondola operational by the time we were ready to head back down the mountain.


Thank you Gwen and Paul, and your family and friends for providing a great wedding celebration!

Jessica and Kerem's Wedding

As I predicted, it was a fabulous wedding celebration for Jessica and Kerem. The weather was ideal, except for a micro burst during the reception that we thought was going to blow all of us in the tent to Utah! Jessica and Kerem's family and friends were great and really knew how to party! A special prayer goes out for Jessica's grandmother who had taken ill the night before the wedding and was unable to attend.

Thanks go to Kathy Vaughan, for her impeccable coordination of the rehearsal party and wedding day activities. A very special thank you to my good friend Phillip Lloyd, who flew in from Tampa to photograph the wedding with me and Krista. Here's some images from the weekend:

Phil captured a self portrait of us heading up I-70 to Beaver Creek for the wedding. Yes, that's a Valentine radar detector and it came in handy!
The attire for the rehearsal party at the 4 Eagle Ranch was western. Here's Jessica, the bride-to-be.
And her groom Kerem, photographed by Phil.
Horseshoes was one of activities for everyone to participate in.
The good looking couple.
Phil photographed them coming...
And I caught them going to the barbeque.
Here's Jessica's mom at the entrance to greet them.
After dinner there was kareokee
And dancing.
Saturday at Beano's Cabin, ready for the guests
Krista captured this beautiful image of Jessica before the ceremony
Krista's the Lensbaby queen too! She took this image of Kerem.
The girls
Phil took this of the guys
A beautiful setting for a wedding ceremony. Kudos to Judy Stevenson, Linda Bluhm, and LMD Productions for the flowers and decor.
Jessica and Kerem

Two more from PhilA wedding isn't complete at Beano's Cabin until the porcupine comes for a visit!