Cara & Dan wedding: I am now a destination wedding photographer!!

Because I had been so uncertain of where Neil and I would be moving, I had stopped booking anything past mid-August of this year. (We now know that we’re moving to Kansas City, so the books for November/December and 2010 are now open!!)

As of now, my last 2009 wedding was two weekends ago…. and it was a special one: Cara & Dan’s.

Cara and I went to highschool together in Omaha, Nebraska. She was always such a friendly girl and freaking smart too! She was our valedictorian!!! And she retained that intelligence 8 years later when she booked ME to shoot her glorious wedding in Evergreen, Colorado. haha

I was fortunate enough to have Lara Hanlon accompany me. We had a blast!!!!

But on to the wedding… ready? this will be a long post. It was THAT good.

The landscape was to die for of course…and no, these are not birch trees, Lara.

When we got to Cara’s parents’ house nestled in the trees on a mountain… this is what greeted us…

The one on the right is Bailey, their only “child”… here is where I should note the angle of Bailey’s attention. He’s not shy. But…he IS obsessed with shadows. (*Note: this is the sixth dog I’ve met who has a problem like this, so unless you want your canine to share the addiction, do not use a laser light to torment him…cats seem to come out of the ordeal a bit more successfully… 😉 )

See? He didn’t even care we were there. He just liked our shadows…

The ladies got ready at TALL GRASS salon…(if you drive there, be prepared to gape and cry when you see the absurdly amazing houses along the way…)

After the hair was finished, the ladies relaxed and played angel cards. Even Cara’s grandma played! (and Lara & I did too… we learned that we should both go for our dreams…and I need to exercise once I move to Kansas City…haha)

Lara was busy shooting the guys, so she missed taking a photo of ME doing Cara’s eye makeup!!! Who knew!! But this is what she got instead…and no, that is not a massage train. haha

Cara had such great ideas…such nice touches…so COLORADO-y!!

Some girly deets…

Lara’s shot on the left. Mine on the right.

Check this out. The valedictorian bride can QUILT too!!! She made this lovely one for her parents for a gift…

Lara’s angle….

I love how close Cara is her to her parents. It’s so special to just watch.

Her dad when he saw her the first time.

Meanwhile, at the ranch…Lara caught this studly pic of our groom. He looks so manly next to those aspen trees, no?

and for the first time that day…here comes the bride….and matron of honor…

Can you tell they were excited?

Lara’s view on the left. Mine on the right.

And believe me, Cara & Dan know how to make each other laugh.

Lara’s on the left. Mine on the right.

Lara’s catches:

Ain’t she purty?

Then we headed to the ceremony. Precious moments caught…these by Lara!

Could they have picked a more perfect setting? (shot by LAra) By the way, their minister was amazing and so sweet. She even asked ME if she were in MY way!!! What a gem!

Pride. Love. The feelings of parents on their son’s wedding day.

Another of LAra’s. She’s so funny.

Happy brides make me tear up. And tear up I did. Cara & Dan wrote their own ceremony, including letters to their parents…their words were so touching. I love when couples put themselves totally into the ceremony.

Me thinks her dad was tickled pink that his daughter was going to be handed off to such a great guy.

TIME FOR FUN!!

Love the cozy environment…at the Evergreen Lakehouse.

lara & i were in heaven with all the details. The carved-aspen candle holders were carved, sanded and stained by Cara’s dad. Wowza!!

Did I just hear your stomach growl? Perhaps because you sensed this coming…

Wine toppers for the favors. Yummy bubbly for the toasts.

Who needs a guestbook when you have these to sign??

Pre-toasts, the bride and groom shared a moment. I love moments. And I also love Lara’s shot of the hands toasting! Rock on!

We caught the best man studying up for HIS toast…

Ok, this is getting really long…I’ll end with a few dancing images…
FAVE

And then… one of the waitstaff came up to me and said that I should go check out the moonset. What a sweetheart! So I did…and it shall be my last image for this first post (the Day After session is yet to come!!)

No, I lied…gotta end with THIS photo… 🙂 A tradition. Not the kiss though. They are my first couple to kiss me. haha

Cara & Dan… Wow. I think I speak for Lara when I say that your wedding couldn’t have been any more perfect. From the relaxed setting, to the beautiful detail-rich reception, and let’s not forget the amazing people who surround you both and support you…sigh. We LOVED it. Thank you so much to you…and to your amazing friends and family for making us feel at home, despite the crazy altitude effects on our out-of-shape lungs. haha

XXOO!!! Hope your Hawaii honeymoon was just as perfect!!

CARA & DAN’S VENDORS:

DJ/Band: Howling Good Music/ Johnny

Church/officiant: Kim Mattei

Reception venue coordinator: (Lorna) Evergreen Lakehouse

Florist: (Dori) Stems

Baker: (Natalie) Sugar Bakeshop

Caterer: Biscuits and Berries (Laura)

Ceremony music: Metopolitan Strings (Lisa Kriss)