On a beautifully calm and glorious morning, just before sunrise on the Fourth of July, I had the extreme privilege of being a part of one of the most unique weddings. Ellen and Joey, you had the most amazing wedding day and I am so honored to tell your story through these images!

We arrived just after 5:30 am at the Lily Lake trailhead and made our way to the picnic area just off the main trail. The site was simple in set up, a few wooden picnic tables, a couple of log benches. In Rocky Mountain National Park, you can’t use any artificial decorations or set up any structures or arches but when you’re standing under the pines in the woods surrounded by Colorado’s impressive mountain ranges...what more would you need? The ceremony began just after 6 am when the sun was starting to rise over the peaks, creating a gorgeous warm glow in the valley around the lake. Joey’s son and Ellen’s sister played their flutes for the procession and once everyone was in place, the only sounds were that of nature. It was serene. Their dear friend led the ceremony and just as Ellen and Joey exchanged rings and shared their first kiss as husband and wife, the sun rose completely. It was stunning.

After gathering the whole group for a photo and working our way through the family portraits, we sent the guests to the reception and stole Ellen and Joey for some alone time. They were more than happy to have a minute to themselves and I was going crazy with excitement over the light, the setting, the amazing details and all of the natural beauty I was surrounded by. These two have such a natural affection for each other and I don’t think I said much...a few simple prompts here and there but honestly, I just let it unfold by itself. They shared the sweetest dance on the edge of the lake and were admired by the early morning hikers passing by!

Way back in August of 2017 when Ellen called me to ask about my availability, I knew this was going to be a fun wedding. All of the planning and meeting we did ahead of time got me excited but the actual day itself went above and beyond any expectations I had. I am fortunate to bring along my husband, Adam, as my second shooter and we were both so grateful to be a part of this event. We kept looking at each other the whole day and mouthing, “Oh my God! This is sooooo pretty!!” The light was epic, the people were welcoming and friendly, the flowers were insane, the reception was fantastic and the bride and groom were nothing short of perfect.

Ellen and Joey chose Lily Lake in Estes Park, CO for their ceremony location. During a predawn motorcycle ride last summer, they stopped at Lily Lake and watched the sunrise together, dreaming of their wedding day. They knew this was the place they had to get married and they also knew it just had to be at sunrise. They both love the mountains and outdoor adventures so the location was a perfect choice. It was then that they decided to go against tradition and began planning a very unique and special wedding day.

The plan started with their love for waffles and coffee. They decided that if they were going to plan a wedding, they wanted it to be all about the things they loved rather than what is considered traditional. After deciding to get married at sunrise, they got the brilliant idea to throw a breakfast reception for their guests. When the ceremony ended, everyone drove down the mountain to Embassy Suites for an amazing waffle and coffee bar.

And this is where they totally abandoned reception traditions and treated their guests to a really unique experience! Instead of the first dance, they rented a dozen oversized board games and played all morning with their friends and family! In place of a DJ, they hired a caricature artist to draw portraits of their guests! For dessert, they had the most amazing coffee cake on the planet (I’m still drooling to be honest).  And instead of an open bar, they had a tab at the Starbucks inside the hotel for everyone to order their favorite coffee! Genius right?!?

It was such a unique and special day… definitely going into my ‘Best Weddings Ever’ album. Oh! I almost forgot the part about it being Fourth of July! Ellen and Joey wanted there to always be fireworks on their anniversary so that’s how they picked the date. The wedding was done by noon and Adam and I got to spend the rest of the day with our family at our traditional BBQ, which was really important to us. We LOVE the 4th and fireworks are our favorite...so as Adam and I watched the fireworks that night side by side (for the 17th year in a row) it made my heart so happy that Ellen and Joey would be doing the same thing for the rest of their lives. I know I will always think of them on the 4th and how lucky they are to have each other.

Special thanks to the following vendors for their amazing talents and contributions to this wedding day!

Venue | Rocky Mountain National Park

Catering | Embassy Suites Loveland

Florist | Bliss Wedding Florist

Coffee Cake | Zetta Marie’s Patisserie

Caricaturist | Jane Yamada

Bridal Gown | David’s Bridal

Groom’s Attire | Joseph A Bank

Rings | Shane Company