I first spoke with Sarah in February of 2021 and immediately we clicked, I just knew I had to photograph their wedding. Fast forward to now, after one very early engagement session at Garden of the Gods and one stunning winter wedding, Kurtis and Sarah’s blog post is live!!
Their wedding was my first wedding of 2022 and it was such an incredible way to get back into the swing of things. For starters, Sarah had one of my favorite wedding parties of all time. You really can tell a lot about a person by the company they keep. Sarah’s bridal party was just another confirmation of how wonderful of a person she is!
The whole day went on without a hitch. A favorite moment of mine was Sarah and her dad’s first look (that face was priceless!) and Kurtis’ reaction to seeing Sarah walk down the aisle.
Kurtis and Sarah are so much fun to photograph, they take direction like a dream and aren’t afraid to just laugh and be themselves.
To Sarah and Kurtis
The biggest of congrats on y’alls special day! You both deserve a world of happiness! Thank you for making me feel so at home with your family and friends. It was an honor to photograph your day. Wishing you both so much love and happiness!
The Details
How did y’all meet?
“Tinder! Right before the pandemic. We actually dated via FaceTime for the first month. We finally had our first in person date 6 weeks later and we got pizza and beer and hung out at palmar park. We talked until the cops kicked us out.”
Tell me about the proposal!
“We were in Saint Augustine where I went to school. It was like 10 at night and we were walking back to our hotel. There was a beautiful random gazebo and we both stood and admired it. He got down on 1 knee and proposed! Very spontaneous!”
The Wedding Day
Getting Ready
Getting ready was such a blast. We had almost 3 hours of time, which meant the day started super chill and relaxing. Sarah mentioned throughout the day that she loved how relaxed and stress free the morning was. Since Sarah and Kurtis got ready at different locations, my awesome second photographer captured Kurtis’ getting ready portion of the day as well as wedding party photos. This was a great way to reduce stress and just allowed us each to really get to know the individual wedding parties. (The only downside is I didn’t have the pleasure of really meeting the groomsmen, though I’m sure they were all super cool!) The bridal party however, was some of the sweetest, funniest groups I’ve ever worked with. I absolutely loved hanging out with them. After Sarah got her full hair and makeup done we traveled to the venue, Wedgewood Black Forest. It was just a short drive away! There she put her dress on and had the cutest first look with her dad. Father daughter first looks are always so fun, but this one really took the cake. Sarah’s dad’s face was absolutely priceless!
Wedding Party
Since Sarah and Kurtis chose not to do a first look, we would need to do most photos after the ceremony. But since it was a February wedding and the sun set early, we still wanted to get some portraits done ahead of time. With a little coordination between me and my second photographer we were able to wrangle both groups separately and on the other side of the building so Sarah and Kurtis wouldn’t see each other! Then after ceremony we just had to do quick combined wedding party photos and the rest of time could be spent on couples photos or the couple just hanging out and relaxing.
Ceremony
Sarah and Kurtis’ ceremony was perfect. It was short and sweet. It was held outdoors but the weather was fantastic. It was sunny with clear blue skies and about 60 degrees. (The weather the week before and week after was frigid cold, these two really lucked out! 60 degrees!! In February!!) The couple chose to do a sand ceremony which is one of my favorite unity ceremonies because now they’ll have a special memento of their day.
Combined Wedding Party
Since we had done individual wedding party photos beforehand, now all we had to do was a few quick combined group shots. The time a couple wants spent on wedding party photos is a question I always pose to my couples before wedding day. Some couples want lots of photos with their wedding party, some want just a few shots. Sarah fell in the latter, so we did a few traditional groupings and a few fun ones and then called it a day! (I think the wedding party was super stoked to only spend 8 minutes taking pictures).
Portraits
Once wedding party made their way to the bar, we started on Kurtis and Sarah’s couples portraits. The light was absolutely perfect *chef’s kiss*. Wedgewood has such a beautiful forest-y backdrop and there was even a little snow on the ground! I had such a blast photographing these two.
Reception
I loved the decor for the reception. It really showed off the couple’s personality (they incorporated their dogs into their cake topper) and the Colorado landscape. Their reception was short and sweet but was filled with lots of family and friends– good vibes all around. And they had the coolest sparkler send off. Since sparklers aren’t allowed in much of Colorado, Sarah opted for a standing sparkler type thing. It was a super cool way to end the night.
Kurtis & Sarah’s Vendor Team
Hair – Rachel Scholl
Makeup – Carly Day
Venue – Wedgewood Black Forest
Dress, Tux & Bridesmaids Dresses – Something New
Dessert – Cupcake Doctor
DJ – A Music Plus
Florals – Rhonda Nichols
Learn more about Leah, a Colorado wedding photographer
Hey there! I hope you enjoyed this wedding highlight of Kurtis and Sarah’s big day! I’m a wedding photographer based out of Denver and serving locations across Colorado and beyond. I’m originally from Texas but beelined it here as fast as I could. I’ve always loved the Colorado way of life– the mountains, the food, the people, it’s unlike any place I’ve ever been! Being a wedding photographer here is a dream. I love serving fun and in love couples. If you’re wanting candid, authentic imagery with a creative twist and a luxury experience, I’m your girl! I’d love to learn more about you and your special day! You can send me a message here or using the contact form below.
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