YMCA of the Rockies Wedding | Estes Park, CO | Jamie + Kristen

I first met Jamie and Kristen because they were searching for a Tahoe based photographer on Thumbtack that would be willing to photograph an unconventional engagement session in which a yeti attacked them in the woods and their dog rescued them and thus, they all lived happily ever after.

I was the perfect fit.  Duh.

After that, I was so enamored with these two that I couldn’t imagine not photographing their YMCA of the Rockies wedding in Estes Park, CO.  While we briefly flirted with the ideas of ziplining in wedding attire, climbing mountains and etc, in the end, we decided we didn’t have time and you know what, that was ok.  Their day was absolutely perfect just as it was: complete with rubber animal masks (not a first), berry cobbler instead of cake (be still my heart), a ring bearer dressed as Frodo, incredibly wonderful friends and family, and a relaxed atmosphere.  Kristen’s former advisor expertly relayed stories from when the two first met in her lab in college as she officiated a ceremony peppered with quirky hysterical readings.   The YMCA of the Rockies is an epically beautiful location that offers an exceptional place to hold a wedding on a DIY shoestring budget.  Your friends and family can all rent cabins or rooms for reasonable rates and very little decor is needed when you’re standing on a hilltop gazing at Rocky Mountain National Park.  At the end of the day, this wedding was exactly what I think a wedding should be: a day where you surround yourself with the people you love the most and you don’t worry about the rest.

I frequently get compliments on the days of weddings from guests who watch me work, or who have recently been to a wedding where the photographer was a nightmare not fun to work with, which lead to stories that are both fascinating and educational to hear.  Generally I am told things like, “You are working so hard!”  And, “You’re so great at family formals, that wasn’t terrible at all!”  At Jamie and Kristen’s wedding, one of their guests gave me both a new compliment and the best compliment I’ve ever received: “I can tell by how much you’ve been smiling and laughing today that you really love your job.”

I do really love my job.  I really love my job because it means I get to hang out with wacky people who love their friends and family that aren’t afraid to buck tradition and be themselves.  With mixed wedding parties (because why should it be girl vs boys?), with friends who sing songs for their first dance, or run around in circles in animal masks during their portraits, or dance even when they are the only one dancing.  I love surrounding myself with awesome and Jamie and Kristen are definitely in that category.