Jeff + Shawna. {wedding}
I don’t want to take too much time away from just getting to these lovely pictures, but I do have a story to tell.
I met Jeff and Shawna earlier this year, through a mutual friend, and that friend mentioned to them that I was starting up this little photography business. Wouldn’t you know it, but they needed a wedding photographer.
The mutual friend asked me to photograph for them. I said no, I don’t do weddings.
Then Jeff & Shawna asked. I still mumbled out a no thank you, I don’t do weddings.
They asked again. I was getting weaker. They also asked if we could meet to discuss the possibility. They could smell my weakness.
They came over one night, and over some yummy drinks and awesome conversation, we learned more about each other and I started to get sort of excited. I liked them both. A lot. A LOT. And then they said yes, we want you to do the wedding. And what did I say? “Take a week and really think about it. Look at my portfolio. I really don’t do weddings.”
And then my stomach hurt.
Over email, we decided it would be a good fit for both of us that I photograph their big day.
This was my second wedding to shoot, first as primary. Two weeks previous to their wedding, I second-shot a wedding with an amazing photographer and went home with my tail between my legs. At Jeff and Shawna’s wedding, my husband second-shot with me, and he, in fact, has had more experience shooting weddings than I have.
I’ve never had so much fun at a wedding!
Nor was I alone. This amazing couple put together the most fun-filled, family oriented, friend-loving week of awesome celebration in the mountains, all in a completely low-key, hang out kind of way that made everyone want to slip into jeans, camp out by the firepit, and not-so-secretly wipe remnants of bar-b-que sauce on their pants so they could dance more, play harder, and laugh right out loud.
Without further ado…
Hello gorgeous!
Saw the look below a couple of times throughout the day from Jeff. Ha.
She is fearless. Contagious. Just pure energetic joy.
While he waited…
She ditched the bike and saddled up on a different sort of ride to go find her groom.
It was a surprise.
Just wait. It gets even better. A sweet serenade from her brother…
And a ring exchange.
Followed by the greatest reward of all.
Introducing, Mr. and Mrs. E.
And lastly, the reception. How can you NOT have a blast when the bride wears red cowboy boots, I ask you?
I love that this guy is checking out his wife. Just love it.
And speaking of checking stuff out. The new Mrs. is checking out the new Mr.
So fun. Red velvet cake, anyone?
And more dancing.
Honestly, I can’t remember any time in recent history as fun as this.
Congrats, Jeff and Shawna. Many, many happy years to you!
Married | June 2011
Home | Erie Colorado
How They Met | At Flatirons Church, in Lafayette (good things happening there, I tell you)
Him | Does some marketing and such with fancy GPS systems
Her | Does some stuff with leaders of Montessori Schools, and she’s a pretty rockin’ Kids’ Ministry moose mascot on the weekends
Fave Thing About The Big Day {as told by her} | Overall the wedding was five amazing days of enjoying family in friends in a place so beautiful that one cannot question a magnificent Creator. To be joined as one in this…His creation with all our friends and family, with not a moment of obligation, ritual or stress, but just making the most of the precious time we had on the ranch with those we loved. All my best girlfriends from over the years and from all over the country were there and we took a morning to enjoy each other and experience the beauty and strength of the Taylor River. They made new friends and I just smiled as I oared my big cat and looked over my passengers who were juggling paddles and mimosas and the most amazing women I have ever known. Weddings just don’t get more perfect than that. So what did I love? I loved every minute of it. I loved that Jeff and I casually walked around the ranch the morning of the wedding drinking our coffee while finding the perfect spot for the ceremony. I loved the first glimpse I had of Jeff’s face when I surprised him coming down the long dirt aisle on horseback. I loved playing river games after the ceremony in my long white dress. I loved that our pastor was my new father-in -law, that our fiddle player’s main gig was at the church where we met, and that our photographer was our friend. I loved the full feeling I had in my heart when we were finally being back at the cabin late that night and Jeff had patiently begun the long process of helping me take down my hair… and it was just us… just wonderful married us.
