Brides and groom’s planning October weddings in Colorado are definitely risk-takers. They are willing to take whatever they get when it comes to the weather. This was absolutely true for this amazing couple, John and Erin, who brought their family out to Colorado from their home in St. Louis, for this stunning Boulder destination wedding.
I first spoke with John four days before the wedding. He had heard of me from his officiant Lin Cressy, who I’ve worked with before. I found out in this phone call that he and Erin were getting married that Thursday afternoon at Chautauqua Park in Boulder, and that the wedding was truly the uniting of their individual families into one. That’s right, they are now a family of seven! He told me that they were a fun group who didn’t want a ton of stiff or posed photos, but really wanted to keep it fun and casual. ‘I can totally get behind this,’ I thought to myself.
As I arrived to where the family was congregated before the wedding, I felt an immediate rush of good energy flooding the mountain. It was the most beautiful day in all of October! The flatirons were shining with color, as fall trees were light up at the base of them. The sky was this brilliant blue, and there were smiling faces all about. I was immediately greeted by the most polite and friendly children I’ve ever met. The littlest one, Bea, who was the flower girl, was holding this basket full of yellow rose petals. The oldest, Emily, had this beautiful pale yellow dress and a bridesmaids bouquet, and she was just patiently awaiting the ceremony to begin. The three boys, who are sandwiched between the girls in age, were dressed to the tee in grey suits, with these cool boutonniere’s made out of billy ball’s (craspedia). They were all so nice, and so easy to take photos of, letting me position them and get to know them a little better while their mom and dad talked with Lin to prepare the final touches on the wedding ceremony.
When the ceremony began, Emily, Graham, and Jackson stood up with John while the processional began. Bea did a great job lining the bridal path with yellow roses, and smiled like crazy. Then, Erin was walked down (or up rather) the aisle by her son, Jack. Lin officiated the most beautiful wedding ceremony which included each member blessing the rings, vows, and the most beautiful readings written by the children on ‘what family is’. There were moments of laughter shared throughout, and tender moments too. When the kiss finally came at the end, all the kids cheered and clapped. It was truly unique and special.
Afterwards, we hiked up the mountain together to take some awesome family photos. You would have loved the site of this fantastically dressed wedding party (of all ages) hiking up the Chautauqua trail! It was especially cool because Boulder was such a special place for John and Erin, and I could tell it meant a lot for them to be there together. We saw wildlife, played in leaves, and pretty much had a ball celebrating family by taking some amazing photos.
I hope you can see the amazing spirit in this adventurous and thoughtful family. I am so grateful I was able to share part of their Boulder destination wedding, and capture this moment in each of their lives.
