Gardens, Kilts, and Dancing.. Oh my!

Gardens, Kilts, and Dancing.. Oh my!

One of the more interesting weddings we’ve recently had the pleasure of being a part of was on a hot September day. I had the chance to photograph the wedding of two of the nicest and most calm couples I’ve run into in a while. I had spoken to April several times before the day about the schedule on the day of the wedding. I also checked to see if there were any photos she liked or anything else I could do to help her day go as smoothly as possible. Many brides I work with have lots of photos they like the look of, and want similar looking shots. Or lots of brides are very stressed out in their demeanor with worries that the day will not be smooth sailing… Not April! These two were very calm and carried themselves as though they knew they were not only perfect for one another, but that the day would be a perfect day.

I met April and her bridal party at the University Club in downtown Denver. This beautiful, old building had been a private club for many years and I’m sure you had to know someone to get access. After some prep shots, April presented her sister with a gift before the wedding. Weddings bring out so much emotion in people and I am fortunate to be able to capture these feelings in an image. That is what makes photography such a powerful medium, that timeless moment captured. After the prep shots and a group shot of the bridal party, I followed the brides and their speeding limo to the Hudson Gardens in Littleton. The ceremony was set for 1 pm, which on a sunny day, can be a difficult time to take pictures. The second shooter and myself were obviously prepared to shoot at this time of the day. A large number of guests (close to 200) and the biggest bridal party I had ever seen (28 including ushers, flower girls, and ring bearer,) were on hand to witness heartfelt vows, songs sung by best friends, and two wonderful people joining in marriage.

After the ceremony, we took some family portraits near the altar, but I knew that the good portraits would follow when we moved to Cheesman Park. So we all headed that way… Cheesman Park is a beautiful park south of downtown Denver. It offers scenic views of the downtown skyline, with covered structures surrounded by stunning pillars. Cheesman Park tends to be a very crowded place though with other people taking photos at the same time. After all the bridal party had arrived, we found an area that was not as saturated with people and got to have some fun. The bridal party was not shy and let loose in the photos, including a couple shots of some groomsmen raising their kilts at the moment the shutter clicked. (Don’t worry those didn’t make my edit.) After finishing with the bridal party, we cut them loose and the second shooter and myself got to have some fun photographing just April and Ian. A photogenic couple, it was not hard to get them to look comfortable, happy, and in love.

We ended the evening back where we began, at the University Club. The reception was held there and as the large group of family and friends settled in we were treated to a night of great stories by bridesmaids and groomsmen, a packed dance floor lead by Tony at Soundmaster Entertainment, smedenver.com, and the cutting of the Denver Broncos cake. I left this wedding exhausted due to all the people and events to capture, but I was truly blessed to have had the chance to not only photograph but to meet these two people and give them photos they will have for a lifetime.

South of the Border Wedding

South of the Border Wedding

Photographing a wedding for friends or family is a fun and unique experience. I get to capture the joy of  people I truly care about sharing the biggest day of their lives together. Knowing the people in the wedding party gives me insight into ways to interact with them and to capture their personalities. Since we come from a photojournalistic angle at Blue Spruce Wedding Photography our goal is to document not only the key events of the day but to also see the little things that make the day so special. With friends or family you have a inside perspective into the things that mean so much to the couple. Of course, we work with every couple beforehand to learn about those special little things that mean so much to them, but with a loved one there are some things you just learn by being part of their lives.

I got the opportunity to photograph the wedding of two dear friends in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico this past August. The wedding took place at the beautiful and huge!!, Iberostar Resort on the shores of the Carribean ocean. I had also previously shot their engagement session, which was a lot of fun! I prefer shooting engagement sessions at places that have sentimental meaning to the couples involved. In this case, the bride had grown up in Golden, CO., and there were locations around Golden that provided us not only amazing backgrounds but also had a place in her heart. I like to shoot at the best light of the day, which is the hour after sunrise or hour before sunset. I always like to put the best location at the end because not only is the light the warmest and beautiful before sunset, but by that time the couple has found a groove with the camera and tends to be more comfortable in front of it…

Back to the wedding in Mexico. The couple had a large amount of friends and family come with them to celebrate on the beach. I approached this wedding as I would any wedding at a church, garden, or any venue in Colorado. Just because it had a laid back feel attributed to the beach and all inclusive adult drinks, this was a wedding with the same prep, first look, traditional ceremony and reception. So on this hot, humid, August day I spent 8 hours with the couple, my friends, and their family to be part of a truly gorgeous day for two wonderful people to join in marriage.

Following the wedding, my wife Tori and I took the ferry to the island of Cozumel to spend several days together enjoying the hospitality the great people of Mexico are known to provide. I definetely will jump at the next chance I get to shoot a wedding on the beautiful beaches of Mexico.

Pricing made easy with Blue Spruce Wedding Photography

Pricing made easy with Blue Spruce Wedding Photography

Planning your wedding is an exciting process, and should be a fun one too! Plenty of work goes into the organization process… You get to explore scenic venues, decide who will be invited, and taste the wonderful food that you and your guests will dine on. One of the biggest and most important decisions you will make is who you end up trusting to capture the images of your wedding day. There are many photographers and companies offering a wide variety of costs and quality in the Colorado market. It can sometimes be overwhelming when you are searching for a photographer that produces stunning photography at a rate that works with your budget. Luckily, there is Blue Spruce Wedding Photography.

Working up to the most memorable day of your life can become stressful once you realize how quickly costs can add up. My wife, Tori, and I found this out when we got married last year in Golden. We obviously wanted the best of everything for our big day, but had a set budget that we could not exceed. That is why we structured the pricing packages of Blue Spruce Wedding Photography in the manner of which they are set. The beauty of our pricing is in our flexibility to work with you to custom build a package that will get you exactly what you want at a cost that will make you smile. We’ve had couples on tight budgets that were thinking of not even having a professional photographer at their wedding. After exploring all the package options, one particular couple ended up settling on a package they were extremely happy with that fit their budget perfectly. In their case, I showed up to capture the ceremony, main events at the reception, and family portraits. They ended up with a thumb drive that allowed them to make prints on their own, within 2 weeks of their wedding. I was able to give them this deal because I worked with their budget, covered four hours of the day, and they received the quality and attention to detail that makes Blue Spruce Photography stand out from the competition.

Many couples want the whole day documented. We approach a wedding from a photojournalistic angle. In my mind, it is our job to document all the details, emotions, love, and beauty of the entire day in a stunning body of work. Many couples find it valuable to have a photographer on site from the prep of hair and makeup in the morning, to the last splash of emotion on the dance floor at the end of the night. This can be accomplished most of the time with one photographer, but at Blue Spruce, we have second and third shooter options to get other angles and viewpoints. This exponentially adds to the entire body of work you will receive in the end. We also offer packages with videographers to bring motion to your memories. We have partnerships with album production houses to make photo books, as well as the highest quality print shops for large prints and canvases of your favorite images. We can offer these to you at costs and quality that are not available to the public, if you so choose.

It is all these options, offered in an a la carte fashion that makes our custom packages work so well. You obviously don’t want to pay for a set package that includes prints if you don’t want prints. You don’t want to pay for a package that is 10 hours of coverage if you don’t need it. Just fill out our simple contact form to inquire about pricing. We can discuss details through email, or even better, give me a call. We can figure out what exactly you want out of a photographer, how much you can spend, and make something work. And as our slogan, “Colorado and Beyond,” proclaims, if you are not in Colorado call or email us too. We have done plenty of weddings not only in other states, but in other countries, at prices that worked for those couples. We hope to make you another very happy couple that has benefited from our pricing structure. Our goal is to find the perfect package for you, and deliver you the highest quality images of your perfect day!

Engagement Photos, and their Importance

Engagement Photos, and their Importance

Engagement photos are a very important factor to consider when you are comparing wedding photographers. Often times, these are the first professional photos that your friends and family will see of you. They go out on save the dates. Many times they are made into prints to be displayed at the wedding venue. Most frequently, in this world of social media we live, they will go on the internet to announce to the world that you have made the decision to join as one. Engagement photos are important because it gives you and your photographer the opportunity to work together and learn one another. At Blue Spruce Photography, we use these engagement sessions to learn the way you like to be photographed. We discover the characteristics or quirks that make you unique as a couple. Most of all, we uncover your personalities, and the reasons you fell in live with one another . Through all these interactions, it allows us on the wedding day to create images that are unique to you.

In our wedding packages, engagement sessions are included. We have hidden gems throughout Colorado where we can meet to shoot amongst the natural Colorado beauty and scenery. Or we can work with you to shoot at locations that might have sentimental significance. We have shot at the homes of couples, railroad tracks near their childhood homes, and in parks in which they feel comfortable. We have shot at historical landmarks, ski slopes, and National Parks. It is important to us to shoot at a place that captures the essence of you. The images mean more to you if they are done in a place that you care about. We also encourage trying different outfits to achieve a variety of looks. Many of our couples have also done their hair and makeup tests on the days we shoot the engagement photos. This allows you to see how it comes across in a photograph. After the engagement photography process is complete, you will have a portfolio of images to use however you see fit. You will be more comfortable with me and my personality and will be able to express your hopes for photography on the wedding day.

Pin It on Pinterest