Rocky Mountain National Park Couples Session - Estes Park Colorado Wedding Photographer - Amalie and Noah

When Amalie reached out asking for couples photos at Rocky Mountain National Park, I knew it was going to be a super fun session, because her heart was in the right place, and I immediately wanted to work with her and Noah. This is what she said:

“We're not engaged, but just in love with each other as we are with the outdoors. One year ago we quit our jobs to spend a year on the road traveling, hiking, exploring...it led us across the US and Mexico, and we've found ourselves temporarily in Denver for work. While there is no reason for the shoot, it's sort of, in a way, documenting the fact that we've been following our hearts and going wherever the wind blows us - and it's been lovely. I adore photos as a way to document where we've been and what we're up to, and while we both love to take them - neither of us is a professional and we never seem to find ourselves both in front of the lens -- funny how that works.”

Umm, does this not sound like the most amazing plan/set of goals/dream/reason for photos ever? I remember coming home and mentioning this to my husband, about how refreshing it was to have a couple who wanted photos just because. No wedding, no engagement, no outfit changes or make up - just wanted to remember this brief stint in Colorado, and their time together. I mentioned a 5 mile round trip hike at sunrise, and she didn’t even hesitate. When I met them in person, it was like meeting old friends for an early morning hike. We chose Mills Lake, and it did not disappoint! It was a beautiful almost fall day, and the leaves were starting to turn, and we had the trail to ourselves.

If you find yourself in a phase in life where you aren’t married or engaged, and think “welp, no reason for photos” you are selling yourself short! Moments deserve to be documented, no matter where you happen to be in life. Reach out and I would be happy to come up with an awesome plan to remember you as you are, in whatever phase of life you find yourself in :)

Rocky Mountain National Park Elopement - Estes Park, Colorado Wedding Photographer - Olivia and Eric

Olivia and Eric reached out last year in hopes of eloping at Rocky Mountain National Park in the summer. There were some last minute changes and they ended up eloping on a beautiful fall day in October at 3M Curve. One of the things I will always remember the most about these two is how giggly and giddy they were about eloping - they could not contain their excitement! Aside from myself, it was just the two of them - so it was basically as intimate of an elopement as you can get. Since self-solemnizing is totally kosher in Colorado, they wrote their own vows, married themselves, and I cried like a baby about it. Also, they were so amazing and flexible about some last minute changes we had to make - it was early October and there was supposed to be a storm rolling in the afternoon we had planned on, so we made the last minute call to move their elopement up to mid afternoon. Well, we narrowly missed the storm and it ended up being a gorgeous afternoon!

One of the things I love most about elopements is that couples don’t lose sight of whats truly important, because it’s literally only about one thing - celebrating the fact that you get to spend your life with someone else. You are celebrating with only each other, making it such a sincere and intimate experience. Big weddings are fun and have their place too (I had one and I loved it!), but far too often I see couples getting lost in the stress of the production and losing sight of the big picture, which in reality is the most important part. Olivia and Eric couldn’t have been more excited about celebrating one of their biggest and most important life experiences, and I was so glad I was there to capture it!