I have been good friends with Caitlyn for about 6 years now. We met through an old job and then continued our friendship by playing on a local soccer team together. I quickly learned that Caitlyn is very injury prone and I have witnessed many injuries on the field, around the house and various other places . So, when I heard of this guy named Matthew living in her parents basement that happened to also fit some of Caitlyn's non-negotiables.... 1. Christian 2. Tall and a major plus...physical therapist! How perfect is that? It's safe to say Caitlyn has been a lot healthier since she met Matthew ;)
Caitlyn and Matt actually first met in her parent's home. Matt was on a rotation for school in Colorado Springs and had a mutual connection with The Bean's Family. Once Caitlyn's mom learned more about Matthew, she thought hmmmmm maybe he could be good match for my single daughter Caitlyn? Mrs. Beans started making more home cooked dinners to get Caitlyn to come over more often and interact with Matt.....and folks, it worked! The two started to spend more and more time together and eventually realized.....hey there is something here! And now they are married!
As one of Caitlyn's good friends, I don't think there is a better match for her and I am so happy they found one another. In each picture that was captured it' is evident how much they care for one another and it was such an honor to be their wedding photographer! Here are a few of my favorites from their beautiful Colorado mountain wedding.....Enjoy!
Vendor Love:
Venue & Catering: Mount Princeton Hot Springs
Second Shooter: Lindsey Cassidy Photography
DJ: Function DJ Pro
Wedding Planner: Amanda Rettedal
Flowers: Rancho Verde Flowers
Officiant: Collin Downing
Bridesmaid Dresses: Union Station
Photobooth: Lightbooth
Cake & Desserts: Boonjaaijer's Dutch Bakery
Hair: Andrea Brown
Dress: Allure Bridals
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Vendor Love:
Venue: Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame
Catering: Garden of the Gods Gourmet
Florist: Dawn's Creations
Bride's Dress: Something New Boutique
Second Shooter: Brian Kwan
Officiant: Paster Rick Coffer
Wedding Planner: Amanda Weber
Hair and Makeup: Judy Wright
DJ: Stage One Events
Cake and Cake Pops: Kim Vohcue
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Ceremony Venue: Secret Garden
Reception Venue Space Foundation
Catering: Mother of the Bride
Bride's Hair & Makeup: Judi Bautista
Bride's Dress: Danielle's
Groom & Groomsmen Attire: Danielle's
Cake: Sugarplum Cake Shoppe
Officiant: Brian Michaels
DJ: DJ Phil
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Vendor Love:
Ceremony: St Francis Assisi
Reception: The Inn at Hudson Gardens
Flowers: Cool N Fresh Flowers
Catering: Tony Rosacci's Fine Catering
Bride's Hair & Makeup: Antonie du Chez
Bride's Dress: David's Bridal
Cake: The Sugarplum Cake Shoppe
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Vendor Love: 
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Vendor Love:
Second Shooter: Jessica Foster • Venue: La Foret • Florist : Liz Ash - Ambience Florals • DJ/ Entertainment Services: Springs Sounds Entertainment • Cake: Groom's Grandmother • Catering: Catering by Nikki • Bride's & Bridesmaid Dresses: David's Bridal • Groomsmen and Groom attire: Men's Wearhouse • Rings: Kay Jewelers • Officiant: Kristofer Langdon
Vendor Love:
Here is a little bit of their story (Thanks to The Knot for making wedding websites when I need a brief reminder of couple's stories)
Kate was working as a nurse when Mark's dad was a patient at the hospital. While spending time with Mark and his family, Kate soon became impressed with Mark and his family. She also didn't mind Mark's rugged good looks :) Kate gave Mark her number to help him with his job search since he had just returned from Afghanistan. Soon Mark realized just how great Kate was and asked her out! (Kates are great aren't they?? ;) Fast forward to now.... In 56 days they are going to have a beautiful Spruce Mountain Ranch Wedding that I am beyond excited to photograph! I too got married at this amazing ranch and I am thrilled to be able to capture the moments of their special day at this venue.
Here are a few of my favorites from their Columbine Open Space engagement session. One of my new favorite Castle Rock engagement locations! ( Thanks for the find Kate!) Why can't every spot have an awesome rustic red barn?!
Stayed tuned for Kate & Mark's Spruce Mountain Ranch Wedding coming soon!
Straight from Amy & Nick's Knot wedding website:
About Nick:
All about Nick (in Nick's own word): "All that needs to be said is sent to Earth from God. Wait don't put that....what do I say? I hate autobiographies! Amy we are not in a court house right now, stop writing down everything I say. (clear's throat) My fiance is the greatest woman in the world. The end"
About Amy:
"What he said."
Yes, Amy and Nick I too hate autobiographies and love that you guys kept this as your about us page to invite us in on your humor in life! Thank you for letting me be apart of your special day! Here are some of my favorites from their beautiful wedding day: Enjoy!
Thank you Deziree's Photography for being a wonderful second shooter!
Vendor Love:
DJ/ Entertainment Services: Jammin' DJ's http://www.myjammindjs.
Cake: Das Meyer http://www.
Catering: Behind The Scenes Catering: www.behindthescenes-catering.
Groomsmen and Groom attire: Men's Warehouse
Okay, I am going to be honest with you. I don't know if I am the best person to give you a step by step guide to make a DIY flower crown. I am someone who starts out doing all the right steps and instructions, but then I get bored with a step or two and skip...then add in my own flare....then mess up....use too much hot glue and then I squint my eyes so its looks better! ( If this sounds like you...you have found the right DIY flower crown tutorial!) To my surprise the flower crown actually turned out pretty darn good for my first one! So here is how it went....
Things you need:
- Floral Wire
- Floral Tape
- Wire Cutter
- Hot Glue Gun
- Pretty Flowers of your choice (Real or Not I used some lovely not real flowers from Hobby Lobby for this one)
- And of course some jams while your work! Spotify Playlist: The Perfect Crafternoon (yes this is a real playlist!)
I got these items from Hobby Lobby and of course used the awesome 40% Coupon for the highest priced item.
The first thing you want to do is use your wire cutter to cut off the ends of the flowers or leaves you want to use. Leave a little bit of stem to glue to the crown (you can cut the stems off later).
Next take the floral wire and wrap the wire 2 times around your head how you would like to fit. Then wrap the wire around each other in some spots and then use the floral tape around a few places to reinforce it. (Stretch the floral tape while wrapping it to make it more tacky to stick to the wire)
The floral wire I used was pretty thin...there might be a thicker option that would be better for this...but I ended up just wrapping these cool little guys all the way around the crown to make it thicker.
Next you need to plan what you want your flower crown to look like. This is about when I started squinting my eyes to make it look better ;)
Then it's time to hot glue! I tend to get a little too excited with hot glue...but it's so fun and easy! Just be careful it your have a high temperature glue gun. I found that using the hot glue gun to glue the flower onto the wire worked well once the little twine flowers were on. But for the twine flowers I also used more floral tape on top of the glue to make sure they really stay on.
Every few flowers or so I would try on the flower crown to make sure I was placing the flowers in places that looked well. (After the glue dries of course!) Once you think you have glued on all flowers and leaves on that you want, cut the ends of the stems that are sticking out. Annnd I think that's it?? I probably forgot something....and if I did I am sorry. Just let me know and I will add it in :)
Here is the final product! I love the fall colors I chose...getting me pumped for the leaves to change!
Overall, I had a lot of fun using my creative side to make this! I did get a little frustrated at first when wrapping the twine flowers around the wire...but that's when I just started skipping steps and squinting ;) So feel free to skip around steps, add in your own steps, or just wing it! Whatever you do....just make sure you are enjoying yourself!. If anything you can always try it again if you don't like your first one.
Enjoy this awesome project and let me know how it goes!
Kate
P.S. If you want to use a flower crown for a wedding or photography session, just let me know! I had a blast making this and would love to put it to use in some photos :)
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Okay, this family is beyond adorable! How can I not share these?! The weather turned out absolutely perfect for us as we ventured through the beautiful Rock Ledge Ranch and ended at the scenic mesa overlook. And bonus! They brought their new precious puppy Rosie! Here are some of my favorite shots from the family session....
Let me tell you guys, Jasmine Star is twenty times more amazing than her online presence! Everything about her is genuine, kind, fun, and passionate. After first meeting her, I told my husband that she is definatly my woman crush! She is so incredibly easy to be around and you want to be just like her! Her passion about photography shines through her teachings, work, and life. Because of this workshop, I feel inspired to take my photography business to the next level. Jasmine really encouraged each photographer to make their business their own. One of my favorite things about Jasmine her ability to make some of her weaknesses strengths in her business. She does this by thinking outside the box and as a result makes her business stand out from the rest and be uniquely hers. She stresses the importance of having a personal brand that reflects your true desire for photography and life. Your brand needs to shine through your website, your blog, social media posts, and of course your photos. Being more aware of my personal brand forces me to create a business based on what I love. So how could I not be happy with my business if I am building a business brand I love?! We also learned how important it is to blog....blog....and blog! Ahhh, I know this is something I need to work on. Jasmine is so amazing at blogging! It is what has gotten her to where she is today. Check out her awesome blog here (warning you might get hooked and be there for awhile!)
One of my favorite parts of the day was when we got to shoot side by side with Jasmine. We got to photograph the beautiful Ashley and Kaya who were perfectly styled by some amazing vendors listed at the end of this post. And no, Ashley and Kaya are not professional models....they are just ridiculously good looking! Watching Jasmine pose and shoot this couple just like she would on a wedding day, was an experience I will not be able to get elsewhere. Learning about natural reflectors, camera settings, and getting the couple to look beautiful and natural are all things I cant wait to use at my next wedding! I just wish warm weather wedding season would come sooner!
Here are some of my favorites from the beautiful styled shoot. Even during a harsh light midday shoot, Jasmine was able to walk us through how to get amazing photos of the couple and I couldn't be happier with the results :D
Jasmine in her element!
I am loving the natural haze on this photo...Jasmine Star and I had an ongoing joke throughout the day about the California smoggy/foggy haze giving California photographers some awesome light to work with ;) Hey, we get here in Colorado too, but only when there is a wildfire nearby ;)
Jasmine has a natural ability to make her clients feel at ease and comfortable when she shoots. Something I truly admire!
To sum things up...this experience was well with it! Not only was it in the beautiful southern California, but I got to spend the day with the fabulous photographer Jasmine Star, her awesome husband JD, and 18 other amazing photographers, falling in love with photography all over again! A day my photography heart will never forget :)
The lovely vendors of this beautiful styled shoot:
Workshop: Jasmine Star
Dress: Bonny Bridal
Floral: Sweet Marie Designs
Hair & Makeup: Beauty by Melina
Hair piece: Brides & Hairpins
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I have known the Bride's family for quite some time now and I had the privilege of sharing the special day with them at their daughter's beautiful wedding! I first met Alex and Nick together at their engagement session and thought...they just seem right for each other! This is my second wedding in Fort Collins and I have to say that I love this little college town! Everything about Alex and Nick's wedding had the essence of the downtown Fort Collins feel. First, we started the day at the historic Armstrong Hotel where the famous cat Oreo decided he likes shiny things so he made some of the detail shots interesting! Then we headed the the beautiful oval on the Colorado State University campus (GO RAMS!) for the formal photos. I am a sucker for huge beautiful trees so I LOVE this place! Then the ceremony was held inside Everyday Joe's Coffee House where it is lined in beautiful brick walls and was decorated with tons of awesome lights and candles to fill the place with a romantic atmosphere! Then we continued the party to the famous Rio Grande Restaurant to have some delicious Mexican cuisine and of course their famous margaritas! Everything about Alex and Nick's day was so magical filled with love and laughter by their closest family and friends. So happy to be apart of their day and I wish them the best of happiness in their marriage! Here are some of my favorites from their big day!
Vendor Love:
Brides Dress: Essence of Australia www.essensedesigns.com, Bridal Accessories: J-Picone www.j-picone.com , Bridesmaid Dresses: Watters Bridesmaids watters.com/
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Vendor Love: Venue: Fort Collins Country Club- www.fortcollinscc.com , Florist: Best Day Floral Design- www.
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Heather & Brad's day was quite the adventure and I feel so blessed that I got to be apart of it! I arrived at their ceremony location in Elbert, Colorado without a cloud in the sky. However, anyone who knows Colorado should know that this can quickly change! While the bride's side was getting ready and beautiful, the clouds rolled in...and just in time for the ceremony the rain started. Even though the rain came in, the bride, groom, and all of their guest still enjoyed the beautiful ceremony in the rain. You can clearly see in the photos below that Heather & Brad still were so happy during the ceremony smiling in the rain! Here are some of my favorite shots from their day!
The weather started out cloudy, but then the sun came for us for a little bit, while ALSO sprinkling a light rain to make some AWESOME shots! So happy I got to photograph this good looking couple at this beautiful location! I cannot wait to attend their fall wedding at the Evergreen Lake House! :D Here are some of my favorites from their session!
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I might be a little bias, but Trisha and Nate's engagement session has been one of my favorite sessions so far! The weather was beyond picturesque and the location was abundant with wildflowers! This was perfect for them, because Nate proposed to Trisha in Crested Butte, CO during the wildflower festival on a hike among the wildflowers! I am so lucky to have these two as very good friends here in Colorado and I am so excited to be their photographer for the rest of their lives! Congrats Nate and Trisha!
Every year I try to make it up to the mountains with some friends to see the Aspen changing to their vibrant yellow! And every year I feel like the scenery get's more beautiful than the year before! We camped at an awesome campsite in Twin Lakes, CO, then headed to the famous and picturesque Maroon Bells in Aspen, CO! I am so thankful that I can take these trips to get away and enjoy God's beautiful and creative creation. I mean how cool is it that?! Here are some of my favorites from the trip!
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