Jeff and Stephanie originally hail from Iowa, and they met here while in college. After graduating, they moved out to Colorado, where it sounds like they are now quite the outdoorsy and adventurous couple! Even though their wedding day was the first time that we got to meet in person, I have really enjoyed getting to know these guys, and I think they could be friends with anyone. They are good people, and they had an incredible Saturday for their wedding. Jeff tried to parlay his wedding day luck of getting his girl, great weather, an epic sunset and the presence of family/friends with a bet on Iowa State to pull off a big upset over Oklahoma. And if not for a botched pass interference call at the end of the game, he would have made the best day ever that much better. We’ve got to just be happy that ISU showed so much heart in just getting back into that game though, right?? And you still hit the lottery with everything else, right?? Sorry about your $50 though, man.
We started the day getting ready at The Hotel at Kirkwood as the girls had hair and makeup done and the guys tried to decide how they wanted to tie their ties. It was a big day for Jeff, and it sounded like everyone was pretty impressed that he actually dressed up for the wedding and didn’t choose to sport his typical Colorado winter attire—gym shorts and sandals. After getting dressed in nice clothes, we headed down the road 10 minutes to Cedar Ridge Winery & Distillery for the wedding ceremony and reception. We spent the rest of the day at Cedar Ridge, and that was just fantastic by me. I love Cedar Ridge. It is easily one of our favorite—if not most favorite—venues to photograph weddings at. Obviously the vineyard grounds are stunning (even in November), but I also absolutely love the vibe of that place. The people, the food and the drinks are all tip top.
Once we had made our way out there, we orchestrated Jeff and Stephanie’s first look together in the vineyard. Stephanie surprised Jeff and had written some vows that she pulled out of her Tom’s shoe and spoke to him right there. It was very sweet and Jeff knew he was totally one-upped. He asked, “Uhh, do you want me to say something?” 😂 I love being able to capture genuine moments, be it surprise vows, or the candor of cracking up because you do not having surprise vows prepared. Afterward, we photographed some bride and groom portraits and eventually brought in the wedding party as well. With the days getting shorter and shorter, they actually had their ceremony in the dark, lit by string lights. So that meant we actually took sunset photos before the ceremony. I think that was a first! And this sunset was epic. We started shooting about 5 minutes before sunset, and the sky just kept getting more and more breathtaking for the next 25-30 minutes. It was stunning (the photos should be proof that I’m not exaggerating). After the ceremony, the celebration kicked off with a cocktail hour, dinner and some great toasts. And then it was time to dance. And there was dancing. And passionate singing. You could tell there were some crowd pleaser songs mixed in there that had some history with those people on the dance floor. Stephanie described the decorating and prep of the event space that morning as having lots of “chaotic enthusiasm”. I think that’s a fitting way to describe whatever it was that I saw on the dance floor that night as well.
Jeff and Stephanie, it has been a privilege each time we have shared time together. Thank you for choosing to have us document the story of your wedding day, and for giving us an excuse to make it out to Cedar Ridge again. It was such a great day and I hope you guys enjoy this sneak peek!
Hair & Makeup – Salon Voche
Flowers – Pierson’s
Cake – Classic Cakes by Design
DJ – Yeti House
Dress – Dora Grace Bridal
Rentals – Spielman’s
Photographers – Carter Photography
