Piney River Ranch Wedding

Piney River Ranch in Vail, Colorado is one of my favorite venues. We photograph weddings there frequently. This private retreat set on the edge of Piney Lake is perfect for adventurous couples like Kris and Sallie.These two are literally the cutest humans I’ve ever met. They are adventurous and romantic.The way Kris loves Sallie is what people have been writing books about for centuries. He loves her with every fiber of her being. Their love is so deep and it definitely showed on their wedding day.

Kris and Sallie chose not to see each other before their ceremony. Instead, they had a first touch. Kris’ best friend played guitar, while they exchanged gifts and prayed together. The emotion was palpable. I couldn’t even hide my ugly crying. Sometimes, couples worry that having such an emotional moment together before a ceremony such as a first look or first touch will mean seeing each other as the bride walks down the aisle will hold less meaning. Kris and Sallie are proof that that’s not the case. Kris was incredibly emotional seeing Sallie and it was beautiful to witness their love so visibly.

I knew Kris and Sallie were adventurous from their hiking and climbing adventure session. The adventurousness continued on their wedding day. I encourage adventurous brides like Sallie to get dressed for their wedding day outdoors. Being out in nature where you spend most of your time, rooted in adventure, and not surrounded by a lot of people, creates a unique experience and beautiful photos. During their couple’s portraits, Sallie asked if she could drop her dress in the water. When couples are more willing to take more risk in getting photos, their wedding day photos showcase more about who they are as a couple.

A highlight of Kris and Sallie’s wedding day included Lucie, Kris and Sallie’s adorable Bernese Mountain dog. Lucie is a huge part of their life; she skis with them regularly and is by Kris’ side pretty much all the time. During their wedding, she was their flower girl! Sallie also got Kris a surprise groom’s cake during their wedding reception that was a mini version of Lucie, which was almost too cute to eat.

Another highlight and one of my favorite moments, was when Sallie tried to put Kris’ shirt back on after he had been progressively becoming more and more shirtless and he simply batted the shirt away.

Six days after their wedding, Kris went to India with Sallie’s blessing to train the rock climbing team for the Olympics. What an amazing couple to push each other to succeed and fulfill their dreams. The entire day, I remember thinking how lucky these two are, to have a love as deep as they do. The way their guests talked about them was incredible. It made me incredibly grateful that Garrett and I were able to be a part of their day.

 

Venue: Piney River Ranch
Dress: d’Anelli Bridal Essence of Australia
Hair and Makeup: Amy DaCosta
Rentals: Allwell Rents
Florals: Ladybird Poppy