Back in September, I had the privilege of photographing Ashly and Sebastian’s Estes Park wedding in Colorado. When these two first inquired, I learned that they both live in New York and met each other while attending college in the city! They decided to do a destination wedding after visiting and falling in love with all the nature Colorado has to offer. It was important to them to share a place that they love with the people that they love.

Ashly and Sebastian toured a few venues but ultimately decided on Della Terra Mountain Chateau located in Estes Park, Colorado. They loved the cozy atmosphere that this venue had to offer as it’s snuggled right outside of Rocky Mountain National Park. Because Della Terra is so close to the national park (only a 5 minute drive to the Fall River entrance!), we were lucky enough to be able to drive into the park following their ceremony to take their bridal photos. To shoot inside the national park, you must first obtain a photography permit which costs $50 as well as a national parks pass (which I purchase annually for $80). Then, it was as easy as driving into the park, pulling off on the side of the road when we saw pretty scenery and taking photos!

I think taking some quiet time together after getting married is so important. Your wedding day flies by and you want to be able to slow down enough to create memories of just the two of you. Ashly and Sebastian emphasized their desire to have me capture natural, “lived-in” photos on their wedding day. When they expressed this vision to me, I instantly knew that we were going to work well together as those types of images are ones that inspire me the most.

Although they faced the challenge of planning a wedding in a different state, things came together perfectly for them. Especially because they picked a midweek day to host their Estes Park wedding. A midweek wedding may sound out of the ordinary, but after giving it some thought, it makes a lot of sense. When considering having a destination wedding, a midweek wedding will be less expensive, will be easier to book vendors, and your guests will already be flying in so they have the opportunity to make a vacation out of their trip!

In need of a photographer for your Estes Park wedding? I’m sooo there. Contact me here!