Wedding in Palmer Lake, Colorado

Documentary and Candid Wedding Photography in Colorado 

This wedding was full of bright smiles, contagious laughs, and loving moments with family, friends, and a bunch of kids! 

I was able to second shoot this wedding with Kiku and had an amazing time helping her capture this beautiful day with this sweet and loving family. This was a celebration for a blended family, and I enjoyed interacting with the groomsmen and capturing the  couples’ interactions with their kids with their energetic energy carried throughout the entire day. 

The day started with taking the time to document the groom, Chris, his groomsmen, and his three sons. When I went into the room they were getting ready in, I took a step back and documented the moments of them playing pool, getting the kids ready (with some struggle and laughs), and having conversations and interactions with each other. I liked getting the candid moments of them laughing together, helping each other with their ties and jackets, and also helping Chris with getting his sons’ ready while they were running around the room. I glued myself to the background during this time and got to get shots of them being themselves and got to immerse myself with their presence. 

I didn’t want to pose the men and kids during this time because I wanted to capture how they naturally interacted with each other, and wanted to just document how playful and goofy the kids were while getting ready. The kids were so playful and got to play around the pool table while the men were getting ready, and I loved getting some shots of them talking and playing with each other too, especially in their outfits for the wedding. 

Some of my favorite shots during the getting ready was when I got to get shots of the boys going around the pool table trying to play the game with the men, and getting the sweet moments with them and their dad. I loved seeing Chris interact with his sons and enjoyed seeing his calm and loving energy he passed on, and liked gaining the experience of shooting him and his close ones. 

After everyone got dressed and ready to go, we walked over to the ceremony space. While the men got ready in a separate building where the reception was being held, the women were getting ready in the building that was connected to the ceremony space, and I joined Kiku for the first look with Maly and her dad. Maly looked gorgeous and I loved seeing her dad’s expression on his face when he saw his daughter in her wedding dress. 

Then, after we got a shot of their first look, I started by setting up on the second floor in the ceremony space. Kiku and I discovered that the venue had a second floor, and I suggested getting shots from above while the bridal party walked down the aisle together. I have always wanted to get shots of the bridal party walking down and used this opportunity to do so. I love getting the shots of the audience looking back at the people walking down and enjoyed getting to grab some of those photos before coming back down to photograph the guests and moments with Maly and Chris. 

During the ceremony, I spent time grabbing shots of Maly and Chris at the altar, and got some of their bridal party standing beside them and then focused my camera on their guests. I enjoy getting the raw reactions of people during special times like these, and get photographs of their guests listening to their union as a married couple. I walked around the space and made sure to grab pictures of everyone together before getting a walking off photograph of them going down after they kissed. 

After they walked down the aisle, they took time to sign their marriage license and I got to spend time with their kids and guests before helping Kiku with the family photographs before taking the bridal party for more photographs outside the building for more photographs. 

I took time with the groomsmen again and enjoyed working with them. I could tell they were a funny bunch, and liked getting them to laugh together and make jokes during the shoot. I enjoy grabbing both the posed, classic shots of the groomsmen together, but also like getting some fun ones that could be more memorable. 

Asking them to think of funny poses or ones they wanted to recreate are always a fun suggestion I make, and this group didn’t disappoint! Somehow, I was able to get some of them moving in slow motion towards me, and looking at each other as if they were in an action movie scene, and there was constant laughter all around. Then, I got him and his groomsmen and groomswoman for individual shots, and then grabbed some of their kids together. 

Then, we went into the reception space and documented the guests at their tables. I got to get candids of the guests while they were waiting for the bride and grooms’ entrance and once they entered, we went straight to capturing the first dance.

The first dance was with Maly and Chris, then Maly and her dad, and following was Maly’s sister with her dad. And during the song, they switched places and Maly’s daughter walked up and got to dance with her grandpa on the dance floor which was such a sweet moment to witness. I got to meet and talk to Maly’s father throughout the day before and after the ceremony, and enjoyed seeing him get to dance with the special women in his life on the dance floor. After the first dances were finished, the guests started to grab food for dinner and I took some more photographs of the guests before departing for the night. 

I loved getting to be a part of their special day and thank Kiku for asking me to work with her again. I’ve found more love with documenting weddings while working with her, and am excited for the next wedding I can capture. 

Date: December 21, 2024

Wedding Venue: Pinecrest Weddings and Event Center

Address 106 Pinecrest Way, Palmer Lake, Colorado 80133