Aspen Meadows Resort Wedding Photography

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Jessica & Roger

I don’t know why it had never occurred to me that people go to Aspen in the fall...to see Aspen trees. I think there was some separation in my mind of the city of Aspen and its air of luxury and skiing from the naturally occurring tree that leaf-watchers swoon over while careening about the bends of I-70. Thanks to Roger and Jessica, now I know how beautiful Aspen is in the peak of fall foliage, when the yellow coin-shaped leaves flap in the mountain breeze against a vibrant blue bird sky.

Jessica and Roger got married at Aspen Meadows Resort with Maroon Bells as the backdrop of their ceremony. The altar was out in a lush green field with flowers, hills, and water all around. When I close my eyes I can still feel the serenity of the scene. “I could stay here forever,” I told Jessica shortly after their intimate ceremony, with my arms spread out in the wind. What an absolutely perfect place to get married.

Jessica and Roger have known each other since childhood but only started dating after college. They’re both from Florida but can’t get enough of the Rockies of Colorado. Roger’s family has been vacationing to Aspen for years, preferring the perfect fall hiking weather to the overcrowded slopes of winter. It’s funny how a power couple based in Orlando still can’t resist the call of the mountains.

One thing I’m particularly grateful for is that Jessica and Roger invited us to have dinner with their guests rather than stuffing us into a closet or hallway. Vendor meals can get pretty scary in the wedding industry, especially for pescatarians like Heather. Let’s just say we’ve gotten very accustomed to beige food in cramped spaces. So to be invited to the table alongside Roger and Jessica’s closest friends and family, to enjoy the decadent menu and hand-picked wine was just such a special treat for us. It is already a privilege to photograph weddings as a career, but to be appreciated and invited into our couple’s closest circles--that really means the world to us.

I wound up sitting next to Jessica and Roger’s pastor from Orlando, John, who officiated their wedding ceremony. Heather and I got into one of those amazing conversations with him and his wife that felt like pre-COVID times. It was the kind of conversation that started small and polite and rolled into sharing personal stories. It’s certainly not the kind of conversation for everyone but it speaks volumes to the people that Roger and Jessica choose to surround themselves with. It felt like a fancy, fun dinner party!

I’ll look back onto Jessica and Roger’s intimate wedding in Aspen like the dream that it was: from the wind in the meadow, the sun on our shoulders and the mountains in the background, to the immaculately decorated reception, mouth watering filet mignon and lobster tail dinner, and heart-warming conversation. Leave it to a couple of Floridians to remind us that you don’t need to go to Aspen in the winter--you can go at the height of fall and watch as the golden coins flap in the breeze--it is a place that’s beautiful all year round.