Western Riviera Wedding at Lake Grandby, Colorado

Carline & Scott’s Wedding | Western Riviera Wedding Venue | Lake Grandby, Colorado | Grand Lake CO | Apollo Fields Wedding Photography

This was one of those weddings where we were driving home and I had a pinch-me-is-this-real-life moment in the car. I just felt so lucky to have the job that I do! My second shooter, Sarah, and I drove up to Grand Lake early to grab a little brunch in town before the day kicked off. We were all geared up, dressed, and ready to hit the ground running, and it felt good to be able to chill at a little coffee shop in the cute downtown area of Grandby before everything got rolling.

Then we split up, I went to the gals and Sarah went off to the guys, and we got to hang with this sweet family while they prepped and primped. Carline and her step-daughter were getting their hair done at a quaint little salon in town and we were able to snap away some details and getting-ready shots while the day began to pick up.

Then I headed over to the venue to say hi to Shelby (their day-of coordinator who I have worked with on a past wedding) and get some detail shots. Carline and Scott were having an intimate wedding with about 25 guests which made the space feel really open and welcoming. One of the benefits of having a smaller guest count is that they could put more of an emphasis on details and food and everything. I loved their wedding favors, too— yankee candles for each guest to take home! Such a great idea.

Their friends and family began arriving and before long, the ceremony was beginning. Scott and Carline decided that instead of having a big wedding party, they would have Scott’s two kids stand up at the altar with them. They had a beautiful ceremony with the awesome mountains and lake in the background. Cocktail hour was sweet and upbeat and we were able to do family formals totally stress-free out on the patio.

When the sun began setting we got a great golden hour so I snagged Carline and Scott and went down to the water to do some romantics. Much like their engagement session, they had such a great chemistry between the two of them that made photos so much fun! One of my favorite parts of the whole day was when they were out on one of the docks and a boat drove by and began to sound their horn and everyone started clapping.

Okay maybe I lied, I think that was my second favorite part of the day. The best part was when the adorable mom-and-pop ice cream shop next door, Miyauchi’s Snack Bar gave us FREE ice cream to celebrate and do some pics! They offered Sarah and I our own scoops, too, so OF COURSE we said yes! We were literally eating ice cream cones on the docks taking pictures against the sunset and I kept thinking to myself how cool my job is that I can literally do this for a living!!