Sapphire Point Engagement Photos in Colorado
Matt and Julie’s Sapphire Point Engagement Session | Dillon, Colorado Engagements | Lake Dillon Photography | Apollo Fields Wedding Photographers
I’ve never described a view as “sticky” before, but that’s the word that came to mind after we wrapped Matt and Julie’s engagement session at Sapphire Point in Dillon, CO. It was like the feeling I got as a kid when it began to get dark and there was just one inning left in our wiffle ball game. “Just one more inning, mom!” It’s this feeling that this moment is all that exists and to leave it would be to deny yourself an experience that you will never get back. Call it juvenile or dramatic but I think 12-year-old me and 31-year-old me might be on to something.
Our first meeting with Matt and Julie happened in one of our favorite places—a brewery. Oasis Brewing Company in the Highlands neighborhood of Denver, CO, is a multi-level, exposed-brick venue with rustic wooden tables and industrial steel beams to anchor the open, charming space (I actually helped re-open it in March 2018). Once we grabbed a beer we all took a seat at one of the banquet tables along the wall and chatted about Matt and Julie’s wedding in Littleton, CO, in May 2020. The conversation mimicked the space in which we spoke: laid-back, organized, and youthful yet sophisticated.
Matt (a lawyer) and Julie (a teacher) represent the kind of couples that we are grateful to attract and meet. Matt and Julie know what they want, aren’t afraid to ask questions, and their communication is a wonderful mix of professional, candid, and casual. These conversational cornerstones allows us to navigate the complexity of wedding photography, i.e. “what do we get?” or “what are we paying for?”, with ease. Instead of bogging down the meeting in the details, we candidly ask what they are looking for in wedding photography as we all casually take a sip of our beer. This way, we can deliver a customized package based on their priorities rather than trying to sell them products or services they’re not interested in. Of course, we don’t expect every one of our couples to know what they want like Matt and Julie, but it’s definitely something we’re grateful for when it comes down to the brass tacks of wedding photography (totally thought it was “brass tax” until I Googled it).
Fast forward a few months and we’re meeting Matt and Julie at Matt’s family home in Dillon for their engagement shoot. We were welcomed by his mother and father, two dogs, and a brilliantly blue Colorado sky quickly approaching our coveted golden hour. We began by taking a stroll down by the cliffs of their home for a more casual start before we made our way up to the photographer-and-chipmunk occupied Sapphire Point (seriously, there were adorable little chipmunks scampering everywhere). Luckily, we came on a Sunday night when it wasn’t that busy, we don’t even want to imagine the amount of hikers we would have photoshop out of a picture on a Saturday afternoon.
The love was real, the mood was romantic, and the view was...sticky. Everything about Matt and Julie’s engagement session made my eyes and heart want to stay but it was starting to get dark. It was an experience I may never to get to live again exactly, but perhaps that’s the best way to appreciate a moment. To allow your desires to remain a bit unsatiated, to walk up the hiking path away from the view so that your mind clings to its pristine image in all its glory. I can still see that sunset when I close my eyes, and even though I won’t know how that wiffle ball game was supposed to end, maybe I’m not supposed to.
Enjoy Julie & Matt’s Engagement Photos:
As seen in: Couture Colorado Magazine
Breweries and happy couples… these are a few of our favorite things…
Hanging with Matt and Julie after their Sapphire Point engagement photos! What better place to connect than over a craft beer! If that makes us hipsters then you should expect handlebar mustaches on both of us shortly!
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!!
Colorado Wedding Photography: Heather Huie for Apollo Fields
CO Wedding Venue: Western Riviera Lakeside Lodging and Events, Grand Lake CO