Your Roadmap to Wedding Photos You’ll Love
If you’re looking for scenic Colorado mountain wedding photos, this blog post is for you! Colorado weddings have the unique opportunity for a wedding day surrounded by nature. Whether that’s mountain views or an aspen forest, there’s so many beautiful places to get married in Colorado. In this blog post we’ll go over 5 decisions that if you make early, really matter to help you create stunning images for your wedding day. Images that both tell your story and also show off the amazing landscape where your wedding takes place.
I’ve photographed weddings all over Colorado’s high country, from quiet elopements above treeline to intimate gatherings at mountain venues across the state. Along the way I’ve learned that there are a few key elements that will help set you up for success when it comes to beautiful Colorado mountain wedding photos. These are five specific decisions, made months before the big day, that quietly determine how everything turns out. Get these right, and the rest falls into place. Here’s what they are, and how to think through each one.
1. Season & Ceremony Time
Colorado gives you dramatically different light depending on when you say “I do,” and each season has its own kind of magic.
Pro Tip: Be cautious of setting your ceremony time too close to sunset. Especially if you want time for your wedding photos outdoors while it’s still light outside. This can be especially challenging during winter months when days are short. Give yourself 1-2 hours after the ceremony is over for portraits (this varies depending on what photos you do before the ceremony).
- Summer offers long days and opportunities for sunset portraits late into the evening. Summer can also bring afternoon thunderstorms, so a little flexibility in your plan goes a long way. There’s also access to the high alpine during this time.
- Fall brings some of the most stunning colors and typically clear skies. Days are still somewhat long and lighting can be more flattering throughout the day. High alpine areas are still accessible for part of the fall.
- Winter means short days and soft light. It can feel like a winter wonderland sometimes if it snows with a quiet and intimate vibe. Remember your ceremony time matters more than you’d think during the winter! Winter can also mean limited access to some mountain locations.
- Spring weather is really unpredictable. It can be hot and sunny or snowy and cold. It’s less scenic this time of year higher in the mountains, but around the foothills area offers some beautiful options. Things like rock features or golf course weddings can be really nice this time of year.
Early in my career, I photographed a couple who planned a beautiful winter wedding with a 4pm ceremony. With the winter days being short, it came with challenges. By the time the ceremony wrapped, we had a tight window before the light faded completely. Portraits became a sprint against the sunset, with most of them happening indoors because it was dark outside. Moving indoors is always an option. Or we can bring in lights to do portraits outdoors during the evening, but it doesn’t show off nature the same way. It really creates a different feel for your wedding photos.
There’s no wrong season, just whatever is a good fit for you and your day.
Pro Tip: If you want romantic portraits at sunset, work with your planner or photographer to create a block of time during the reception to step out for photos. This could mean you take less photos earlier in the day.
2. Location for Your Colorado Mountain Wedding Photos
The mountains are full of stunning backdrops, but not every gorgeous spot is a simple one to build a wedding around. Some locations require permits if you’re doing your ceremony on public lands. Some also require a hike to reach, and some are more exposed to weather than others.
Pro Tip: If you’re having your wedding at a venue, ask them about other scenic locations nearby. Sometimes you can add a lot of variety to your images by being open to going to a nearby location. Planners, coordinators, or even photographers like myself can help guide you.
Challenges around weather or access can be navigated. It just means it’s worth understanding what a location actually asks of you. A little upfront homework (or a photographer who already knows the permit process and the terrain) means you get to be fully present on your wedding day instead of troubleshooting logistics.
Ask yourself: Do we know what this location requires? Things like permits, access, or a backup weather plan? Or do we have someone that can help guide us through the answers?
3. Buffer Time
If there’s one decision I’d ask every couple to slow down and really think about, it’s this one. Weddings almost always run late for whatever reason. Things take longer than you think. So it’s really important to build in some buffer time all throughout your day around photos. A 20 minute buffer here and there, can really create a much more relaxed experience. The result is feeling less rushed and then in turn the photos are more joyful because that stress isn’t there.
As a rough guideline, Family formals take about 20-30 minutes once you account for gathering everyone. Romantic portraits feel their best when there’s no clock ticking. And moving between spots takes time too. Building in extra breathing room between each part of your day can be a real game changer for your photos and for also for your experience.
Pro Tip: If you do a first look, you can shift a lot of photos to before the ceremony. This will give you more time to relax and enjoy the celebration with guests afterwards. But if you’re planning a small intimate gathering this matters a lot less. With fewer people to coordinate (or just the two of you), there’s naturally less to schedule around.
Ask yourself: Have we built enough breathing room into our timeline? Buffers are important especially around portraits, important moments, or traveling to a different location.
4. Guest List Size
How many people you invite doesn’t just shape your budget and your venue, it shapes the entire feeling of your photos.
An intimate wedding with a handful of loved ones tends to move at a slower pace. There’s more room for connection or an unplanned hug. The day in general will feel less rushed. A larger celebration brings its own kind of magic: a bigger dance floor, more people to celebrate with, a different kind of energy entirely.
Neither is better. But knowing which one you’re planning for helps everything else.
Ask yourself: What size of celebration matches the feeling we want our wedding to have? And what type of photographs do we want to walk away with?
5. Photographer Fit
This is a big decision as well. Who you choose to document your day shapes not just how your photos look, but how your day feels also. You’ll be hanging out with this person all day, so you really want someone who you can connect with and trust.
Some photographers work in a super directive style, staging moments whenever possible. Some operate like a photojournalist, not giving any direction to their clients. Others (myself included) are somewhere in the middle, capturing things as they happen, and adjusting details for the images to be more flattering. Details like a hair that falls in your face, or fixing a crooked tie when needed. Just enough gentle direction to help you feel comfortable, look great in photos but still capture those authentic moments.
No approach is right or wrong. But it’s worth thinking about what you want. Ask your potential photographers about how they work with their clients and what their style is.
Ask yourself: When we picture our wedding day, do we picture ourselves posed, with no direction at all, or somewhere in between?
Bringing It All Together
Thinking through these decisions early is what will help lay a groundwork for amazing Colorado mountain wedding photos that you’ll love. It will also give you the power to be fully present on your wedding day.
Are you dreaming of beautiful Colorado mountain wedding photos?
I’d love to hear about it. As a Colorado mountain wedding photographer who specializes in small, intimate celebrations, I’d love to learn more about you and what you’re envisioning for your day.
Let’s chat!
Thanks to the some of the other vendors that were part of the team in creating these images:
