A Flawless, Colorful, Micro Wedding in Rocky Mountain National Park
Keri & Mitch at Rocky Mountain National Park’s Sprague Lake Ceremony site in October, 2024 a few minutes after they tied the knot.
When Keri told me she was getting married in Rocky Mountain National Park, I couldn’t wait to help her plan. Even though we both live in Houston, I had spent 13 years living in Colorado as a photographer. I have the good fortune to have explored nearly every corner of Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) in every season.
Keri & Mitch booked their ceremony for a Wednesday afternoon in October at one of Rocky’s handful of designated ceremony cites: the beautiful and accessible Sprague Lake. Pro tip if you're planning your own wedding, Rocky Mountain National Park absolutely does not allow any kind of wedding ceremony, no matter how small, unless it’s in one of their designated ceremony cites. It’s important to snag your wedding date as early as possible. Only 6 weddings per day are allowed in the entire park, and applications are accepted up to a year in advance.
Getting Ready at Eagle’s Nest Estes Park
The couple traveled to Colorado from Houston, and smartly rented a home with a great view in Estes Park for the week. Estes Park is home to two of the four main enterance gates for the park, and just a beautiful town in general. Info for their rental, called The Eagle’s Nest, is linked below.
They booked 6 hours of photography, and I arrived as Keri was finishing getting ready, so I could take a few candids and details photos.
First Look outside at the Eagle’s Nest
I always love to capture the very first moment a couple sees each other in their wedding attire. It’s the moment that getting married starts to feel really real, and the emotions are priceless. Keri and Mitch were careful to stay apart all morning—with Keri using the main floor of the house for makeup, and Mitch suiting up downstairs in the rec room with his friends. Once they were ready, I picked a scenic spot a few yards from the kitchen door, and set them up so we could capture that magical first moment.
After that, we headed to their first portrait location inside the park, which I knew would be a showstopper…
RMNP’s famed Trail Ridge Road traverses some of the highest drivable altitudes in the park, and is undeniably one of the most dramatic mountain views anywhere.
Trail Ridge Road Couple Portraits
Trail Ridge Road is closed for the majority of the year, as heavy snowfall makes it impassible. The closure date varies every year and is decided by the snow—but usually that date falls somewhere in October. Fortunately for us, on October 16, not much snow had fallen and the road was still open for the season.
To me, the views on Trail Ridge Road are breathtaking to the point of being preposterous. Before the ceremony, Keri, Mitch, and I drove the considerable distance to the peak of Trail Ridge Road and we were not disappointed.
It’s extremely important to stay on the trail in Rocky Mountain National Park so as not to damage the delicate tundra plants. Most people probably couldn’t tell, but every photo in this gallery was taken either on the trail, or on gravel within a step or two of the parking lot, and cleverly cropped so as not to ruin the immaculate mountain vibes.
Wedding Ceremony at Sprague Lake
A friend of the couple performed the ceremony, which included the Scottish tradition of hand fasting as a nod to Keri’s heritage. The intimate ceremony included family and close friends of the couple.
Mid-October, when Keri had secured her Wednesday wedding date, I knew would be a dicey time of year at the park's high altitudes. The chances were about equal that we’d be in for a bluebird day, or a blizzard. Fortunately for all of us, Keri and Mitch’s micro wedding turned out to be a bluebird in more ways than one. During Keri’s ceremony, a literal Blue Jay landed on a branch to watch and I snapped a photo. Later I overheard some speculation among the bride’s siblings that the bluebird was a representation of the bride’s departed mother, attending the wedding in spirit.
Dinner and Cake at The View Estes Park
After the ceremony, everyone reconvened for dinner and cocktails at Estes Park’s “The View” restaurant as the sun went down.
Vendors
Ceremony Venue: Rocky Mountain National Park, Sprague Lake Ceremony Cite https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/weddings.htm, (Email contact only available through form on website)
Reception Venue: The View Estes Park https://theviewestes.com
Accommodations/getting ready venue: Eagle’s Nest Estes Park https://www.eaglesnestestes.com
Hair and Makeup: Beauty and the Babes https://www.beautyandthebabes.com
Wedding Gown: Iveary https://www.iveary.com
Officiant: Friend of the couple
Wedding Gown Boutique: Vivienne Atelier Houston https://www.vivienneatelier.com
Alterations: A La Mode Bridal Boutique alamodebridalboutique.com
Bride’s Engagement Ring and Wedding Band: Brilliant Earth https://www.brilliantearth.com
Groom’s Forrest Green Tweed Suit: Hockerty https://www.hockerty.com/en-us
Groom’s Wedding Band: Manly Bands, https://manlybands.com
Groomsmen’s Sweaters: Passenger clothing Company https://us.passenger-clothing.com/
Bouquets and Boutonnieres: Flor Keeps https://www.florkeeps.com (Arranged by Bride)
Earrings: Crystal & Cord New Zealand https://crystalandcord.com
Bride’s Shoes: PinkyPromiseAccs https://pinkypromiseaccs.com
Vow Books: Luxuriax on Etsy https://www.etsy.com/shop/Luxuriax