Denver Colorado Wedding Photographer
Hey! I am obsessed (in a healthy way)
with wedding photography and am always training to be a ninja in the shadows to capture your best moments. My wedding experience is of value, and I am here to help. Ask away!
Being a Colorado wedding photographer for over a decade, I can tell you one thing for sure: rain, snow, or crazy weather will probably crash your wedding party sometime during the day.
The good news is, from my experience, an awesome wedding day isn’t dependent on perfect weather. Not one wedding out of the hundreds has been. What matters much more is having a plan, trusting the people around you, and being willing to roll with the punches of Mother and even Father Nature.
Weather doesn’t have to ruin your wedding day. In fact, sometimes it becomes one of the parts you remember most.
The most beautiful, memorable moments can come from the crappiest weather
I can’t tell you how many times that I have been 5 minutes from ceremony time and there is a frickin monsoon going on. Everyone is stressed, we are pushing the ceremony back 20 minutes, and it finally clears up. First off, the beauty after alone is breathtaking. The officiant makes a joke about it and everyone is laughing with enjoyment. That was a built-up instant memory that is implanted in everyone’s mind for the rest of their lives.
These impactful weather moments have always been like that in my experience. You think 20 years from now, when you are sitting around with old friends having a few cocktails, this story isn’t gonna come up from your best man with a roar of laughter to follow? In my experience, that usually doesn’t happen on a perfect Cinderella wedding day.
So remember, if you start to stress and think, ‘My wedding day is ruined,’ take a breath and remember. This is the most imperfect wedding I could have asked for and I am going to love every minute of it.
Don’t let the weather take over your day. It’s yours, dang it!
Trust me, I do this all the time. I will check three different weather apps and convince myself that refreshing them every twenty minutes might change something.
Colorado weather is just gonna do what it does, especially in the mountains. Pay attention to the forecast, yes. But don’t obsess over it and let it control your sanity for how you feel about your wedding day.
If the conditions are safe, grab an umbrella, pull each other close, and let the moment happen. Your hair might get wet and messy. Your dress will get dirty in some way or another. That is totally fine.
You are still getting married. Your people are still there. The laughter, hugs, tears, and everything else that matters are still happening around you. That all sounds way more important than Colorado weather if you ask me.
Have a backup plan you would actually be happy with
What if your ceremony is outside and outside is no longer a realistic option? Is there a covered space? Can chairs be moved quickly? Who makes the final call?
Obvious answers are first, to figure this out before the wedding day. Yes, these are all obvious questions. The point is, your backup plan should not feel like the sad version of your wedding.
Spend a little time picturing how space B could still feel intentional and comfortable. And always lean on your vendor team. The wedding planner, venue coordinator, and my favorite, your lovely wedding photographer. We have all been through the wringer, no pun intended, and can guide you to the best Plan B ever.
This way, if the party-pooping cloud comes to sit on your wedding ceremony, you won’t have to drop putting on your dress to go save the situation. Your team will already be in place to make the smooth switch to the best Plan B ever.
Let your photographer and team worry about the weather for you
Trust, trust, and trust! One of the reasons you hired all these experienced vendors is so you don’t have to figure everything out. So, why then are you letting the ten-day forecast eat at your anxiety like a buffet?
I have photographed through every kind of Colorado weather you can think of. Rain, snow, crazy-ass wind, harsh sun, dark skies, and conditions that seem to change every few minutes.
Sometimes the best decision is to wait. Sometimes we change locations. Sometimes we grab umbrellas and confidently yell “Let’s f’in gooooo!” as we laugh and charge like we are in the GOT bastard battle episode.
Your photographer is watching the light and weather, trust me. Lean on them. You should be enjoying your people and wedding, not standing outside watching storm cells.
Flexibility in you timeline is your best friend
I’ve noticed some couples feel they need to add everything they see on TikTok’s new wedding crazes to fill all this time they have for their wedding. I think you should be doing the opposite. The best, joyful, fulfilling, intimate weddings I have been a part of have been really simple with smooth time and breaks for the couple to just be and enjoy everyone.
Here is more in-depth on saving time for things that matter
When every part of the day is scheduled down to the minute, there is nowhere for unexpected things to go. Like weather.
If we have a little flexibility, we might be able to wait fifteen minutes for rain to pass or move portraits to another part of the day without everything suddenly feeling rushed. You do not need hours of empty space.
You just want enough room that one small change does not create a domino feeling of pressure through the rest of your wedding.
Bring things that make bad weather easier. Being prepared gives you comfort
After the 8th time looking at the weather app, it’s time to put the phone down and put pen to paper. Make a list of things that will make the worst situation more comfortable.
Clear umbrellas, a warm, white, fuzzy thing like the picture above or a warm jacket, hand warmers, extra (comfortable) shoes, and a couple of towels go a long way. Just knowing you have these things can ease the worry a little.
If you are freezing, soaked, or miserable, it is totally okay to step inside, warm up, and try again later. Sometimes five comfortable minutes outside will give you much better photos than twenty minutes of pretending you cannot feel your toes.
The goal is not to tough it out as long as you can for the camera. It is to set yourself up for success before all this even comes in fruition. Then you will have the best chance to feel comfortable.
The memory embedded in the image will reflect that feeling for years to come.