I'm Michele

Here’s a fun fact I don’t normally share in my blog posts: I’ve been shooting weddings here in the Colorado Rocky Mountains for over 10 years! How is that even possible? But I have to say, last year was one of the best Colorado wedding photographer years ever for me over here at Michele with one L. I became friends with some of the most amazing couples and their families, worked with the best Colorado wedding vendors, and captured the some of the most gorgeous Colorado weddings to date.

I’ve been sharing some of those weddings here, and several of those weddings are getting picked up for publication on some of my favorite wedding blogs. But one of the sweetest weddings of the year that I haven’t shared yet was my daughter’s private elopement in the Colorado Rocky Mountains.

Couples who adventure together….

Paige had been a single mom for 5 years when she met Pedro, and he was truly the kindest man who has ever come into her life. We loved him from the start, and so did Paige. It was like he was hand-picked just for her! Paige and Pedro perfectly complement each other’s creativity and sense of adventure, and they truly bring out the best version of themselves when they are with each other.

On top of that, Pedro has always loved sweet Wylie like his own daughter. I admit I was getting all misty-eyed behind the camera when, halfway through the ceremony, he surprised Wylie with hand written vows to be her forever dad. And because Wylie was concerned that her mom was getting a wedding ring and she was not, Pedro surprised his new daughter with a tiny ring of her own to wear on a necklace. Cue allll the happy tears.

Paige, Pedro, and Wylie are all adventurers at heart. When Wylie was a toddler, Paige did the 52 Hike Challenge with Wylie on her back for most of the year. By the time she’d completed 50 of the hikes, Wylie insisted on hiking the last couple of hikes herself. Paige introduced Pedro to camping, and these three have had some of the most amazing mountain adventures together over the past couple of years.

Elopement locations in the Colorado mountains

That’s why it was so important to them to elope in the Colorado mountains. They initially had planned to climb Shrine Pass together to elope, but with last year’s heavy snowfall, the road to the pass was still closed on their wedding day. So I worked with Paige and Pedro to find the perfect private mountain elopement location that was every bit as gorgeous as their original spot, and I even asked my favorite officiant to marry them — he made their ceremony so unique!

I held off on sharing this blog post last year because Pedro was going through the formal process of adopting Wylie May. And now that that’s official, I even have more exciting news — they are getting ready to welcome another daughter in just a few more weeks, Hadley Grace.

Colorado elopement details

As I do with all my couples, I asked Paige a few questions about their elopement experience. Even though I captured it on camera, it always makes me smile to hear about the day in the words of the bride and groom!

Congratulations! You’re married! Now what? What things are you looking forward to together during the next few months of being married?

It’s been a busy year for us, and our wedding was just a piece of the plan. We’ve still got much to look forward to! We took a couple days to honeymoon alone in Vail after the wedding, and we even just enjoyed a couple days of a family-moon in Denver, Wylie included.

Wylie starts school, we’re both working on our own businesses, we’re trying for another baby (she’s almost here!), and we are moving to Montana when our lease is up in Colorado.

What is the one moment from your wedding you want to remember 10 years from now?

How nervous I was! I didn’t think I’d be so nervous being that there was no audience, but I was still so nervous! And seeing Pedro for the first time. We weren’t supposed to look at each other before the first look, but I stole a glance as he walked by the spot where he’d wait for me, and he looked SO cute and kind of nervous too.

And of course how beautiful it was. It was the perfect setting, and I loved that Wylie was free to be as much or as little involved as she wanted. It was informal yet still official, perfectly us.

Describe how you felt right before you walked down the aisle.

Nervous!! And cold.

What was your favorite detail from your wedding — something that had special significance or was especially memorable to you?

I think my favorite part was when Pedro surprised me with some sweet words of his own. I knew he was going to say something to Wylie before giving her her ring, but then he started speaking sweet words to me and I was so surprised I could’ve cried. And the look on his face when he said them. So much heart and sincerity.

And can I just say this? Paige didn’t have to do this but she surprised me with a sweetest wedding photographer review, just as if she’d hired me off Style Me Pretty! I loved it so much I have to share it here with you.

“You made everything so easy at a time when our heads certainly weren’t thinking straight. You thought of things, moments and angles to capture, that I wouldn’t have thought of or deemed significant at the time that I’m so grateful to have photos of now, like Wylie signing as our witness. Those pictures are such a sweet part of the series.

“And you were very knowledgeable about other aspects of the process beforehand as well. You helped us pick an officiant, pick a spot, look in to the marriage license process, and so much more.

“You played a much bigger role in our wedding than ‘just’ photographer. We’re so grateful for not only your expertise but also your joyful spirit throughout it all. Our Colorado mountaintop elopement wouldn’t have been even half of what it was without you!!”

Planning a Colorado elopement or small wedding

It’s always my pleasure to serve my clients outside of their wedding day, helping to share the best Colorado wedding planners, florists, makeup artists, bakeries, DJs, bands, and videographers. (All of those friendors came in so handy when we planned Paige and Pedro’s backyard wedding reception!) And I love working with my couples to help them find the best location or venue not only for their wedding or elopement but for their engagement or anniversary sessions too!

Feel free to send me an email if you’re getting ready to plan a Colorado wedding or elopement. I can’t wait to meet you and be friends!