Hannah + Evan // Sprague Lake Elopement in Rocky Mountain National Park

HEY THERE!

Have a seat, pour yourself a drink - I’ve got a special one for you today.

I first met Hannah + Evan in December, and I was instantly charmed by their chemistry and sweetness. They have this way about them - the way they lock eyes with one another, the way they nurture each other with their words. They have this incredible love that overflows out of them and fills the room with warmth and light. It’s the best feeling to be in their presence - so naturally, I was thrilled when they asked if I’d like to photograph their elopement in Colorado.

The day started at their Airbnb, where they got ready together. Each time Evan glanced at her, his eyes would well up with tears and we’d giggle as he hid himself away in a corner to recover. This proved to be juuuust a preview of all of the crying we’d be doing that day (including my partner, who perhaps cried the loudest). After running around the entire city of Loveland in an attempt to find the right courthouse to procure their marriage license, we ventured out to the National Park to meet up with the small cohort that would be joining us for their ceremony. A short walk around the lake led us to the small wooden dock where Hannah presented each of their guests with a thoughtfully selected gift before beginning their nuptials. They exchanged heartfelt, humorous, Lord of the Rings-filled vows, with Hannah leading with my absolute favorite poems. Nestled in the mountains, they declared their love + commitment for one another with the sun beaming down on them, swapping rings and laughter and tears. We spent the next evening dipping our toes into the river, frolicking in a meadow as horses roamed on the mountainside, and trying desperately to absorb all of the beauty we could before the sun slipped out of sight.

I consider it one of the great honors of my life to watch such special moments unfold, but there’s an extra layer of sweetness when the folks I’m with are so damn good. I’ll leave you with the poem Hannah incorporated into her vows, Wild Geese by Mary Oliver.

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting -
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.