One of a Kind Wedding at Woodlands Colorado | Marissa and Shawn — Colorado Wedding and Elopement Photographer

A wedding day flatlay consisting of rings, a bolo tie, and a craft beer with the couples wedding date on it

Marissa and Shawn’s wedding day is one I’ve been SO excited to share with you all, and the day has finally come! These two knew from the start what they wanted their wedding day to be. To Quote the couple themselves: “We want it to basically feel like a vacation with all of our loved ones and we happened to throw a wedding in. We want everyone relaxed and having fun.” Safe to say their wedding at Woodlands Colorado went far and above this vision! Their day was one of so many details and magical moments that made it feel truly unique to them!!

6 bolo ties lay next to one another on a black table

Getting Ready and the Details

As their wedding day began, Marissa and Shawn spent their morning apart from one another. They got ready for their day in the company of their wedding parties and family members which was a ton of fun for the both of them! They didn’t want to see one another until during their ceremony, thankfully though Woodlands Colorado has multiple getting ready spaces which is just one of the many parts that make it the incredible wedding venue it is. If you can’t tell by now I’m a HUGE fan of Woodlands Colorado, which is why I include it in my top 10 wedding venues in the mountains of Colorado! In addition to choosing a stellar venue for their wedding, Marissa and Shawn also went the extra mile to make sure their day felt like it was tailor made for them!

So many details of their wedding day revolve around Marissa and Shawn and their one of a kind relationship. Shawn and his groomsmen wore custom bolo ties that Marissa made herself. She’s an incredibly talented artist, and I actually got to know her as a friend prior to her wedding day through purchasing a lot of her beautiful turquoise jewelry! Shawn works at the Crooked Stave brewery and had a special beer brewed for their wedding day as well called Pizza Pies and Bolo Ties. I don’t want to give away all the fun details of their day yet, but the beer name hints towards a favorite of mine!! After a first look between Marissa and her father, and some wedding party portraits for both Marissa and Shawn, it was time for their ceremony to start!

2 photos side by side, the left is of 3 wedding rings in a ring box, the right is of the wedding rings atop a craft beer can

Close up photo of wedding rings sitting on a light orange flower that is part of a bouquet

3 photos side by side, the left is of wedding invites on a table with other items, the middle is the wedding dress hanging in a doorway, the right is of the bride and groom's vow books and rings

A groom and his groomsmen all drink a can of beer together before getting ready for their wedding at Woodlands Colorado

2 photos side by side, the left is of the father of the groom helping the groom put his bolo tie on, the right is of the groom adjusting the bolo tie in the mirror

A groom and his groomsmen all smile around a pool table while getting ready for his wedding at Woodlands Colorado

2 photos side by side of a groom standing outside of Woodlands Colorado and reading a letter from the bride

2 photos side by side, the left is of the bride sitting on a couch and reading a card, the right is of a bridesmaid and a flower girl smiling at the camera

A group of bridesmaids and family members all smile and react as they see the bride in her wedding dress for the first time

A bride smiles over her shoulder as her mother helps to zip up the back of her dress

3 photos side by side of a bride and her mother, the left is of them holding hands, the middle is of them holding hands in a mirror, the right is of them hugging

A bride sits in a purple chair to put on her wedding shoes

2 photos side by side of a bride adjusting her earrings, the left is of her in a mirror and the right is of her sitting in a chair

A bride walks in front of her 5 bridesmaids in a grass clearing before her wedding at Woodlands Colorado

2 photos side by side of a bride and her 5 bridesmaids, the left is of them walking towards the camera together, the right is of them standing side by side and laughing together

A groom poses with his 5 groomsmen as they all smile at the camera for an outdoor portrait before a wedding at Woodlands Colorado

A groom and his 5 groomsmen walk towards the camera while adjusting their suits for a portrait outside of Woodlands Colorado

3 photos side by side of a bride, the left is if her facing away from the camera towards the woods, the middle is of her smiling at her veil, the right is a close up of her bouquet

A photo of the front of the wedding venue Woodlands Colorado

Their Outdoor Wedding Ceremony at Woodlands Colorado

Woodlands Colorado’s outdoor wedding ceremony space is one of my favorite to photograph. The space looks out over the forests of evergreen trees and the surrounding mountains that seem to go on forever. It’s such a beautiful and romantic setting for a ceremony to take place! As the guests were seated, Shawn and members of the wedding parties entered the space. You could FEEL the joy radiating from everyone in attendance!

As Marissa and her father entered, that joy bubbled over into nearly everyone in attendance bursting out into happy tears. The waterworks died down for a bit, but were immediately brought back in full force as the two read their vows to one another! It was so apparent how much this day meant to Marissa, Shawn, and all of their loved ones!! Once the ceremony was over we had time for family, wedding party, and couples portraits before the start of their reception.

Pink, orange, and yellow flowers sit atop a wooden barrel

A groom smiles while being walked down the aisle by his mother for his outdoor wedding ceremony at Woodlands Colorado

2 photos side by side of a groom with his mother at his wedding ceremony, the left is of them entering the ceremony space and the right is of them hugging

2 photos side by side, the left is of the groom tearing up as he sees the bride for the first time at their ceremony, the right is of the bride tearing up being walked down the aisle by her father

A bride and groom hold hands and face one another during their outdoor wedding ceremony at Woodlands Colorado

Close up photo of bridesmaids holding flower bouquets during an outdoor wedding ceremony at Woodlands Colorado

2 photos side by side, the left is of the groom smiling while holding the brides hand during their ceremony, the right is of the bride tearing up reading her vows during their ceremony

A bride tears up while reading her vows to the groom during their outdoor wedding ceremony at Woodlands Colorado

2 photos side by side, the left is of a bride laughing during her wedding ceremony, the right is of the groom reading his vows and smiling at the bride

A bride and groom kiss one another as their guests clap and smile during their outdoor wedding ceremony in the mountains at Woodlands Colorado

A bride and groom kiss one another while walking down the aisle together after their outdoor wedding ceremony at Woodlands Colorado

A bride and groom smile while walking down the aisle together towards the camera after their outdoor wedding ceremony at Woodlands Colorado

Close up photo of a bride and groom toasting beer cans together for their wedding day at Woodlands Colorado, the beers are craft beers with their names and wedding date on them

A bride and groom smile with their wedding parties standing on either side of them while taking wedding portraits at Woodlands Colorado

Black and white photo of a bride and groom with their wedding parties posing for a fun photo together outdoors while celebrating their wedding at Woodlands Colorado

A bride and groom kiss while their wedding party members celebrate around them while outside their wedding venue, Woodlands Colorado

Black and white photo of a bride and groom smiling at one another while members of their wedding parties walk away from them in either direction while outside Woodlands Colorado

A bride and groom kiss one another while surrounded by the mountainous landscape near Woodlands Colorado

2 photos side by side, the left is a close up of the groom's hand with his wedding ring on the bride's waist, the right is of the bride and groom walking on a path in the woods

A bride and groom smile at one another while holding hands while in the mountains near their wedding venue, Woodlands Colorado

2 black and white photos side by side of the bride and groom, the left is of them touching heads together with their eyes closed and the right is of them dancing in the woods

A groom stands behind the bride as the two kiss while standing in a clearing with the mountains behind them at Woodlands Colorado

2 photos side by side of a bride and groom, the left is of them laughing while sitting on a rock together, the right is them kissing one another

2 photos side by side, the left is of vases with flowers in them on a table at a wedding reception, the right is of a longer table at the same reception with similar decorations

A Pizza Party Reception!

Throughout their wedding day Marissa and Shawn lucked out with the perfect amount of overcast to give their photos the best possible lighting! Towards the end of the day though we did end up getting some rain, which is why it’s SO important when choosing a wedding venue to make sure that it has a space for your day in case of inclement weather. Woodlands Colorado had Marissa and Shawn covered (literally), as their indoor space is simply gorgeous and was perfect for their wedding reception festivities! Their reception included lovely speeches, first dances between Marissa, Shawn, and their parents, and some delicious pizza courtesy of Mountain Crust.

Remember Shawn’s special beer, Pizza Pies and Bolo Ties? The pizza pie’s portion refers to more than just these two’s love for pizza! Marissa and Shawn actually make homemade pizzas together every week!! With that being such a large part of their relationship they arranged for some time in their day where they could make pizzas together with Mountain Crust which has to be one of THE cutest wedding day details ever. After making their pizzas it was time to dance the night away with their friends and finally end the night off with a private dance with just the two of them. Talk about romance!

2 photos side by side, the left is of a sweetheart table inside of Woodlands Colorado set up for a reception, the right is of a groomsman and bridesmaid entering the reception

A bride and groom smile while holding hands and walking into their indoor wedding reception at Woodlands Colorado

A bride and groom smile while sharing their first dance together as guests watch during their indoor wedding reception at Woodlands Colorado

Black and white photo of a bride and groom's first dance while their guests watch behind them during their indoor reception at Woodlands Colorado

Mothers of the bride and groom sit next to one another to hold hands and smile as their children dance together during their indoor wedding reception at Woodlands Colorado

2 photos side by side of a bride and groom sitting at their sweetheart table inside of Woodlands Colorado as they watch guests of their reception mingle

Guests of an indoor wedding reception at Woodlands Colorado sit together and talk

A bride and groom smile as the groom puts his arm around the bride while sitting at their sweetheart table during their indoor wedding reception at Woodlands Colorado

A bride hugs her father while the two share a dance together during the bride's indoor wedding reception at Woodlands Colorado

A groom and his mother dance together as guests watch during an indoor wedding reception at Woodlands Colorado

2 photos side by side of a bride and groom making pizza together on their wedding day, the left photo is of the groom making dough and the right is of the bride tossing the dough in the air

A bride and groom smile as they cut their handmade pizzas together next to a food truck outside of their wedding venue, Woodlands Colorado

A bride and groom kiss one another while holding slices of their handmade pizzas while next to the pizza food truck outside of their wedding venue, Woodlands Colorado

A bride and groom kiss one another while under clear umbrellas as rain pours down on them while in front of their wedding venue, Woodlands Colorado

Black and white photo of a bride and groom smiling and walking hand in hand away from their wedding venue Woodlands Colorado while under clear umbrellas as rain falls on them

2 photos side by side of a bride and groom under clear umbrellas outside of Woodlands Colorado, the left is of them walking hand in hand and the right is of them kissing

Guests of an indoor wedding reception all sing and dance together while inside the venue Woodlands Colorado

2 photos side by side, the left is of a young girl dancing during a wedding reception, the right is of guests of the same wedding reception dancing together

two groomsmen dance together extending their butts towards one another during an indoor wedding reception at Woodlands Colorado

A bride and groom hold hands and smile at one another while guests behind them waive glowsticks in the air during their indoor wedding reception at Woodlands Colorado

2 photos side by side of a bride and groom kissing while inside Woodlands Colorado at the end of their reception

Black and white photo of a bride and groom hugging one another while their guests watch in the background at the end of their indoor wedding reception at Woodlands Colorado

I’m seriously still obsessing over Marissa and Shawn’s wedding day at Woodlands Colorado! From the details to the energy that they and their loved ones brought to the day, it’s a wedding day that I plan to keep reliving over and over!! If you’d like to book me to capture your wedding day make sure to send an inquiry through my contact page so we can reserve your date today!