A lot of our 2020 weddings plans have changed: some couples have opted for a private ceremony this year and a party next year, and some have changed from huge guest lists and formal receptions to just the couple hiking a mountain with us. One of our favorite changes so far- Melissa and Kameron’s wedding- morphed from a 150+ guest event at the Donovan, to 30 of their closest family and friends having a picnic at the top of Vail Pass with hopes that they’ll get to celebrate with everyone on the original list next summer.

While they didn’t get to see everyone important to them, Kameron and Melissa did get to celebrate with their nearest and dearest. We have found, while most everything about trying to plan a wedding celebration during global pandemic is challenging, it has given us and our wonderful couples a chance to bring weddings back to what they are supposed to be. When all the superfluous things are no longer an option, we get to the heart of the matter- two people in love, pledging their lives to one another.

With plans changing up to the last minute, Melissa and Kameron were so flexible and fun, you never would have known we were on plan B, H, M, or Q! Luckily, since they opted for a less formal event we had the ability to adjust the day to do what felt right, not just what fit a rigid timeline. That meant we were able to get some amazing portraits of Kameron and Melissa without having to check our watches every two minutes.

Rain, schedule and location changes, gondola shutdowns, and a global pandemic couldn’t ruin their fun! Melissa and Kameron are so obviously in love it wasn’t going to matter where they got married, no one was going see anything but their joy. Luckily we had a stunning backdrop of the Rocky Mountains. Add to that the fact that they were surrounded by an absolutely wonderful group of people that set up a ceremony site, delivered picnic baskets for dinner, bounced along a 4×4 track at (very) high speeds in a sprinter van, then hiked up a literal mountain for photos, it was an unforgettable event.

We feel so lucky to have the type of couple that not only handle the unexpected with grace and good nature, but who also end up feeling more like friends than clients by the end of their events. Melissa and Kameron definitely check all those boxes, and looking at the photos it’s clear this was an absolutely perfect day!

Melissa and Kameron /// Married