There’s something wildly fitting about Kristen and Anna choosing a trailhead as the place to start their marriage. Wheeler Lake isn’t your average ceremony spot—it’s rugged and serene, tucked away among waterfalls and alpine air, a little bit wild, just like their love.
Surrounded by family, they exchanged vows beneath the pines, with the sound of rushing water as their soundtrack and the mountains standing witness. It was heartfelt and real. No frills, no pretense—just two people promising forever in a place that felt honest and alive.
As we made our way down the trail, a rowdy bachelor party came hiking past. They stopped in their tracks to offer loud, hilarious congratulations and high-fives all around. It was the kind of perfectly-timed interruption that only added to the magic—one of those strange and funny little moments you couldn’t plan if you tried.
Back at a cozy home tucked into Park, Colorado, the celebration continued. There was champagne, tequila, cake, and a spontaneous color blast that left everyone laughing and a little more vibrant than before. Anna’s brother and nephew were covered in color as the wind shifted toward them. Kristen’s brother even walked away with a brand-new profile pic—because no one leaves this party without a glow-up.
And then Landslide came on. The kind of song that hushes a room. We all felt it—that beautiful, aching presence of Anna’s mom, woven into the music, the air, the tears that fell without warning. (Even I cried… well I cried a few times, but who’s counting?) Grief and joy often walk hand-in-hand at weddings, and that moment was a quiet reminder of just how deeply love roots itself in us.
Kristen and Anna’s day wasn’t about perfection. It was about presence. About choosing each other, in hiking boots and wind-blown hair, with muddy shoes and full hearts.
If you ask me, that’s the best kind of wedding there is.
Dating profile photo!
Pre color douse.
Post color douse.
