Ben and Judy - A Spring Wedding in the Rocky Mountains
Spring brings a sense of promise, newness and an explosion of color. And nowhere is this more apparent than in Sarah Barth's beautiful photos of Judy and Ben's wedding. Sarah expertly captured the vibrant green fields and soft aspens. She also captured the moody, unpredictable sky that went from gorgeous sunshine to a deluge of rain!
Judy and Ben tied the knot at the end of May in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. When Judy and Ben decided upon a May wedding, I was upfront with them about the weather. Having lived in Steamboat for over fifteen years, I have seen snow falling from the sky in just about every month. It's crazy but true! If you are planning a spring or fall wedding in the mountains, you have to be prepared for all types of weather as you can definitely have four seasons in one day. The key to a successful early or late season wedding is to ensure you have a solid back up plan. Rarely, have I had to go to plan B, but when you have to go there, you are so thankful that plan B exists! We did everything in our power to fulfill Judy and Ben's desire to get married outside however the rain just wouldn't stop and our beautiful ceremony location soon became a mud pit. I knew I had to make the tough decision of moving the ceremony inside. It's never an easy decision but with guests on their way, I had a short window of time to redirect guests, set up ceremony chairs, coordinate the vendors, set up flowers and instruct the bridal group on where to stand.
Our back up plan was the reception site at Olympian Hall however to our surprise, Catamount welcomed us into their beautiful lake house for the ceremony. We moved the arch - a feat in itself to the lake house. Picture the back of a pick up truck packed with groomsmen (all dressed for the ceremony!) all holding onto a huge arch driving about 5 miles an hour! Unfortunately the arch was too big to fit inside the lodge so instead we set it up outside the lodge and it served as an beautiful entrance for the guests. Judy and Ben recited their vows to each other in front of a stone fireplace overlooking Catamount Lake.
Then it was time to party at Olympian Hall. The sun decided to finally reappear and Judy and Ben got some great sunset images to end the day. Wow what a day!
Getting ready, first look and ceremony location: Catamount Barn and Lake House
Reception location: Olympian Hall, downtown Steamboat Springs
Dessert by Steamboat Baker
Catering by Steamboat Meat and Seafood.
Music by Garrett Branson
Photography by Sarah Barth - https://sarahbarthimages.smugmug.com/
