salida colorado wedding photographer
Evergreen Lake House Wedding Photos | Colorado Mountain Wedding Photographer | Best Colorado Wedding Photographer | Haley Allen Photography | Jeston + Megan
As a twin mom and wedding photographer, getting out the door always feels like some magical, heroic feat. I mean, first of all, you’ve managed to get a shower to look wedding-ready. HUGE. Then, you’re dragging 30+lbs of gear in multiple bags through your house with two 2.5 yr old toddlers trying to grab onto your legs. All the while attempting to gently say “Buh bye” to them while simultaneously exciting them (cough… distracting) with the babysitter. So I always feel this huge wave of relief once I’m in the car & double check my gear. On the day of Meg & Jesse’s Evergreen Lake House wedding, the relief was short lived, once I looked up at the sky. Here are actual images of what my face did when I saw the dark clouds pointing in a sharp V towards the venue that day! haha
As I approached the exit to drop things off at the Evergreen Lake House, I received a text from Meg that they were running behind & asking about the weather. I assured her no matter what, today was going to be an amazing day. As I waited at Highland Haven Inn where Meg would be getting ready, I felt nervous because I’ve seen how rain can (understandably) cause anxiety for a lot of brides. However to my delight, Meg could not have been more cool & excited once they arrived. She & Jesse both had amazing attitudes & it set the perfect tone for their big day.
Vendor List
Getting Ready – The Highland Haven Inn
Venue – Evergreen Lake House
Dress/Bridal Shop – Rebecca Schoneveld / A & Be
Makeup – Sephora
Shoes – Style & Co
Hair – by Bride
Florist – The Holly Berry
Caterer – Fresh Tracks
Ice Cream – Little Man Ice Cream
DJ – DJ Dobaco
Photography – Haley Allen Photography
Getting Ready
Let’s talk about Megan’s dress. First off, it had pockets! Secondly, I loved it’s simplicity. It suited her perfectly and was ideal for dancing & twirling. The latter of which we made her do a LOT.
Both Meg & Jesse kept their bridal party super intimate with mostly family. Meg is one of four sisters and they were all so much fun!
I absolutely could not get over how stunning Meg was. Normally July is not a very green month in Denver. The rain kept all the greens so vibrant & lush, making the satin of her white dress pop so well against the ivy and later at Evergreen Lake House too.
Evergreen Lake House Wedding
![Groom getting ready]( "Best Colorado Mountain Wedding Photographer")
![Evergreen Lake House Wedding Photos]( "Best Colorado Mountain Wedding Photographer")
![Evergreen Lake House Wedding Photos]( "Best Colorado Mountain Wedding Photographer")
![Succulent wedding favors]( "Simple elegant centerpieces")
![Evergreen Lake House Wedding Photos]( "Cute succulent table placecards")
![Beautiful white pink green bride bouquet]( "Rose & carnation bridal bouquet")
![Evergreen Lake House Wedding Pictures]( "Cork photo pin board wedding")
![Hilarious wedding hashtag]( "Best Colorado Mountain Wedding Photographer")
As the ceremony time approached, the rain still lightly drizzled down. They needed to make the call of whether they would move the ceremony inside or not. You could tell they both really wanted it on the deck, so with a little encouragement from others, outside it was! The guests got to carry their paper towels to wipe down their seats and we were off!
Their flower girls were comprised of their nieces. Too precious for words!
When I first met with them, they had a lot of details to iron out, but one thing Jesse knew for certain was that he wanted to wait to see Meg coming down the aisle. It was so worth it. His expression watching her was priceless – teary-eyed anticipation followed by the biggest grin you’ll ever see, barely containing his excitement. The BEST!
Jesse’s brother cracked everyone up by beginning his reading with the classic Princess Bride line “MAWWIAGE! Mawwaige is what bwings us togethah today.”
Of course, after the family photos, it was time for Meg & Jesse’s couples portraits on Evergreen Lake House wedding deck. The rain decided to pick up again briefly, but with a love like theirs, they could not care less! Also Jesse proposed at this very lake after a day of paddleboarding. Naturally, I wanted to incorporate that into their day & we luckily were able to flag down a kind SUP’er who loaned us his board for a minute (thanks kind stranger!).
I included this photo to highlight one of my aspects of these two – Meg & Jesse are two of the most gracious people I’ve worked with. They stopped in the middle of their portraits to say hello & thank the catering staff. In the rain. All day long I was excited to work hard for them because they were so kind & cared about everyone else.
No, your eyes are not playing tricks on you. The best man speech included both a horse head AND a hot dog costume.
Before they all hopped on transportation to the after party, I grabbed Meg & Jesse one last time for some night rain shots. So thankful they were up for it!!
Congrats again Meg & Jesse and thank you so much for having us! Also major thanks to my partner in crime & second Kyla Fear for working with me this day!
– Tell me the story of how you met.
“We first met in the fall of 2008 after being introduced by Meg‘s sister, Erin, and husband, Sean. Jesse was one of the first friends to welcome Meg to the beautiful mountain town of Avon. We played volleyball together had fun nights out in Vail village with friends, and even enjoyed a ski date in Beaver Creek. Jesse was very shy, but also very sweet. He always made Meg laugh. As time passed, we kept in touch. Years later, we reconnected at a birthday bash for Sean and Erin’s daughter, Addie, where we only had eyes for each other and ended up dancing the night away at, the one and only, Cowboy Lounge (yee-haw!). Our first date was a romantic dinner at The Bistro in Evergreen, followed by a moonlit nightcap at Evergreen Lake, which has turned out to be a very special place to us… not only did we go there for our first date and first date-avversary, it is where Jesse proposed, and where we married! Together we love our big happy families, enjoy traveling to new places, escaping to the mountains to ski and hike, getting out on our stand-up paddle boards, and cheering on the Denver Broncos.”
– What is your favorite memory of your wedding day?
“We loved our intimate outdoor wedding ceremony, the rain cleared up just in time! We absolutely couldn’t wait to see each other that day, and were so glad we waited until that very moment I was walking down the aisle. It was so special to have our family involved in our ceremony… our nieces as flower girls, my sister as my maid-of-honor, Jesse’s brother Nick giving a (hilarious) reading, our nephew Cohen as a groomsman, and of course, our brother-in-law Sean as our officiant, delivering such a personal and meaningful ceremony incorporating our childhood, memories, parent’s advice, and lessons on love.”
– Will/Did you take a honeymoon? If so, where?
“Yes! We honeymooned in Thailand and Bali, taking two weeks off to travel through the southern islands of Thailand (Krabi, Phi Phi and Phuket) then to the island of Bali (Uluwatu, Nusa Dua and Ubud). Got to relax, swim and sail around the most beautiful white sand beaches. We hiked, snorkeled and scootered and even learned how to make sushi. Loved our time away and all of our adventures throughout the gorgeous Asia Pacific – would highly recommend it!”
– What advice do you have for other couples planning their wedding?
“Keep it simple. Enjoy each and every minute.”
What was it like working with Haley Allen Photography?
“Haley – you rocked! We loved working with you guys and really couldn’t be happier with how our day went. We thought you did a great job working with us and our families, and all of our nieces and nephews. You made the best of a rainy day and really worked it!! You fit our laid-back and natural style really well, and we felt super comfortable with you from day one. Thanks for being there and making us look good!!”
Evergreen Lake House Wedding Photos | Colorado Mountain Wedding Photographer | Top Colorado Wedding Photographer | Haley Allen Photography | Meg + Jesse