Enjoy Fred & Taryne’s wedding ceremony at Wedgewood’s Brittany Hill.

When your parents’ yard is just as pretty or even prettier than a lot of wedding venues you just have to host your wedding at their home! Blake & Katie were also extremely lucky to have made all of their plans for an outdoor event at a private residence during the time of Corona as well because it worked out marvelously for their dreamy wedding. Everywhere we looked their was a photographic opportunity! From the beautifully decorated home to the amazingly manicured yard and even the classic cars the Blake and his dad owned just made this wedding picture perfect! We covered video and photo for this event while my husband provided the music and MC services. It ended up being an amazing day! Some of my favorite photos are below. It was so hard to choose!

Vendors who made this day possible:

Venue – Private Residence

Disc Jockey: Digital DJ

Caterer: Garden of the Gods Catering

Photography & Video: Crystaline Photography and Video

Florist : Skyway Creations

Table, Chair, Linen Rental: Colorado Party Rentals

Bakery/Cake: Sugarplum Cake Shoppe

Hair & Make-Up: Fuse Salon / Katherine Sikich

Here is the full wedding ceremony from Nicholas & Maria’s happy day in July! Enjoy!

I know Amanda, Alec and their families have been waiting patiently for me to finish their wedding video! And the time has come to release their highlight clip and get their photos and images back to them! This was an amazing wedding with a lot of moving parts to it and also not without it’s challenges, which makes me even happier to see the final results of their photos and video. Having a Winter event is always a bit of gamble especially if you are planning it the mountains of Colorado. Taking a chance on this Silverthorne Pavilion wedding was well worth it for them and even though the Eisenhower tunnel closed for a period of time on this day, almost all of the guests were able to make it to the ceremony on time! The couple notified their guests through their personalized website that due to the ski traffic and unforeseen weather issues that people should allow extra time for travel. That warning seemed to pay off for them! I would highly recommend that any couple planning an event do a little research on the area they plan on getting married at for what’s going on around the time of year they schedule it. Many times I’ve seen couples run into things like a festival being scheduled in the town at the same time as their event so accommodations for rooms being scarce, or unforeseen road closures due to construction or weather. If you know about these types of issues beforehand and let your guests know this can help them prepare for traveling and an on-time arrival for your event as much as as they can!

This venue boasts beautiful mountain and creek-side views, but because the sun goes down quicker in the Winter months we had to plan to do all of their formal portraits prior to the ceremony. This lead to a decision to do a “first look “between the bride and groom so that we could get their formal portraits out of the way before the ceremony. It ended up being a really touching intimate moment that they shared on the bridge. It was completely magical which fits in with their magical Disney themed wedding! Loved the romantic photos in the snow. And all of the children that participated in the ceremony singing songs was adorable!

The reception had a lot of unique elements as well. First, the bridesmaids did double duty as bartenders for the cocktail hour where the couple served their guests “Mocktails” which were non-alcoholic fun fruity drinks. This is a great idea for someone either looking to save money on their bar tab or for couples with religious or other reasons for not drinking. In Amanda and Alec’s situation they still served alcoholic drinks they just opted to wait to open the liquor bar until after dinner when the paid bar staff took over.  It was so cute seeing all the bridesmaids wearing rain smocks over their beautiful dresses to prevent them from getting dirty and I think it also gave another level of entertainment to the many young guests both attending and in their wedding.

Amanda’s brother was the DJ/MC for their event. In most cases I would also try to dissuade couples from using a family member for this important service, but in this case her brother had a background in entertainment having worked for a company that hosts parties and provides games and more for their clients. He did an amazing job not only running games that were entertaining for both the kids and adults, but also keeping the dance floor full.  The reception was also very unique in having a line up of different performers that were chosen from their friends and family who sang at different points in the evening. Amanda and her dad even chose to do a duet instead of a typical father and daughter dance. It really put a personal stamp on the event by including guests that were near and dear to them in the festivities.

We had a ton of fun doing the photography and video for this fairy tale event! I hope it will be a moment that they cherish forever!

Vendors who made this day possible:

Venue: Silverthorne Pavilion

Caterer: A Perfect Bite

Photography & Video: Crystaline Photography & Video

Destination weddings in Colorado have become big business in the wedding industry. Couples from all over the world are imagining themselves saying their nuptials with majestic peaks in the background. Maybe the couples has previously vacationed here and fallen in love with the state or perhaps like one of the couples I photographed a couple years ago the bride had never seen snow before and had always wanted to get married on a snow covered mountain top! Whatever your reason for getting married in Colorado it’s now easier than ever to do! The internet has given everyone the key to searching out thousands of venues and vendors. Couples can check out photos and videos of properties, search by price point and even view reviews from others who have used the vendors in the past. Tools like email, FaceTime and Skype make is easier to do virtual meetings to discuss your needs and concerns that some couples choose to book some or even all their wedding vendors without ever meeting in person! If this is something you plan on doing here is some tips to help you navigate choosing the best vendors!

1.) Consider hiring a Wedding Planner – I’m all for do it “yourselfers” that want to save money, but sometimes a planner is a huge help in facilitating the wedding of your dreams; especially if you don’t live or know anyone where you plan on hosting your event. A planner can have more insight on particular venues and vendors and can even in some cases save couples money by helping them find the best value for what they want to spend. If hiring a planner isn’t in your budget, look for venues with amazing on-site coordinators. When booking a site that includes an on-site coordinator make sure you get a list of their duties so you know what you’re getting. Some venues provide a coordinator purely to  protect their own interests. The coordinator is just there to turn on and off the lights, show you what you can and can not do and make sure guests don’t destroy the property. Others offer full on planning services as well. They help with decorating, organizing guests and the wedding party and more. Just make sure you are aware of what they will and will not do especially if you are paying extra for them.

2.) Hiring Pros…when to choose someone from home and when to go with someone locally – Hiring some local vendors are much more obvious. Hiring a caterer from home and expecting them to haul out all of their gear etc. can become very cost prohibitive. So looking at local caterers is probably recommended. Others might not be so cut and dry… not to shoot myself in the foot, as I would love your photo and video business, but sometimes you have built a repertoire with a photographer who lives near you and you really want to use them. I completely get that! I myself have covered a number of destination weddings for people who have grown to love my work. I’ve covered weddings in Florida, the Virgin Islands and even Costa Rica! But sometimes choosing a photographer who lives and works in the area you’re getting married in can be very beneficial. They might work at your venue on a regular basis or know some amazing off the beaten path spots to take photographs. Consider the travel costs you might have to cover when bringing a vendor with you. Sometimes these costs can double the cost of the service they provide.

3.) Do your research and set a budget in advance – Talk with all the parties involved to set-up realistic budgets for each service you are looking for prior to meeting with venues and vendors.  In your research don’t be afraid to ask the business what their starting prices are and a rough estimate of what their services would cost for what you need. Caterers this might go off of an estimated guest count and food preference. Photographers and videographers might charge for how much time you want them to document your event and whether or not you want more than one cameraman present. Disc Jockeys and musicians usually start with the time-frame they will be playing music and then add-on for things like extra lighting. Once you have found a few vendors in your price range only set-up meetings (whether they are on the phone or in person) with vendors who are in the range of your budget.

4.) Visit your Destination Location – If at all possible schedule a scouting trip to the area you are looking to getting married at during the time of year that you plan on hosting your event. Photos of a property are great, but we all know that photographers have ways to take the photos showing the venue off in it’s best light and can doctor the images using Photoshop! It’s good to see and meet vendor in person whenever possible. Remember that great venues and vendors book up quickly so while I recommend doing your due diligence with all services, if you have a particular date in mind it might be wise to do this sooner than later because for most vendors once they are booked they’re no longer available to take on more work.  Don’t be afraid to ask for past client referrals!

5.) Get it in writing! – Make sure the vendors you hire always use a contract and be sure to review the contracts before signing. Bring up any concerns to the vendor before you sign and give them a deposit. If the vendor doesn’t provide it for you, ask them for an itemized list of everything that is included in the quoted price. At a destination wedding, it’s especially important to make sure things like pick up and drop off of items are being handled by the vendor and everyone is on the same page of timing and what’s included. Be sure to think about things that make it easier for guests traveling to your destination like room blocking at hotels and shuttle service to and from ceremony and reception locations.

6.) Go with your Gut – If after meeting with a vendor for any service something feels “off”, but you can’t put your finger on it listen to what your subconscious is trying to tell you.  Some red flags to consider: disparaging talk about a current or past clients (unless it’s to explain how they handled a challenging situation without naming the clients), how quickly they return emails and phone calls (sometimes with emails it’s just technology failing, don’t hesitate to pick up a phone and call them), trying to strong arm you into features or add-ons that you might not need or judgemental comments about your budget and an unwillingness to work within it. While vendors all understand budgets please don’t call a vendor that says their prices start at “X” price expecting them to do basically the same service they are advertising for at a 1/3 of the price! There may be a little wiggle room in some vendors prices, but don’t expect over a 5-10% difference.

Finishing up on our final Willow Ridge Manor wedding for the year… this amazing wedding of a couple that has shared 29 years of their life together before they were able to finally tie the knot! Marta and Sheri had an amazing wedding with a ceremony that started out with pure entertainment from a flash mob as they walked in. I’m not sharing the music that they danced into in their highlight video due to copyright concerns from the big league artist’s songs they used, but it was awesome! It was the first time we’ve captured a scene like that for a couple. I’m guessing it took lots of practice not only for the dancers, but for the lovely ladies too.  I also wanted to mention their floral arrangements as well. The couple chose to go with eco friendly alternative flowers that were absolutely stunning and did not look like “fake” flowers at all. I was quite impressed with both the style and quality of these arrangements. Chris and I had a blast doing photos and video for this happy couple! Enjoy some of my favorite photos below.

Vendors Who Made This Day Possible:

Venue: Willow Ridge Manor

Caterer: Fresh Tracks

Disc Jockey: DJ Guy

Cake: Nothing Bundt Cakes

Favors: PB Love CO and MODma

Florist: Flintwood Floral and Design

Photography & Video: Crystaline Photography & Video

The beautiful early fall wedding of Frank & Kayla’s Willow Ridge Manor event is featured below along with their highlight video. My crew and I had a wonderful time covering this event. This couple with their little baby girl was the sweetest couple ever, so much love and admiration between the two of them made it an extremely easy wedding to photograph.

I really don’t know how we avoided the rain on this event, but working quickly and saying a few prayers we were able to do just that. One of the amazing things I want to point out about this venue is Lawrence and Gregory’s attention to detail. When those storm clouds started rolling in the two of them were right there handing out umbrellas for all the guests to use and even though they didn’t end up needing them, they were there and ready just in case! Just par for the course with this amazing wedding venue!

Enjoy the photos and the video and congrats again you two! ~Jamie

Vendors who made this day possible:

Venue: Willow Ridge Manor

Caterer: Occasions Catering

Disc Jockey: Digital DJ

Florist: Flowerama

Photography: Crystaline Photography & Video

What amazing weather we had at this Willow Ridge Manor wedding the first weekend in August! Another amazing couple that shared their vows at this picturesque venue.  Our whole team covered this event. Faith and I did the photography while Taleen used her amazing video skills and my husband, Michael with Digital DJ provided microphones for the ceremony and music and entertainment for the reception. I love it when we all get to cover an event together as everything usually just clicks!  Henry and Bethany were just a joy to work with as well…. lots of love between these two as well as from their friends and family.

I  also loved the Art Deco/ Great Gatsby theme they created for their event. The Golds and shades of purple worked amazingly with this venue. Art Deco represents luxury and glamour. The style uses a lot of geometric shapes and bright colors that seem to be very popular right now with couples and worked really well for these two!

Here’s to many years of wedded bliss in their future! Congrats again! ~Jamie

Vendors Who Made This Day Possible:

Venue: Willow Ridge Manor

Caterer: Fresh Tracks

Disc Jockey: Digital DJ

Officiant: Rev. Martin Lettow, Our Savior’s Lutheran Church

Vocalist: Jacob Baker

Musicians: Renee Hemsing; violin, Anton Smirnov; violin, & Andrew Brown; cello

Guitarist: David Graham

Photography & Video: Crystaline Photography & Video

Moose Lodge at Crooked Creek Wedding – Jordan & Kyle from Jamie Striplin on Vimeo.

This destination wedding for this couple from Missouri was amazing! So many couples coming from the plains to get married in the mountains lately! It’s awesome! And this couple did it right… they came with just their close family and friends. There were only about 20-30 people total for the sharing of their nuptials in a field by this Air B&B rental. No caterer to pay for, no large venue, a friend grilled steaks for everyone, no florist, even a friend did their photography… this opened up their budget to have me videotape this important event for them! It was a great day… but any day I get to spend in the mountains is a great day! Enjoy this highlight video from their perfect day!

Lovely spring wedding at one of our favorite venues, Willow Ridge Manor. Lots of love and laughter was shared at this amazing wedding the first weekend of May! We worked with a lot of great vendors for this one. Check them out below:

Venue: Willow Ridge Manor

Caterer: Rocky Mountain Catering

Disc Jockey: Digital DJ

Photographer: Joe + Robin Photography