Saturday July, 18th was the first wedding of the season at Camp Hale. The Shell & Smith families were a great crowd to entertain for the night. I worked hand in hand with Jenny & Nathan to plan their special day.

They chose Camp Hale for their wedding because they dreamed of an outdoor wedding in the mountains. With a waterfront ceremony and backdrops of 12,000 foot peaks, Camp Hale is an unforgettable venue for a wedding.

However, there is one major risk of an outdoor ceremony, the unpredictable Colorado weather. A few hours before the ceremony clouds rolled in, the rain and wind were intense. Jenny and Nathan had planned on heading up the mountain in Nova Guides’ Jeeps for photos, but were limited to the cabins and lodge throughout the rain. Jenny and Nathan remained positive throughout the rain. Their photographer, Charles Townsend, was able to be creative and produce some incredible pictures in the limited indoors.

At six o’clock, an hour before the ceremony, the rain came to an end and the sun broke through the clouds. When the guests arrived they could have never known what had happened that afternoon, needless to say, we were all ecstatic about the weather change.

The ceremony was beautiful, Jenny & Nathan had their great aunts, ranging in age from 74 to 90 as flower girls, and they were a real hoot! The waterfront ceremony offered opportunities for reflection photos in the lake, which created treasured memories.

For the reception Nathan & Jenny chose to have a more casual flow. They placed the dance floor in the center of the event tent, they were here to party after all! Tables for guests’ seating surrounded the dance floor, and food stations and a bar lined the tent’s corners. The toasts were a highlight of the evening, you could feel the love that poured out of each family and into the couple.

The evening wrapped up with a lakeside bonfire, s’mores, and a sparkler send off. It was truly an incredible wedding and we were honored to be a part of such an important day. A special thanks goes out to the Shell & Smith families, Charles Townsend Photography, and AdamFusion Films.