Ever since I first watched The Legends of the Fall, I’ve been infatuated with the idea of someday owning a huge piece of the Rockies upon which to raise my children (I did name my son, Trystan…), and Charlotte and I could be inspired every day by the natural beauty that would surround us. We would spend our days hunting, fishing, and I’m sure, making more children. I haven’t worked out yet how we stay in business doing all of that, seeing as how my dream home is remote and located far away from here. But let me have my little daydream, I’ll work out the details later…

Until that day comes, however, we’ll continue to live in Briargate (a subdivision of Colorado Springs) and have only cookie-cutter houses, weathered wood fences, and a distant view of Pikes Peak to serve as our inspiration.

That’s why I feel so lucky to be able to zoom off across Colorado on the weekends to capture weddings for beautiful couples in very inspiring places. The Davie Family ranch was no exception.

Sprawling along the Rio Grande, Tessa’s parents had the perfect little slice of high country heaven in their ranch, and Charlotte and I were awestruck. And as I thought about what it must have been like for Tessa and her siblings to grow up on the ranch, I became more and more jealous. Not only did they get to have horses and work the tractors and 4-wheelers, and get to have a full basketball court in the hay loft of the barn, but Wolf Creek Ski Resort is only 30 minutes away, max! Plus, on top of all of that, the landscape is stunning.

Not that I’m implying that growing up on a ranch is easy. I’m sure Tessa’s dad put all the children to work like all good farm or ranch families. And if their efforts to put on a wedding for 200 guests by themselves were any indication, the whole family knows how to work hard.

Tessa’s wedding was probably a real test for the Davie family, because for the 2nd wedding in a row, we got rained on! But this time, there was no tent over the ceremony site, the storm didn’t “just miss” us, it was full on raining during the ceremony. But you know what? Everybody loved it, and it showed. And the photos are proof of what I tell every couple who gets rain on the wedding day, “It won’t show in the photos”. Keep in mind, I’m not talking a downpour here, but a light rain or drizzle shouldn’t put all of the couple’s carefully laid plans to waste.

It was beautiful out, with perfectly flat light, and once again like Kim and Jere’s wedding a few weeks before, the skies played their part and gave us an amazing backdrop for our photos.

This wedding also provided Char and I with one of the most emotional reception moments we’ve ever seen when Tessa’s brother (who was deployed to Iraq) made a surprise phone call to the couple during the toasts. Not a dry eye in the house. It was ridiculously emotional. Which then makes it very hard to see what your trying to take photos of…

Thank you Tessa and Doug, for choosing Charlotte and I to capture your wedding. Especially with it being at your home, Tessa, it really felt like we were capturing something very special, and personal.