After the toasts came a cake cutting that could have turned incredibly messy.  Kari had planned to have  some sort of cream pie available to smash in Sam’s face after feeding him cake.  I think it was delayed a bit somewhere down the line, and by the time she had the pie in hand Sam had figured out the plan and was backing away from the table.  He certainly lucked out.

The rest of the reception was filled with dancing.  This was my last wedding of the season, and I must profusely thank Michelle for second shooting (and doing a whole host of other things), and Kayla for being an expert with the lightstand.

Congrats Kari and Sam!

After the ceremony, we went through a marathon of family photos (Sam has a large family), and only had a few moments to do photos of Kari and Sam together.  It was dark and cold, and there was a fire truck outside blasting lights and alarms, but they were willing to venture into the streets to capture a few shots in the 5 minutes we had before cocktail hour ended.  It was one of the fastest couple shoots I’ve done, but I think we pulled it off.

Then it was back inside to the warmth of the ballroom for the reception.  More from that tomorrow!

Many thanks to Michelle for second shooting with me, and to Kayla for assisting.  Congratulations Becky and James – enjoy Hawaii!

After a quick First Look we headed straight into portraits of the lovely bride and groom downtown.  Becky and James were blessed with excellent weather (and only a few drunk people harassing them while wandering 16th street.)  After the ceremony, we ran out before sunset for a few more photos with the wedding party, who were good natured enough to stand in a smelly alley for me so I could get my shot.  Thanks guys!

Stay tuned for the reception photos in Part Two!

Many thanks to Brooke for second shooting with me, and to my assistant Kayla for all her help.  Congratulations to Leslie and Peter for surviving a somewhat hectic wedding day with such class.  I hope they have a phenomenal honeymoon in Italy!

Leslie and Peter had planned a lovely outdoor ceremony in the Rose Garden of City Park, overlooking the mountains and downtown Denver.  It’s a beautiful spot, but sometimes Colorado weather gets in the way of best laid plans.  Before the ceremony was set to begin, we took family portraits at the ceremony site.  As the portraits progressed, the view began to disappear.  First the mountains, then the city skyline, then suddenly all you could see was a looming dark cloud.  We decided to run for cover.

We found refuge in the parking garage for the Museum of Nature and Science, and waited out the storm.  But it didn’t pass quickly enough, and their outdoor ceremony had to be redirected to another location.  But where?  The officiant suggested the parking garage, since guests already knew to arrive there.  Leslie and Peter considered it for a moment, but we all know how photogenic a parking garage is.  So they opted to try the reception space, Mise en Place in the Ice House building downtown.  When we arrived I helped them scout for a location, and it became clear that Mise en Place didn’t have a suitable spot for a ceremony.  But the lobby of the building had potential, and despite the somewhat steady stream of restaurant patrons moving through the space, it was the best option.

And so, Leslie and Peter were married in the lobby of the Ice House building.  It might not have been the ceremony they planned, but these two hardly seemed upset about it.  In the end they still got to say their vows and exchange rings, so the ceremony was a success.

More on the party that followed coming up in part two!

Congrats to John and Jenny!