The Barn at Sunset Ranch rose up like an oasis on the horizon as we drove down the long gravel drive. The wind was warm and it did not feel like October in the mountains at all; more like a perfect summer day. We stopped the car and gazed at the wedding venue in front of us. Standing as a lone structure in the Upper Arkansas River Valley against the mountain peaks, I couldn’t find an angle that wouldn’t make for gorgeous photos. Buena Vista, Colorado, really lives up to its name, meaning “good view” in Spanish. The small mountain town lies in this beautiful sunlit valley with no prettier view than the Collegiate Peaks range as it’s backdrop. The rustic wood barn wedding venue, The Barn at Sunset Ranch, sits with an unobstructed view of these tall peaks (several of the highest 14ers in the state) near the base of Mt. Princeton. I don’t know of any venue placed in a better location; a prime spot to hold wedding ceremonies and later in the evening a grand backdrop for colorful Colorado sunset photos!
Kristen and Zac’s wedding day was finally here and the day couldn’t have been more perfect! I met Kristen in the bridal suite where she was getting ready with her best friends and her mother. The atmosphere was filled with laughter and excitement. Everyone was poised for the evening to come! Working alongside Hillhound Productions we began documenting both Kristen and Zac getting ready for their ceremony. Zac was in a room just around the corner which made hopping back and forth to photograph really easy. This ensured that we didn’t miss any important moments! The Barn at Sunset Ranch really knew how to build this venue and make everything accessible. It is literally a photographers dream location along with the bride and grooms! Prior to this day a few weeks before, I had asked Kristen and Zac to tell me their story of meeting, falling in love, and getting engaged. Here are a few snippets from what they shared with me:
Kristen and Zac went to the same small private college but were both in “on and off” long term relationships so they weren’t looking for anything at the time. Being a small college they would see each other in passing at the student center and all throughout campus. “Zac was this tall, handsome basketball player that always stood out in a crowd.” Kristen says. They often exchanged the ‘you’re cute’ kind of smile in passing and that was pretty much that. Can you believe it when I tell you then that they never actually met on campus and introduced themselves? Crazy kids right?! Kristen said she honestly kind of wrote him off as the cocky jock because he was a star basketball player and very very handsome. Total assumptions in the end but sometimes you just have to trust God’s timing in things! Fast forward to two years after college graduation and Kristen was in one of their mutual friends weddings. (Yay for weddings bringing two strangers together!) Zac came across a wedding picture with Kristen in it and was like, “oh this is that girl that I always saw but never knew who she was!” With this event, he decided to change their current status and proceeded to find and follow Kristen on Instagram. A few months later Zac took a chance and messaged Kristen on the platform. Something along the lines of, “Hi, i noticed you haven’t really posted a picture of your boyfriend in a while and I was wondering if you were still dating? I think you’re really gorgeous and I would like to get to know you.” When Kristen told me this I almost laughed out loud! Super straight to the point - don’t tell me you’re not impressed by the total abrupt honesty!
Kristen said she had just gotten out of a long distance relationship when all of this occurred and really wasn’t looking for anything at all at that point. But, she did still think that he was super cute and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to chat. Kristen said the rest of the convo went something like this “Thank you! I actually just got out do a long term relationship and am not looking for anything right now but am always open to making new friends!” Then Zac said, “I’m good with friends as long as you don’t friend zone me.” This kid haha, I’m so amazed at how he pursued Kristen and just stood his ground in knowing what he wanted! The two exchanged numbers and the next part of the story is pretty amazing. Zac called and after two “phone dates” asked if he could come visit Kristen. A little background for you: at this time Zac lived 4 hours away! So for him to travel to Kristen he would have to come for a weekend and stay with her and her family! Kristen says she was terrified and asking herself, “What if we hate each other?! What if it’s awkward?! What if It doesn’t work out and I’m stuck with him all weekend?!” So many what ifs. But in the back of her mind she was intrigued. And once again, he somehow got her to agree! Which she says, “Is so NOT me.”
Within a week of talking, Zac visited Kristen at her families house for an entire weekend. He literally met Kristen AND her parents for the first time in the same night! Kristen said all she could think was, “Dang, this guy moves fast and is persistent!”. Much to their surprise they had the best weekend and Zac wasn’t the jock basketball player Kristen suspected but turned out to be one of the sweetest guys she had ever met. Kristen remembers, “Zac told me early on in one of our first conversations that he was different than most guys and that if I gave him the chance, that he would show me and win me over.” And he did! I was almost tearing up thinking of all of this as I took several snapshots of Kristen was getting her hair and makeup done. She was absolutely glowing and their story of growth and pursuing one another made this day so incredibly special!
As the wedding party got ready, Kristen pulled out several beautiful gifts for her bridesmaids. She had bought gorgeous jewel belts from BHDLN that they all wore around their waists and the cutest jean jackets that were embroidered uniquely for each! The bridesmaids were so excited and they each helped tie one another’s belts to finish adorning their gowns. As the guests began to arrive, the wedding party crowded by the side door of the barn to walk out to the ceremony spot. Zac and Kristen chose not to have a first look and when she walked down the aisle it would be their first time seeing one another! And oh my, how the tears flowed for Zac! Kristen was smiling and laughing as her father led her down the walkway to her beaming fiance. Zac had glistening tears welling up in his eyes and splashing over his cheeks as he looked at her radiance and beauty amidst the Colorado landscape. Many attending to celebrate their union stood quietly wiping tears away as Zac took her hand and Kristen’s father gave her away. Throughout their ceremony Zac could hardly hold back the tears (maybe spurred a little by the slight breeze and the autumn dust) but Kristen smiled and laughed in response at each of their stolen glances. They began their ceremony singing worship songs together and their ceremony was just so sweet. Each moment was filled with intention from singing together in celebration to sharing personally written vows, and then kissing to the joyous hoots and hollers of their guests!
The warm wind grew a bit gusty as the sun began to set and the pink alpine glow blazed like a fire along the tips of the Collegiate peaks set behind the venue. I kept Kristen and Zac outside just a little longer as their bridal party walked in and this give them the chance to soak in the view and take a secluded breath of fresh air together. This time was special, a moment to be present and to enjoy their new status of husband and wife while their guests grabbed drinks and headed for their reception. They held each other close, swooning at the sunset and the changing colors of the sky. With its spanning views within the Colorado Arkansas Valley, Buena Vista truly has some of Colorado’s best sunsets! On our way back to the wood barn we stopped at the old blue Ford truck with beautiful patina on the paint, a sweet rustic memoir of past times that makes for some fun portraits! This old Ford truck name Elwood was actually one of the many reasons that Kristen and Zac decided to go with the venue The Barn at Sunset Ranch. Zac, his father, and his grandpa share a love for classic vehicles and have spent countless hours traveling across the US together to collect unique finds. Kristen recalls that when they pulled up to the venue and saw that blue old Ford truck with its beautiful rusty patina sitting right out front, it was confirmation from God that this was the right place to say, “I do.” This is an iconic landmark piece at The Barn at Sunset Ranch and almost every couple chooses to stop for a quick photo op. As we finished our time taking portraits, guests finished snagging swanky libations from The Pour Trailer and Kristen and Zac eagerly joined the party inside!
The rest of the evening was filled with delicious food, beautiful heartfelt speeches, and live music to dance to! Unfortunately, Colorado was under a strict fire ban so we had to do a little researching and rethinking on the live sparklers for their send off. I asked each guest to turn on their phone flash lights and then turn those lights towards me and into the camera lens. This created a brilliant starring effect that looked similar to sparklers without the fire hazard danger! If you find yourself in a similar situation, this is a great wedding send off faux sparkler hack to use! I hope you enjoy looking through these photos and into their beautiful love story - make sure to scroll to the end to view their wedding video! And if you’re looking for an incredible Colorado Venue to get married at, do not hesitate to reach out to The Barn at Sunset Ranch. They’ve become quite popular and available dates fill up fast!
I think the pictures tell all but I did reach out to Kristen and Zac and asked them to share a few of their favorite memories and advice from their day!
What do you remember most? “When I think back on my wedding day the overwhelming memory that comes to mind is a feeling of unshakable joy! I was finally about to marry my very best friend and become one with him. It was the epitome of butterflies in my stomach from the second I opened my eyes in the morning, to walking down the aisle staring into his dreamy eyes, and through the moment I said “I Do”. I simply could not stop smiling from ear to ear. It was evident to my husband and I that God had ordained our paths together. We could sense His presence with us every step of the way. Also playing into the emotions was the fact that we had so many dear family members, friends and loved ones around us in a breathtaking location to celebrate this next step with us. It was a dream come true!”
What inspired your details and theme: “We were doing our wedding on a budget so almost everything that was used for decorations was hand collected from marketplace, resale, and second hand stores all over multiple states. It was such a blast putting it all together and letting the creativity flow, but it was no easy task. Especially with a three month engagement! So when we finally got to see how things actually looked together, it was a feeling of great accomplishment!”
What advice would you give couples who are in the midst of planning their day? Hmm.. I’d say find the things that matter most to you and your man for your special day and do your best to make them happen, but be open minded and willing to compromise on some of the others that don’t matter quite as much. As much as I labored over all of the details of our day, none of those things are what made it so special. They are fun and I greatly enjoyed them no doubt, but what really matters is that you are walking down the aisle to the man that you love with all your heart and wouldn’t want to ever live without. As I was running around for those three months collecting wedding pieces from recently married women off of market place, like a chicken with my head cut off at times, I picked up some valuable advice. One that really stuck with me was a women who shared her wedding day regret. She got so caught up in the details of the day, trying to make sure things went according to how she planned them that she doesn’t even really remember the day! She said that she went into a state of panic that robbed her of her wedding day joy. She was so stressed that it brought out a side of her on her wedding day that wasn’t even who she really was (her husband stood wide eyed behind her silently nodding his head up and down in agreement). She told me she was frozen and overwhelmed by the stress of it all and she mentally and emotionally missed out on a day that is supposed to be one of the happiest in her life. She warned me to line things up as well as possible prior to your big day, but the second you wake up on your wedding day just let all of those details go! Surrender the image you’ve built up inside your head and trust that things will play out exactly as they are supposed to. At the end of the day, if your circle arch completely breaks under the weight of the floral arrangements on the morning of the wedding then laugh it off and make do with what you have! Yes, this totally happened to me. I envisioned and even paid extra for a beautiful circle arch clothed in florals and as the florist was setting it up it twisted and broke to pieces. The groomsmen had to hike across the field and collect another arch that came with the venue for the florist to redecorate just in the nick of time. But you know what, it was still beautiful! Because of what that women told me, I had mentally decided to not let anything that happened on that day take away my joy! It just became part of our story. I also broke down a couple weeks prior to the wedding and decided to get a day of wedding coordinator which I HIGHLY recommend! It made it that much easier to take my mind out of the details on the day of and let things just fall into place! One of my best decisions!
Anything you wish you’d done? A better “after wedding” itinerary for our guests. Especially since it was a destination wedding and our location had poor cell service, this made communication tricky. I was so set on making it through the big day that whatever followed after was so far off my radar. I think it would have been nice to have an optional itinerary for family and friends to be apart of for activities after the wedding day took place. Had we had a schedule planned we could have stuck with that and people could have come and gone to whatever they pleased. Something to consider if you do a destination wedding! We did make a website with our information on it that had a list of fun things to do in the area and this was incredibly helpful to guests who wanted to explore Buena Vista a little more!
Marriage Advice! Congratulations!! What an exciting chapter of your lives! Enjoy every bit of it, even the stressful parts. It all goes so fast! Soon you will be married and I hope it is one of your best decisions in life so far! Some things I’ve learned about marriage are as follows: Be careful not to go into marriage with a mind full of expectations that are sometimes impossible to meet. Neither of you guys are perfect and you’re both going to make mistakes. Try to take a step back each day and consider each other’s needs and feelings. Ladies, always do your very best to respect your husband, which will allow him to lead your family well. Respect is HUGE and one of the greatest gifts a wife can give their husband. When a man feels respected by his wife It is an unspoken way to build their confidence, make them feel loved and honor them well. If frustrations come up, pull them aside to talk about it instead of blurting it out in front of other people. Protect each other’s image and have the harder conversations in private. Do your best to be selfless instead of selfish in the relationship. Be willing to give even if it means you aren’t receiving that day. And be willing to compromise! You will both have opinions on different matters. In most cases, one person usually cares a little more. For instance, if your husband feels very strongly about where the TV should go and maybe you have a preference but don’t care nearly as much as him, compromise and let him have his way that time. We don’t always have to be right or have things our way. And vice versa! When it’s something you really care about hopefully he will be willing to let you have that win the next time around. Pick and choose your battles! Don’t make a huge deal about little things but if something is really important to you, make sure he knows that. As long as I’m not nagging my husband over every little thing, he knows that when I say something is important to me then it’s important. Lastly, enjoy each other!! Marriage is a huge blessing and a gift! Find things you both love to do and do them together. Find ways to serve each other without the other asking. And CHOOSE to love each other every single day, no turning back! Above all else, our relationship in rooted in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the deepest and most grounded part of our relationship together. All other beautiful aspects stems from that. We love each other deeply, Long to serve each other selflessly, and tease each other endlessly! He’s my very best friend and my soul mate. Definitely a blessing from the Lord!
Vendors
Dress: Jenny Yoo Collection // www.jennyyoo.com
Wedding Skirt and Dress Shop: Volle’s Bridal // www.vollesbridal.com/
Suit: Men’s Wearhouse // www.menswearhouse.com/
Hair and Makeup: Lola Beauty Bar // www.lolabeautyatx.com
Venue: The Barn at Sunset Ranch // www.thebarnatsunsetranch.com/
Videographer: Hillhound Productions // www.hillhoundproductions.com
Day of Coordinator: Graceful Weddings Co // www.weddingwire.com/biz/graceful-wedding-event-planning/2b76f51b1f5c8807.html
Florist: Flowers Forever Design // www.weddingwire.com/biz/flowers-forever-design-englewood/fefc64e91f516267.html
Band: Jonny Mogambo Band // www.jmoband.com/
The Libations Bar: The Pour Trailer // www.thepourtrailer.com/
Caterer: Kalamata Pit // www.kalamatapit.com