I photographed Maddie and Kevin’s engagement photos last year, and we pretty much hit it off immediately. So when they asked me to come back for their Crested Butte, Colorado wedding and add Super 8 video into the mix, I was very much in. I already knew these two were fun, easy to be around, and completely themselves together. Their wedding somehow took all of that and turned the volume up.
There were wildflowers everywhere, an honestly ridiculous mountain backdrop, and some of the prettiest florals I’ve ever photographed. There was also a sticker vending machine, a photo booth, and an entire gaming setup at the reception because Maddie and Kevin understand that you can have a beautiful mountain wedding and give your guests what they really want.
But underneath all of the fun little details, this was an emotional one. There was so much love surrounding these two, and by the end of the day, I was crying behind my camera right along with everyone else.
Blue Skies, Wildflowers, and a Crested Butte, Colorado Wedding
The first half of the day could not have been prettier.
Maddie and Kevin did their first look surrounded by fields of wildflowers with the mountains rolling out behind them. We had sunshine, blue skies, and enough wind to give Maddie’s dress and veil a little movement without yet trying to launch any of us into another county. Truly, we did not know how good we had it. We took advantage of the weather for their portraits, wandering through the wildflowers for time together before the ceremony.
Then there was the ceremony location. Crested Butte obviously brought the mountains, but their planner and florist absolutely showed up too. The ceremony florals were colorful, loose, and overflowing in a way that felt completely natural against the landscape. They almost felt like an extension of all the wildflowers already growing around them.
Their guests sat facing the mountains while Maddie and Kevin got married beneath a blue Colorado sky. It was one of those settings where you really don’t need to manufacture a moment. And thankfully, we appreciated those blue skies while we had them. More on that shortly.
The Sticker Machine, the Gaming Station, and All the Little Things That Felt Like Them
I love a beautiful detail. I am a photographer. Obviously, give me the flowers and the pretty tables. But what I loved about Maddie and Kevin’s wedding was that the details weren’t there simply because someone told them weddings are supposed to have details. Their choices had personality.
Their reception tables had soft blue linens, colorful little floral arrangements, gold accents, and tiny lamps. And then you turned around and found a custom sticker vending machine. Guests could literally grab a quarter and get one of Maddie and Kevin’s custom wedding stickers from an old-school machine. It was such a small thing, but also exactly the kind of detail people remember because it was fun and unexpected.
They also had a photo booth and, my personal favorite plot twist, a TV and gaming console set up for guests. It made me laugh, but I also genuinely loved it. Weddings are supposed to feel like the people getting married. You don’t have to remove every weird, silly, normal part of yourselves for a day to feel special. If anything, those are usually the things that make it memorable.
That was also part of why Super 8 felt so right for their wedding. There was already so much movement and personality throughout the day, and Super 8 has this imperfect, nostalgic quality that captures that differently than still photographs can. It wasn’t about making their wedding look like someone else’s version of cool. It was another way to preserve how this particular day actually felt.
And then, somewhere between all of the pretty flowers, jokes, games, and chaos, this wedding completely wrecked me.
The Family Photos That Made Me Cry Behind My Camera
Maddie’s family wasn’t there that day, but she had a pretty incredible group of friends around her, and Kevin’s family made it very clear she was one of them too.
During family photos, I asked Kevin if he wanted a few with just him and his parents—a completely normal question I ask all the time. His dad immediately said no. Maddie would be in every picture because she was part of the family now. And that was it for me. I cried. It was such a small moment, but one I know I’ll remember from their day. Just a very matter-of-fact, of course she’s in the photo, she’s ours too.
By evening, Colorado decided to switch things up. Smoke from nearby fires rolled in, the mountains were hazier, and the wind went from cute dress movement to a little aggressive.
Maddie and Kevin just rolled with it. They joked about it, kept having fun, and never let the changing conditions become the story of their day. Looking back, I actually love how their gallery moves from bright blue skies and wildflowers into that softer, moodier evening. It wasn’t what anyone planned, but it was their Crested Butte, Colorado wedding day exactly as it happened.
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