Whew, this was such an incredibly busy weekend that was equally as epic and awesome. Alyssa and I have both been out with the Flu and dealt with it a little bit over the weekend, but we survived! Saturday we ventured down to Larkspur to photograph an amazing wedding then quickly jetted up to Loveland for an amazing stylized wedding shoot.  I guess I just love being a Loveland, Colorado Wedding Photographer!

Some quick notes, the vendors (which will be listed at the bottom) showed up in amazing fashion and were, in no short supply of words, incredible at bringing their talents to collaboratively work together to create something beautiful and different. The Embassy Suites in Loveland is the real deal and their friendly staff, amazing amenities definitely made it a place we’re staying on the regular. Lastly, the models were absolutely GORGEOUS! (as you can tell).

It was such a relaxing and fun day, and I hope you enjoy the images as much as I do!

Vendors:

Coordinator: Chelsey Penoyer, Embassy Suites, Loveland

Gowns:  Dora Grace

Stylist: Fixx Hair Studio

Floral: Hana Style Designs

Cupcakes: The Cupcake Cruiser

Photography: Stebner Photography

This installment on our series for the bride is near and dear to my heart… scheduling alone time.  That sounds a bit funny doesn’t it?  Scheduling alone time? It almost sounds as odd as planning relaxation (which I do by the way, don’t judge me).  But at an event-packed wedding full of details, timelines, hugs, photos, dances, (cup)cakes, etc…. it can get a little crazy very quickly. Remember, it’s your wedding day; you should enjoy it and all of the moments that come with it.

So what do we mean by alone time? After the vows have been said, you’ve had your first kiss (Hooray!) and walked down the aisle, one of two situations can happen, both of which are good depending on your viewpoint.  

The first scenario I like to call the never-ending gauntlet of thoughtful hugs and kisses.  This is where everyone, even maybe that second cousin “Bob” on your new husband’s mother’s side that no one really knows who they are or just how they are related, gives you a hug and pat on the back along with all your brothers and sisters, grandparents, groomsmen, bridesmaids, etc… There’s nothing wrong with affection, nothing at all, even from “Bob.”  But on the way to family photos things can feel rushed very quickly. Personally, I want to take some time out of the crazy day and just enjoy the moment with my wife, alone, without anyone around and just “be.” That my friends, is what we refer to as scheduled alone time.  After all, don’t you want a wedding where you don’t feel rushed through it?  You want to remember your moments, right?

Once Alyssa and I were introduced and walked back down the aisle, we had a separate place for us to go that was just for us and no one else while the ceremony site cleared out. It wasn’t out of an exclusionary attitude, but we knew the wedding day would be rather crazy and we just wanted to relax for a few moments and enjoy our new marriage.  Some of our couples have found shade under trees, viewpoints by waterfalls, a prayer hall at church, or even time alone down by a pond or golf green.  It doesn’t truly matter the location, as long as you have some peace and quiet with each other.

This serves a few very vital purposes. As we have already alluded to, it gives a nice, quiet, intimate moment between you and your new husband / wife. Secondly, it will give your family time to round up all of the relatives (even Bob) for family photos and for my assistant to set up our lighting gear. These are all moments that would take time anyways, so why not relax during this process and enjoy some intimate moments?  Lastly, some very intimate images result from just being there with your new hubby or wife. Our clients love these images, and you will too J

And of course you still want to say hello to everyone. That’s what the reception is for…especially after the second round of YMCA has been played or the Macarena.  Those are perfect moments to stop dancing and say hello to relatives and friends, and even “Bob”, which by now, everyone is still asking how they are related to him.  However, the Chicken Dance is not the time to do this; your presence on the dance floor is always required at this special time.

The two images below were (from left to right) Jen and Keith’s Wedding in Arrowhead Golf Club in Littleton, Colorado and Christina and Justin’s Wine Country Estate Wedding in Sonoma County, California. I love the emotion here! It’s real, raw, and unplanned (but definitely scheduled).

Scott Stebner is a Denver Wedding Photographer and Sterling Photographer based out of Sterling, Colorado. He is available for weddings, senior photos, families, and destination weddings.

Holly and her amazing website Mile High Bride have a special treat for you today in Haley and Daniel’s wedding being featured on their blog. Mile High Bride is a great resource for any bride looking for great ideas, resources, and anything else.

Check out the article HERE

Contact Us: 408-440-6281

Scott Stebner and Alyssa Stebner are Denver Wedding Photographers and Sterling Wedding Photographers available for weddings throughout Colorado, California, and for Destination Weddings.

We love sitting down with brides and helping them plan their wedding schedule to help ease any stress of the day and make sure we get them a rockin’ set of images that they will love in the time allowed. Even if you’ve hired an event planner for the day or your venue has a timeline, we still like sitting down with brides and educating them about the photographic process of their big day. We like helping…it’s kinda our thing. And you’re probably reading this because you’re a trendsetter. You like doing new things…an out with the old and in with the new type right?

The reality is, no matter how much planning goes into the day, it does get a little stressful. We do our best to take away that stress, but some amount will still remain. You will look beautiful.  We’ll be relaxed, you’ll be relaxed. You’ll walk down the aisle, say your vows, kiss, and be announced, and start your story. You will love your photos. You will have the best day of your life!

While the guests are off at the reception, you’re taking your family photos, wedding party, and most importantly, photos of you and your new husband. Trust us, they’ll be awesome. You’ll look awesome. They’ll go quickly.  They’ll be fun. But is there a different way? One that might be a little less stressful, more intimate, and gets you to the party quickly all while getting great images that you will treasure for your entire life?  Many call it the “First Look”

What on earth is a First Look?

Simply, it’s a time set up BEFORE the ceremony for the bride and groom to see each other for the first time in an intimate, private setting without guests, wedding parties, relatives, or anyone else. It’s just you and the love of your life on your wedding day.  . Wait one second….Isn’t that bad luck? Nope. Unless you’re the type that avoids black cats like the plague and under no circumstance walk under latters. As photographers we stand back and don’t interfere, but take some photos along the way to really document the intimate moments. Usually they are some of the bride and groom’s most precious photographs. They are definitely some of ours!

Intimate

So why even consider a first look instead of stick to tradition? We touched a little on the first one, but the intimacy factor is nothing short of special. I’ll be honest. Alyssa and I chose the traditional route. I remember when Alyssa walked down the aisle. I was mesmerized at her beauty. But I couldn’t shout it from the roof tops, give her the biggest of hugs, a gentle kiss, or embrace her because we had a crowd of a hundred people watching.  I am not saying what we experienced was anything short of amazing, but if I could do it over again, I would have chosen an intimate and private setting to see the love of my life and have a moment to truly soak it in without the feeling of being rushed. To cry a little, to laugh, to love.  I would have chosen the first look.

Less Stress

We also notice a difference in the stress of the wedding day. We usually recommend the first look to happen an hour to an hour and a half prior to the wedding. After you see your groom, honestly, all the stress from the day is going to be melted away. The reality that you are getting married will be all that matters, and you’ll find your stress diminishing leading up to the giving of your vows. Afterwards, you won’t be worrying about getting back to your guests while taking pictures…THEY’LL ALREADY BE DONE! Party time!!!

Partay!!!

And lastly, it gives a non-rushed atmosphere to truly enjoy your photographs and work with us in a non-stressful, open time frame that will maximize the number of intimate, creative, and awesome images of a beautiful bride and groom. Hey, that’s you!

We highly recommend the first look, but it’s not a requirement. We just want you to enjoy your day and absolutely fall in love with your images from the day. If you choose not to, that’s cool, we’ll get amazing images and you’ll be beautiful.

The images below just burst with intimacy. Haley and Daniel opted for a first look for their North Eastern Colorado Wedding and the results were no less than amazing! We chose an old abandoned creek bed near where Haley was getting married for the intimate encounter. No one was around, it was awesome! But just as important as awesome images, they were relaxed and deeply enjoyed the intimate moments they were able to share and how quickly they got to their reception. You can view their fashionable wedding HERE

Contact Us! 408-440-6281

Scott and Alyssa are Denver Wedding photographers based out of Sterling, Colorado. We offer high energy fashionable wedding photography to brides throughout Colorado and the U.S.