A few days before Liz and Andrew were to be married in a Roxborough State Park wedding in May, it was clear that plans might change.
As often happens in May in Colorado, a snowstorm was coming. Some forecasts predicted eight inches. We wondered whether they still wanted to go ahead. The backup plan was to get married in a friend’s apartment.
Friday morning, with heavy, wet snow coming down and temperatures hovering around 35 degrees, the answer was unequivocal: We’re doing this.
The couple had first reached out to us after seeing other Roxborough State Park weddings we had photographed. The park itself is about a 50-minute drive from downtown Denver, tucked away in Littleton, so it’s not not as easily accessible as many other places.
But the terrain is a magical combination of red sandstone spires depicted in the Fountain Formation, evidence, according to the park, of “a mountain range older than the Rockies.”
It’s even more stunning in snow.
Liz traded her fancy shoes for black goulashes, donning her white dress. Andrew stayed in suit pants and buttoned up shoes and threw on a dark jacket. He had first found the park when his firm was doing a project in the park.
We made our way out from the visitor’s center to Lyons Overlook, where the two would be married. First, we stopped for a first look at Fountain Valley Overlook, a perch that allows you to look down the valley of red sandstone that stands stoically in the distance.
We trudged through the mud, carried umbrellas and chairs, and set up a small gathering on the deck of Lyons Overlook. Their ceremony was simple, but beautiful. They spoke of their enduring friendship and the life they wanted to build together. For Andrew and Liz, the most important part of the day was committing to one another among their closest friends and family members.
After family photos, the couple were game for all of our portrait ideas as we made our way back to the parking lot.
All the while, snow steadily fell, and the park was quiet, a serene landscape devoid of almost anyone else. As long-time photographers, we’ve photographed several outdoor weddings in Colorado in the snow, but this might be the most memorable.
