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Julie is one of the most patient and determined women I have met. Her drive to never settle and only wait for the best… her true love… was incredibly refreshing. She knew her whole life that there was someone special for her and she wasn’t about to settle for just anyone.  On December 28th, 2008, that special someone finally walked into her life and the rest as they say… is history. David and Julie have so much in common and are so obviously perfect for each other but one of my favorite things is their passion for God. After getting to know them during their engagement shoot and over the course of the last several months, it was so obvious to me how much they not only loved each other, but how much they loved God.  They both constantly give Him the credit for their existence and for everything they have. Every single one of my couples inspire me in some way and Julie and David inspired me to love God more deeply and more passionately. I am so grateful for my clients for many reasons, but I think mostly for their inspiration. So to Julie and David: thank you for not only giving me the incredible opportunity to document your love, but for inspiring me to be a better me.

Julie’s ring was incredible! I loved the style of it.

While I hung out with the bride…

…Mikey was with the groom.

I loved her bouquet! I loved it’s bright colors, perfect blend and short stems. Bouquets like this one, in my opinion, photograph the best.

A dashing prince…

…for a stunning princess.

Julie and David opted to experience a “First Look” before their ceremony. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again… this is one of the very best decisions you can make for your wedding day. There are SO many reasons a First Look is a great idea. For starters it’s such a sweet and emotional moment like this one… just look at the anticipation Michael captured on his face from this angle:

You can see in the next two photos David started to get a little choked up waiting to see his bride.

This may be one of my favorite photos ever – and I didn’t even take it yo!! (Mikey, you’re amazing!)

I just luuurve moments like these – and I know that Julie and David will be so excited that they can remember that moment forever because of pictures like this:

Are they a beautiful couple or what?! Someone please pinch me!

I truly love: LOVE.

This photo is completely random, but I just love how adorable Julie looks with all of her extremely tall brothers!

Julie saved the petals of the roses that her dad had given her for years and years and then used them to decorate her white runner leading her and her dad to the altar. How awesome is that!

I just had to post this photo of David’s expression as Julie made her way down the aisle to him to prove to anyone hesitant about doing a First Look that the groom still gets excited when he sees his bride coming towards him. The First Look doesn’t take away from that special moment whatsoever.

This may have been the most passionate ceremony kiss I have ever seen!

They were practically running down the aisle after becoming husband and wife! I loved their excitement!!!

First dance:

Love this with her father:

David and his mother were quite the dancers: I was impressed.

Julie and David share a lot in common but one of those things is their passion for music and singing. As one of their close friends played the piano (yes, the one with the sucker in his mouth! — sweets and candy were one of their themes at the reception – they even had a cotton candy machine!), they serenaded each other to Rascal Flatts’ “God Blessed the Broken Road”.

Julie and David – thank you so much again for inviting me into your lives! I heart you both!

This love story begins in Rocky Mountain National Park west of Denver just outside of Estes Park. Amber and Luke first met there while working as staff at a summer camp.  The sparks didn’t really fly until Luke asked Amber to sleep under the stars at the top of a hill after they had been gathering firewood together. Luke may have been a little too subtle with his flirting because Amber invited six other guys to come up and camp out with them! Bummer! Although he didn’t immediately get the alone time that he had hoped with Amber, Luke did get the privilege of finding out that Amber kicks in her sleep and his head somehow got the short end of the stick in the middle of the night several times. Their alone time followed soon thereafter and even though Luke is from England and Amber lives in Colorado they made the long distance feel much shorter with their love and affection for each other. The nearly 5000 miles that separated them was no match for their grit and determination and for the true love which they hold for each other.

I am SO very honored I was able to not only document their passion and love, but simply that I got the opportunity to know two people with such determination to make it work. Amber and Luke, I wish you all the happiness in the world. Thank you so much for inviting me into your world!

Here are a few of my favs: (their Day After photos are coming tomorrow)

Michael captured this great detail shot of Luke getting ready. Check out his Superman cuff links!

Luke and Amber decided to do a First Look before their ceremony – the joy on their faces to get to spend such a special and intimate moment with each other with live forever in their pictures and it will be a time they never forget.

I absolutely adore the anticipation building up until this very moment: (Michael got the following two shots and I LOVE them.)

Especially this one.

Love this.

I’m not sure I’ve seen a happier couple! Look at those smiles!

Michael shot this one of Amber’s beautiful laugh.

In February you would think there would be tons of snow everywhere in Colorado, but it ended up being the same temperature in Denver as in Louisiana!

They were all smiles the entire day.

At the reception, Luke’s best men (plural) got up and explained a British celebration/tradition of “crackers” which are used during celebrations such as Christmas, weddings, New Years, etc. Inside of each cracker is a paper crown, a small token, and a piece of paper with a (bad) joke on it. Daniel and Ollie did their best to steal the show with their British schoolboy charm and wit during the toast but in the end it was Amber and Luke’s moment and they ROCKED it.

My fabulous couple Julia and Vas were guests at their wedding. You may remember their pictures from Jamaica last summer. They are still madly in love as you can see.

The party went on for hours and it was nothing short of a blast. All in all, the entire day was perfect and I am so lucky I was able to be a part of it!

COMING TOMORROW: Amber and Luke’s Day After (aka Newlywed) shoot!