After meeting Mandi + Drew last Fall, I already knew their Rist Canyon Inn Wedding in Fort Collins was going to be an absolute dream. To be honest, it was way dreamier than I could have ever imagined and exceeded my expectations in every single way! Mandi and Drew were so much fun to work with and photograph at their Brainard Lake engagement session and they brought that same magical and fun energy to their wedding day. Holy hail (pun intended, you’ll see when you scroll through the photos) this day definitely brought some curve balls with it. AccuWeather (my favorite wedding day weather tracking app) called for some light showers on their wedding day, so I came prepared for a little rain. However, in Colorado the forecast changes in the blink of an eye and as Mandi was putting on her wedding dress it started to hail. When you’re having an outdoor wedding hail can feel a little bit alarming, but Mandi and Drew are literally the most laid back super human beings on this planet and it didn’t even phase them. The nice thing about crazy Colorado Spring weather is it can get better as quickly as it gets “bad”. Mandi and Drew’s guests hung out in the Rist Canyon Inn Wedding reception hall and waited out the storm, which promptly passed in under 20 minutes like nothing had even happened at all. Drew shared some drinks with his groomsmen, Mandi and her bridesmaids relaxed inside the charming little house on the property and as soon as the skies cleared up everyone just picked up where they left off. It was literally perfect because Mandi, Drew and all of their family members and friends are literally perfect, too!
Mandi and Drew exchanged their wedding vows on the lawn at Rist Canyon Inn under a gorgeous moody sky and with lush, green, freshly rained on nature surrounding them. It was like something out of a movie! As a wedding photographer, I couldn’t have conjured up more perfect lighting or more perfect scenery for their amazing and emotional ceremony! After they exchanged their vows, their rings and their first kiss as husband and wife we quickly cranked out their family, wedding party and bride and groom photos to a) make sure the reception began on time and b) beat out the next wave of rain which just barely started to fall again as we were wrapping up! Mandi and Drew definitely deserved a drink (or a few) and some party time after sailing so effortlessly through a very eventful wedding morning!
Their wedding reception was just as wonderful as the beginning portion of the day! Mandi and Drew ate, drank and danced the night away with all of their favorite people by their sides! They even rented the photo booth for a little bit of extra fun! It was such an amazing day and I’m so lucky to have been a part of it!
Venue: Rist Canyon Inn in Fort Collins
Day of Coordinator: Kala Montoya with Pink Diamond Events
Bride’s Dress: Anna Bé Bridal Denver
Florist: Compass Rose Floral
Menswear: Men’s Warehouse
Catering: Greens Point Catering
Hair Artist: Brianna Bartholomew
Ring Designers: Shane Co
Additional Vendors: Boulder Brows