MaryBeth and Courtney’s same sex Boulder elopement on Flagstaff mountain was such a joy and honor to document. I spent their entire mountain elopement ceremony in awe behind my camera as I watched and photographed two beautiful brides, witnessed by their two beautiful pups, exchange their heartfelt vows with a stunning view of the sun setting in to the Colorado Rocky Mountains. You couldn’t ask for anything more perfect than all of the things that occurred on this incredible fall evening in late September!
I love that these two traveled with their dogs, Lily and Pius, for their destination elopement in Boulder Colorado so that they could join them for the ceremony. Both dogs even got to wear special dog tags for the ceremony that they ordered on Etsy! (Etsy has such great shops with things for weddings and elopements. Courtney and MaryBeth found their wine box and ring box on there too!) My dogs are super picky eaters, so I was cracking up when their Golden Retriever was eating baby carrot treats. The dogs were so well behaved during the elopement ceremony and I love that they both looked up at Courtney and MaryBeth when they shared their first kiss as wife and wife! After the elopement ceremony we explored the nearby mountain trails for some epic just married photos during sunset!
Before their elopement day they shared with me that they feel most at ease when they’re in nature with each other and their pups, so Flagstaff Mountain in Boulder was the perfect elopement location for them and I love that Mother Nature really showed off with a beautiful sunset and Rocky Mountain view.
Photographing intimate elopements like MaryBeth and Courtney’s is always such a humbling experience. Not only to be there and document their love for one another but also to be one of the only people to witness their marriage. There are never enough words to describe how amazing it is to be trusted by my clients. From the bottom of my heart, it means so much!
Same Sex Boulder Elopement Officiant: Lisa Hunter with Ceremonies with Lisa
Wine Box: Arrow Sarah
Elopement / Wedding Dog Tags: Print Smitten
Ring Box: Ring Boxes Shop
I always send my couples a questionnaire before working with them for their weddings or elopement (I know, I know – more things to fill out) because it gives me such an incredible insight on the individual dynamic of each relationship so I can help to show those things through their photographs. I absolutely loved Courtney and MaryBeth’s story and it’s too good not to share!
The First Date:
MaryBeth: On our first date, I met Courtney at her house. It was a beautiful house that she had bought and renovated with her parents, so I was super impressed by her right off the bat. I remember not being sure if I had pulled up to the right house or not, until Courtney opened the front door. I was completely blown away by her. I didn’t realize how beautiful she would be in person, or how cool she would seem, which made me really really nervous. We went to dinner and I remember my cheeks hurting because I was smiling so much! I couldn’t believe how smart and down to earth she seemed and how much we had in common. I couldn’t tell if she liked me or not, so when I took her back to her house and we were standing together on her back deck, I noticed her hammock and asked if we could lie in it. She said yes and we laid in the hammock and held hands and talked. That was when I realized she did like me back because for the first time, she seemed nervous too! When I left that night, I texted her right away to tell her how good a time I had had, and I knew something really special had happened.
Courtney: MaryBeth drove from St. Louis to Columbia for our first date. I remember being nervous the whole time she was driving to me! She texted me when she arrived, and I stuck my head out the door to wave hi and let her know she was in the right place. I think my jaw literally dropped to the ground! I thought I was nervous before I saw her but when I saw how beautiful she is my nerves got 1000x worse. We chatted at my house for a bit before heading out for dinner. I remember being totally entranced at dinner and wishing she didn’t have to drive home that night. We talked about our families, our careers, the books we had recommended to each other, and all kinds of random stuff. I loved everything she had to say, and I loved even more how I felt when I was with her – really, really happy (despite the nerves). After dinner, we went back to my house and talked on the back deck for a while before MB said she wanted to lie in the hammock. I was so excited because I knew that meant she was also having a good time. We ended up holding hands on the hammock and talking for quite a while longer before she finally had to leave. I took my dog, Lily, out for a walk after she left and I was so happy that it felt like I was floating.
The Proposal:
Courtney found a ring that she really loved online, and it was only made and sold in a jewelry store in England. It’s a tiny little shop that hand carves rings! Courtney was going to the Netherlands to present her research at a conference, and MaryBeth decided that she would go too. After the conference, we made a special trip to a little island called Isle of White where the jewelry shop is and picked out our engagement and wedding rings!
MaryBeth kept the rings for about 6 months before officially proposing…
Our first date was a “blind date” and we went to dinner and then laid in a hammock in Courtney’s backyard and held hands and talked for a long time. On a weekend that we got hit with a blizzard (because we both love snow), MB sneakily bought and assembled a hammock in the backyard, in the snow. On that chilly morning in the hammock in the backyard, with the dogs playing in the snow, MaryBeth proposed to Courtney.
Each of their favorite things about the other:
MaryBeth: I don’t know where to start… Courtney is the most caring person I’ve ever met. She refuses to ignore injustice and she would do anything to help someone in need. I love her integrity. She really will not do something if she doesn’t feel that it’s the right thing to do, and I respect her for that so much. I love her brilliant mind. She is so extremely smart, and she challenges me to think and grow in so many ways. I love her random, sarcastic sense of humor and how she makes me laugh all of the time, but always somehow when I’m not expecting it. I love how much family means to her and how fantastic she is with kids. She’s my favorite person in the world, and she wants a family as much as I do. I can’t wait to see her be a mom. That’s how I know she’s the one for me.
Courtney: There are so many things I love about MaryBeth. I love how smart, caring, and driven she is. I love how her career is focused on helping others, and even within that she does really cool re-search to help others even more! I love how much she loves her family and how close she is with them, and how she loves my family too. I love that she always laughs at my weird jokes/sense of humor. I love how wonderful she is with children. There are few things that make me happier than seeing her play with our nieces and nephews because they all love her so much! I love that she loves me for who I am. I love how much I have grown since I met her and all of the things she has taught me. I know MaryBeth is the one for me, not because we never disagree on anything (I actually like that we don’t agree on everything), but because deep down we have the same core values and the same goals in life. Because of that, we make a really great team. I know we will always support each other in every way, and that is incredibly important to me.
Planning a Same Sex Boulder Elopement and looking for an LGBT Inclusive Colorado Photographer? I’m your girl!