Black Canyon Inn– Estes Park, CO Intimate LGBT Wedding
Leilani & Janelle have been partners for many years and they felt like now it was finally time to have a wedding ceremony to celebrate their love for each other. Not only did November make 20 yrs of being together, but with the recent 2015 Supreme Court decision to declare same-sex marriage legal in all states, there was even more reason to celebrate. The strong love and affection these two ladies hold for each other is so evident just by the endearing way they look at each other. And they may have been together for 20 yrs, but they still had that newlywed smile upon their faces. They didn’t want the traditional big wedding, but Leilani did want her white wedding dress and a small intimate ceremony with the gorgeous Rocky Mountains as her backdrop. With only about 6 wedding guests it was almost more of an elopement, but they did want their immediate family there to celebrate with them. Janelle opted for the more comfortable but seriously styling black suit with purple tie and converse sneakers. Leilani & Janelle have 2 daughters and a son, whom all also wore suits, each styled slightly different from the other, but all with the matching purple tie.
Following the short but sweet ceremony we did the traditional family photos followed by a nice long romantic portrait session with just the two brides. One of my favorite parts of elopements or small intimate weddings is that there is typically no strict timeline or reception to hurry off to, so we have plenty of time to get creative and do some fun relaxing photos. After about an hour of pictures we did meet back up with their family for a small toast and cake cut ceremony. Black Canyon Inn provided them with a cake and did their flowers as well which made those details nice and easy for them. Also, their oldest daughter is a makeup artist so she did Leilani’s makeup, which was a such a sweet mother-daughter moment captured below.
I always feel so special being able to take part in such small private celebrations. I was truly honored to have been chosen to spend this special time with them and document their long overdue wedding day. Thanks again Leilani & Janelle for allowing me to capture these special moments and good luck on 20+ more years together.
candids documenting the day
getting ready for the wedding
LGBT wedding ceremony at Black Canyon Inn in Estes Park, CO
fall wedding ceremony at Black Canyon Inn in Estes Park, CO
fall wedding ceremony at Black Canyon Inn in Estes Park, CO
fun family photos
beautiful bride portraits over the lake at Black Canyon Inn
an intimate wedding toast
sunset silhouette over the mountains