Bristlecone Inn Wedding
Katie & Isaac's Bristlecone Inn wedding day had it all: incredible mountain views, an adventure in Rocky Mountain National Park, and a celebration with friends and family in Estes.
The couple planned for a pretty traditional wedding day timeline – but they also wanted to prioritize some private moments just the two of them. I think we absolutely nailed this balance!
Hey there! I'm Sam, Your Colorado Elopement Photographer & Planner
I know and adore Estes Park (and the rest of the Colorado Rocky Mountains!), and I would be thrilled to help make your wedding or elopement just as amazing as Katie & Isaac's.
There's no reason you can't have it all on your wedding day.
At the beginning of wedding planning, a lot of couples feel like they have to make a decision between celebrating with guests and an epic adventure in the mountains. But it's totally possible to have both!
That's exactly what Katie and Isaac did for their Bristlecone Inn wedding. We started the day with a private hike, where we took some stunning portraits of the couple and enjoyed lots of intimate, unhurried moments in nature. And then after a power nap, we met back up for their ceremony and reception at Bristlecone!
If you're including guests in your wedding day, I highly recommend prioritizing some private moments with your partner.
After all, your wedding day is about you guys!
Rocky Mountain Adventuring
Katie and Isaac really wanted some epic mountain portraits in Rocky Mountain National Park. We chatted a lot about the best times to adventure into the park, both for lighting and for crowds.
Originally we discussed going on a mid-day adventure in Rocky. But we wouldn't get that stunning golden hour light, and the park would be busy in the afternoon because it was a Saturday during peak fall colors.
So we decided instead to do a sunrise hike to an alpine lake, where we could lose some of the crowds and get some insanely beautiful photos with alpenglow.
An Early Start
We met up extremely early to start hiking, so we would reach the lake right before the sun rose. We hiked with headlamps, chatting away about life and how cool their wedding day was going to be!
Once we got to the lake we waited, eagerly anticipating the alpenglow. The wait paid off – and we got some of the best alpenglow I'd ever seen!
We had a blast exploring the lakes and getting dramatic mountain portraits. Katie & Isaac couldn't wipe the smiles off their faces all morning – proving this was the perfect way to kick off their wedding day!
On the hike back down, we stopped at a few of the other lakes and spots along the trail that I love for photos. (Seriously, this is one of my favorite trails in RMNP!)
Wedding Portraits in the Aspens
And of course because it was peak Fall in Rocky, we had to hit up one of my favorite aspen groves in the park. The fall colors were totally showing off for us!
Then we parted ways for a nap and a quick reset before the rest of Katie and Isaac's wedding day at the Bristlecone Inn.
Bristlecone Inn is my favorite Estes Park wedding venue.
I think Bristlecone Inn is one of the most overlooked wedding venues in Estes Park! The main thing I love about Bristlecone is that it's got the vibes of an intimate backyard wedding – without all the work of hosting one! The historic house, wraparound decks, gorgeous ceremony space on the lawn, and beautiful string lit tree for dancing: everything you'd want for a backyard wedding.
Plus, Bristlecone Inn is really reasonably priced, and their in-house catering is so good.
Getting Ready + Details
Katie got ready for the ceremony with her sister and her mom, and one of her friends did her makeup (and absolutely nailed it!).
Once the couple was ready (again) everyone headed to the venue. Katie's mom made sure all the guests took a picture and left a message in the couple's photo guestbook, so they'd have a super sweet memento of their wedding day!
I really love how amazing the afternoon light is at Bristlecone. We had perfect lighting for details, ceremony, portraits, and the party!
Ceremony + Cocktail Hour
Katie and Isaac had a really sweet ceremony on the Bristlecone Inn lawn, officiated by Isaac's dad. After the ceremony, they signed their marriage license, took some photos with family and friends, and had a cocktail hour with yard games and drinks on the deck.
Dinner + Dancing under the String Lights
Katie and Isaac had a delicious dinner (seriously, Bristlecone Inn has amazing in-house catering!), and their friends and family gave a few toasts.
Then all the guests moved outside for dancing under the string lights. Their wedding had just the right amount of dance party vibes, and ended with a conga line!
As Katie and Isaac's Bristlecone Inn wedding wrapped up, everyone was able to walk right from the venue to downtown Estes Park – to keep partying, or to head back to their accommodations.
Want more Estes Park Inspiration?
Check out these epic weddings, elopements, and adventure sessions!
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Throne of Glass Inspired Engagement Session
