Intimate Colorado Paint Mines Elopement | Becca and Hillary

As an intimate wedding photographer for independent couples I am always on the lookout for inspiring venues to explore.  Typically the process goes something like this: see venue, decide I HAVE to photograph there, find awesome couple up for exploring, build a vendor team who is excited about the vision as I am.

This Intimate Colorado Paint Mines Elopement was no exception.

The Paint Mines (so named because historic Native America communities used the colored clay to paint pottery) is full of nooks and crannies and sweeping views. We didn’t feel that it needed much embellishment to be the perfect backdrop for an intimate, romantic elopement.

The barrenness and slight desert feel of the location lent itself to a relaxed boho style and we chose a lace two piece dress that would flow in the wind.  We chose a headpiece that matched the succulent necklace and kept the hair and make-up soft and relaxed.  We wanted to avoid the typical southwest feel, but we sent a not the desert inspiration with tons of succulents, air plants, and feathers in the bouquet.  For the stationary, we played off the rust and pink colors of the paint mines rock formations.  A naked cake with minimal florals perfectly complimented the intimate feel of the shoot and our models, real couple Becca and Hillary, rocked the chemistry out of the park.

One of my favorite parts of the shoot was listening to them read their vows to each other (so sweet!) and then exploring the crest of the mines for fantastic views.  Though the day was windy and there was a threat of rain that had us worried from start to finish, the shoot couldn’t have gone better.

Our entire vendor team is also super excited to see this shoot featured on Burnett’s Boards today.  So after checking out some of my favorite images, head on over to take a look!