Horca, Colorado Summer Wedding Photography

Lauren and I first connected on Facebook where she had posted about her upcoming summer wedding ceremony and was looking for a photographer who would fit well with both her and her family.

I don't actually comment very often on social media posts looking for photographers for a variety of reasons, but something about Lauren drew me in, so I sent her a private message. She responded kindly, and our conversations gradually took off. Before long, it felt like we were old friends.

As we talked more, I learned that what Lauren was really searching for wasn't just someone to take photographs. She wanted someone who understood the sacredness of nature in this special pocket of Colorado that she and her husband Tucker had been returning to for years. Tucker had been fishing these waters for more than twenty years, making the drive from Texas again and again because this place had become his home away from home. It was where he came to meditate, reconnect with himself, and let his spirit breathe a little easier. He knew every bend in the river and every quiet corner of this remote landscape that most people drive right past without ever knowing it's there.

They also had four kiddos who they wanted to be a huge part of the celebration. Lauren told me she wanted someone who could embrace a little chaos and photograph her family as they truly were. Not perfectly posed, but real. Genuine emotion, kids being kids, documentary moments unfolding naturally instead of being manufactured. For me, it ticked a lot of boxes. I love people who ground themselves in nature. I love cutting up and having fun with kids. I appreciate a little beautiful chaos, and I love photographing places that sit just off the beaten path because they actually mean something to the people standing there.

As we continued talking, we discovered another unexpected connection. Lauren has her doctorate in Anthropology and spent time studying in South America (Brazil). I have my Master's in Cultural Anthropology and also studied in South America, primarily in Peru. It was a pretty cool coincidence and created an instant connection between us. We shared similar ways of looking at the world and similar values in how we experience it. It made our conversations feel easy from the very beginning.

About a week later Lauren officially told me she wanted me to photograph the wedding. From there we continued hashing out the details, which were honestly a little crazy because so much of the planning rested on her shoulders. I just reminded her to stay flexible, not stress too much, and trust that the day would unfold exactly as it was meant to.

On the morning of the ceremony, I left my home in Arvada and made the five and a half hour drive down to Horca. Just as I arrived, the storms began rolling into the valley. Dark clouds gathered overhead while thunder echoed across the mountains. After such a dry summer, the smell of fresh petrichor was almost magical. At the same time, I couldn't help wondering if it was about to wash away an outdoor ceremony.

I pulled up to Lauren's cabin at Rocky Mountain Lodge and was immediately greeted with a huge hug before she disappeared back into the whirlwind. Six kiddos, her parents, family members, everyone getting dressed together under one roof. It was beautifully chaotic from the moment I walked in, and I loved every second of it. I got right to work documenting the getting ready moments, but just as importantly, the little moments happening quietly between everything else. Those small interactions have always been my favorite part of photography. The documentary approach is where I feel most at home.

They were running a bit behind schedule as the rain really started coming down. At one point I even loaded a few of the kiddos into my car and drove them the couple of miles over to Spectacle Lake Campground where the wedding party and Tucker were patiently waiting in the rain.

As soon as everyone arrived, the ceremony began. The temperature had dropped into the upper fifties, rain poured steadily from the sky, and thunder continued cracking across the valley. But here's the beautiful part.

Nobody flinched. Nobody complained. They embraced every bit of it.

The bride, the groom, the wedding party, the guests. Everyone simply celebrated the day. Somehow the storm made everything feel even more meaningful. And that oh so beautiful smell of petrichor.

Their best friend officiated the ceremony, and Lauren and Tucker exchanged some of the most heartfelt vows I've heard. Their emotion was completely genuine, and I found myself moved while quietly moving around the ceremony trying to capture every expression, every tear, every smile, and every little feeling that unfolded.

Toward the end, they invited the kiddos forward to help pour colored sand into a glass mountain sculpture, symbolizing the joining of their family. Then came the "I do's" followed by one of those movie kisses that seemed to last forever. It honestly reminded me of The Notebook. Yes...I've actually seen that one. Mostly because Nicholas Sparks lived just down the road from where I went to college, so all of those places were familiar to me.

Afterward we captured a few portraits around the ceremony site while Lauren smiled through chattering teeth. She was absolutely glowing, even if she was freezing. Eventually it was time to head over to Red Bear Haus in Horca where everyone could finally warm up, eat, celebrate, and enjoy the evening together.

As I drove down the dirt forest road with the windows open, folk music drifting through the truck even while the rain continued falling, I had one of those moments that catches you completely off guard. A quiet moment where you simply feel grateful to be exactly where you are. Everything about the day felt alive, and I couldn't wait to continue documenting their story.

When I arrived at Red Bear Haus, everyone settled in for a while. Then, almost as quickly as the storm had arrived, it disappeared. The clouds opened and beautiful evening light poured across the hills, turning the soaked grasses into some of the richest greens Colorado has to offer.

Earlier Lauren had told me how meaningful this area was to both her and Tucker, so I asked if they'd like to sneak away for an hour and celebrate with just the two of them while everyone else enjoyed the reception. Tucker smiled and said he knew exactly where to go.

He pulled the Suburban around and we headed toward the Conejos River to an old bridge that had become one of his favorite places over the years. It was where he'd spent countless hours fishing and quietly reflecting.

For the next hour, the three of us simply wandered. We skipped rocks across the river. Lauren splashed through the water while Tucker laughed beside her. He gave her piggyback rides. We ducked beneath the bridge, wandered the riverbanks, and simply enjoyed the landscape together. Nothing felt forced. It was just the two of them celebrating their marriage in a place that already held so much of their story. They were genuinely fun to be around, and I found myself incredibly grateful that they had invited me into those moments. They gave us space to create photographs that felt deeply personal while also simply enjoying the afternoon together.

When we returned to Red Bear Haus, the celebration picked right back up. There was cake, dancing, plenty of food, and lots of laughter. More than anything though, everyone made me feel like I wasn't simply the photographer. They welcomed me in like part of the family. That always means a great deal to me.

As the evening unfolded, I photographed every family attending along with one large portrait of everyone together outside while the surrounding mountains glowed gold in the final light before the sun disappeared behind the hills.

By 9:45 that evening the celebration was still going strong, but it was time for me to head north toward Alamosa where I had a hotel waiting. Check in closed at 11:00 p.m., and I still had about an hour's drive ahead of me.

Honestly, I didn't want to leave.

I'm sure the celebration carried on well into the night, but I drove away incredibly grateful to have spent those five hours with such kind, genuine people. It was one of those wedding days that reminds me why I love what I do. I'm so thankful Lauren and Tucker trusted me not only to photograph their wedding, but to celebrate right alongside them and preserve a small piece of a day they'll carry with them for the rest of their lives.

Please enjoy the gallery of their special day by scrolling down this page. And here’s what Lauren had to say about her and Tucker’s experience working with me:

“There is simply no way to explain what Ryan's photos mean to me. This remote location in southern Colorado has been important to my husband for decades and I wanted to make sure our wedding photos honored the sacredness of this place. It rained during the ceremony but Ryan didn't blink an eye. If anything, the rain made things even more beautiful. He captured the moments I could never plan, but want to savor forever (like our daughter wrangling little brother into his outfit...). Slipping away from our reception to play by the river allowed us to truly be ourselves and soak in the moment instead of being consumed by talking to our guests. He understood our family's vibe and commemorated it. Working with Ryan was by far one of the best decisions we made when it came to planning our special day.” -Lauren Crawford Lubbuck, Texas