Archive for the ‘Boulder Weddings’ Category
Best of Recherche Weddings Slideshow
I’ve been invited to have a booth at The St. Julien Hotel and Spa‘s exclusive bridal fair this weekend. You’ll probably recognize that pink peony shot on both their wedding page AND the bridal fair page. It is from Sarah & Dan’s wedding and flowers were created by Brighter Day. Anyhoo. . . I decided it was time to create an updated slideshow of my wedding images. Very tricky to narrow down eleven years of destination wedding photography to a three minute video, but here it is! (Hint: click on the fullscreen button in the bottom right corner of the video for it to fill up your screen!!!)
This is a collection of some of my favorite wedding images that I have shot over the last eleven years all over the world. Locations of images in this slideshow span from Boulder, Vail, Denver, Belize, Hawaii, Florida, Sydney, Mystic, Milwaukee, Florida, Bozeman, Costa Rica, Michigan, Mexico, Seattle, Aspen and Fiji!
I am mesmerized by the rituals and ceremonies that define our lives as humans. Weddings are remarkable celebrations of romance, family, and joy. The process of photographing a wedding is full of mystery, celebration, and beauty. I adore it.
My work might be called photojournalistic, since it documents an event’s storyline through unstaged shots. However, my images are unique in their softness, depth, and romance.
If you are keeping your wedding sweet and simple, do not miss the opportunity to have enchanting images created. I have accompanied many a couple to a castle in Ireland, a beach in Galveston, ruins in Belize, a tiny wedding chapel in Kauai, a snowy Aspen woodland. If you are captivated by Recherche Photography’s sumptuous style, do not hesitate to inquire about travel costs. They are typically more reasonable than expected. Just call or email to start the conversation of how I can capture the charm of your wedding even (and maybe especially) if it is just the two of you!
Dream a little! Talk to me about your dream package and let’s make it a reality.
Happy Anniversary Dave and Margaret . . . Boulder, Colorado Destination Wedding at Chautauqua
A little Recherche flashback to September of 2002. A dreamy sun-filtered evening at Chautauqua with the Flatiron mountains as our backdrop. The quintessential Boulder, Colorado wedding image. This is a scan of an actual photograph. I wasn’t even close to shooting digitally yet and was still cutting all my own negatives, hand labeling every single print and scanning my favorite prints from the wedding. So very old school. Margaret has become a very dear friend of mine and it all started here. Happy Anniversary, sweet girl!!!
Abby and Drew’s Leather Craftsmen Heirloom Wedding Finished Album
One of the most edifying moments of my wedding photography career is presenting my wedding clients with the Heirloom Finished Album. It is the culmination of every moment of dreaming, planning, spending, booking, choosing and experiencing their wedding. Each of these books is a treasure. Each encapsulates the love, beauty, values, family and friends surrounding the newly wedded couple. Every time I work on creating an Heirloom Album for my clients I imagine grandchildren gazing at each page with awe and admiration. Abby and Drew selected a classic gallery-style matted album with one image per side. Leather Craftsmen albums are each hand-mounted and have a Lifetime Warranty. I love this company. And now so do Abby and Drew! 
Mary Beth and Jeff Coffin’s Destination Wedding at Sacred Heart Church and St. Julien Hotel in Boulder, CO with Calluna Events
On June 18, 2011 I photographed Mary Beth Piacenti and Jeff Coffin’s destination wedding in Boulder, CO and it was nothing short of fabulous! (After eleven years of shooting weddings I’m finally enjoying the process and not just in a state of panic!) What a perfect day. The wedding couple was sweet and sublime. The weather was ideal. The guests all looked as though they were stepping onto a red carpet. The time-line was seamless, thanks to Heather Dwight of Calluna Events. The venues were lovely. The service was excellent. And the candy bar was just icing on the cake.
MARY BETH & JEFF’S PHOTO SLIDESHOW!
SEE THEIR VIDEOGRAPHY FILM BY 303MOTION!!
Special thanks to all the top-shelf Boulder, Colorado wedding vendors that made my job a beautiful summer breeze: Calluna Events, Intricate Icings, Brighter Day Florist, 303Motion, Banjo Billy, St. Julien Hotel & Spa
Regina’s Favorite Top Destination Weddings
What is Recherche Photography doing this time of year? Wedding consultations. (Along with LOTS of baby portraits!). I’ve traveled to some of the most wonderfully romantic wedding destinations all over the world, but to be honest, the last decade has been such a whirlwind that I barely remember it. Looking back on my first ten years of wedding photography feels pretty surreal. I’m so thankful to have something gorgeous to show for all the hours I’ve spend in airports, hotels, rental cars, trudging around with film cameras, laptops, etc. It didn’t feel very romantic at the time, but you’d never know from these photos!
Thank you to all my amazing clients and family and friends for making my life so fabulous. Here’s to another decade of destination wedding photography!
A wedding image of Krystal & Chris on the ruins in Belize. Love how Chris’ shirt is the same color as the sky!
This is one of my favorite shots from Susie and David Duval’s wedding at his beach house in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. We did all the formal portraits on the beach (with no shoes of course) and the kids were eager to get down there first!
Abby & Drew with their faithful companions. Pastures of Plenty is just the most wonderful organic outdoor wedding venue in Boulder County. The food is scrumptious and the setting is just lovely.
Kim & Chris chose a little hacienda, Playa del Secreto, in Playa del Carmen, Mexico for their breezy ocean-side wedding. Although it was storming on both sides of us, the weather was perfectly overcast for the entire ceremony. (And this wedding was my very FIRST blog post!!)
Devil’s Thumb Ranch in Tabernash, CO has always been picturesque; the epitome of Colorado rustic mountain charm, but in the last five years they completed a major renovation. Now is not just charming but completely luxurious, spoiling Amy & Heath and all their guests.
Josh & Stephanie were wed on a private little island in Fiji, aptly named Treasure Island. I nearly expired of heat exhaustion, but we try to forget that bit! Private little cabanas, huge spiders, the most amazing selection of fruits and seafood I have ever seen. And the sunsets were unreal.
Marion & Jason’s wedding at The Lodge & Spa at Cordillera was the sweetest thing. Every detail, from the hanging vases of flowers in the gazebo to the personalized m&m’s in yellow and blue, were impeccable. But more importantly, the couple just adored one another (and still do!)
The picture below says it all- a perfect fall wedding at the Wild Basin Lodge in Allenspark, Colorado. Sublime.
If you need an elegant venue in Denver, CO for a wedding of well under 200 guests, Grant-Humphreys Mansion in Denver just might suit you! Courtney & Ben certainly made it work!
It came as no surprise to anyone that the lovely Heather Dwight from Calluna Events made a stunning bride. She chose as her venue the private and exclusive Boulder Canyon House. A few drops brought out the umbrellas and perfect light.
Harkness Park in Mystic, Connecticut was one of my all-time favorite locations. The day on which Suzanne & Andrew married, it was stormy, blustery and bone-chilling; something straight out of an Emily Bronte novel. All the guests were lamenting the weather but I was ecstatic.”
After this couple wed in a beautiful little Catholic Church in San Pedro, California we drove along the coastline to their reception venue. We got out and take in the view and and shoot a few gorgeous images of the wedding couple.
A beach wedding on Marco Island, Florida
was Vanessa’s dream. It did NOT, however, include a gale so strong that it blew all the un-sat guests chairs all the way down the beach and a torrential downpour of rain on the entire party. I was still shooting film WAY back then and my assistant, Cat, was desperately trying to cover me up with a flimsy umbrella and shower cap so I could change film and keep shooting the oh-so-dramatic event!! (See the watermarks on the lens? Those are NOT photoshopped!)
The Sunrise Amphitheater is one of Boulder, Colorado’s most lovely wedding ceremony spots. That’s about all I have to say about that!
The Keystone Lodge in Timber Ridge, Colorado. Again, no words necessary. Actually, I should just really stop writing anything besides the location. This post would go a lot faster…
The Villa Terrace Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Perhaps the farthest I’ve traveled for a destination wedding was Sydney Australia for Wendy & Paul’s wedding. Lush & lovely. (And check out that ancient blog post!!! Geeze!)
A destination wedding at Snow Mountain Ranch’s Columbine Point
I was speechless. Just one of the most breathtaking views I have ever seen. 
The first destination wedding I photographed in Europe- or the British Isles was in Shannon, Ireland at this fantastic castle. It was early September and the castle gardens were stunning. The whole thing still feels like a dream.
Tina & Joe’s ceremony at the Wedding Chapel in Kauai, Hawaii had a very tiny guest count- her parents and brother. And me. They basically eloped and brought along a photographer. Perhaps my most favorite type of destination wedding of all!
I feel SO lucky to have captured this image of this wonderful wedding couple tucked back in an aspen glade in Beaver Creek Colorado just outside Saddle Ridge. I had about five minutes to do all the portraits of them because the groom could not stand still for more than 15 seconds! So fun! 
This destination wedding at the famously fabulous Broadmoor Hotel and Resort in Colorado Springs was dripping ceiling to floor in elegance.
This wedding couple escaped the pouring rain with a tender moment under the outdoor covering of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary Roman Catholic Church. I was taking cover on the other side of the garden and caught this image.
One of my favorite destination weddings took place at a resort in Costa Rica
planned by the fabulous Aimee Monihan of Tropical Occasions.. I shot this romantic image of the wedding couple taking a moment to themselves after their ceremony by taking a stroll down the beach.
The Apple Valley Orchard in Lyons Colorado is a private estate so this wedding couple was ecstatic to secure an October date for their wedding. The colors could not have been more stunning.
We shot this beautiful formal portrait of all the wedding guests at Anna & Rob’s destination wedding at St. Malo Catholic Church in Estes Park, Colorado.
It was a dream come true for this bride to have her wedding the Powel Crosley Estate in Sarasota Florida as her father grew up in this mansion which has since become a historical museum. She has a keen eye for funky vintage glam and an impeccable sense of style so everywhere I turned there was another gorgeous detail, a stunning angle, a lovely expression to photograph. Incidentally, this mansion is where they filmed Great Expectations several years ago- before they did a major renovation so shooting this wedding was a vintage romantic destination wedding photographer’s dream come true!
As an artist in a highly competitive industry, it is easy (for me at least) to feel like I’ve never really “succeeded.” I see other photographers’ images, people with kids, fancy cars and a second home in some fabulous place and a little voice whispers that I have nothing to show for my life. Well, perhaps I don’t have those types of things, but I am happy, loved and have stacks of lovely images created for my clients. Over and over again I need to define success on my own terms and focus on all the beauty in my life. Perhaps take a moment to jot down YOUR definition of success in your own life.
Annie & Nick’s Boulder, CO Wedding at St. Julien Hotel & Spa
There is perhaps an excessive amount of photos in this blog post but Annie & Nick’s wedding at the St. Julien Hotel & Spa in Boulder, CO was brimming over in exquisite details & tender moments. But most importantly, it was drenched in LOVE. Love for each other, their family, each of their guests- and their vendors. Which resulted in piles of stunning images. I have said for years that I have the most wonderful clients in the world, and this couple takes the cake. As an artist & emotional creature it is hard to keep my heart out on the chopping block but Annie & Nick have made it all worth while. I hope they love their images as much as I have adored working with them and their family.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE SLIDESHOW OF THIS WEDDING!
Heather with Calluna Events assembled a fabulous set of wedding professionals to pull off Annie’s dream wedding. Jessica Shineyda with The Face Lab transformed the already adorable Annie & her bridesmaids + mother into works of art. 
Had you any idea it was this much fun to work with a bride?? This shot really sums up how all the wedding vendors felt about working with Annie and her mom! Andy with Andres Alfredo styled the girls’ hair. He is as sweet as he is talented!
What is the best reason for a June wedding? PEONIES. Thanks to Brighter Day Floral, every corner of Annie’s wedding was dripping in these sublime arrangements. 
Due to rain, the ceremony was moved inside. I have NEVER been happier to shoot an indoor wedding thanks to Denver Design Works!! Can you believe this room?? It took my breath away- all night! We kept commenting that this backdrop, originally intended for outside, would have gotten lost. Sometimes it is for the best our plans get changed. What a treat to work with a team of unbelievably creative professional artists. It made my job so very fun!
I was so relieved Annie & Nick braved the drizzle for a quick photo shoot! Nothing is better than natural rain-cloud-diffused light!! 
Sumptuous cake by non other than the fabulous Tee & Cakes. Do NOT pull up their website if you are on a diet. Within one second of glancing at their blog I promise your mouth will be watering!! 
A very proud father of the bride!
(A guest grabbed me while shooting candids during the cocktail hour and said, “Get a shot of this- he is the bride’s father!!” I thought, “Geeze, it would be pretty sad if I hadn’t figured that out by now!” But I’m glad he grabbed me because this image is so beautiful!)
A shot with the Flatirons completely misted over. So enchanting! 
This might be my favorite shot of the day!!!
Can you see me in the background wearing my “signature” skirt that I found in a vintage shop in Dublin? I’ve worn in to almost every wedding I’ve shot in the last 8 years! Caroline shot this beautiful image. 
Although I haven’t yet seen the video, I can say that it was wonderful working with the Lupher Arts Videography team! And I always love the video light at the reception! 
Another seamless & resplendent event by Heather Dwight, the owner of Calluna Events. I have no idea how she pulls off perfection every single time with her gracious & unruffled spirit. Her attention to detail is impeccable and she treats everyone with the utmost respect & kindness. It is always such a dream to work with her. 
It’s not often that a photo of the photographer shows up on the blog! Here I am- Regina Mountjoy of Recherché Photography! My fabulous assistant, Caroline Colvin, took this shot of us as I was saying my goodbyes. It really is a trick to be “unobtrusive” with all that gear I’m packing!! But I’ve got to be ready for anything!! 
View Annie & Nick’s Online Gallery: www.pictage.com/744951
Ann and Jim’s Lovely Boulder, Colorado Backyard Wedding
Eleven years later I am still in love with weddings. I love the romantic destination weddings, I love the decadent weddings dripping in mouth-watering details, and I love simple quiet backyard weddings. I am always a little startled to be allowed into a family’s home hours before such a personal event takes place and to mingle with a handful of the closest friends and family to observe and take part in a set of promises a family makes to one another.
Thank you, Ann & Jim & Molly & Patrick for letting me be a part of your special day! I hope you had a wonderful family honeymoon at Disney!!! 
Checking out the scene from Patrick’s room a few minutes before the processional!
Patrick had the privilege of walking his mother down the aisle.
This pup is no dummy! She knows where the treats are!
Everyone that spoke at this wedding was incredibly intelligent & witty! We all laughed the entire day!!
Scrumptious cupcakes by Shamane’s Bake Shoppe!
A yummy passed appetizer + spread by Spice of Life. This catering company is the height of professionalism and creativity- I love working with them!! 
Fiori Flowers from Boulder provided the most beautiful bouquets of sunflowers!! 
A clever guest toasted the newly wedded couple with a photo of Jim in his “younger” days!
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE SLIDESHOW OF ANN & JIM’S WEDDING!
All the images from this wedding are available on their Online Gallery: www.pictage.com/856765
Recherché Best Wedding Images of 2009: The Details
I had to make a whole separate post for my very favorite wedding detail images of 2009. Scrumptious!
Recherché’s Best Wedding Images of 2009
Here they are! Our very best and favorite images from wedding season 2009! Recherché’s 10th season as a destination wedding photography studio was absolutely fabulous and we have the images to prove it! Ranging from Belize to Boulder to Seattle to Winter Park to Florida to Estes Park! Thank you everyone for making Recherché possible and my career a dream come true! Looking forward to creating a whole new batch of images in 2010!
Recherche Photography Celebrates a Decade of Wedding Photography with a Birthday Party!
Planning Recherché Photography’s 10 Year Birthday Party was akin to planning a mini wedding. Needed: caterer, invitations, centerpieces, party favors, beautiful weather, cake. Also required: to look gorgeous, which required a top notch makeup artist. That’s where Jeremy Simpson came in. He arrived a couple hours early, looking exceptionally debonair himself and then fixed me all up. He is the BEST!! Need to look gorgeous? Call him! 
Here’s a pretty shot my mother took of me with my talented friend, Shannon Sunderland with Hot Mama Designs. 
Entertainment as well as party favors were provided by Booth 66! Derek & his brother brought in their newest “stand-up” photo booth and set it up in our basement. We had piles of wigs, hats and other props ready and our guests made great use of them! I choose B&W high-contrast images and the photos were outstanding! Best party idea EVER!! Want to see more of the photos? Click here to see the blog post of my favorite ones
and click here to view the SLIDESHOW of booth shots! 
Kristina Sutcliffe with European Flowers in Boulder created the centerpieces. I sent her a few photos of my studio/home + the vintage table cloths I intended to use. She emailed to say she was thinking of using the colors pink, plumb and burgundy and I responded with, “you’re the artist, do whatever inspires you.” When I saw her assistant walking in with these arrangements I about fell out of my makeup chair. I couldn’t imagine anything more lovely or perfect for my party. 
Kim Boos with Tea & Cakes in Boulder designed this scrumptious creation for the party. Gorgeous on the outside and SO yummy!! Lemon cream, peanut butter cup and coconut cream. Eeek!! 
Thankfully the weather was so lovely that we all enjoyed both the front and backyard all evening. Italian sodas, wine and passed hors d’oeuvres were served as guests arrived and the bar was set up on the back porch. 
Bistro Boys catered my event. Their service, as well as their food, was exquisite. I could not have been more delighted! I cannot recommend them highly enough. 
Passed Hors d’oeuvres
* Tiny Onion Jam Tartes
*Colorado Smoked Trout and Maytag Blue Mousse in Savory Tuille
*Grilled Fig and Confit Duck “Beggars Purse”
On the Buffet
*Open Faced Roasted Beef & Blue Cocktail Sandwich
*Coriander Crusted Tuna Loin served with Mediterranean Olive Basil Tapenade
*Individual Vegetarian Rice Paper Wraps with Chili Sambal Sauce
*Grilled Romaine and Zucchini Ribbon Bundles with Cane Syrup Vinaigrette
*Grilled Porcini and Cippolini Risotto Cakes, Roast Garlic Spritz
*White Chocolate & Lavender Brie Crustinis
In taking time to reminisce over the the way Recherché got started, all the bumps along the way, all the lessons learned, it became so unfailingly clear to me how much Recherché owes to family, dear friends, clients and my husband, Jay, for making it this far. So I set aside time in the middle of the evening to do my own set of toasts. It was a little awkward to get up in front of all my guests, as I prefer to stay hidden behind my camera, but it was the most important part of the evening for me. (I wrote out my toasts so I wouldn’t blunder my way through them and have put them at the end of this blog post!)
Regina’s Toasts:
I have a few of toasts to make tonight. This bit is really the essence of the party, for me, so please bear with me for the next 7 ½ minutes!
Thank you to Jessica & Dianne with Bistro Boys Catering for partnering with Recherché and providing the most wonderful food for our party this evening!
Thank you to Kristina with European Flowers for illuminating our party with her gorgeous flower arrangements.
Thank you to Jeremy Simpson, the Hollywood makeup artist for making me so pretty tonight.
Thank you to Kim with Tee & Cakes in Boulder for dreaming up the answer to the question, "If Recherché was a cake, what kind of a cake would she be?"
Thank you to Derek with Booth 66 who brought the brand new version of his photo booth to our party for a night of entertainment, a lifetime of memories and for relieving both me AND all my photographer friends the task of shooting all night!
I want to thank every single person here. For over 10 years my primary source of new clients has come from referrals. It has been your enthusiasm and support that has made Recherché a dream come true and has sent me all over the world. For this reason, I have chosen to drop all print advertising and have shifted that money into supporting children worldwide through World Vision. Jay and I are so excited and honored to have more than quadrupled what we are putting back into the world. I encourage you to put just a little more than you think you can afford out there. Especially now. It has a way of coming back to you in so many ways.
There are also a few very specific people I would like to toast.
Kimberly Waldera- one of my earliest wedding clients who has been perhaps my most out-spoken, if not aggressive, fan! She drove around with her wedding album in the back of her convertible for YEARS and I think may have forced every single one of her friends and clients to hire me. Thank you, Kimberly!
Heather Dwight- I met her in a card shop almost 5 years ago and we became instant friends. She has since grown Calluna Events into one of the most prominent & perfect event planning businesses in town, she has referred the most wonderful clients to Recherché and has given me perhaps the greatest honor of all by asking me to photograph her own wedding last year. Happy First Anniversary, Heather & Brandon!
Juli Dimos- my best friend of 13 years. She has designed EVERY version of my website, almost every single ad, brochure and marketing piece, assisted as well as 2nd shot many weddings over the years, helped me edit thousands of images, knows my clients by name without having ever met them in real life, helped me move the studio- 6 out of the 8 times (missing only 2 because she was in China). She has listened to me for probably literally hundreds of hours rant, rave, brag, dream, lament and rejoice over Recherché. She has been my sounding board through every up and down- and there have been a lot. I could not have done this without you, Julz. You are the epitome of optimism, loyalty and a true friend.
Joseph James Mountjoy- Jay showed up at my door about 8 years ago, a freshman in college minoring in computer science, making a house call to his big brother’s friend to fix a computer problem. My heart skipped a beat and it’s never been the same since. He has worked behind the scenes on almost every aspect of Recherché from computers to software to cameras to customer relations, design, editing and assisting. He’s lugged all the gear all over the world and made it work. He has been my silent doer- consistently solving problem after problem after problem: I want a new camera. I want a copy of that song. I want this program to work. I want to open a studio while we renovate this house. I want dinner. I want to close my studio and sell everything. Not only does he find a way to make my dreams become a reality, he loves me just as I am. He holds me to a higher standard of being and he laughs in the dark. Jay, you are my great love and my solid rock.
Now, if there is one thing I am sure of in this world it’s that my mother is proud of me. My mom has championed every single idea I’ve ever had (except shaving my head). She has listened to me for hours on end as I started a business from scratch with no experience, no money, no role model and absolutely no idea what I was doing. She is the first person I call with exciting news. She has helped me hang every gallery, edit every portfolio, plant every garden. Mom, you are my North Star, always helping to re-align my perspective and reminding me to put my trust back in God because it is He who will accomplish what concerns me. And, incidentally, she bought me my first camera as a high school graduation gift. Recherché would not have even been conceived without her (and actually neither would I!).
Last but not least, I feel like the life of Recherché has very strong Fishes & the Loaves overtones. I started my business with so little of everything. My first bookkeeper recommended I go get a job flipping burgers. One of my close friends commented, "the best thing you brought to your business is the ability to bullshit." And she was right. Along the way I have learned to apologize sincerely, to pray very hard, to let go, to surround myself with amazing people, to pick myself up off the pavement and to keep dreaming. What I’ve done with Recherché, what I’ve created and where I’ve traveled never made sense in any business plan or any budget. I have often prayed that God would open doors to a different line of work, that He would give me something to do that made a difference in the world. But over and over I have been renewed with a passion for photography, the opportunity to shoot and our daily bread provided. Years ago I was hiking the 1st Flatiron praying in a common state of panic, "why is such and such happening…what should i do, what if i…" when I was interrupted and I heard God’s voice speak right through me. He said, "What makes you think this is about you?" I’ve known ever since that I am really just a vessel and the best thing I can do is to be faithful to the work and get out of the way when God moves through me. So I believe Recherché belongs to God and commit her again to His purposes.
Thank you so much for coming tonight. Thank you for being a part of Recherché. It means the world to me. I made a Recherché Soundtrack CD for all my guests tonight so please take one before you leave.”
