Wild Basin Lodge Wedding in Springtime

Wedding days will go wrong. They’ll be imperfect. But with the right attitude, they can be more enjoyable and create more lasting memories than a “perfect” wedding day. Nothing could have illustrated this better than Emily and Luther’s Wild Basin Lodge wedding last weekend!

The Wednesday before their wedding found me shopping for snow chains in 90-degree weather, checking the forecast every few hours. Spring snowstorms in Colorado aren’t uncommon. But they are unpredictable. We could see just a skiff of snow or the two feet that was in the forecast. So, Jesse and I adapted. We drove up to Allenspark a day early, our car packed with a shovel, snow chains, two ice scrapers, and enough food to be stranded for a day or two. We would walk to the Wild Basin Lodge for their wedding if we had to!

Meanwhile, Emily and Luther were getting comfortable with their wedding not looking the way they had imagined. They moved the ceremony location to be closer to the venue, instead of a short walk to a remote meadow. They packed thermals to wear under their wedding attire (and for a little something blue). And they made peace with the idea that they wouldn’t be camping the night of their wedding.

Yet when the day arrived along with (only) ten inches of snow, Emily and Luther were able to salvage many of their plans. We moved the ceremony back to the original meadow location. And while there was no view of Mt. Meeker, Emily looked like a forest nymph surrounded by snow – a perfect metaphor for springtime in Colorado. They didn’t camp that night, but they did hike off into the wilderness for a quiet dinner together.

Emily and Luther approached every wedding-day hurdle with smiles, laughter, and a confidence that only comes from knowing you’re marrying your person. It was inspiring to watch them move through a day that many would say had gone “wrong” with the same joy they would have brought to a day that had gone according to plan.

E&L: I admire your grace under the changing conditions. Dare I say that your wedding turned out even better than we could have imagined?

QUICK TIP

Footwear matters. In order to get the kinds of views you see in our images, we’ll probably have to go off-roading a bit. So save the fancy shoes for the ceremony and reception. Make sure you’ve got a pair for portraits that allow you to walk through a field or climb a boulder. Toms and Allbirds are great options that still look nice.

Guys, this isn’t just for the women. Men’s dress shoes are surprisingly slippery. Quick tip: put a strip of duct tape on the soles of your shoes for instant traction.

MORE TIPS