When a friend invited us to photograph her Devil’s Thumb Ranch wedding, we were excited for so many reasons. First, it’s our friend! We never take for granted that, among all the Colorado wedding photographer options they had, they chose to have us come from California and that means so much to us. Second, the wedding was simple; just Ingrid, Andy, and us! In Colorado, you can marry yourselves so our witness skills would to be required. Third, snow! The couple are super-active cyclists and cross-country skiers and Devil’s Thumb Ranch has an extensive trail system of more than 100km of groomed trails nestled in the pristine and private Ranch Creek valley at the base of the Continental Divide. Living in Boulder which is just a relatively short hop over the mountains, that detail sealed the deal for the two.
While we had known Ingrid for years, it would be our first time meeting Andy so we were a teeny bit nervous as the total wedding guest count was just 4, including us. After about 28 seconds however, we realized how much Ingrid and Andy suited each other, what a great guy he was, how he and I share a love for bourbon and steak…and all worries disappeared. Devil’s Thumb Ranch, nestled high in the Colorado Rockies just outside of Winter Park was such an incredible winter wedding experience. We got some snow, got to put the bride in a sled, photographed them skiing, shared their wedding cake, and even helped them mend a flat tire. Friends + love = great memories.