By a Photographer Who’s Been Soaked, Snowed On, and Sunburned All in the Name of Love
I’ve shot weddings in sideways rain, surprise snowstorms, hail, and one where lightning shut down the gondola and prevented the wedding and guests from gathering to hold the ceremony. I’m here to tell you: crazy weather doesn’t ruin a wedding. If anything, it gives it some grit. Some story. The kind of thing you’ll talk about forever.
The good news? Hail is temporary.
Hail is a regular guest at Colorado weddings. It shows up uninvited, makes a dramatic entrance, and then—thankfully—leaves quickly. Most hailstorms here are intense but short-lived. They roll in, drop a bunch of icy marbles on everything, and move along like nothing happened.
One year, I was photographing a backyard wedding in Bow Mar—an absolutely stunning June day. The couple had planned everything so thoughtfully. Sunny skies, a beautiful view, chairs being set out in rows. It felt like the weather was on our side. Until it wasn’t.
Just as the final rows were going in, the sky cracked open. Out of nowhere, hail came pounding down. It was chaos in the most Colorado way. Guests ran for cover like it was a fire drill, people diving under tents and trees, clutching plastic cups of Chardonnay. Everyone was laughing and yelling over the noise, soaked and surprised.
Meanwhile, the bride, her bridesmaids, and I huddled under a patio awning. And instead of panicking? We popped open a bottle of champagne. No one was crying about the timeline or the wet shoes—we raised our glasses, toasted to the absurdity, and took in the moment. It turned into one of my favorite pre-ceremony memories ever.
When the storm passed—as they always do—the clouds broke apart and the sun returned with that dreamy, golden, post-storm light. The grass glistened. The air smelled like fresh rain and lilacs. The guests reemerged, a little damp but smiling, and the whole wedding felt…lighter. More grounded. Everyone had gone through something together, and it bonded them.
We ended up with the most incredible light for portraits—soft, warm, and rich with color. I have a behind-the-scenes photo, taken by a guest, of me photographing the wedding party under that patio mid-storm, glasses in hand, hair a little windblown. It’s not a posed photo. It’s not “perfect.” But it tells the whole story.
And honestly? I’ll take that kind of story over perfect weather any day.
Behind-the-scenes photo from a guest of the moment I was photographing this bride on her stormy wedding day.
The Infamous Gondola Wedding
Timber Ridge in Keystone is one of the most iconic and stunning wedding venues in Colorado. It also happens to be a high-end, premium venue that requires not one, but two gondola rides to access. The ceremony site, dotted with wildflowers and backed by a warm, well-appointed mountain reception hall, sits 10,000 feet above sea level. It’s breathtaking—literally. Beautiful, remote, and not for the faint of heart.
Here's the thing about gondolas: if there’s a thunderstorm nearby, they shut down. No exceptions
On this particular day, it stormed a lot. The skies were angry, and it resulted in one of my wildest bad-weather wedding stories.
Imagine this scenario, as all of us started to make our way from the hotels in Keystone to the Ceremony site at the top of Timber Ridge. We had it all planned out: the bride and her wedding party would go up first. Then the groom and his party, followed by the guests.
Lighting hit within 10 miles of the lift, and the operators hit the stop button.
The guests were stuck at the bottom, the groomsmen were trapped in the middle (thankfully, that area has a bar, restaurant, and fire pit), and the bride’s party had already reached the summit.
For two hours, we were split across three layers of the mountain, just waiting.
The bridal suite turned into a camp. They passed around snacks and champagne. Someone played Taylor Swift on a Bluetooth speaker. The caterer carefully adjusted their timing, holding off on service to make sure the food didn’t go cold or soggy during the delay. The wedding planner sat and enjoyed the beautifully decorated reception hall.
Nobody panicked. By the time everyone reunited, it felt like a victory. We all earned that wedding.
The skies cleared, the ceremony happened, and the rest of the wedding continued without a problem. It was beautiful and a great memory for all.
Weather reminds us that we’re not in control, and that’s okay.
It strips away the illusion of perfection and makes space for joy, for flexibility, for teamwork. It slows people down. It makes them connect.
So when couples nervously ask me what happens if it rains, or snows, or the wind kicks up, I say, we roll with it. I bring backup gear. You bring a good attitude. And together, we make some magic.
The weather isn’t the villain. Sometimes, it’s the main character.
Bring on the storm. I’ve got you.
