It rained. It rained a lot. So much that it took two of our cameras out of service, but it’s the price you pay making moments in the rain. It was almost as if we didn’t even know it was raining. Chad & Nina’s enthusiasm fueled our creative drive and desire to just keep shooting.

These two found the joy in everything. The rain didn’t stress them out like it would other couples. When they found out that there would be no music during their ceremony, Nina quickly responded with “I will sing!”

We couldn’t be happier for these two and are so thankful to witness such a memorable day for their Camp Hale Wedding. We are also thankful that our cameras have since dried out and been repaired.

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Fabiana and her bridesmaids spent the morning in Vail at the Villa Cortina, with Divine Beauty Artists doing hair and Alchemy Face Bar doing makeup. Josh and his groomsmen, cracked beers and talked about old memories. Shortly after they were both ready, we made the trek up Ptarmigan Pass for their first reveal. While not a charming road, the adventure was well worth it for the amazing views of the Gore Range off to the North East.

Upon arriving back at the Nova Guides Camp Hale Lodge, their guests and family began to gather around the trout ponds. The weather was beautiful for the ceremony and they even caught the last bits of light as it came over the ridge to the West. Josh’s sister performed the ceremony and did a great job of keeping it to the point, but also personal and heartfelt. Waiting back in the tent was a handwritten note unique to each and every guest, showing just how much they valued the people who surrounded them on such an important day. They really outdid themselves with this one.

When the Bounce Band fired up their instruments, Josh & Fabiana’s friends packed out the dance floor and didn’t stop all night. Josh even made it on stage for a few cracks at the drums, which he nailed. Overall, what a beautiful day. From the moments to the weather, it could not have gotten any better for these two and their Historic Camp Hale Wedding.

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Their day started in the cabins at Camp Hale, surrounded by their closest friends & family. After popping some champagne and then 4-wheeling to the top of Ptarmigan Pass for their first look, their wedding adventure was off to a heck of a start. Right as we arrived back to the Nova Guides Lodge, a slight rain began to fall. However, according to a Southern Wedding Tradition, digging up a bottle of bourbon keeps the rain clouds away. It worked, as these two sealed the deal out of the island at Camp Hale with no need for umbrellas or ponchos.

Shortly after their ceremony, Robbie & Bria delighted their guests with choreographed first dance. Bria, having grown up dancing, helped Robbie scoot around the dance floor like he’d been doing all his life. Following their dance, they had all of their guests join them on the floor for a warm-up dance party before dinner was served… something we’ve yet to see at a wedding.

We wrapped up their wedding day with one last photo under the stars. Robbie, an astronomy major, was a big fan of the dark skies Camp Hale afforded and also the opportunity for such a unique wedding portrait. With that being said, enjoy these favorite photos of ours from Robbie & Bria’s Camp Hale Summer Wedding. As always, a big shout out to Gemni Planning in helping this wedding go off without a hitch.

Additional help from Lucy Schultz.

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In regard to the venue facility’s, they have three cabins on-site with a large tent for your reception. The real gem of Camp Hale is it’s waterfront ceremony location though. The surrounding ponds are filled with trout and the local guides can even be hired to teach your guests how to flyfish.

For the more adventurous couples, a jeep rental can take us to the top for some absolutely stunning wedding portraits. During the late summer months, Ptarmigan Pass is covered in wild flower. This is our go to if the timeline allows for it, but we can ensure you that every bump on the way up and down will be worth it.

By middle to late September, the surrounding aspen groves begin changing color, making Camp Hale one of our favorite fall venues as well. Lastly, on a clear night, it affords some of the most stunning night-time photos with our couples. You simply cannot get a more scenic venue in Colorado. Being off-the-grid, it does take a little more work during the planning stages, but it ends up paying off on the day-of.

If Camp Hale seems to be checking all of your boxes, check their calendar for availability. While Camp Hale has a capacity of 300, there always is the option of renting a larger tent.

We photographed one of the very first weddings to ever take place at Camp Hale and continue to visit the venue a few times every year. It never gets old for us as photographers.

We’re also glad to report that as of October 12th, 2022, Camp Hale is now designated as a National Monument. This doesn’t affect Camp Hale Weddings one bit, but ensures that the surrounding area will remain undeveloped and kept as natural as possible.

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Coming from Florida, the most snow these two had ever seen was a few inches, which is a far stretch from the multiple feet of snow the Rocky Mountains adorn all winter long. Needless to say, they were in awe of all the different ways to slide, ride and play in our winter wonderland. After a day of sliding down the ski runs at Keystone, Dustin wanted to finish off their Colorado vacation with a bang. The ring, in his possession for nearly two years, needed a new home… on Sarah’s finger.

We secretly joined their snowmobile tour as random guests and after a quick rundown and cruise through the flats, we headed up Ptarmigan Pass. Our first stop was on top of Machine Gun Ridge, which was the highest point of our tour, but also the windiest. After a quick discussion between Stacy and I, we decided not to give Dustin the code word. Its a good thing we did.

A few miles later we stopped at an overlook of the Sawatch Range. No wind. No audience. It was perfect. “Man its bright out here,” I said. Dustin then asked Sarah if she could take off her helmet so they could take a photo. Stacy and I quickly unpacked our cameras just in time to capture their Colorado Mountain Top Proposal. After several minutes of hugging, crying and laughter, Sarah turned and noticed we were not just random patrons, but instead, documenting their engagement.

Shortly after, we hopped back on the sleds to finish our tour before making our way back down to the lodge. Both Stacy and I had the greatest time with these two, as well as Malcolm. We can’t think of a better way to pop the question and have to hand it to Dustin for going through with it all. You nailed it. Enjoy these photographs from Dustin & Sarah’s proposal story.

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Kate scheduled a straight knife shave for Mark in Vail before making his way up to the venue, where shortly after, they saw each other for the first time on top of Ptarmigan Pass. Per tradition, these two cracked a bottle of champagne above treeline like they’ve done many times before. This was just the start to the beautiful ceremony and reception to follow.

A big part of their day was having their dog included. Strapped with a GoPro, he managed to help us document the day, but with some audio as a bonus. We can’t thank these two enough for their generosity and loving personalities which shined through on their big day. It is always a pleasure shooting weddings in the beautiful Rocky Mountains, but its even more so rewarding when you get couples like Mark & Kate. Enjoy your Camp Hale Wedding Photos.

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Fast forward to their wedding day. Perfect weather, at one of our favorite wedding venues, with an exquisite couple; we’ll take it. Liezl got ready in the Camp Hale Cabins with a few friends, some of whom flew in all the way from South Africa. Upon sharing a moment with their friends and family, Liezl and I trailed Stacy & Peter up a 4×4 road for their first reveal above treeline. The fields of wild flowers, vista of mountain ranges and feeling that you’re on top of the world makes the bumpy traverse up worth the hassle.

Upon arriving back at the Camp Hale Lodge, we made our way over to the private lake so Liezl’s father could marry the two. As goes with most weddings, there are always a few unexpected surprises that can make brides break down or shrug and laugh. When Liezl’s veil popped off coming over the bridge, her smile set the tone for the rest of the wedding. It wasn’t about everything being perfect, it was about the marriage of two people in front of their friends, family and loved ones. Instead of regular cake, Peter & Liezl’s decided to cut into a large platter of cheese, which kicked off a night of dancing and good times.

With Camp Hale being so remote, a portrait under the stars is always on our mind, and Peter & Liezl couldn’t have been more excited to find a different way to finish off their Camp Hale Wedding, a favorite Vail Wedding Venue of ours.

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During a pre-wedding consultation, Ryan mentioned he found an amazing location to do their first reveal. We scratched down some directions and set out the day before the wedding to find this overlook. A few wrong turns led us to a beautiful location, but not quite the epic-ness he described. We decided to keep exploring. After another wrong turn, we eventually found the correct one, which happened to be Ptarmigan Pass. As you can see from the photos below, it was time well spent, as their first reveal location was nothing short of amazing.

Ryan, being a photographer himself, expressed how important it was to capture the candid moments from their wedding day, but wanted more than anything, a few solid landscape photos to set the scene. We light up like kids on Christmas morning when our clients give us requests like that. Not only did their venue afford the vista views, it just fit them as a couple.

After an amazing evening wedding ceremony on the island at Camp Hale, these two, their friends and family threw down a dance party to remember, but not before receiving the family heirloom mural, which has to be proudly displayed until the next family member gets married.

When people say that the stars have aligned, we felt a bit of that at Ryan and Lauren’s Camp Hale Wedding, as you can see by the last photograph.

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