I’m Stephanie, a wedding + lifestyle photographer based in Colorado Springs, Colorado and Warrenton, Virginia. Whether I’m by the mountains of Colorado or Virginia, my soul feels at home, surrounded by rural living and the raw beauty of nature. I genuinely love what I do, and feel so passionate to share the enthusiasm and joy of these celebrations with you!

DOCUMENTING LOVE'S UNSCRIPTED CHAPTERS FROM COUPLES & FAMILIES IN COLORADO + VIRGINIA

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April 27, 2022

Dilan & Allison | House Mountain Inn, Lexington, Virginia Wedding Photographer

Dilan & Allison | House Mountain Inn, Lexington, Virginia Wedding Photographer

LOVE and SPRING are in the air!!! πŸ™‚ Dilan and Allison couldn’t have chosen a better day to get married. That week leading up to their wedding atΒ House Mountain Inn, the grass turned green, and the flowers blossomed! Between the flowers outside on the trees and the flowers decorated inside the venue, I was in spring Heaven … And it was a photographer’s paradise photographing the beautiful backdrop with Dilan and Allison!

The past December, I attended a wedding as a guest here at theΒ House Mountain Inn. Although it was cold at the time, I fell in LOVE with the venue and what it offers to couples and their loved ones!!! It’s a weekend getaway for everyone! And as you’ll see below, the night doesn’t end when the sparkler exit happens because the party continues at the Inn! πŸ™‚ And it’s sweet to think that around their anniversary, they can revisit and stay atΒ House Mountain InnΒ to celebrate year after year.

As I’ve gotten to know Dilan and Allison more over the past year and duringΒ their engagement session, I’ve admired their hearts more and more! Their love for each other and their families are SO evident, and it was a pleasure documenting that on their wedding day. πŸ™‚ But what they didn’t tell me before all of this was that they had some modeling experience in their past! I kept thinking… Hmmm… the way that Allison “smizes” with her eyes is such a model look. Well, it turned out that they are both naturals!! So, as you would imagine, they made my “job” a piece of cake!

Check out their beautiful day through my lens!!!

Dilan & Allison | House Mountain Inn, Lexington, Virginia Wedding Photographer

AN ELEGANT SPRING WEDDING AT THE MOUNTAIN HOUSE INN WITH A HINT WIZARD OF OZ THEME.

Prepping for the Ceremony.

It was a BEAUTIFUL spring day atΒ House Mountain Inn, although, gusts of wind must have hit around 40mph at times! But we were grateful for sunshine and good times!! πŸ™‚ The girls were all at the Inn enjoying some relaxation time in between hair and makeup (courtesy ofΒ Nicole Laughlin Makeup Artist)! And they were so on top of things that they were actually ready ahead of time… That rarely happens. πŸ™‚ When Allison slipped into her immaculateΒ Made with Love BridalΒ gown, the girls gasped because Allison looked incredible!!! It was obvious how adored and loved Allison is seeing all of her best friends in one room. I loved that her childhood best friend said that if everyone stood in a line down the road who adores Dilan and Allison, it would go all the way down the mountain! I can vouch for that. πŸ™‚

After Allison’s mom placed her veil, it was time to take photos with family and friends before the ceremony. And I was off to quickly meet up with Dilan to see how he was doing before seeing his beautiful bride! πŸ™‚ Dilan seemed to be chill, calm and collected, but his demeanor is naturally that way anyways! He straightened up his attire, and he was all set and ready to see his bride walk down the aisle!!

The Ceremony.

The ceremony took place under the balcony with incredible 180 mountain views!!! Now, that is what I call a backdrop! πŸ™‚ It’s crazy looking through these photos below because you wouldn’t have guessed there were 40 mph wind gusts during this ceremony! They were so composed and made it work. πŸ™‚ As Allison made her way down the aisle, her brother played his violin to “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” So special!!

Todd Gray Wedding Officiant kept the ceremony sweet and simple. And before we knew it, Dilan and Allison were pronounced husband and wife!!! πŸ™‚ They kissed and were sent off to kick off the celebration with family and friends!!!

Their Best Friends.

Dilan and Allison had a large group to gather for their wedding party photos, but they are justΒ thatΒ loved! πŸ™‚ The girls wore all different dresses with a similar light green shade … and SOMEHOW it all came together despite it being the first time seeing the dresses altogether. πŸ™‚ Kudos, ladies! I loved the pops of color from the bouquetsΒ Tourterelle Floral DesignΒ created too. Speaking of the flowers, Allison had special “subtle” wizard of oz charms on her brother’s boutonnieres. I loved how she gracefully and thoughtfully placed Wizard of Oz details throughout her wedding day! Very subtle! It all came together beautifully!

Mr. & Mrs.!!!

I don’t feel like I need to say much because these photos say enough. MODEL STATUS. Holy cow. My jaw is still dropped photographing Allison in her stunning Made with Love Bridal and rocking these shots with her dapper husband! Dilan looked SHARP! Wow.

The Details.

I should’ve guessed that Allison would design a DREAM wedding! After all, she had seen SO many weddings at the Winery at Bull Run when she was the event coordinator there years back. πŸ™‚ And that was fortunately how we connected! So grateful!!! She designed an incredible vision with velvet emerald green linens, gold details, and flowers everywhere! There were also meaningful details everywhere like her grandmother’s teacups used at the refreshment station and photos of loved ones they wished were there to celebrate the occasion.

Again, I picked up on a lot of her subtle Wizard of Oz-themed details like… the color emerald green used on the table clothes, the yellow brick road signage, the red poppy flowers, and the gold details. Well done! AndΒ Sweet Treats BakeryΒ created a simple cake with a cake topper that was handmade by a young family member (so cute). But the flowers thatΒ Tourterelle Floral DesignΒ created around the cake made the simple cake look whimsical!Β MS EventsΒ brought Dilan and Allison’s vision to life with their rentals, and I loved the fun umbrella they had outside at the cocktail station! A fun element of surprise!

The Reception.

The party officially kicked off during the cocktail hour when Dilan and Allison were introduced in the courtyard. We made sure to work the timeline so they could enjoy a little bit of the cocktail hour, and we made it happen!! πŸ™‚ With a view like they had outside, I’m so glad they were able to enjoy every part of their day!

The party was brought inside for dinner (courtesy of House Mountain Inn), funny/sentimental toasts, and special dances. They kept their dances light-hearted when Allison and her father surprised everyone (including myself) with some fun moves! After the last dance, everyone lined up to do a conga line dance to the outside patio for the dancing! Scott from All About the Music kept everyone on the dance floor all night long! πŸ™‚ And the wind just made it that much more fun! HAHA! Dilan and Allison loved surprising their guests, so they also had Pronto Via gelato parked next to the dance floor.

After an hour of dancing, everyone gathered inside for the cake cutting and champagne tower! I held my breath hoping the champagne tower was a success … and of course it was!!! So fun! They finished the night at the Irvine Estate dancing until the sparkler exit! But the night didn’t end there… they had family and friends join them down the mountain at the Inn for a PJ game night complimented with drinks and chicken nuggets. I don’t think the night could get any better than that! πŸ™‚

Thank You!!

THANK YOU, Dilan and Allison, for giving me the GREATEST honor of photographing your House Mountain Inn wedding!!! I couldn’t imagine a more perfect celebration with so many family and friends gathered in one spot. I loved documenting your love for each other and your families. <3 Thank you for everything and enjoy the newlywed life!!! XOXO!!!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Thanks to the vendors who made this happen!!

Venue: House Mountain Inn
Hair and Makeup: Nicole Laughlin Makeup Artist
Caterer: House Mountain Inn
Florist: Tourterelle Floral Design
Baker: Sweet Treats Bakery
DJ: All About the Music
Ceremony Music: Alice
Gelato Truck: Pronto Via
Wedding Dress: Made with Love Bridal
Officiant: Todd Gray Wedding Officiant
Rentals: MS Events

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