Denver Colorado Catholic Ceremony & Highlands Ranch Mansion Wedding

August 18th was a beautiful morning – the day had finally arrived for Krysta and Mike! And for me, too. I was so excited to photograph my very first wedding!

We met at Our Lady of Loreto Catholic Church for a morning mass led by Father David, along with 15 other guests. Krysta and Mike deserved a gorgeous wedding. Like almost all 2020 brides and grooms, their original plans were rescheduled, rescheduled again, and again, and eventually cancelled because of COVID-19. They had planned to get married in Hawaii in April – read their original story here.

Even though Krysta and Mike couldn’t make it to Hawaii, they brought a bit of Hawaii to Colorado! Included in the traditional mass was a Hawaiian exchange of leis. Leis symbolize many things. Firstly, because most leis are arranged in an unbroken circle, they represent unity. Secondly, they represent fullness and completeness. Thirdly, leis symbolize the coming together of separate elements in synergy to make a whole, greater than the sum of its parts. Each individual flower that is woven into the lei loses none of its individual beauty when it forms the circle, and enhances the beauty of all the rest. Krysta and Mike exchanged white Dendrobium orchid leis demonstrating the Spirit of Aloha!

One of my favorite parts of the day was a surprise that showed up after the ceremony. Since Mike is a firefighter paramedic, a row of firetrucks were lined up outside the church along with his firefighting buddies wishing congratulations to the happy couple!

After the mass, we traveled to the Highlands Ranch Mansion for a private vow reading and both bride and groom photos and family photos. Krysta and Mike wore their leis during the reading and I loved capturing the emotion on Krysta’s face. In addition to the leis, her bouquet contained pink anthuriums and red and pink ginger from Hawaii.

CONGRATS KRYSTA & MIKE!