megan & chuck {married}

the first time he saw her was at camp. and she was wearing pink heels, amidst of sea of chacos. and when they went their separate ways at the end of that first summer, they knew they would never be the same. a few years later they met their families in gunnison, just a few hours north of their camp, and promised their lives to each other. in chacos this time ;)

megan & chuck, thank you. for letting us into your day and your story and your families. we loved getting to know you and bearing witness to your most important day. you are beautiful, kind souls and we could not be more grateful for your trust. i know God is going to do mighty things with your lives! hope you had a fantastic honeymoon and we can't wait to see you again soon!

we started the day at an adorable salon in crested butte. which by the way is the most gorgeous little mountain town and i wish we had time to spend about 7 hours photographing there :) megan sipped her drink while getting all prettied up. there was no nervousness in sight, only excitement and anticipation to see her man!

gorgeous!

loved the space they had to get ready in there, and how sweet the stylists were. i love me an aveda salon and this one was particularly great! megan and her girls floated throughout the room laughing and squeezing hands and celebrating a really great day & a really great couple.

then it was time to head over to the phelps ranch. and listen, i wish i were getting married again because i would be booking the ranch! it was a-mazing. beautiful views in 360 degrees of wide open farm land tucked into the foothills. totally worth the commute from kansas & texas (and more i'm sure!) for their families. it was just picturesque.

we popped into chuck's getting-ready room and visited with the boys for awhile until it was time for the first-look...

and then hung out with the girls again while megan got ready in THE most beautiful dress i've ever seen! the detail was so unique and so perfect for her.

megan's mom helped her into her dress...and she instantly went from an adorable girl in shorts & chacos to bride.

i love how she's looking at her mama. being their only child, it was an emotional day for rod & patti for sure!

megan: you are STUNNING. you made a perfect bride.

her girls gave her a book with notes and encouragement written inside and a few more tears were shed.

and then they surrounded her for a quick prayer before she went out to see her man for the first time.

and this right here is reason to choose a first-look: you have a chance during your busy wedding day to take five minutes and speak tenderly and privately to each other. theirs was a beautiful moment as megan walked down the aisle to chuck. the same one her father would lead her down a couple hours later. he turned and saw her for the first time and his grin stretched from ear to ear. as soon as she reached him, megan buried her head in his chest and let out some emotion from the day. and then they held hands and whispered and he kissed her forehead, and they experienced the rest of their day together.

LOVED their details...the wildflowers were perfectly paired with the mountain setting.

and before they knew it, their wedding began. chuck was full of joy and contentedness as he watched his father-in-law walk megan down the aisle.

and i loved how proud her parents were. they beamed all day.

the afternoon shower hardly effected them, and they just grinned to each other as umbrellas popped up and someone offered her a jacket...

thankfully the shower was short and as the thunder rumbled in the distance, they pledged their lives to each other. their joy was impossible to contain.

and emotion exploded as they turned and headed back up that same aisle, this time MARRIED!! we all laughed out loud as megan in all her cuteness jumped up and down a few times!

while the finishing touches were put on the reception, we grabbed a few portraits in the afternoon light. this one that jen grabbed is my fave.

LOVE the afternoon winds catching her veil.

then it was time for their party!!

could their cake topper be ANY cuter! i loved how much colorado means to megan & chuck. even though they still live in the kansas city area, they are actively pursuing their dream to live out here as soon as they can. so their little mountaineering couple on the cake was such a perfect nod to their dreams...

and hello, their grooms cake was divine.

the white reception tent set up in a field was perfect. i loved the fresh light, the grass "floor", and the cool breezes through it.

their best friends toasted to a great future, after sharing all about their first impressions at camp. in pink heels. and we all laughed!

and as they shared their first dance, it was obvious how perfect they are together. they are tender and sweet to each other, and have prepared for not just a great wedding but marriage for a lifetime.

megan and her dad opened up their dance busting a move with air guitar, and finished up sweetly with overflowing pride and a few tears. something always gets me about a dad dancing with his daughter, and they were particularly moving.

and then it was chuck's turn to take his mom for a spin...and let me tell you, a mother has never beamed more proudly towards her son. becky, you raised a great man who loves his girl with his whole being.

and then we danced. my personal fave of the whole night ;) i've been known to shake it a little too while photographing! (p.s. don't you just love the grass floor?? such neat texture, like a plush carpet.)

we headed outside for the flower toss atop a hill!

and sealed the deal with a kiss in front of the phelps cabin...perfect end to a perfect day.

dear mr & mrs hodges: your day was nothing short of perfect. congrats and hope you are already relishing your wedded bliss!!

*to see their full online gallery in 4-6 weeks, click {HERE}