This past October a new breed of wedding showcase hit Denver like a freight train at Mile High Station. Jewels Gray’s (from Jeff & Jewels Photography) brainchild idea to bring something more creative and stylish to the wedding expo industry was a smash hit. Most wedding expos are boring, stuffy, and traditional (a reason I never was inclined to participate in them), so it was such a breath of fresh air to see an event for engaged couples to meet some of Denver’s top creative and unique vendors that provide something more than just traditional and classic themes.
The vendors were hand picked by Jewels herself (including yours truly) for their outstanding unique and offbeat creative offerings. Local designers, makeup artists, & hair stylists partnered to create vignettes such as “Pinup Rockabilly”, “Comic Book Super Hero”, and “Victorian Goth”. Foodies rejoiced with samples from incredible caterers, while florists, photographers, and mixologists put out their best work.
And as if gathering all these creatives in an amazing space wasn’t enough, the night ended with an incredible fashion show too (and what? a ZOMBIE FLASH MOB? Perfection):
“STEAMPUNK WEDDING COUTURE”
by B. VONWILES
Hair by BRIONNE WILES
Makeup by KC MCKEON
“ODDMODITIES”
by PEGGY COX
Hair & Makeup by INDIE SIX SALON
Bodypainting by Colorado Skin Works
Entertainment by:
Hipster Mama Productions
Ready Never
Lannies Clocktower Cabaret
Ginger Sexton
Do yourself a favor before you play this. PUMP UP THE VOLUME. You’ll thank me later.
This couple can MOVE. Highly energetic, they pulled out all the stops on their wedding day. They had been practicing for months, and showed their guests the big payoff of their private salsa classes with their very own routine. Oh, but not just them. Their instructors also made a surprise appearance and led the guests in their very own salsa class and finished with their own couple dance too. By the end of the night, there wasn’t one foot that hadn’t pounded the dance floor with moves. But to top it off, the jazz band they hired unexpectedly started a New Orleans second line parade and the entire wedding party followed them around the Botanic Gardens in typical parade procession. It was a nice touch considering Nola is Kim’s hometown. Pretty rad in my book.
Congrats to you both and thanks for making this the most fun edit yet!
Meggen is a bombastic hair stylist from Indie Six hair salon in Denver, CO. Her new hubby Ian is quite literally a perfect match for her. Sporting a jacket over a Misfits tee, they walked down the aisle together to Metallica’s “For Whom The Bell Tolls” in an Irish bar. Nailed it. Their penchant for rock n roll mischief inspired their theme that day. Riding around in a vintage red Cadillac for a photo shoot was a highlight, as well as watching their family and their separate daughters Jolee & Sean come together to share their love for each other and their new step parents in their wedding speeches (not a dry eye in the room). I thought the surfer rock sound of The Drums really complements this duo and the incredibly fun vibe they put out. Congratulations you two, much love!
Meet Jennifer & Tom. This incredibly fun, beautiful, and classy couple were so natural in front of the lens, it made capturing their moments so delightful as their day played out. They chose a remarkable location to exchange their vows, the top of the Clocktower, and an event center inside of Denver’s first and oldest skyscraper. At night, the faces of the clock light up purple, but inside at the magic hour of sunset, it lets plenty of sunlight glow through the translucent clockfaces. It was an overcast day, so we weren’t as lucky with light, but it was a surreal and beautiful scene nevertheless. The spiraling staircase that leads to the bell and serene views of the city and mountains lends to the aesthetic. The party was grand, the night was happy, and the couple never seemed happier. Congrats to both for such a beautiful day.
One of the best aspects of living in Denver (besides the 1001 hobby sports to choose from) is the ability to just break away from the concrete and hit the mountain towns. Most are only a couple hours away (Breckenridge, Vail, Estes Park) but if you truly want to experience the quintessential beautiful mountain village, then take the 4.5 hour drive over Independence Pass that leads right into the famous town of Aspen, Colorado.
Jenny & Kip couldn’t have picked a better location to exchange their vows. The weekend celebration was set at the exclusive Little Nell resort at the top of Aspen mountain via a gondola lift. The sundeck offers one of the best sunset views of the mountain range and despite some early bad weather, the afternoon cleared up and allowed for some beautiful imagery of this lucky couple.
International Special Events Society (ISES) held their annual Showcase & Tablescapes competition this year at The Studio event center in Denver, CO. Teams of various event professionals designed and showcased their interpretation of a “Fashion Meets Fantasy” theme vignette. The Little Things, comprised of Indie Six, Mulberries Flowers, The Photogenic Lab, & Gray Photography, WON “Overall Best Design”. Jewels Gray from Indie Six & Julia Karren from Mulberries Flowers provided the concept, design, and overall styling to the whole set with the rest of Indie Six helping with hair & makeup and set design. Jeff Gray provided photography and TPL shot the motion. More information about the wedding dress and overall design concept can be found on The Little Thing’s blog post.
Technical note: edited for 35mm anamorphic widescreen format.
Every 3rd friday of the month Beauty Bar hosts a rollerskating party simultaneously in all their cities. In Denver, its hosted at the EXDO event center. Here’s an edit I shot to promo their event (thanks Kristy & Dave for second shooting!)
Details at sk8party.com
This is a music video I helped shoot and edit. Directed by Sam Miller of Onlych1ld.
This is an project I helped shoot about the Nurse Family Partnership Program that partners nurses with expectant mothers in need of a support system. They focus on how to stay healthy, labor & birth, and child care training.
Production Company: Rehab
Director: Sam Miller
This is a promo spot shot for SAGE of the Rocky Mountains and The Center for their new free health & wellness program designed for Capitol Hill GLBT seniors to help encourage an active lifestyle and foster relationships within their community. Statistically, many older GLBT people are at risk for depression and isolation and this program aims to provide them with a means of keeping fit and establishing positive relationships within their peers. I’m a huge advocate of GLBT rights and I really met a lot of positive and rewarding people through this project. Both SAGE and The Center do so much for our Denver based GLBT community it was an honor to help them spread a positive message for such a great idea.