Northeastern Colorado Barn Wedding | Leila & Lane

Leila and Lane booked the full experience, and it showed in how much room the day had to breathe. Getting ready alone gave two hours with Leila and a full hour with Lane, enough time to actually let the morning unfold instead of rushing through it.

They chose not to see each other before the ceremony, but they still wanted a version of a first look, so instead they did it with the people closest to them. Leila's niece went first, then both sets of parents. One moment from that stretch of the morning stood out above the rest: the two of them reaching for each other's hands around a sheer piece of fabric, her silhouette visible through the material on one side, him on the other. Neither of them could see the other, but the shape of the moment came through anyway. 

The ceremony itself included a branding, a detail rooted in ranch tradition that gave the day a sense of place beyond just the barn setting. It is the kind of moment that only makes sense in this part of Colorado, and it anchored the ceremony in something bigger than the couple alone.

The reception brought out a mechanical bull, which turned into one of the most memorable images of the night. I lit them with a flash off to the side for rim light, letting natural light carry their faces, which is part of why the shot works so well in black and white. At one point Leila and Lane climbed on together, facing each other. I was fairly sure they were about to knock heads. They did not, and it felt like a fitting callback to how their story started, out on a dance floor, the two of them finding a way to meet in the middle of the motion.

The night closed with Lane out on the floor for one more dance, this time with his grandmother. After a full day of ceremony, tradition, and celebration, it was the quiet one that stuck.

 Planning a full day of celebration on your own property or venue? Based in Denver, available throughout Colorado and worldwide.