Life has been weird lately. This year continues to suck the life out of me and it feels like there is no end in sight, but this weekend was a literal breath of fresh air. I was supposed to be in Chattanooga, TN, celebrating my younger cousin’s wedding with all of my family and my boyfriend but because it’s 2020, due to Tennessee being a COVID hotspot with a 14 day quarantine advisory, we made the gut wrenching decision not to attend. The same week we’d come to that decision, Stephanie and I had been going back and forth about ideas for a morning after session for their wedding next summer when she jokingly said she wished I could come out to Denver for their engagement photos because they were having a hard time finding a photographer they liked. That light-hearted talk turned into looking at flights, and when we found round trip tickets for $69 we couldn’t say no.
Traveling during a pandemic is strange and stressful—Connor told me I looked like I was going to be sick on the flight and I usually travel pretty easy— but with masks on and sanitizer in hand, we slipped out of town for a few days. We headed straight for the mountains as soon as we landed and boy was it exactly what I needed. Stephanie and Chris took us to one of their favorite spots near Ward, Colorado, set-up their campsite, and took me on some of their favorite trails for photos. Steph pre-gamed our session with a little Colorado whiskey to ease the nerves, but as you can see from these photos, they were both absolute naturals. It was tough picking favorites, but check out their gorgeous session below. I can’t wait to be back next August for their wedding.
All images © Arielle Gallione 2020
