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Durango Weddings Magazine - 2021 Issue

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Durango Weddings Magazine 1

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2 durangoweddingsmagazine.comAshley & JoshFrom the bride...Our wedding was in the perfect spot, on the perfect day. e vibe was laid back, with lots of fun, booze, and TONS of dancing.THE VENUEWhen we visited River Bend Ranch, we immediately fell in love with the property. e location, the owners, and landscape are beyond spectacular! I wish we could have a party there every year!THE COVER COUPLEPhotography by Kara Cavalca Photo + Video

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4 durangoweddingsmagazine.comJosh made the arch which was the best! Our ceremony was next to the pond with the red clis as our backdrop. e sun was in the perfect spot and it could not have been more beautiful. My favorite memory was Josh's vows. ey were funny yet extremely thoughtful and authentic.I wanted Josh and I's rst look to be at the altar. I was so nervous but when I nally saw him it was the best moment!!

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Durango Weddings Magazine 5Even though everyone was watching our rst dance together, it felt like we were in our own world.Our seating chart was an array of wine bottles which I made labels for with the seating arrange-ments. For the table numbers, we had pictures of each of us at each age. (i.e. Table 9 was a picture of Josh and me at the age of 9).Featured Vendors » VENUE: River Bend Ranc h RENTALS: Durango Party RentalCATERER: Zia TaqueriaHAIR & MAKEUP: Sarah YokPHOTOGRAPHER: Kara Cavalca Photo + Video

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6 durangoweddingsmagazine.comFrom the bride...We had planned a big 200+ person wedding at Purgatory Resort for May 30, 2020. We were so excited to have all our family and close families come and experience the magic of Durango that we had fallen in love with the last few years. e pandemic and shutdown actually happened during my bachelorette weekend. In my heart, I knew the wedding was going to have to be cancelled. We chose instead to still get married at Purgatory just the two of us at Dante's. My parents and sisters drove out from California and we had Ben's parents zoomed in, we had my sister ociate and it ended up being the most special day we could have imagined! Aer our little ceremony, my mom made a charcuterie board for us at Purgy's. We had pizza from Fried Up which is our favorite as well as cake and cookies from Bread, another one of our favorites. Everything about the day was very "us"! It was absolutely perfect.HANNAH & BENHaving our friends do a drive by parade and pop-ping a bottle of champagne in the street with our original reception playlist going in the background was just so perfect.

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Durango Weddings Magazine 7I cried when I put on my dress. It just all hit me that the day I was dreaming of forever was here and happening, even if it looked dierent than my dreams.I had my late grandma's blue rosary tied into my bouquet ribbon.Featured Vendors » VENUE: Purgatory Resort PHOTOGRAPHER: Ginger Moose PhotographyFLORAL DESIGN: Linnaea Design HAIR: Carmen Tafoya

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8 durangoweddingsmagazine.comFrom the bride...We had a much smaller wedding than we had imagined, with only immediate family (10 guests). We chose Silverpick Lodge because of the view and also because we could rent out the whole lodge. It was so fun to stay there with just our family.THE CEREMONYWe were told by many to soak in the moment as it goes by fast. When I was walking down the aisle with my dad we just kept talking about how beautiful it was and how perfect this day was. It was bliss. We did a sand ceremony but each time one of us poured the sand we named one of our personality traits. It was the ociants idea and turned out to be so beautiful. She highlighted how we are dierent but when united we are bet-ter and stronger. Nick and I wrote our personality traits together and shared the same words at the end. It was very special and we had fun creating it. We had a mix of serious and corky traits. We were worried it would be a little to drawn out but ended up being perfect. Our families said it was their favorite part. We surprised them with that in our ceremony.LOOKING BACKWe were SUPER bummed at rst about not having our friends at our wedding but looking back on it we saved a ton of money that we can put towards our dream home. Our family was also able to really bond. We talked about it later when reecting on our big day, how we enjoyed not feeling overwhelmed or feeling pressured by having to "make our rounds" with everyone. We just got to really enjoy each other and our families. We wouldn't have changed it now if given the choice.Featured Vendors » VENUE: Silverpick Lodge / RENTALS: Durango Party Rental / PHOTOGRAPHER: Kelly Miranda Photography / FLORAL DESIGN: Linnaea Design / HAIR & MAKEUP: Hair Fusion Kelly & Nick

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Durango Weddings Magazine 9My most memorable moment was our rst dance to "Tennessee Whiskey" by Chris Stapleton.We both wrote our own vows with a promise to read them every year on our anniversary. ey meant so much to us.

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10 durangoweddingsmagazine.comFrom the bride...We always wanted a low-key, small wedding, and were still able to do that during the pandemic. Our ceremony was outside where our guests sat on benches and my dad ociated. It was a short ceremony, very meaningful to us, and then we were able to celebrate the rest of the evening with our close friends and family.THE VENUEBlue Lake Ranch was the rst place we looked, and they had such amazing ideas for us right out of the gate, took us on a tour and made it very easy to envision our wedding there. It had everything we wanted, a place for all our guests to stay on-site, so we could celebrate the whole weekend together, and beautiful views.Meredith & MAtthewFeatured Vendors » PLANNER, STYLIST & FLORAL DESIGN: Joan Alford / RENTALS: Ridgewood Party Rentals / VENUE: Blue Lake Ranch / PHOTOGRAPHER: Kara Cavalca Photo + Video / HAIR: Arcelia Valle, Deloro Salon / MAKEUP: Bree Kelly

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Durango Weddings Magazine 11THE RECEPTIONJoan Alford wowed us with the orals and decor. We had a cocktail hour out on the patio, and then went through the trees to a little clearing to the 'secret garden' where we had a long farm table set up with beautiful lights and a chandelier, it was elegant and romantic and I felt like a princess. It was absolutely perfect! e food was delicious.ADVICE Don't get too stressed about the details, and if things don't go exactly as planned it is okay and you will laugh about it later. For our favors, we gave out mini charcuterie boards. We made individual charcuterie boards for each of our guests and they were able to take them home. e chef at Blue Lake Ranch did an amazing job setting them up for us. e boards were handmade in Vermont and so beautiful.Looking back, the sta at Blue Lake Ranch were wonderful, easy to work with, and made the whole process easy! Highly recommend!

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12 durangoweddingsmagazine.comamanda & LanierFrom the bride....Due to COVID, we decided to plan a secret elopement.We knew we wanted a winter wedding with mountains in the backdrop. Aer searching for locations in Colorado, Durango was listed as one of the best Christmas towns in Colorado. THE CEREMONYWe wrote our vows. We had several laughing moments and a couple tears. We laugh a lot in our relationship, so we wanted to bring humor into our special day.We loved our day so much. It truly was perfect! ADVICETell no one and have an intimate wedding for two! e day is almost stress free and it allows you to focus on what is important- you two! Not to mention it will save you a ton of money. We also recommend a destination wedding, somewhere you’ve never been- then you can fall in love with a new place and create amazing new memories. Featured Vendors » BOUQUET: Adela Flora / PHOTOGRAPHER: Kara Cavalca Photo + Video

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Durango Weddings Magazine 13From the bride:We went back and forth between eloping, trying to do a small ceremony with close family and friends, or just signing the civil union paper up on a mountain in our hiking clothes. Ultimately, we opted for an intimate outdoor ceremony with just our closest family and friends, followed by a small dinner. We promised our original 150 guests that we would nd a way to celebrate with them later.THE FLOWERSI told April’s Garden that I wanted an oversize bouquet with white owers and trusted the experts to handle the rest. I wasn't disappointed - on my wedding day, I received a gorgeous bouquet of white roses, lush greens, and peonies - my favorite. e oral team at April’s Garden somehow managed to read my mind and produce the most gorgeous owers.THE CEREMONYOur ceremony was small and intimate with just 12 people and the magnicent beauty of the mountains around us. My favorite memory was privately exchanging vows with Joey on the moun-tain before the ceremony - a moment that I will treasure forever.LOOKING BACK If we could go back and do anything dierent, I think that we would both try not to overthink things as much. With COVID disrupting our plans, it was so dicult to sense what was the right thing to do. We spent weeks stressing, fretting, and overthinking, but with 6 months of marriage in the rearview mirror, it is clear that we could only do what was right for us, and that is enough.KATIE & JoEYFeatured Vendors » VENUE: Purgatory ResortFLORAL DESIGN: April's Garden PHOTOGRAPHER: Shea McGrath Photography

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14 durangoweddingsmagazine.comFrom the bride...I knew I didn’t want to do any work on our wedding day as it would take away from our enjoyment of the day. One of the reasons we chose Ridgewood- they took care of everything and it truly made all the dierence. Plus, having the ceremony and reception in the same place was so great. It made it so easy and stress free for everyone. ere was no traveling from one place to another or worrying about if everyone would nd the reception location or get there in time for dinner.I loved having a prayer with our whole group of guests because it really made us feel like we were all family and closely connected, their reason for being there.THE CEREMONYWe had our ceremony on the grass facing the La Plata Mountains. Tree stumps topped with small bouquets of owers lined the aisle to our hexagon arch adorned with orals. Desiree & Josiah

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Durango Weddings Magazine 15We did an intimate exchange of vows (near a quiet pond) before the ceremony. is one of my favorite memories of the entire day as it was so intimate and special. We both shared our true feelings and thoughts about each other and our marriage, and we cried.

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16 durangoweddingsmagazine.comADVICETake mental images throughout your day/night. Before you know it, it is all over, kind of like Christmas. Enjoy the reception more; spend more time with family and friends. I felt like the reception went so incredibly fast.Featured Vendors » PLANNER, STYLIST & FLORAL DESIGN: Joan AlfordRENTALS: Ridgewood Party RentalsVENUE: Ridgewood Event Center PHOTOGRAPHER: Wild Dawn HAIR: Jamie Does Hair

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Durango Weddings Magazine 17Mariah & DanVENUE: Purgatory Resort / PHOTOGRAPHER: Ginger Moose PhotographyFrom the couple...Our original plan was to host roughly 250 people. e restric-tions in Colorado limited us to 50. While this wasn't what we had initially hoped for, the smaller, more intimate ceremony was absolutely wonderful.THE PLANNINGI was glued to the Durango Wedding Magazine while we were planning the wedding. It was extremely helpful in nding venues and vendors for our wedding day.FAVORITE MOMENTSDan: We didn't do a traditional rst look, so my favorite memory was seeing Mariah walking down the aisle. She was absolutely stunning in her dress.Mariah: My favorite moment was when Dan said, "I do." I just started giggling with excitement. ADVICEChoose vendors that you are comfortable with and that you trust. Planning a wedding through COVID showed us how invaluable it was to have vendors that supported us and gave us advice to make our day special.

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18 durangoweddingsmagazine.comFrom the couple...Our wedding vision was to connect to the natural and cultural landscapes of our new property. Our goal was to create a meaningful, intimate event for us and our families, who were visiting (from New England) our new home--and region--for the rst time.We wrote and read our own vows; our ceremonialist took time to get to know us, and talked about our story and the land; we planted a cherry tree during our ceremony; the father of the bride played an original composition on Native American ute; and the mother of the bride read a wedding blessing that had been meaningful to us.JESSICA & COREY

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20 durangoweddingsmagazine.comADVICECorey: ink about how to make this meaningful for you and your bride, and don't feel constrained by pre-conceived notions of what a wedding should be. Try writing your own vows, which you can then use as a touchstone--or contract-- in your relationship. Jessica: Don't lose sight of what's most important and meaningful in a wedding, which is focusing on what marriage and love mean to you. Don't get overly stressed about the details. What made our wedding special in the end was our family's and our involvement in the ceremony and not the decorative elements.We had a catered (vegan) dinner inside our home aer a group walk--instead of cocktail hour, we had a cocktail nature walk. Dinner table and benches were rustic wood and iron from Durango Party Rental.Featured Vendors » FLORAL DESIGN: Adela FloraPHOTOGRAPHER: Kara Cavalca Photo + VideoRENTALS: Durango Party RentalCEREMONIALIST: Southwest Ceremonies HAIR & MAKEUP: Mary Beth LivermoreCATERER: Sharon Orr

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Durango Weddings Magazine 21Julia & TyleRWhen Tyler and I rst saw each other on our wedding day it was surreal. Both of us nervous yet so excited we were nally getting married.From the bride...Our destination wedding at Purgatory Resort was simple and inspired by the mountains. We wanted the focus on our relationships with family and close friends. We had planned a small wedding to begin with so we were able to go through with it safely and without many changes. We did have some guests that could not make it due to travel restrictions so we live streamed the ceremony on Facebook. Aer we recited our vows overlooking the beautiful San Juan mountains we had an intimate reception at Hoody's Basecamp.______________________Photography by Kara Cavalca Photo + Video ADVICE: Create the wedding YOU want to create; whether it's big or small, simple or extravagant.

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22 durangoweddingsmagazine.comFrom the couple...Our original wedding plans were a lot dierent (150+ person wedding in Phoenix AZ). When we found the elopement package at Cascade Village, it really appealed to us as a lot of the planning was already done for us!Our small ceremony (8 people plus us) had a casual vibe to match the setting. We played lawn games aer our vows while enjoying the beautiful scenery, then we had dinner at our rental house.Dana & Derek

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Durango Weddings Magazine 23Our favorite memory was popping the champagne aer the ceremony!Aer our original wedding plan didn't work out, it felt really good to nally be married!Natalie from Adela Floral did our orals and they were absolutely beautiful. I sent over a few pictures for inspiration but mainly just told her that we wanted them to be "fall-y". ADVICEGo with the ow and be exible with your plans! Ask your vendors about their rescheduling policy. Make the most out of it - in our case we got to have a super intimate wedding with our family and will hopefully be able to celebrate with everyone else next year!Featured Vendors » FLORAL DESIGN: Adela FloraPHOTOGRAPHER: Kara Cavalca Photo + VideoVENUE: Cascade Village

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24 durangoweddingsmagazine.comFrom the bride...We both grew up in the area and have always loved the mountains so we wanted a simple wedding that t our lifestyle. We wanted the main decor to be the incredible Colorado mountains and views with lot of owers.THE VENUE At 9,600 feet elevation, Double R Ranch had all the amazing mountain views we were looking for and beautiful cabins for us to get ready in.THE CEREMONYOur ceremony site was incredible. We had a beautiful ower installation at the altar and pretty white benches for the guests. e ceremony was out in the middle of a eld where we could see multiple mountain ranges. Haley & Koby

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Durango Weddings Magazine 25We debated a rst look before the ceremony but it was so special to see each other when walking down the aisle. ADVICEBe patient and don’t get frustrated. If things get cancelled it doesn’t mean your special day can’t happen. Everything will be amazing! Have fun!We wrote each other a letter instead of doing vows at the altar and reading those will always be my most memorable moment.Featured Vendors » VENUE: Double R Ranch / DRESS STORE: Bri’s Bridal Boutique / FLORAL DESIGN: Tiandra Sharp / PHOTOGRAPHER: Aspen Jade PhotographyHAIR: Emily Baumgartner, The Loft Hair and Nail Salon

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26 durangoweddingsmagazine.comFrom the bride...COVID resulted in us having a smaller wedding of just 10 people (including us) here in Durango. Despite not having our big wedding, we still wanted to include all the things - owers, cake, a good meal, etc. We love our beautiful area and wanted that to be the backdrop of our ceremony. Being outdoors, near water, in nature was important to us. THE VENUEWe decided on Blue Lake Ranch because of how beautiful the setting was with the lake, mountain views, beautiful gardens and fruit trees. We liked that they had overnight accommodations for us and the family to make it feel more like a destination wedding even though it was right here at home. Lauren & Andrew

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Durango Weddings Magazine 27e most memorable moment was standing on the dock of the lake framed by owers and water saying our vows to one another in the presence of our families.Joan created the most amazing bouquets.I walked down the aisle to an old recording of my grandfather singing, "Ave Maria" (he passed years ago and one of his side hobbies was singing opera - he had a beautiful voice). I loved seeing Andrew for the rst time and the smile on his face - it was a huge glowy smile, one I've never seen before.

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28 durangoweddingsmagazine.comADVICE: Relax and have fun with it. It doesn't have to be stressful. Focus on what you want as a couple, your ideal scenario, what's important to you, and create that. Everything else (including other people's opinions) will fall into place around that.

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Durango Weddings Magazine 29THE RECEPTIONWe had cocktails and hors d'oeuvres on the back patio at sunset followed by dinner under a canopy of lit trees with a view of the lake. Our favorite reception memory was enjoying our rst meal as husband and wife with our families, followed by dancing.Our families surprised us by curating video messages from our friends and families. We watched it on the patio of the Inn aer dinner and laughed and cried. We so missed having them there and the funny, creative, and sentimental videos from everyone all over the states made us feel like they were there with us.Featured Vendors » VENUE, LODGING, FOOD: Blue Lake Ranch / PLANNER, STYLIST & FLORAL DESIGN: Joan Alford, Ridgewood Party Rentals / DRESS STORE: Bri’s Bridal Boutique / HAIR: Arcelia Valle, Deloro Salon / MAKEUP: Bree, The Chair / PHOTOGRAPHER: The Delacastros / OFFICIANT: Reverend River Stone / CAKE: Bread

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30 durangoweddingsmagazine.comKYLE & JONFrom the bride...We have visited Durango a few times and it’s also where we fell in love. We knew we wanted to be married in Durango, outdoors by the river, in the fall. We wanted the day to just be authentically us, dressed in cowboy boots, hat, and a short dress. Our wedding day was perfect. We could not imagine getting married anywhere else! ADVICE: Always have a backup plan. Make sure your wedding is authentic to you. Sometimes less is more. Featured Vendors » FLORAL DESIGN: Adela Flora / HAIR & MAKEUP: Rocky Mountain Stylist / PHOTOGRAPHER: Allison Ragsdale Photography

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Durango Weddings Magazine 31From the bride...THE VENUE Silverpick Lodge was the perfect choice for us, oering an in-timate stay for almost 50 guests where we had access to a game room, reception hall, outdoor or indoor ceremony options, a spa to primp and prepare the day of and during the stay, hot tubs and the most incredible family friendly atmosphere. We chose the meadow for our ceremony and Columbine room for our reception. e sta at the lodge were by far the most helpful, friendly, and enjoyable sta we have ever come across. By the end of our stay, they felt like family!!THE CEREMONYOur pastor let my daughter read our vows and help to lead the ceremony. She was only 8 years old and lead the ceremony like a professional. Sharing our commitment to each other and allow-ing my daughter to share part of it in the ceremony and display the commitment as a family was such a beautiful thing.LOOKING BACKHaving all of our family and closest friends with us for 4 days and being able to thoroughly enjoy the hard work and planning of our wedding for multiple days instead of just one is exactly how we would do it again. ere is absolutely nothing we would do dierently!!Walking towards my husband to be with the moun-tains and trees in the background, him in his cowboy hat and his sparkling eyes stuck only on me brought tears to both of our eyes. All the butteries of the rst time we met came rushing back for the both of us.ADVICEHave fun during the process. Wedding planning is overwhelm-ing but breaking it out in chunks allowed us to thoroughly enjoy each moment. In the end, the memories that are created are worth far more than the cost of name brands, or tiny details that may or may not be remembered.Featured Vendors » VENUE & LODGING: Silverpick Lodge / HAIR & MAKEUP: Rocky Mountain Stylist / PHOTOGRAPHER: Alexi Hubbell Photography / CATERER: Serious Texas BBQHOLLY & NICK

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32 durangoweddingsmagazine.comFrom the bride...We are from Texas but knew we wanted a winter wonderland wedding with lots of snow in Durango, Colorado. We also wanted our day to be intimate and memorable. We rented a seven bedroom house so we could have some amazing family time together as we prepared for the best day ever. THE CEREMONYIt literally dropped a foot or more of snow a couple hours before we got married! We had the ceremony in front of the house we rented. e backdrop of the Colorado mountains combined with more snow than we could have imagined was so perfect. We felt BEYOND blessed!We traveled all the way from Texas with all of the stuff for the wedding. Never seen the location, except in pictures. Never met any of the vendors, just talked over the phone. We get to Durango and EVERYTHING went together so perfectly! MYRA & JEFFREY

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Durango Weddings Magazine 33THE RECEPTIONWe transformed the living room of the house we rented into our reception. It was full of candles and twinkling lights. We did do a short rst dance out on the deck but by this time we were froze and ready to be inside by the re.ADVICEDo what you and your spouse truly want! Don’t try to please anyone else! It is your day and you don’t want to look back at your special day and have regrets!Featured Vendors » RENTALS: Durango Party Rental / PHOTOGRAPHER: Aspen Jade Photography / HAIR & MAKEUP: Riley Rieb, ReyLynn’s / FLORAL DESIGN: The Flower Cottage

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34 durangoweddingsmagazine.comFrom the bride...We love the mountains! Jesse proposed whilst we were hiking in Washington and although Washington is beautiful, nothing could beat out a backdrop like the warm and green Durango mountain views.WHY DURANGOWe chose Durango for our destination wedding because of its alpine beauty. We'd only been to Durango once prior for a family reunion and we had been to several mountainous areas prior to choosing our wedding venue but as my Aunt would say, "Durango is God's country". Just hike Engineer Mountain and you'll know why too.Danielle & Jesse

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Durango Weddings Magazine 35THE VENUEBecause our inspiration to have our wedding in Durango was the mountain top views from Engineer Mountain, we found Dante's at Purgatory Resort to be a close second for the view and vibe we wanted. FIRST LOOKOur rst look was really emotional. It was completely endearing experience though; me with tears in my eyes but Jesse's warm embrace blanketing me with humility and grace.It rained just before we went out for the ceremony and that made the background mountain and scenery colors POP. My favorite memory was walking down the aisle to the surprise song Jesse chose for me - "Can't Help Falling in Love" by Elvis Presley.I forgot the bouquet walking down the aisle and only realized once I was down the aisle. I exclaimed this once I remembered because I felt bad and everyone had a good chuckle about it.ADVICEEvaluate your priorities carefully, time is unforgiving, and you won't get it back. Roll with the punches. Rain came down right as the ceremony was supposed to start, then one of our buses of guests was 20 minutes late. Enjoy the time being surround by people you love and don't let anything ruin your day. Featured Vendors » VENUE: Purgatory ResortEVENT STYLING: HeirloomsFLOWERS: Mountain Belle Flower Farm PHOTOGRAPHER: Ginger Moose Photography

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36 durangoweddingsmagazine.comFrom the bride....We wanted an incredibly elegant, yet authentically Colorado wedding with owers everywhere. Our color palette was dusty blue with white, light gray, and earthy greens. I made sure to incorporate white roses because it is my favorite ower. THE CEREMONYe ceremony was perfect. We read our own vows to each other because we wanted to be able to make it really personal and be able to speak our hearts to the other person. One of the highlights was when it rained during the ceremony. While that might have dampened most bride's day, it felt magical. It seemed like hardly anyone noticed because we were so engrossed in each other.Caisey & Alec

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Durango Weddings Magazine 37FAVE MEMORYMy favorite reception memory was all the dancing. At the rehearsal dinner, the whole wedding party practiced line dances so that we would all be able to dance a lot at the reception. Because we did that, we were all condent on the dance oor and it made everyone else want to get out onto the dance oor with us. e dance oor was completely covered from the time the dancing started until we announced the last dance!ADVICEIt isn't worth stressing over things that are out of your control. Weather happens, guests don't show up, a decoration doesn't arrive. But that isn't what the day is about. e day is about the two of you, and you can't lose focus of that! Just have fun and don't fret about things that are out of your hands. Usually those things end up becoming fond memories to laugh about later on.Featured Vendors » FLORAL DESIGN: April's Garden / RENTALS: Durango Party Rental PHOTOGRAPHER: Elysium Film and Photo / VENUE: LePlatt's Pond PLANNER: Lacy Graff / HAIR & MAKEUP: Hair Fusion

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38 durangoweddingsmagazine.comFrom the bride...THE VENUE We chose Blue Lake Ranch not only because it is beautiful but because we loved that all of our family and friends could stay there together. THE CEREMONYe ceremony was held by the water outside of the Spring House at the ranch. e setting itself overlooks the mountains but it was made even more beautiful with vintage rugs and a triangle arch with the most beautiful arrangement of pampas grass and owers. CAKE FIRSTNeither of us like cake, so we chose to do things a little back-wards. Instead of the traditional cake cutting aer dinner, we did it rst thing. Right aer the ceremony, we went to the cocktail hour, had a champagne toast and cut our fromage cake. Guests enjoyed the cheese on a charcuterie plate for cocktail hour while we went and took photos. Once we got back, we got to enjoy the rest of the night with dinner and dancing without having to worry about stopping for cake cutting and toasts. We loved this!COURTNEY & ANDREW

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Durango Weddings Magazine 39THE RECEPTIONIt was the perfect blend of boho and elegance. e dance oor was outside in the courtyard with string lights hung across the trees above and a pampas grass back drop. It was magical.We were on the dance oor the ENTIRE night. It was so much fun.We wore custom embroidered denim jackets. Each jacket was designed with a phrase that was meaningful to the person.Featured Vendors » VENUE, LODGING, FLORALS & STYLING, FOOD: Joan Alford, Blue Lake Ranch. I can't even describe how beautiful Joan made everything. She truly brought our vision to life. PHOTOGRAPHER: Wild Dawn PhotographyHAIR & MAKEUP: Sarah York

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40 durangoweddingsmagazine.comFrom the bride...We got married on Friday, November 13th because we met on a Friday the 13th. e day has always been special to us, like a good luck charm. We had gone on vacation to Durango a couple of times and loved how beautiful everything is and the vibes we get from being there. When we saw the scenery at Cascade Village, we could envision having our wedding in the beautiful meadow. I envisioned a winter white color palette with lots of sparkle. Looking back, I got everything I wanted and more!e orals were all white roses, and I loved them! ey were absolutely gorgeous! My bouquet from Aprils Garden was everything I wanted with a touch a bling. I can’t express enough how much I was in love with the owers!DANA & EVAN

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Durango Weddings Magazine 41I just felt so overwhelmingly happy walking down the aisle. I was scared at rst until I looked at Evan, then it just all felt right.Featured Vendors » CEREMONY: Cascade Village FLORAL DESIGN: April’s GardenRENTALS: Durango Party RentalPHOTOGRAPHER: Alexi Hubbell DAY-OF COORDINATOR: Emily SpencerOFFICIANT: Chessa Gill

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42 durangoweddingsmagazine.comFrom the bride...THE VENUERiver Bend Ranch was by far our favorite venue that we looked at. Dan was such an amazing help with everything and really made us feel at ease with all the dierent COVID changes. e venue has a beautiful pond with a dock and lots of ceremony location choices. e reception area is a redone barn that is truly beautiful and includes a wonderful bridal suite and out-door bar. ere were also paddle boats!FIRST LOOKWe wanted to have that rst moment all to ourselves. We really tried to make everything personal. It's not just a wedding, it's the beginning of our lives together. When it was time for our rst look, Dalton was waiting down by the river for me. e second he turned around, his jaw dropped. He later told me he literally couldn't breathe. I started crying immediately. I loved that our rst moments looking at each other were private and intimate and just us. My favorite memory was my two boys walk-ing me down the aisle. Dalton is an electrician and we both love the look of copper so we used scrap copper from his work throughout the wedding.Stefanie & Dalton

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Durango Weddings Magazine 43We LOVE country music and danced as much as we possibly could and loved every second. Dalton and I have an unocial ocial song,"e Fireies Song" by Alan Jackson. At the end of the night, we realized it hadn't gotten played yet so we requested it and had the dance oor to ourselves. I love that our night ended with him and I alone on the dance oor, dancing to Alan Jackson with hopes for the future.Featured Vendors » VENUE: River Bend Ranch PHOTOGRAPHER: Kara Cavalca Photo + VideoDRESS STORE: Bri's Bridal Boutique

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44 durangoweddingsmagazine.comFrom the bride...We knew we wanted a winter wedding because our last name is Snow. I envisioned an elegant style with bohemian air. I didn’t want it to look Christmasy but I denitely wanted some hints of winter.THE VENUEWhen we found Ridgewood Event Center, I was incredibly excited because the scenery is absolutely gorgeous and we had the option to be inside or outside. e barn is so beautiful, especially lit up at night. e crystal chandlers have to be one of my favorite things. It is out in the country, which made things so quiet and calm.I will never forget how Josh looked at me walking down the aisle. It took my breath away. e whole ceremony was honestly the biggest highlight of the day.THE DETAILSJoan Alford at Ridgewood literally took care of everything which took a lot of my stress away. I gave her pictures of what we wanted and she gave us a wedding day that was something out of a fairytale.April & Josh

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Durango Weddings Magazine 45Featured Vendors » VENUE, PLANNER, STYLIST, FLORAL DESIGN: Joan Alford, Ridgewood Event Center DRESS STORE: Bri’s Bridal Boutique PHOTOGRAPHER: ShutterfreekTHE RECEPTION Everyone came in from the cold and warmed up with a hot chocolate bar inside of the barn. Each table had macrame, candles, beautiful dinner settings and gorgeous owers in vases. Fur was on the table chairs and benches. I would have to say that my favorite table was the one Joan made up for Josh, the kids, and I. Tall brass candle holders and greenery laid across it with huge chairs covered in fur throws. Above us, she decorated a huge hanging oral arrangement covered in pampas grass,and owers.

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46 durangoweddingsmagazine.comFrom the bride...WHY DURANGOWe chose Durango because my family visits every year, so it has a special place in my heart. e day aer we were engaged, we had the idea to have it in Colorado, and Durango was the rst place we had in mind. e views are gorgeous, and it was so wonderful to get married in the most beautiful place on earth! Our guests had a great time visiting because there is just so much to do for all ages! Everyone said that our wedding was the prettiest wedding they have ever attended, and I know most of that was due to the breathtaking scenery.THE CEREMONYWe decided to write our own vows which was really special. ey were so sweet, but also a little silly. We liked getting to personalize the promises that we were making to each other.Callie & benjamin

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Durango Weddings Magazine 47I didn’t think I was going to cry, but I was in tears just walking out to him! As soon as he turned around, we started hugging and I didn’t want to stop! His reaction to seeing me in my dress was so cute! Aer our hugs we grabbed hands and had a time of prayer. It was a priority for us to pray over the most important day of our lives. at was a moment I’ll never forget. Featured Vendors » VENUE: Purgatory Resort / FLORAL DESIGN: Adela Flora / PHOTOGRAPHER: Ginger Moose PhotographyWhile everyone was lining up for our send o, we decided to do a last dance with just the two of us. It was such a special and intimate moment. We danced to “Make You Feel My Love” by Adele, and we were both in tears from the beginning.

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48 durangoweddingsmagazine.comERIC & MANDYFrom the groom...We wanted a causal mountain getaway wedding where we could enjoy a weekend away with our friends and family. We originally had a larger wedding planned but due to COVID postponed our large celebration until 2021. We still wanted to get married, so we decided to have a small ceremony in the mountains with an inti-mate reception at Mandy’s parents house with immediate family and a few friends.e owers from April’s Garden were absolutely gorgeous! e arrangements of local owers exceeded any expectations we had. Aer the wedding, we dried the bouquets and they are still beautiful!THE CEREMONYOur ceremony took place in an aspen grove. Mandy’s dad built an arch and our kind friends carried it to the aspen grove meadow. A good friend played guitar as we walked down the ‘aisle’. Another friend led the ceremony, and both our parents said a few words. We shared our own vows and tied the knot. Overall, it was short, sweet, and beautiful.

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Durango Weddings Magazine 49We both agree that the whole weekend was simply perfect. Our wedding wasn’t what we had originally envisioned, but the end result was magical.Featured Vendors » PHOTOGRAPHER: Colt & Hannah PhotographyFLORAL DESIGN: April’s Garden CATERER: Himalayan Kitchen

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50 durangoweddingsmagazine.comFrom the bride...We were alleyway neighbors and met through discussions of our gardens. We immediately found common ground of our love of being outdoors.THE VENUEWe chose Silverpick Lodge because we wanted a family reunion "like" wedding weekend. THE CEREMONYOur ceremony was under the aspens surrounded by handmade décor. e weather was beautiful. My favorite memory was seeing each other for the rst time. Our black lab, Zoey, had made it through chemo treatment to be a part of our wedding day. She stood by our sides and was a special part of the ceremony.KATIE & CLAY

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Durango Weddings Magazine 51ADVICE Just get married, don't wait. Planning the wedding was no big deal until we had to plan it again.Featured Vendors »VENUE, LODGING, FOOD: Silverpick LodgePHOTOGRAPHER: Kara Cavalca Photo + VideoHAIR: Jamie Does HairFLORAL DESIGN: Lulu's Petals

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52 durangoweddingsmagazine.comFrom the bride...Having snow on the ground was my #1 must-have. I also wanted a long sleeve wedding gown with the wedding party dressed in shades of blues and grays. I designed all the owers as I own Lulu's Petals in Farmington. e rest of the details were up to my mom to decide.THE CEREMONYe ceremony was outside in the snow. I loved having the snow-capped mountains in the background. We had a small gathering and oered blankets for everyone. My godmother performed our ceremony. I was named aer her. at was a special moment having her be there with us on our special day. e ceremony was short because I didn't want our guests to be too cold.LAURIE & JAKE

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Durango Weddings Magazine 53Joan and her sta at Ridgewood Event Center were amazing. ey helped me with everything and made my day shine. We stayed in the cabins at Blue Lake Ranch the night before- what a fun place to spend some quality time with loved ones! ey spoiled us.ADVICEFind a place that will work with you and be okay with having a smaller wedding. RECEPTION DECORe tables had candles, wooden names plates, lanterns and owers.Featured Vendors » VENUE: Ridgewood Event CenterLODGING: Blue Lake RanchHAIR: Jamie Does HairPHOTOGRAPHER: Animas Photo Companye reception was inside the event center, which was stunning when the sun began to set across the mountains.

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54 durangoweddingsmagazine.comliz & ETHAN From the bride...I couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. Amidst the craziness of the pandemic we found a day of love, laughter and peace. River Bend Ranch provided us with the perfect venue, with gorgeous views and plenty of space for our small party to feel comfortable and safe. All of the vendors we chose were stellar and made my wedding day stress free and fun. ere isn't a thing I would change.THE CEREMONYWe wrote our own vows, that were funny, heart-felt and so true to us as a couple. My favorite moments were walking down the aisle with my daughter (9 years old) holding my hand. My brother saying, "You look beautiful" with tears in his eyes as we passed. Hugging Ethan as soon as I reached him, causing the ociant (Ethan's best friend) to start crying.

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Durango Weddings Magazine 55Featured Vendors » VENUE: River Bend RanchFLORAL DESIGN: April's GardenHAIR: Rocky Mountain StylistPHOTOGRAPHER: Allison Ragsdale Photography

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56 durangoweddingsmagazine.comTonya & CollynFrom the bride...COVID completely altered our wedding. We planned for a medium-sized wedding (around 80-100 guests) at Purgatory Resort. With the uncertainties of COVID and pressing state-wide restrictions on events, we made the hard decision to postpone our large event and instead host a micro-wedding at my cabin at Electra Lake. Our immediate families and wedding party turned into our entire guest list. But we had the best time at our tiny wedding! We loved the intimacy and nostalgia of being at my cabin. We loved spending all of our time with our guests, and what we lacked in size we made up for in love and energy! Even the tiny dance oor was perfect.Our ceremony was held in front Electra Lake, deep in the tall evergreens and aspens, overlooking the lake.THE RECEPTIONOur tiny reception was held in a tent at the cabin. e rustic wooden tables, beautiful table-scapes, and romantic autumn oral centerpieces created a romantic and rustic reception high-lighting the natural beauty of the landscape. Twinkle lights and curtains t the backdrop of the romantic sweetheart table.

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Durango Weddings Magazine 57LOOKING BACK Having such a small, intimate event made the entire day so memorable. We were able to talk, laugh, cry, hug, and dance with every single person who came. at is something that I am truly grateful for and would not have had in any other, non-pandemic year. We loved our micro-wedding, and would say “go for it” to any-one considering a small group size for their big day. You absolutely won’t regret it.Featured Vendors » RENTALS: Durango Party RentalHAIR & MAKEUP: Rocky Mountain StylistPLANNING & DESIGN: HeirloomsFLORAL DESIGN: Linnaea DesignPHOTOGRAPHER: Ginger Moose PhotographyADVICERoll with the ups and downs. We may have had a few more changes and unknowns this year with COVID than most couples face. However, at the end of the day, we felt like we had the perfect wedding and if you can just let things happen that are out of your control, you can to! Also, trust your vendors, they are knowledgeable, creative, and will not disappoint! Be exible! Remember that small in size does not mean small in love, fun, energy, and memories!

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58 durangoweddingsmagazine.comFrom the bride...e most important thing to both of us was that people enjoyed the day, and that there was no unnecessary stress about little details or trying to create a "perfect" day.THE CEREMONYWe chose to have our ceremony on our neighbor's property. My parents home is right by the Animas River, and the views in our neighborhood are unbelievable. With the neighbor's blessing, we walked the gravel road looking for the spot with the best view. We literally set up our wedding in the middle of the road!We loved seeing everyone enjoy themselves. ere was no drama, it was so small and intimate, and everyone had a great time. We could not have planned something better to represent "Us."Jessica & JASON

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Durango Weddings Magazine 59Aer the ceremony, Jason and I got time to ourselves as we drove "Sally" my Dad's 1963 Chevy Pickup through town. Getting those few minutes together was so special. We were both so giddy and happy and excited for the beginning of our marriage.Featured Vendors » BOUQUET: Adela Flora / HAIR & MAKEUP: Hair Fusion / PHOTOGRAPHER: Allison Ragsdale Photography / RECEPTION: Zia Taqueria

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60 durangoweddingsmagazine.comFrom the bride...e pandemic caused us to plan 3 dierent wedding versions. is meant we made a lot of changes. Focusing on what was more important to us let us focus on the parts of the day we were still able to have instead of what (and who) was missing. We ultimately told guests not to travel and had a small, more intimate ceremony that we live streamed and then an even smaller reception with just family. We did not plan on turning my parents living room into our reception venue but it turned out beautiful and worked great.I wore my Mom's wedding dress with a few alterations to make it my own!FAVE MOMENTGetting to sit down at dinner, surrounded by our family who helped make the wedding happen in a pandemic, and knowing that we nally made it through the wedding and the stress COVID added to it. We could just focus on enjoying being married.Aer dinner, it started snowing and didn't stop the rest of the night. e evening was a magical winter wonderland. ADVICEHave lots of backup plans and think about creative ways to incorporate the most important things to you.MEGAN & NICKFeatured Vendors » FLORAL DESIGN: Adela Flora / HAIR: Hair Fusion / PHOTOGRAPHER: Allison Ragsdale Photography

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62 durangoweddingsmagazine.comWEDDED WISDOMIf you go into your wedding with realistic expectations (perfection is not attainable, but your day will somehow be perfect none-theless), and a unied vision of what really matters (your MARRIAGE), you will be just ne.Try to remember what will REALLY matter in 50 years: you getting to marry the love of your life, and committing to doing forever together. At the end of the day, that's all that really matters. Katie & Joey9Photo: Ginger Moose PhotographyPhoto: Shea McGrath PhotographyAt some point, you need to step away from Pinterest, Etsy, and wedding blogs. It was too easy to obsess about little details or things I hadn’t thought of that we really didn’t need and were just stressing me out. Budgets are a very real thing, and if you just keep comparing and ‘wanting’ until the end, you miss out on the fun. Choose the details and features that are most important to you, and let the rest go.Cortney & ChristopherDo what you want to do, not what you think you should do. So many couples get caught up in what’s traditional, or what’s trendy and don’t focus on what they want. At the end of the day, it’s your wedding! Make it how you want it!Callie & Benjamin Photo: Eliza Jane Willey

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Durango Weddings Magazine 63Make it about you and do what YOU want. It's the beginning of YOUR marriage. Don't let the bigness of THE WEDDING overshadow that it's about you as a couple and your future together. Also, I highly recommend the 15 minutes imme-diately following the ceremony to just be together and enjoy the rst moments as husband and wife aside from all the wedding busyness.Stefanie & DaltonPhoto: Wild DawnPhoto: Allison Ragsdale PhotographyPhoto: Ginger Moose PhotographyPhoto: Kara Cavalca Photo + VideoTake a moment for yourself. While everyone was walking up to the reception site, we sat on the benches at the ceremony site and had a moment with just the two of us to take in the magic of the day. Everything moves so fast, be sure to take the time to enjoy it.Courtney & Andrewis is your day. Make sure it's about what you value as a couple. Whether you want a big wedding or a small one, don't forget what the day is about. We got to enjoy so many little moments throughout the eve-ning because we kept it simple, and I wouldn't trade that for anything. We chose to not stress the little details, and we could not have had a more perfect wedding experience.Jessica & JasonRemember it is about being married to your person, not the wedding or party. It sucks to have to cancel the big wedding you had envisioned, but you never know...it could turn out to be the wedding of your dreams you didn't even know you wanted. e way our wedding turned out, I could not have asked for a better day! Hannah & Ben

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64 durangoweddingsmagazine.comVIBRANT GREENAn earthy color palette that mimics a foraged from the forest vibe.Stylist & Floral Design: Joan Alford, Ridgewood Event Rentals / Photographer: Kelly Miranda Photography

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Durango Weddings Magazine 65Floral Design: April's Garden / Location: Ridgewood Event Center / Photographer: Shutterfreek Colorado wildowers combined with garden blooms created this fun and whimsical boho style. SOUTHWEST BOHO

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66 durangoweddingsmagazine.comWINTER ROMANCESo pink and white orals with pops of texture created this romantic and glamorous wedding style at Blue Lake Ranch. Table Florals & Styling: Joan Alford, Ridgewood Party Rentals / Bouquet: Petal & Stem Florals / Photographer: Shutterfreek

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Durango Weddings Magazine 67Floral Design: Adela Flora / Photographer: Kara Cavalca Photo + Video / Location: Cascade VillageInspired by the coral and peach hues of mountain sunsets, this bright and sophisticated palette is perfect for summer or fall.ALPINE GLOW

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68 durangoweddingsmagazine.comAn earthy and elegant mountain style inspired by uy pampas grass, all-white blooms, organic cotton, and natural birch. ORGANIC ELEGANCEFloral Design: April's Garden / Photographer: Elizabeth Wells

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Durango Weddings Magazine 69Looking back, I wish we would have taken a few moments alone (apart from taking photos, vows, or rst look) to just soak in the moment. Had we of done this, I think we would have an even sweeter memory of our wedding day.Desiree & Josiah Photo: Wild DawnPhoto: Kara Cavalca Photo + VideoLooking back, I would have hired a videographer so I could remember all the special memories forever.Ashley & JoshPhoto: Kara Cavalca Photo + VideoLooking back, all the "big" problems were just unimportant on the day-of. Having to rearrange so much during the planning can make it so stressful but it also shows you what is really important. Our honeymoon wasn't the one we originally picked out and the wedding turned out a little dierent but we made the best of all of it and enjoyed every minute with each other.Stefanie & Dalton LOOKING BACK Durango newlyweds share what they would do dierent on their wedding day.

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70 durangoweddingsmagazine.comPhoto: Shea McGrath Photography