Wedding and Vacation in Colorado

Derek, this one's for you!!! Sorry it took so long!!

OK, Colorado! July was a great month, as you can tell, but it all came to a peak at, well, a peak! The peak of Keystone Mountain, to be exact. Our best family friends had a wedding, and the entire Kennedy clan was invited! On top of that, I was asked to be wedding photographer. In the immortal words of Shaggy from Scooby Doo, ZOIKS!

Jenny Fundingsland-Geyer and Seth Geyer, moments after their nuptuals!

We arrived on Thursday, which was the evening of the Rehearsal Dinner. Seth's family rented a gorgeous house near the Keystone Resort and - Zoiks again! - agreed to make the food! It was an enormous spread and it felt so casual and homey to hang out with all the wedding people in a house. It was also SOOOO Seth and Jenny!

It was a nice house, so shoes were left in the foyer! This made it more casual.... and not even a little bit stinky, which was great!

Mrs. Geyer and Leah playing hostesses

Kane and Heather Geyer

Jenny's Mom and Christie (my sister, "Mom Crazy" to you blog readers)

The groom, Shannon with her eyes closed, and Leah

Caleb checking out the yard (and the really cool earth moving equipment across the street!)

Mom, Mrs. Geyer and Mr. Geyer (my Dad's best friend from the US Merchant Marine Academy)

Billy and Noah hiding upstairs

Julia, Ellie (cousin and maternal Aunt of the Groom, as you can probably tell!) and my Mom

Leah, 3-week old Henry, and Mom

Aunt Crazy with Lauren (with my iPhone!) and Kyla on Friday morning

The Groom and my brother Bill... who is delivering the shirt and jacket that the groom forgot! Ooops! Oh well, if that is the only glitch, we'll be FINE.

Shannon - Sister-in-law of the Groom and Matron of ceremonies - and I going up the gondola from the resort (which takes you from the lowly Keystone Resort altitude of 9,000+ feet to the top of Dercum, which is 11,444 feet above sea level!)

NOTE TO READER: We are Virginia Beach people! A typical question we ask each other is "how far BELOW sea level is your house?" This is definitely a new adventure!

View downmountain from the gondola

Jenny getting ready

The "missing shirt and jacket" episode put us a bit behind schedule, so when it was time to shoot the bride & bridesmaids, there wasn't a lot of private locations away from the groom. So the brave little bride went - where else? - up!

Jenny on the EXTREMELY windy crows nest of the Summit House

If you're going to agree to be a wedding photographer, make sure all of your brides are as beautiful as Jenny. That's my advice. You can't mess up a picture of this girl - especially when she was so laid back and HAPPY!

Jenny and her girls

Meanwhile, Bill was hanging with the guys. I LOVE this picture that he took of Seth and Jenny's friends preparing the Honeymoon suite!

George Geyer and Seth Geyer (a la Bill too, another excellent shot

Seth gave all the guys Vans as groomsmen presents. Noah (second from the left) was probably the most grateful - he thought that was the coolest thing! We all did.

The Location ... I believe this overlooks Dillon Lake.

Another pre-wedding shot

Hold your horses!

No wedding just yet ... there's a storm brewing. Everyone back up the mountain to the Summit House!

Hail? Seriously? Hail?? Colorado weather is WACKY!

No reason to let a perfectly good cocktail reception wait until AFTER the wedding vows!

Seth and Jenny were pretty good about mingling in separate parts of the Summit House, although - as you can see - Seth was always near a window to check the progression of the storm. I think he was ready to get on with the show! Here he is with his Aunt Jeannie, Matt, and Christie. Unfortunately, this is where Jeannie later witnessed the wedding. I don't think you can over-estimate the effect of this altitude on people, even tough Ohio farmers like the Geyers!

Cocktail hour with the girls before the ceremony

Christie and Matt

Father of the Groom ... or "Grandpa" to Caleb

OK, back out again! Christie, Matt, Bill, Leah and Caleb are ready for the ceremony

The "Roger & Mary Geyer" contingent! Heather, Kane, Rog, and Rory

George and Anne Geyer

Jake, Seth, Noah, and Steve (left to right)

The Vows

The settingBilly took this shot of the Bride and Groom while I BOOKED IT up the hill and up 5 flights of stairs to the Crow's Nest. Did I mention we're 11,000+ feet above sea level and I have asthma?

This shot was worth it ... the entire wedding party cheering as Jenny and Seth kiss in front. The photo was Seth's idea, and I'm so glad he requested it!

The "George and Anne" Geyers - George, Caleb, Noah, Leah, Shannon, Jenny, Seth, Jake, Anne and Adam

(unfortunately Dave had to stay down-mountain with Henry, who was too young to come to the wedding at this altitude)

Photographer and Bride

A quiet, post-ceremony moment for Jenny and Seth

The Ohio Geyer siblings (3 of the 5 of them, anyway!) - Roger, Jeannie, and George

I miss Kelsey!

Mom and Aunt Crazy

Wedding complete! Now let's relax and enjoy the beer and bluegrass!

Saturday was a gorgeous, Colorado Summer day in Keystone! Music and beverages abound.

The Kennedys - Anne, Nancy, Kyla, Bill, Christie, Matt and Lauren

I love this picture of Lauren and Uncle Bill.

Kyla became a rock collecting expert. Collecting rocks and throwing them in the stream was top-shelf entertainment.

Why my nieces found it so fun to try on everything in my suitcase I'll never know, but they looked cute!

Relaxing at the lodge.

Feeding the chipmunks at Lake Dillon

Another Kennedy shot.

Kyla and Uncle Bill


Farewell Kennedys and Geyers ... I'm off to Boulder! Vacation Part Deux!

Hanging with Kramer downtown (on Pearl Street)

Taking the Celestial Seasonings tour ....

... with hairnets.

The Sleepytime Tea bear

My illegal photo of the teabagging sign. Snicker snicker...

Taking a "short" one hour, twice-a-day walk with the dog. Sheesh we East Coasters have a lot to learn about a healthy lifestyle!

Kramer and her dogwalking buddies, Frank and Kip

Visiting Caroline! Caroline's oldest daughter, Gabi.

Caroline making pizza for lunch with her son, Evan.

Evan giggling.

Gabi grinning

The pizza she just threw together ... how delicious does that look???

ONLY in Boulder could you buy Hemp Ice Cream.

The Boulder County Fair!! Woo hoo! Kramer with some crazy Scottish cow.

Me and the Boulder County Queen ... no, it was NOT actually that hot. I didn't ask.

Fairgrounds

Pigs passed out so fast he is wearing his bowl for a hat. Funny.

Some crazy goat-walking-around contest ... ??????

Barrel Racing!! A "Must See."

Last night - dinner at Kitchen with Caroline and Kramer.

Am I that tall or is she that short? Who knows?

FUN FUN FUN!!