When John and Shannon first reached out to me about documenting their Pikes Peak wedding, I got SO excited. Not only were they getting married at the top of Pike’s Peak, but they were going to take a train to the top with their closest family and friends. That meant that not only was I going to be able to shoot my first 14’er wedding (a mountaintop wedding at 14,000 feet or higher), but I was also going to be able to take my first ever train ride!

You guys: it was AMAZING.

We met at the base of the Pikes Peak Cog Railway before hopping on the train to head up the mountain. It was a beautiful warm day here in Colorado Springs, but once we started going up the mountain the temperature dropped a good 30-40 degrees, the wind was blowing and on top of that – it started to snow! And not just snow sweet little flakes of love, but pea-sized popcorn snow that really, really stung when it hit you (hahaha). John and Shannon’s ceremony was pretty quick, considering we had less than 30 minutes on the top of Pike’s Peak for the ceremony, photos and taking in the sights. If anyone were to listen to the audio of their ceremony, over the sounds of the howling wind and the beautiful word’s that John’s sister (who was officiating) said, you’d hear a lot of people saying “ow!“, “shit!” and “ouch!” as they got pelted by snowballs. After the ceremony, someone came up and gave Shannon a big hug and said, “that was the coldest, most painful and beautiful weddings I’ve ever witnessed” and I couldn’t help but laugh because it was so true!!

The best part of the ceremony though, aside from the significance of it, was the ring that Shannon surprised John with. You see, John isn’t really a jewelry kind of guy, and he honestly just had no intention of wearing a ring. But when it came time to exchange rings, Shannon had the BEST surprise up her sleeve … a 2015 replica championship ring from the Denver Broncos! John is a HUGE Broncos fan, and so this ring – while more of a funny gesture than anything else – was just the best thing ever. That thing weighed more than Shannon’s bouquet! John’s reaction was absolutely priceless, too.

Once we came back down the mountain, we headed over with John + Shannon’s best friend to the Penny Arcade in Manitou Springs for some fun and games. The Mrs. Pacman machine holds special memories for them, as that is where John proposed! Afterward, we also headed over to Switchback Coffee Roasters for some tasty food truck treats and coffee!

Special thanks to the incredibly rad vendor team who came together to make John + Shannon’s Pikes Peak wedding so perfect!

venue Pikes Peak Mountaintop via the Pikes Peak Cog Railway | reception Switchback Coffee Roasters | officiant Amy Franklin | florist Design Works | cake The Sugarplum Cake Shoppe | catering Awaken Food Truck | jewelry Ring King Shop + Alana Jewelry | hair Brandi Martinez of The Blush Salon | bridal gown I Do Bridal Too | groom’s suit Macy’s + The Tie Bar | beer label art Ian Hanegan | guest book + framed portrait art Priscilla Moreno

Are you looking for a wedding photographer in Lake Havasu?

Hey there, I am Ashley Durham, a western Arizona wedding photographer specializing in unposed, authentic and romantic intimate weddings that capture the love, fun and realness of couples and wedding days.

I am happy to serve couples from Lake Havasu, Bullhead City, Prescott, Kingman, Skull Valley all the way to Palm Springs, Southern California and anywhere I can drive or fly. Are you ready to have an incredible time together for your wedding?? DM me!!