ymca of the rockies wedding *David & Elizabeth*

I was sitting in my hostel room in Inverness, Scotland when I received an email from David asking about wedding photography for their upcoming YMCA of the Rockies wedding. Once we got to talking and I let him know I was out of the country – it sparked an mutual interest in all things travel! The second he started telling me about how much him and Elizabeth love to travel and serve others, I was hooked and knew this was a wedding for me! They shared with me how they had lived in Turkey teaching English together – how amazing is that?!

Once I met David and Elizabeth my first impression of them was confirmed – they were both truly down to earth and compassionate people with a love for Jesus and one another that is rare. It was beautiful to witness such devotion and commitment to their faith throughout the entire day.

The YMCA in Estes Park, CO is located on the most breathtaking of landscapes! The unobstructed view of the Rockies from the overlook chapel is truly magical!

David and Elizabeth were just precious together! It doesn’t hurt having a gorgeous location to photograph such a lovely couple in. I love the small meadow of aspens that is located just down the road from the overlook chapel!

They had a lovely reception in the Pine Room at the Ymca of the Rockies. After lunch they played a slideshow and then had a game of trivia! How fun is that!?

Words from the couple…

How/when did you meet?
We met in the Spring of 2010 at Baylor University in Texas. Long story short, we met through a mutual faith and culture interest at UNITE, the multi-ethnic chapter of Intervarsity Christian Fellowship at Baylor University. We attended the same Bible Study and were friends for a couple years before dating.

How did you propose?
This past spring, we mutually agreed that God was calling us to get married this summer. Only after we got engaged, did I decide to propose. Our friend from the Young Adults home group at Bridgepointe Christian Church in Rhode Island helped me arrange a dinner for all of our church friends, young and old. During dinner, my friend produced my guitar, following which, I proceeded to serenade my then fiancé with Dave Barns’ song “God Gave me You” in the middle of the restaurant. Following that, I got down on one knee, expressed my love and commitment to Elizabeth, popped the question (to which I already knew the sure answer) and she responded yes. I still cried unashamedly.

Any details about your love story?
We dated long distance for a year when Elizabeth was in Turkey and I was finishing my undergrad at Baylor University. That was a challenging, but refining and growing time for our relationship. The next year, I moved out to Turkey to be near Elizabeth and we lived there for a year teaching English. This really solidified our commitment to each other. The year after (this past year) she followed me back to the states after which we are now married and moved together to Virginia where I’m starting med school.

We are both passionate about traveling, particularly exploring new places and cultures, meeting new people, trying unique foods and doing adventurous activities. Our belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is the foundation and guide for our lives and for our marriage. We have mutual aspirations of living overseas (hopefully Turkey, the middle east, or central Asia) and serving people through medicine and education.

What made you decide on YMCA?
The YMCA provided us with a breathtaking mountain setting that we felt really reflected our love for the outdoors and God’s creation. It was affordable and provided prefect accommodation options for all of our guests.

Did you enjoy wedding planning? Fave parts?
We tried to keep wedding planning stress free. There will always be issues with families and details but in the end everything worked out and we’re married. That’s what’s important. We tried to really enjoy the process of planning together, utilizing all of our friends’ strengths and learning more about each other in the process.