Navigating Colorado Weather on Your Wedding Day

In this episode of the Colorado Wedding podcast, hosts Josh and Brian delve into the unpredictable and diverse weather conditions that couples may encounter when planning their weddings in Colorado. They emphasize the importance of considering the weather and its potential impact on various aspects of the wedding day. Josh and Brian discuss the differences between summer and winter in Colorado, highlighting factors such as sunset times, temperature variations, and the potential for rain, snow, wind, and even wildfires.

The hosts stress the significance of scouting wedding locations to ensure there are suitable indoor options available in case of inclement weather. They encourage couples to communicate with their venue or wedding planner to identify shaded areas or alternative spaces that can provide relief from harsh sun or extreme heat. Additionally, they mention the need to plan for potential snowfall and consider backup arrangements for guests traveling from higher altitude areas.

Throughout the episode, Josh and Brian emphasize the need for preparedness and flexibility. They share anecdotes of weddings impacted by unexpected weather conditions and highlight the beauty that can emerge from embracing these changes. They urge couples not to be overly concerned about minor inconveniences such as getting wet or having windblown hair, emphasizing that a focus on the overall experience and story of the day leads to more enjoyable and memorable weddings.

In conclusion, the hosts express their appreciation for listeners and provide information on where to find additional resources and wedding planning guides. They encourage couples to embrace the unique weather of Colorado, highlighting the stunning landscapes, vibrant foliage, and breathtaking sunsets that can create unforgettable moments and enhance the overall wedding experience.

Transcript:

Josh: "I've seen some crazy stuff one time in Estes Park in May, maybe ten years ago."

Brian: "It's not a foot."

Josh: "The Welcome to the Colorado Wedding podcast."

Brian: "The Ultimate Place to Plan your Colorado Wedding."

Josh: "From luxury weddings to intimate allotments will guide you through planning your wedding in the beautiful state of Colorado."

Josh: "Where your host Josh. And Brian."

Brian: "And I'm Brian, the owner of Bookend Photography."

Josh: "And I am Josh, the owner of Ascend Media."

Brian: "Yeah, great to have you back."

Josh: "And today we're going to be covering something specific to Colorado."

Brian: "And I know there's other states that have this too, but Colorado specifically is just weather and heat and cold and all that sort of stuff."

Josh: "Yeah, there's a lot of swings up and down. Hot and cold, snowy. We have fires, we got hail. And there's just a lot of variation on fire. Yeah, we got all that got to. Keep in mind. You know?"

Brian: "So I think that it's something that maybe brides and grooms don't think about that much, but it's definitely impactful on the day and it can be harmful if you don't think about it."

Josh: "So just being conscious of it. Yeah."

Josh: "So we got a couple couple of things to think about. A couple thinking points as you're considering planning your wedding that we're just going to hit in more detail here. So let's jump right in. This applies to any wedding."

Brian: "So yeah, the first thing I want to talk about is just the difference in the winter and summer in Colorado and some of the things that are going to be facing some of the elements are going to be facing."

Josh: "So let's talk about summer first."

Brian: "Yeah. So in the summer, one big thing to think about is when the sun sets for your photographer and videographer, it's a big deal of capturing photos. You know, at that golden hour time. So you want to plan your ceremony accordingly."

Josh: "So in the winter, the sun sets at around 4:30 when it's in the dead of winter. So you're going to get in dark real, real quick after any sort of possible. Yeah. Evening ceremony. And then in the summer, the sun sets at 8:30. Totally different timing there that you want to consider when you're planning your ceremony time so that ideally, if you want good, good photos at sunset, you want to plan that ceremony accordingly."

Brian: "Yeah. I mean, just be aware that if you print out a standard timeline or if you're planning on your own, that you could just we, we've given you guys a timeline on our website on Colorado wedding guides. Com and you should definitely use that but you need to be aware of that ceremony time and but yeah definitely go back to our episode of that we talk about our timeline but be conscious of that lighting. I mean a four-hour difference is huge. So that could mean starting your wedding day at 11:00 instead of 2:00 for getting ready or doing photos or whatever. But I think the biggest thing is that in the summer that sun can be really, really harsh. So it can be blinding to your eyes. It can be hot if you have makeup. It could be making you sweat. Guys are in suits and just being conscious of being out there in the heat can be a can really can really take a toll on people."

Josh: "Yeah, it is hot and if you're if eight or 9000 feet up in some of the ski towns, the direct sunlight is no. Shade, no trees very off. I mean, there might be some, but they're not maples, You know, they're they're something that's going to give you a ton of shade coverage. So and then in the winter, you know, once it gets dark, I mean, that temperature can drop ten, 20 degrees pretty quickly. So if you're going to be doing things outside, just being conscious of if something that some people want to do their dance outside or whatever it is, it could be really, really cold that one could pick up really quickly in the winter. So just yeah, that, that those elements are going to change depending on that weather. Okay. Brian, do you want to about scouting your location?"

Brian: "Oh, yeah. I think that's the most important thing because of what we were just talking about. You really want to scout your location. So I think the biggest thing is knowing that you have an inside option if it's going to be sunny or rainy or whatever that is. So and I'm not just talking about for the ceremony or for the dancing or for the reception. I'm talking about making sure that if the sun is just blinding and it's 105 degrees out like it is in Colorado a lot, I'm trying to find some shade. So it's being aware of the shady spots and asking your your venue or asking your wedding planner or just talking to who's ever, ever planning it. Just being aware like, okay, hey, there's a shady side with trees over here that might be a little helpful, or there's a side of a building here that looks kind of cool and it can give us some shade and a little bit of relief from that sun in the summer."

Brian: "And another point there with location you may want to consider if you're in the winter months and up higher at eight or 9000, 10,000 feet, you can, in theory, get snow 12 months out of the year. Oh, yeah, I've I've had crazy stuff happen but you may want to consider, you know, when the nights wrapping up and your guests are going home and most of them maybe traveling down the mountain back to Denver or depending where you're at, if there is going to be snow, just considering backup options for them. If it is going to be real blizzard and raining or something late at night, that's about knowing your location. If you're in Denver, you probably not have to worry about that. But if you're in Estes Park or your, you know, west of Colorado Springs, where there's not as many hotels and stuff, you do need to be aware of that your location is going to determine that drive time. It's going to determine it's it's going to determine lots of things. And so I think that making sure, you know, your location well enough and you're just showing up on the day and saying like, oh, man, it's 105 degrees out. Let's go stand in the sun and take pictures for an hour or what? Let's go to our first look where we can barely even see each other because of something so harsh or we have to wear sunglasses and that kind of ruins a moment. So, yeah, just being aware of your location I think is really important."

Josh: "Okay, so Colorado is known for its unpredictable weather."

Brian: "Yeah. For so being prepared for rain, snow, wind, fire. I've seen some crazy stuff one time in Estes in May, maybe ten years ago, it snowed afoot."

Josh: "Oh yeah. I had a wedding in an assist. Or maybe it was in the mountains in Vail, but it was roaring fires and we were on the edge of evacuating or roads were closed, which was a really big thing. So just know that the weather can change at the last minute. Or we've had days where they say it's going to be completely sunny and we get a rainstorm, especially in the mountains, you know, those afternoon rainstorms that come in and just dump on you for an hour, just just know that that that's going to happen."

Brian: "And that's a good point to bring up. If you don't know already higher in altitude in Colorado, Estes Park, Vail, Winter Park, they tend to get these afternoon showers pretty regularly. You can't always predict it either. You can almost count on it that you'll get. It's pretty common to get 20 minutes of rain right around one, 2:00. So what's can make a beautiful I mean what we'll talk about kind of the advantages of all this stuff but sometimes you get a rainbow and stuff. But yeah I've had people where their ceremony was coming up and they're just watching the skies and everybody's stressed about it. And we'll talk about kind of how to deal with that emotionally here in a few. But yeah, that, that definitely happens."

Josh: "Yeah, that's something that you can almost count on something going wrong with weather."

Brian: "Okay. So just being prepared and bringing what you need."

Josh: "Yeah. Yeah. All sorts of. And not just for you. I mean I have, I've had really smart planners have a bunch of white umbrellas for not even for rain, for sun, especially if they have a ceremony outside that's in the middle of a field, which normally a ceremony spot's not going to have a lot of cover if it's out in the mountains because, you know, you don't have anything over the top of you. Usually no trees. It's in an open area. So that actually makes for kind of cool pictures and for like selfishly, as photographers and videographers, it's kind of cool when it's a bunch of white umbrellas and then you just see the bride and groom of the bridal party. So there's not really a disadvantage from that aspect. But if you have older grandparents or just older people that will be there, that's something very commonly that I hear that they're blinded by the sun and they have their hand over their face or they, you know, bring their own umbrella that doesn't match or whatever that may be. So if you're planning in the middle of the summer and, you know, hey, it's probably not going to rain, it doesn't mean you shouldn't bring something or encourage people to wear cool hats or something like that or bring sunglasses. Yeah. So even in your ceremony, if you choose to have that outside, a lot of, you know, the backdrops are facing west. It's common. Yeah. So right at sunset or when the sun is below midday, it will be shining possibly right in all your attendees' faces."

Brian: "Oh, yeah. I've seen a lot of times where they can't even see the bridegroom. So, I mean, I personally recommend that either have the sun a little higher in the sky or at sunset and obviously is going to change your photo The Times itself. So that's not you know, you have to take that into consideration. But yeah, sometimes when it's all right at sunset, I've had guests all wearing sunglasses and just being squinted and blinded that the whole ceremony is so rough. But and that's the summer. I mean, we're in the winter. Be conscious of the temperature and be conscious of the lighting. Like if you have your ceremony at 5:00, it could be dark. So making sure that you have lighting, making sure that your guests are bundled up, heaters, whatever that may be. And in the winter, you know, you sometimes have to play that ceremony time by ear based on the temperature. So some people, you know, in the morning it'll be 30 degrees and it might get up to 40. If you're comfortable having your guests out there and it'll be 30 degrees, great. That's your decision, do you. But just be aware of it and communicate with your guests about it."

Josh: "Yeah. So last piece, with all this being said, you're still going to have your wedding day. Yeah. And at the end of the day, you've got to embrace it. You don't want to have those regrets and, oh, worried about it in the moment. I mean, I think it can make the day way better. I mean, some of my favorite weddings are when it was cold and it was just giant snowflakes or when it was rained in and the bride and groom, you know, after the ceremony or during the ceremony, they were just like, let's do it. Let's do it in the rain. Let's, you know, we have umbrellas for our guests. They came prepared and they did all the things that we were talking about. They knew their timing and it was awesome. It was so awesome to do a ceremony in the rain. I mean, our video equipment and stuff. You had to deal with that. We're well deal with that. You don't need to worry about it. But yeah, it was so cool and it was the energy of the day was awesome. Everybody was laughing and I think that's that's something that's really cool wind, too. I think wind is something that we haven't mentioned too much, but that's super common in Colorado. And some of the most beautiful parts are a bride and groom walking through a field once really windy and their hair blowing in the wind or dress or suit blowing in the wind. I think you can't control that, you know. Mm. Yeah. And it can bring such a I guess a freedom or a flexibility when your plans change and there's all of a sudden there's this different atmosphere and people are feeling more free."

Brian: "Oh yeah, plans change and it can be a pretty cool change to your plans if you embrace it."

Josh: "Yeah. So all the stuff we talked about, it sounds kind of negative, but yeah, just make that part of your day. It is part of the story. I mean, as videographers, we tell that story. We tell the story of the rain and the snow and the wind and whatever that is because that's what happen on your day. That's a true story. And that makes your day. Your day. And so I think it's just really, really cool when you kind of let that stress go and and realize, look, I can't control this and maybe it's not ideal. Maybe I didn't want to get rained on. But it's not about that. It's about it's a and maybe a lot of brides will be frustrated with me saying like it's not about, you know, your hair not getting wet or whatever that may be. And correct me if I'm wrong, but the brides that are more concerned about that tend to have a worse day, worse video, worse photos instead of an amazing story."

Brian: "Yeah. If you let go a little bit, you can set yourself up for a more successful day and just more enjoyable."

Josh: "Yeah, and just to cap all this, it's a crazy state with crazy weather and swing and we have all the seasons and all that sort of stuff. But look what we have. We have the foliage. That's amazing. We have beautiful sunsets. I mean, sometimes those rains bring in clouds and I've seen rainbows pretty frequently at my weddings. I mean, that doesn't happen in other places that I've shot. And so, I mean, just we used to be so happy about those crazy days because sometimes they result in the coolest stories, coolest footage, and most beautiful days. Totally. Yeah. Well, thanks a lot. If you have, we're going to leave these tips on the website so you can check us out in the show notes or our Colorado wedding guide WSJ.com. You can just click on the link in this episode. So we super appreciate everybody being here. We just want to reduce the stress of your wedding and just make sure you're informed. And we appreciate you listening. Thanks, guys. Yep. Thanks for listening to this episode of the Colorado Wedding podcast. We hope you found our tips insightful for planning your Colorado heading. For all the Free Wedding planning tools, checklist and guides, go to Colorado wedding guides Dot.com. Don't forget to rate us on Apple and Spotify and be sure to follow us on Instagram at SEO Wedding Podcast. We appreciate you and hope you have the best wedding possible. See you next time you."