Black Diamond Lodge Wedding- Nickie and Jacob

Nestled in the heart of the Durango mountains, Nickie and Jacob celebrated their love at their Black Diamond Lodge wedding. If you’ve never heard of the Black Diamond Lodge, just imagine the most beautiful mountain getaway you can think of and you’ll pretty much be able to picture it.

The first thing on the agenda for this day was capturing the bridal party getting ready. I loved getting to be there when Nickie handed out gifts to each of her bridesmaids. They also, in turn, had a gift for her! An album full of letters to her and pictures of them together!

You could tell there was so much love in the room for Nickie and that all of her girls were excited to celebrate her.

It was my privilege to also be able to photograph her AMAZING dress and veil. I could not get enough pictures of her stunning wedding day attire, especially by this super cute door!

I then headed downstairs to the game room where Jacob and his guys were all playing poker as they got ready.

After they were both ready, Nickie and Jacob decided to share a first touch instead of a first look. The lodge had the perfect little corner where they could hold hands and read some private vows to one another before the ceremony. It was a perfect way to start the day!

I love being a Durango wedding photographer because I admittedly do not have to try very hard to find pretty backgrounds. Just look at this ceremony space at this Black Diamond Lodge wedding!

It had been rainy and dreary all day, but the sun came out right as Nickie was walking down the aisle, making her look even more angelic!

Also a quick shout-out to the ring bearer and flower girl. I could not get over their cuteness as they took their jobs very seriously.

Nickie and Jacob had a couple of really unique touches to their day. The first was incorporating a Filipino tradition called a Yugal. This unity cord is shaped like an infinity symbol and represents everlasting love between the couple.

Of course, they exchanged the rings, vows, and first kiss and then everyone was dismissed to cocktail hour.

When the newlyweds got a more private moment, they also partook of communion between just the two of them. Something very special that I had never seen done before!

When I first talked with Nickie about her wedding, she told me she wanted a simple and classy vibe. I loved how their colors of white, black, sage green, and pine green contributed to that vibe.

I had a blast with Nickie and Jacob during their engagement shoot and connected with them on many different topics. Having that experience with them made shooting their wedding day portraits so comfortable and easy! Like taking pictures for some old friends!

Have I mentioned how much I loved her veil? Because let me tell you, I loved her veil!

I was excited when I saw that Farm to Fingers was catering this wedding, as I have enjoyed their charcuterie boards before, but never experienced a full-blown event. They did not disappoint in taste or looks!

Their cake also came from a sweet local vendor, Madison from Whisk It Bakes and Cakes.

If you know me, you know that I love to steal away my brides and grooms right after dinner to snag some sunset portraits.

Taking these in front of the lodge with the sun setting on the mountains only made it that much better!

The sweet speeches from their loved ones were further evidence of how loved these two are.

I especially loved a story told by Nickie’s dad about when she was in elementary school. Her teachers had told him that she started a club. In this club, she was teaching her classmates how to love each other, even the bullies. If that doesn’t sum up who Nickie is as a person, I don’t know what does.

Everyone also wanted to hear a speech from Jacob’s mom, Jill. As soon as she got up there, however, she couldn’t get any words out as she was overcome with love and emotion for these two.

The first dance was super romantic and dreamy!

Along with the father-daughter dance and the son-mom dance, they also included a special dance for Nickie and her little brother/ring bearer, Samuel.

And then it was everyone’s turn to hit the dance floor!

And for their grand exit… drumroll please… they had confetti canons! A super fun and colorful way to end the day!

As always, I’m just very thankful that I get to memorialize the most precious moments of a couple’s wedding day through pictures. Nickie and Jacob, thank you for allowing me to capture your fun and classy Black Diamond Lodge wedding! Cheers to Mr. and Mrs. McKinney!

Thanks to these local vendors for helping make this wedding day so beautiful:
Venue: Black Diamond Lodge
Coordinators: Durango Event Planners
Caterer: Farm to Fingers Grazing
Florist: Mountain Belle Flower Farm
DJ: Revolve Mobile Disco
Cake: Whisk It Bakes and Cakes