Aspen Package
There were two venues for this epic Indian wedding, which occurred over two days. The Sangeet started at Cherokee Ranch & Castle on a Friday night. Cherokee Ranch & Castle is easily one of the best venues in Colorado. This previous estate and ranch lastly owned by the legendary “Tweet” Kimball perches on the top of a hill with a direct vista to the mountains. The views are astounding, but the main venue is a stone castle with lovingly preserved history and character at every turn.
Shiv and Sid stepped into their union with a raucous party. The wedding took place right when the vaccinations for COVID started being commonplace and people were excited to get back to the dance floor and let loose. After we created the couple photos in extreme wind, everybody got their dinner, henna and bracelets, before the night’s entertainment began. There were performances by the bridal party and the groomsmen, followed by the couple doing a Bollywood inspired dance, then some of the younger generation stepped up to give amazing performances, singing and dancing. The end of the Sangeet was a WILD party. Everybody was primed for the real celebration and party to begin the next day.
The wedding was held at Spruce Mountain Ranch in Parker, south of Denver and nestled in the mountains. There were over 300 guests and this venue can handle that and more. Shiv and her bridesmaids took great care in getting ready, with all of their gorgeous colors, jewelry and the many pieces of tradition that are woven into an Indian bride’s attire. Once the groom, Sid had mounted the horse on which he would greet the bride’s family, everyone began their celebratory entrance dancing, yelling, singing and grooving along to the music being blasted out of a white Mercedes leading the way.
It was a frigid day against the mountains, May in Colorado still holds the chill of snow in it’s mountain wind and for the second day there was a lot of it. The ceremony was ethereal, with the family all gathered in a circle around the priest who was jovial and explained the traditions as he performed them for the shivering crowd. Once everyone had warmed back up from the outdoor wedding with cocktails, the grand ballroom was set for a lavish dinner. The rest of the night opened up into another larger and more raucous party ending with a sparkler box exit in freezing rain.
I highly recommend her for anything - especially family photos. She was prompt and very easy to communicate with as well.
She gave our family a treasure we will always have and will continue to share with generations to come of our family in our favorite place.
From the beginning, Gretchen made us feel comfortable, supported, and genuinely excited about our wedding photos. On the day of the wedding, she was professional, organized, patient, and incredibly kind. She knew exactly how to guide us while still allowing every moment to feel natural and personal. We never felt rushed or overly posed, and she made it easy for us to relax, enjoy ourselves, and stay fully present.
Gretchen captured every meaningful detail—from the beautiful mountain setting and ceremony to the orchids, décor, reception, first dance, and all the candid moments with our closest friends and family. She didn’t just photograph how our wedding looked; she captured how it felt. Every image reflects the love, joy, elegance, and emotion of the day.
Looking through our photos allows us to relive those memories all over again. We are so grateful to Gretchen for giving us something we will cherish for the rest of our lives. Her talent, attention to detail, warmth, and ability to capture genuine emotion are truly exceptional.
We could not recommend Gretchen Troop more highly to any couple looking for an amazing wedding photographer. Thank you, Gretchen, for preserving the perfect beginning to our married life so beautifully!
—Brandi & Mike Crawford
She delivered the photos for us on time, and we are ecstatic with how almost all of them came out.
We'd recommend Gretchen to anyone!
There's a little button that says that I can add photos and so I went through our album again looking to select a few that could capture our experience but A. THERE ARE SO MANY. She is not kidding when she tells you this, even for an elopement style wedding! B. They are so personal. I cry every time I look at them, with joy. She gave me everything I wanted and more - moments, emotions, scenery, candids of my guests, stills of a time that I can never recreate or get back.
So I'll leave you with my rainbow picture. It was my one bridal ask, that my guests wear solid colors, since we weren't going to have decoration at our venue. They could be the decoration. I got the idea online and maybe someone else can use it too!
There are many talented photographers out there. There are few where talent, professionalism, kindness, decades of experience and success can all be packaged with that feel that they still love what they do. Gretchen has not gotten stale over time in her work, where instead her work and the experience she brings have become priceless.
Her friendly and approachable demeanor makes working with her an absolute joy. She has a remarkable talent for capturing the small details, the emotions of the audience, and the magic of music through her lens. Each photo perfectly reflects the energy and essence of our performances, helping us tell our story and connect with our fans.
The amount of high-quality content we receive for our investment is exceptional, making her work an incredible value and a key part of our marketing efforts. We highly recommend Gretchen to anyone looking for a skilled and dependable photographer. We’ll definitely continue working with her for our future productions. Thank you, Gretchen, for your talent and dedication—you help us shine!

