Blue Spruce + Video Package
Anastasia and Marc got married in Vail. Their reception was at Vail Lodge, but their ceremony was on top of the mountain at the Holy Cross Event Deck. They live in Colorado Springs and had a gigantic family in attendance. Lot’s and lot’s of adorable nieces and nephews were being carried, or running around the mountain top before the ceremony. Marc & Anastasia booked my Video inclusive Cottonwood Package and had us starting our day just before the ceremony. Unfortunately the DJ they hired (I only know him as Tim) was a hot mess.
The DJ forgot a connector and at 15 minutes before the ceremony he left the mountain top to get another, returning at what should have been the end of the ceremony, and then proceeded to play the wrong music for all of the processionals. Anastasia kindly and patiently waited to hear the song that she wanted as her and her grandfather walked down the aisle. I think he started playing it? And finally after a beautiful walk down the aisle with Anastasia’s Disney Studios’ Rapunzel wedding gown flowing elegantly in the mountain wind, the ceremony began.
Father Michael did a great job officiating the ceremony invoking the beauty of the land around us, the sacredness of the day and also moving Anastasia to the upwind side to keep her from pulling her dress off of her face throughout the ceremony. The ceremony was wrapped up with only 35 minutes remaining to capture the wedding party and couple photos. We took the wedding party photos and then quickly pivoted to the couple photos and video. While Chris (videographer) got Anastasia’s gown flying in the wind for the video I snapped a few photos and then moved them to the sitting area to get a photo of them in the clouds… when it started to rain. Anastasia’s wanted to get down the mountain immediately, as mountain storms are not a joke and they were some fat raindrops. So thanks to the DJ, we had 4 minutes to get couple photos on top of the mountain. Luckily the couple waited for me at the bottom of the gondola and we got some great shots of the couple by a stone bridge nearby, which complimented the fairytale feel of the wedding.
After that it was back to Vail Lodge where after first dances and dinner we discovered that one of the groomsmen was an amazing acrobat/dancer (actually a martial artist) and that the rest of the crew might as well have been professional dancers! After some of the biggest family photos I have ever taken, we took a few more couple photos on the staircase near the entrance of Vail Lodge and then ended the night with a sparkler exit.
Photos and video are below. This couple booked the Blue Spruce + Video package.
Highlight Reel
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!
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.
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.
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!
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

