Blue Spruce Package:
Becky & Mike took advantage of my Blue Spruce Package (best value of my packages) and got a winter engagement session as well as a second photographer for their wedding. They got married on a perfect summer day at Wild Basin Lodge with lot’s of friend and family there to enjoy the day with them.
This was my first time seeing the updated Wild Basin Lodge this year, and the improvements are fantastic. The lighting is better, the air flows beautifully, and the space feels even more polished than before.
Their First Look took place on the deck with the mountains as their backdrop. You could see the joy on their faces as they finally stood together on their wedding day. From there, we wandered down to the creek and around the property for a few quiet couple portraits before the celebration began.
The ceremony was held in the meadow, where guests found shade or fanned themselves in the warm summer sun. The wedding was wonderfully emotional and nerdy, with Becky (a math teacher) getting everyone to sign their names so they could add it to their marriage license. Their vows to each other were beautiful and showed how deeply they trust in each other to create a life of adventure, bad jokes and love.
After the ceremony I walked back with the couple, snapped a few more photos and they joined their cocktail party. As usual the toasts were emotional and filled with lot’s of great stories about the couple from those who know them best. Becky’s Dad was very emotional and his daughter supported him through his kind words.
The highlight of the day for me and many of the guests was the first dances on the river deck. The lighting was perfect, the dancing was fantastic and included a surprise dance with Becky and her Mom. As Becky said when she grabbed her from her seat to dance, “You are the one who taught me to dance!”.
We finished up the day with something I haven’t seen enough, which is their getaway vehicle being completely covered with… well pretty much everything. It was a surprise to the couple and a perfect ending to a beautiful day.
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!
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!
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

