Quaking Aspen:
Brandi & Michael got married at one of my favorite venues in Colorado, Wild Basin Lodge. Brandi was referred to me by Wild Basin Lodge for their all-inclusive package, but she wanted it all for their once in a lifetime celebration and booked my top package, Quaking Aspen instead.
We met for the first time with their “adventure engagement” that is included, but since they wanted to get their “Save the Date” announcements out quickly we did a normal engagement session in Rocky Mountain National Park and then they will get an anniversary session next year as well. All included! If you love great customer service and getting lots of extras at every turn this is the package for you. Their engagement session ended up being one of the only snowy days of the entire winter, which made for some incredible photos!
Their wedding day was a perfect day in the mountains when Spring is transitioning into summer. For the Quaking Aspen package I am there up to 12 hours. I was there when the cleaning lady was still there in the morning until every guest was gone at night. That’s complete coverage!
Brandi’s bridesmaids were some kick-ass women with great stories and personalities. They were a joy to hang out with for the day. The hair and make-up artists were friends and made all of the women look their best, bouncy hair and all. The camaraderie between the women was powerful and moving, including some of them sharing the tattoo “No matter what I got you”.
The couple did a First Touch to catch up and get ready for the rest of the day before the guests (300 of them! the max capacity of the venue) settled at the River Run location for the ceremony. The ceremony area was strikingly decorated with white orchids & flamingo flowers making for a classic strong red and white theme that was reflected throughout their decorations, outfits and theme. Best Day Floral made the gorgeous flower arrangements.
Brandi has numerous grandchildren so there were lots of kids to start off the procession. They did a wonderful job of distributing red rose petals and then Milo, Brandi’s granddaughter came last and was very upset that all those rose petals were laying on the ground, so she used her basket to pick up every one of them. That got a lot of laughs. Brandi came down the stairs with her father, looking absolutely stunning in a form fitted sequined dress. After an emotional ceremony full of grace and thankfulness for where they all stood on that day it was time for the party!
The toasts were emotional, full of joy and some well-natured ribbing. The downstairs of Wild Basin Lodge was packed to the gills with guests who shared so much love for the couple, it was genuinely palpable in the room! When dinner was finished the father of the bride brought out Wild Basin’s new chef, Luke O’Bryan to a full ovation for the deliciousness he had created.
The guests moved upstairs for the cake cutting and dancing. After which the crew (there was a crew of a primary videographer, Chris, second videographer, Graham, second photographer, Alisha & assistant, Kristen for this massive wedding) brought the couple out for a quick walk around the beautiful property of Wild Basin Lodge to get their photos taken.
The guests mingled, laughed, danced and hugged the night away until it was time for the Grand Exit to Brandi’s big red truck. I set up lights to make this exit special and tested it out on most of the guests, so they each got a cool shot of themselves as well.
After 12 hours I still had energy! That’s what love will do.
GT Photo Reviews
Gretchen photographed our family during our family vacation in Fraser. She was very accommodating! I love the documentary photos that she took of us gathered in our airbnb and the group photos we took down the street with a beautiful mountain backdrop!! We were a large group (15 including four very young children!) but she captured some precious moments! I am very grateful for her skills and her efficiency!
We hired Gretchen for our engagement shoot and wedding. based on reviews and pricing, she was easily the best bang for our buck. Working with her was a breeze. She was very professional yet fun, and not afraid to take charge of the situation on wedding day on our behalf.
Wow. Gretchen did an INCREDIBLE job photographing my huge extended family in Estes Park. We had 5 little ones, uncles, aunts, grandparents, and parents. Somehow she was able to take the most beautiful pictures with everyone looking at the camera. I love how natural the pictures came out. Everyone's personality came through. Gretchen made sure she got all of the picture combinations we wanted. She was also great at selecting the location to take the pictures.
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.
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.
Annual family photo shoot in Estes Park. Gretchen was part of the team that shot my wedding and she did a fabulous job with this shoot as well. I have 2 kids, 3 years old and 18 months, and she did a great job navigating their moods and keeping them engaged. I highly recommend her.
My husband and I can’t thank her enough for how amazing she did. She truly captured our wedding day so that we will be able to look back and remember it always!!!
Incredible job. She was fabulous. Pictures were excellent! I can't say enough nice things about our experience.
Gretchen was great every step of the way, she responded quickly from day one and I was coming from out of state please wanting a special wedding/anniversary photo session and she gave us exactly what we wanted! Quick return also with amazing pictures! Thanks again Gretchen!
Gretchen has photographed our events and programs for the past several years and does a stellar job. Her photography is fantastic and really helps capture the atmosphere and impact of our events. She is a pleasure to work with and a wonderful ally in our work. We would definitely recommend Gretchen for all your photography needs!
We had an amazing experience working with Gretchen and Chris for our Fall 2024 wedding at Wild Basin. From start to finish, she was incredibly professional, responsive, and proactive with communication—whether it was during our hiring process, engagement session, or on the wedding day itself. She delivered quick edits, and was open to trying something new, which made the entire process stress-free. To top it all off, Gretchen and Chris were a joy to work with—they brought such great energy, made us feel at ease, and added to the fun of our day. Highly recommend!"
We were hoping for Gretchen to go all out with candidness. The Composites are bleh. They awards are always are in my family… listen when someone says NO GO / Shine where you are, Gretchen! You take the best candid, unexpected, pics ever!
Working with Gretchen was a streamlined experience. I appreciated the professional website, questionnaire and interface she had to provide photos to us! She was a delight to work with, and I appreciated how she accommodated my short timeline!
Gretchen's experience and expertise were apparent from our first discussion. She was easy to work with and extremely helpful in ensuring our wedding day went smoothly while still getting the photos we wanted. And the photos are excellent - she's unbelievably good at capturing moments from throughout the wedding day.
Gretchen is a true artist, and we loved the photos she took for our wedding and portraits. We absolutely recommend her for anyone looking to get married around Estes Park.
I cannot rate Gretchen and her team high enough. They made our amazing day unforgettable!
Gretchen has shot several events for us and does an amazing job every time! She beautiful captures a perfect mix of intimate moments, posed groups, larger room/space, vibes and works well in all lighting. I will continue to hire her again and again!
Our wedding day at Wild Basin Lodge was truly everything we dreamed of, and Gretchen Troop captured it more beautifully than we ever could have imagined.
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
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
Words can’t describe how phenomenal Gretchen did on our wedding photos! My husband and I can’t thank her enough for how amazing she did. She truly captured our wedding day so that we will be able to look back and remember it always!!!
We were hoping for Gretchen to go all out with candids. Our family was too ridiculous and poorly behaved for traditional composites. So Gretchen and her team rocked the characters and spontaneity.
Our family had a wonderful experience with Gretchen Troop Photography. Gretchen and her videographer- Chris made the day a breeze with a fun and relaxed attitude. Except for the easy directions during family group photos we barley new they were there. The results are spectacular! Gretchen has the eye of a true artist. Even though the weather wasn't great she was able to capture the wedding couple with a stunning cloud formation and a rainbow. These are once in a lifetime moments that are priceless to us. I am glad I chose Gretchen and Chis for something so important. I think you will be pleased too.
Gretchen shot our wedding in May, and also did some engagement shots for us in the previous fall. We were really happy with all the shots we got, and were proud to share images of the wedding with our friends and loved ones. It also helped that she was very familiar with all the venues around Boulder and was able to give us good advice on locations for photography.
Gretchen is one of a kind!!! She is an amazing photographer. We hired Gretchen for both engagement and wedding photos and they surpassed our expectations. Thank you so much for being there on our most special day. We would highly recommend her to anyone looking for a true professional.
Gretchen did an amazing job of not just capturing our day, but capturing who we are. The photos themselves are gorgeous. I cannot praise her work enough. She is wonderful to work with. If you need a photographer, Gretchen is who you want.
Gretchen did AMAZING job as our photographer! We are from Texas and had no idea what our elopement day would look like but she gave us the run-through a week before and we couldn't be happier with our wedding day. We spend a whole evening at Rocky Mountain NP and her knowledge around the park and as an experienced photographer made our wedding so much more meaningful. We have received so many compliments on our photos and her packages/prices are extremely affordable and well worth it!
Luxe Llama Productions has had the pleasure of working with Gretchen on multiple occasions for live performances of our production, Yachty Got Back, and we couldn't be more impressed. Gretchen is incredibly professional—always punctual, prepared, and seamlessly blending into the event to capture amazing moments without being intrusive.
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!
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!
This photographer did an incredible job with our photoshoot. She guided us to the perfect spots and helped us capture amazing shots. We highly, highly recommend her!
Gretchen is so fun to work with on the wedding day! She has a wonderful personality, always smiling, and really brings out the best in her couples. Gretchen's communication with me as a venue coordinator and / or as a wedding planner is just want I want. We all work together as a team with a goal to have the couples BEST DAY! She has a creative portfolio and captures some wonderful candid shots! Gretchen also knows how to capture nature and the beauty of Colorado.
Gretchen is beyond exceptional at her work. Each photo captures the emotion of our wedding, showcasing all of the love that was shared. Her attention to lighting, details, and creativity sets her apart from so many other photographers. Working with Gretchen was effortless, and she made the entire experience perfect. Her joy for the craft, professionalism, and humor made our wedding amazing. She went above and beyond her duties and worked with all the vendors, making sure everything was ready. I highly recommend GT Photography to any new bride. You will be astonished at the results!
The moment I saw Gretchen's work, I knew she would be our photographer.. we waited until pretty close up to our (very small) wedding to decide to hire one, which added an additional layer of stress with everything coming up so quickly. We also live in Texas, our wedding was in Boulder, CO. She is so friendly and so professional, which made the process very smooth as she helped me identify what I wanted out of this experience, amidst all of the chaos.
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.
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.
Gretchen is amazing and we can't recommend her enough. She and her team went above and beyond to ensure we were happy, comfortable, and getting what we wanted. From engagement photos to the wedding day to putting together a gorgeous book of our favorite photos, she made it all feel easy and kept us laughing every step of the way. She's super communicative and creative and really listened to our vision while bringing in her own ideas. She also brought an awesome team along with her to make sure everything ran smoothly. Her team managed our uncomfortable family dynamics and giant wedding parties with ease. We LOVE our photos, and everyone we show them to is so impressed. I would absolutely work with Gretchen again, and highly recommend that you hire her for your wedding!
Gretchen did an absolutely phenomenal job with our wedding photos. She was so involved from day 1 with planning the entire timeline, family photos, and ensuring everything went according to plan. I can’t recommend her enough. She has so much knowledge on where in Boulder has great views for pictures and we had such a large amount of great poses. I am so amazed and pleased with our photos. She was very quick to get us our sneak peak photos within 48 hours. Gretchen is the person to hire. I cannot recommend her services enough!
Gretchen was an absolute pleasure to work with! She was really fun to work with on the day, professional, and she really seemed to love the job and shooting for us.
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!
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!
I've worked with Gretchen multiple times now on different types of shoots and she is absolutely phenomenal. She exceeded all expectations, was fun to work with, and went above and beyond to deliver incredible final products. She has a masterful eye for location selection, lighting, directing shoots. Highly, highly recommend.
I cannot express enough, how amazing working with Gretchen has been. She is a phenomenal photographer, a fun person to be around, and makes the photography sessions so natural and enjoyable! My fiance and I bonded with her instantly, and have so much respect for how kind and fun she is. You will not have to worry at all about feeling comfortable with Gretchen, as it is nothing but laughs and fun!! I would recommend Gretchen a thousand times over.