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Weddings + Engagements

Woodland Park, Colorado Intimate Backyard Summer Wedding | Isaac & Whitney

After months of changing plans, riding the roller coaster of a global pandemic, and making sacrifices to protect their loved ones, Whitney and Isaac celebrated the start of their marriage journey with nothing but joy. They so graciously accepted the way things ended up and incorporated so many intentional touches to their intimate wedding day that still made it incredibly special, while still being a safe environment for their loved ones to attend, grandparents and all.

While we couldn’t see much of Pikes Peak for most of the day due to the smoke from fires miles away, this stunning backyard wedding was still nothing short of magical. A handmade hexagon arbor and lights strung over the driveway and up the trunks of the aspen trees, homemade jam for favors and a wedding shawl knitted by the bride herself. Laughter and love was in abundance and I’m so grateful I got to be part of it!

I’m so proud to get to work with couples like this who roll with the punches and keep their focus more on their marriage itself than solely planning for a one day event.

Congratulations to Whitney & Isaac!! Keep scrolling to read a bit about their story and a bunch of my favorite images from their big day!

Wedding Dress: Something New Boutique

Groom Tux: JOS A Bank

Bridesmaid Dresses: Azazie

Planner/Coordinator: Happy Lamb Weddings

Bride Rings: Gardenring

Groom Ring: Blue Nile

Whitney is originally from Lamar, Colorado and Isaac is from Illinois, but moved to Woodland Park, Colorado when he was quite young. They both live in Denver now, but chose to hold their intimate ceremony at Isaac’s parents house that overlooks Pikes Peak in Woodland Park!

Isaac is a Multimedia Creator at The Exodus Road and mainly works in podcast production and blog writing. His has a deep passion for writing, and can often be found working on some of his long-term writing projects. Whitney is finishing up her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree at University of Colorado Anschutz, and will graduate with her DPT in December. She is a bit of a “hobbyist”; she knits, cans, bakes bread, and more. Knitting and canning both made an appearance at the wedding!

Whitney said that she knew the proposal was coming, but had no idea when or how. Isaac asked her on a date on a Friday. They went to Citizen Rail in Denver (a beautiful restaurant downtown) and had one of the best meals ever. Towards the end of the meal, Isaac suggested they go to the Denver Aquarium. This made her a little suspicious, but she didn’t say anything. Not knowing when the Aquarium actually closed, they practically sprinted over there. Once there, Whitney noticed that Isaac was really taking the aquarium at a quick clip (they normally take forever in museums, zoos, and aquariums because they like to spend so much time at each exhibit).

When they got to the part of the aquarium that’s the “tunnel” where you’re surrounded by water on all sides. Whitney was admiring a sting ray floating above, and when she turned around, Isaac was on one knee!! Whitney was also surprised to find Isaac had arranged for someone to take photos, and his brother, Lucas, was hidden around the corner too. It was such a happy day!

I absolutely LOVED their answers when I asked them each to describe each other:

Isaac describing Whitney:

“Whitney is incredibly strong and dedicated. She is kind. She is one of the fiercest defenders of the people she loves most. Throughout her life, Whitney has committed a great deal of her time and attention to people that need it most. In high school and college she worked with people with special needs, even her path in PT school is directed toward helping disadvantaged women and children with disability. She is really funny, too. She’s always had such a distinct sense of humor that is profoundly her own.”

Whitney describing Isaac:
“Isaac is patient, thoughtful, and steadfast. He’s the funniest man I’ve ever met, and he can make me laugh in literally any situation. He’s so good at thinking a situation through and fairly examining all aspects of it. He slows me down when I want to rush through things, and encourages me to enjoy the moment instead of over-planning. He’s so incredibly handsome that I still look at him and think that he’s out of my league.”

Isaac loves how clever Whitney is. He says it runs into her sense of humor, but also it’s an aspect of her brilliance in so many other ways.

Whitney loves Isaac’s sense of humor. She love to laugh with him, and she said she never tires of his jokes.

One of their favorite dates of trips so far was last year, when they went on their first true vacation as a couple to Maine and Cape Cod (Massachusetts). They got to do it all – spend time on the water, hike in a bunch of state parks, spend some time with family, and eat some great food. They also went to three different knitting stores, where Isaac was very indulging of Whitney’s desire to tour the yarn stores of the nation.

When I asked them to describe their vision for their wedding day, they told me they wanted a close gathering of our family and a few friends, in a place that’s very sentimental to them and the people there. They envisioned people sharing stories, bonding with each other and them, and just holding them as a couple with so much love. COVID definitely impacted what they imagine for their wedding day and they had to make a lot of sacrifices, but by the time the big day came, they had accepted the way things were and the decisions they made and truly let themselves relax and live into the joy of such a monumental occasion!

Congrats to Isaac and Whitney Leigh!!

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