The Couple: Melissa and Eric
The Wedding: 9.4.2011 - Dunton Hot Springs, Dolores, CO
"We knew we wanted to get married outside, in the Colorado mountains, and next to a water source. I looked at around 15 locations before I found Dunton Hot Springs. One of my bridesmaids found a write-up on Dunton on a wedding blog and forwarded me the information. I immediately fell in love with the place. I sent the information along to our parents, as well as Eric. We all decided to visit the location together. Once we all got there, we knew that this was the place. My parents loved it so much, they decided to rent the town out for four days, rather than just the one of the cabins. We had an incredible view of the San Juan Mountains, a rustic wooden chapel, as well as natural hot springs and a waterfall behind the chapel."
Melissa: "It really is hard to pick a favorite moment or memory from the weekend. The four days I spent at Dunton were by far the best days of my life. I was pleasantly surprised how close everyone got in the four days we were there. I think this was largely because of the beautiful and relaxing environment at Dunton, as well as the fact that we had a talking circle, which is a tradition in my Lakota Sioux heritage."
The Photographers: Twin Lens Images
Twin Lens Images: "We knew that this wedding was going to be an emotional weekend with a small group of the couple's close friends and family. Melissa and Eric incorporated many rituals and traditions from their different family faiths. We approached the wedding with a documentary frame of mind, trying to blend-in in order to capture the atmosphere and moments happening in front of us.
Melissa and Eric were very hands-off in their specific directions and expectations. From the beginning, they responded warmly to our goal of wanting to document the wedding weekend. They were excited about taking advantage of all the natural beauty available at Dunton Hot Springs, and to have a visual record of themselves, friends and family as they all experienced this rite of passage together."
Twin Lens Images: "We loved the infusion of Native American culture and ritual. The morning of the wedding Eric and Melissa hosted a Talking Circle outside. Each guest was given the opportunity to share feelings, prayers or thoughts or simply connect with the rest of the community by listening without speaking. The Talking Circle is used by many tribes to celebrate family and community unity and to prepare for major events or decisions among the family or community. Following that, those that opted-in had the incredible experience of participating in a Sweat Lodge, a Native American ritual to deepen spirituality, and experience physical and emotional detoxification. Native tradition calls for a sweat lodge before anything as momentous as a wedding. Melissa's grandparents, Iris and Steve Jourdain, are Ojibwa traditional teachers and ceremonial leaders, and the led these activities and served as the wedding ceremony officiants. They were great at providing explanations and context for all the ceremonies along the way.
Twin Lens Images: "Dunton Hot Springs is one of the most photogenic, naturally stunning locations we've had the pleasure of photographing. Everywhere you look is a stunning backdrop, so it's a photographer's dream. It's also the kind of place that people can truly relax and be their authentic selves, which is the biggest plus for us as photographers and documentarians. Cue the stunning waterfall for the couple's après-ceremony portrait session!"
Twin Lens Images:
"Our favorites are the film cameras - the Mamiya C330s twin lens reflex and the Holga. Both of these cameras shoot 6cmx6cm negatives. We love their unique format and the feel of film. For 35mm we use Canon 5dmkII bodies with either a 35mm f/1.4, 85 f/1.2 or an 70-200mm f/2.8. The combination of the film with the digital allows us to meld the nostalgic fine art sensibility with high quality current technology and have the best of both worlds in our wedding coverage."
The Wedding Team:
Photography: Twin Lens Images
Ceremony & Reception Site: Dunton Hot Springs
Catering: Dunton Hot Springs
Officiants: bride’s grandparents, Iris and Steve Jourdain
Invitation Designer: Gary Fogelson of Other Means
Florist: Siempre Flores
Cupcakes: The Yellow Carrot
Wedding dress: Rivini from Kleinfeld Bridal
Bridal accessories: Bolero custom made by Kleinfeld Bridal
Groom and groomsmen apparel & accessories: denim shirts by Orvis, with jacquard silk wild rags (neckerchiefs)
Live music: Paper Bird Band
Dance instruction: Denise Kroger Westbrook from Come Dance Tonight! taught our entire crew how to slap leather for our "western night"
Rings: custom by Lisa Linhardt
Vintage Umbrella Rental: Bella Umbrella
Thanks so much for sharing your incredible wedding with us Melissa and Eric, and Kitty and Craig for the gorgeous photos!
To see more work from Twin Lens Images be sure to check out their website, and Junebug Member Brochure!
