About The Cover

About the Cover Brooke Welch

The element that photographer Brooke Welch likes most about the wedding of Krista Leigh Halsnes and Tanner Coulter is its Old West ambiance, with the groom in a Western vest and cowboy hat and the bride in a lacy dress, wearing a Southwestern turquoise ring on her right hand. “I love this iconic Steamboat wedding,” Brooke says. “It tells such a story of who we are. I remember thinking, ‘How can I capture that?’”

The opportunity to tell the visual story of such a classic Steamboat event goes to the heart of what Brooke hopes to achieve through her photography. “If you can capture it for this generation, then 100 years from now, it will still be around. It gives me goosebumps – there’s just something about Steamboat Springs that’s special.”

The bride and groom are both longtime Northwest Colorado residents. Brooke, who does freelance photography for Schaefer Outfitter, had worked with the couple before their wedding when they modeled for the Texas-based company’s Western wear catalog. “They can’t take a bad picture,” Brooke says. “And they’re just as beautiful inside.”

The couple was married on private land near Fish Creek Falls last fall. Guests sat on hay bales, the wedding arch was made of antlers, and the couple nailed a horseshoe onto a board together as part of the ceremony – a horseshoe mounted with the opening toward the sky, so that it can be filled with good luck. The bride’s father escorted her to the wedding on horseback, and the couple’s son, along

P hy P hotogra h ourtesy B rooke W el C C

Brooke Welch

with their two horses and their dogs, also attended the event.

An added bonus for Brooke was the cloudy weather that day. It was overcast, which makes ideal lighting conditions with no harsh shadows. She took detail shots after the ceremony, something that wedding photographers don’t always have the chance to do.

Based at least in part on her experience at Krista Leigh and Tanner’s wedding, Brooke has a tip for couples in search of a wedding photographer. “Find someone you can relate to, so you feel like you have a friend,” she says. “It should be someone who understands your vision.” She also suggests that couples arrange at least one pre-wedding session with their photographer of choice. “It makes both parties feel at ease on the wedding day.”

For Brooke, it’s not just about capturing special moments at a ceremony, it’s also about preserving a page of Steamboat’s history, a goal that the staff of Steamboat Springs Wedding Guide is honored to share with the cover image of this special 2022 Preview Edition.

Learn more about Brooke Welch Photography at www.BWPhotographyStudio.com. l

Wedding Party Activities Glassblowing Classes