From Blind Date to Mountain Vows | Nina & Brian’s Lakeside Wedding

There’s something about a Lily Lake wedding that just feels magical. The glassy water, the mountain reflections, and the tucked-away calm of Rocky Mountain National Park made it the perfect spot for Nina and Brian to celebrate their marriage. Their day balanced adventure, intimacy, and family in a way that felt completely their own.

From Blind Date to Best Friends

Nina and Brian’s story started with a blind date in Lewes, Delaware—set up by Nina’s stepmom after months of quiet matchmaking. What was supposed to be a quick dinner stretched into hours of conversation and a beach walk, sparking the beginning of their story. Since then, they’ve shared big adventures, funny mishaps (like missing a train in Edinburgh thanks to bakery priorities), and even taken on a fixer-upper together, learning how well they balance each other as a team.

Why They Chose a Lily Lake Picnic Area Wedding

When planning their wedding, they knew a traditional celebration wasn’t for them. Instead, they envisioned time in the mountains, space to be present, and moments with the people they loved most. A Lily Lake Picnic Area wedding in Rocky Mountain National Park gave them just that.

The day began with a sweet first look at their Airbnb in Estes Park, followed by spending some time exploring in the park. By the time they arrived at Lily Lake, their families were waiting for the walk to their ceremony spot. Against the backdrop of mountains and still water, they exchanged vows that felt both intimate and expansive.

After celebrating with a champagne toast, their guests headed back to the Airbnb while Nina and Brian stayed behind for a few more portraits along the lake. The quiet time together was perfect ending before joining everyone to keep the celebration going.

What made their Lily Lake Picnic Area wedding so special wasn’t just the stunning setting—it was how intentional the day felt. From carving out time alone to laughing with family, Nina and Brian stayed true to what mattered most: being present, appreciating the mountains around them, and celebrating in a way that felt joyful and genuine.

Love love LOVED working with Bailey for the planning and photography of our microwedding in Estes Park!! She is singularly sweet and authentic, as well as the best hype girl and super skilled with elopement/destination wedding planning AND photography. She’s the whole package!!

Not having visited Estes Park or RMNP before the day of our wedding, she was instrumental in helping us identify locations that would work for us, downselect to the right one, and obtain our RMNP permit. In addition, it was the biggest help that she provided us lists of recommended vendors, which made the research and decision-making process so much easier!! Her extensive experience with weddings enabled her to guide us to making decisions that felt right for us, as well as craft a totally perfect wedding-day timeline (with buffers so we weren’t stressing).

Leading up to our wedding day, Bailey must have answered 100 questions from us and was always so quick to respond. The day-of our ceremony, Bailey was on-time, supportive, endlessly patient, and totally focused on making sure the day was everything we wanted and that we enjoyed ourselves. She must have endured 50 mosquito bites for us to get the most gorgeous portraits at Moraine Park. So far, we’ve only seen our preview photos (some attached below), and we are BLOWN AWAY by how gorgeous they are – many happy tears have ensued!!

Bailey is an absolute gem, we loved working with her and would recommend her again 1,000 times over.

Nina + Brian

NEED A PHOTOGRAPHER FOR YOUR Lily Lake Wedding?

Meet Larissa + Bailey! As two born and raised Coloradans who have photographed 300+ couples in 100+ locations across Colorado, we specialize in creating a different kind of wedding day that is just as adventurous as you are. We use our experience and knowledge to craft a different kind of wedding day that feels completely authentic to you. Want to hike to a high alpine lake? We can give you trail options for that! Want to canoe along the banks of a mountain lake? We can tell you the best lakes to do it on! Want to watch the sunset from the top of the world? We’ll lead you to our favorite spots for sunset! Book your Lily Lake wedding photographer today!