2018 Year in Review
Best Colorado Wedding Photographer | Savannah Chandler Photography

 

 

2018.  It’s been a year.  One of the best years, and quite possibly the worst year.

2018 started off fantastic.  I typically end my wedding season with a “bang”, traveling outside of Colorado and photographing somewhere amazing.  2014: Asheville. 2015: Iceland. 2016: Sedona. 2017: Virginia.  I did end 2018 off with a bang (more on that later), but I also began the year in some absolutely amazing locations.
In March, I headed to Belize with my good friend Lindsay Lack to photograph what I can only describe as the biggest, craziest party of a wedding I’ve ever been a part of.  Belizeans know how to throw one hell of a party.  We photographed until past 3am, and there were still a good 400 guests in attendance at that point.  Needless to say, laying on the beach drinking frozen mojitos was definitely in order the next day.
In April, I headed back to the land of Fire and Ice – Iceland – to photograph a fellow photographer’s elopement.  It was just the two of them, and me with my entourage of “assistants”, or better known as my siblings.  In all honesty, they were great assistants, sherpas, light holders, navigators… they really helped with everything.  Amanda and Justin’s wedding days was honestly one of my favorite adventures I’ve had – we spent 17 hours exploring Reykjavik, Vik, and the south of Iceland.  We even went spelunking for photos.  That was a first for me.
Once I got back from a personal trip to Ireland, Colorado wedding season came on with a vengeance.  I booked more weddings, elopements, and engagements than ever before this past season.
Photographing all over the great state of Colorado, I had the pleasure of celebrating with some pretty amazing people.  I will say, I’ve never been so reassured of how great the human spirit is as I have been this past year.

Come August 11, I was in Estes Park photographing with an amazing couple in Rocky Mountain National Park.  At home, I knew my son (4 years old) had a headache, but really didn’t think much of it.  The next day, he still had a headache so we brought him into the ER at Children’s Hospital.  That day, August 12, our lives changed forever.

We found out that our son had a brain tumor.  Medulloblastoma, grade 4 with extensive Nodularity.  Cancerous.

Our whole world flipped that day.  Brain surgery was set to be in 2 days.  Everything moved so fast.

Another first happened this year, after 7 years in business, I had to have two of my amazing friends cover 2 weddings for me the week our son had his tumor removed.  Thank you to Haley Allen and Erin Cady, I can’t begin to tell you the depth of my gratitude.  A few of the images in here were photographed by them and edited by myself.  Both couples – Mandy and Nick & Kendra and Nelson – were so gracious, patient, and understanding.  Thank you for that.

Once September 15 came, my husband and I decided that we were at a place that I could resume photographing the remainder of my weddings.  I’m sure that I sound redundant at this point, but I can’t stress enough how amazing the couple’s I’ve come to know and love are.  Everyone was so kind, patient, and just the best all around humans I’ve ever met.  <3   This is as close to a “rooftop” as I’ll ever come, so I want to shout it from the “Blogtop” – THANK YOU.  I LOVE YOU ALL.

In October, after the approval of our Oncology team, I did in fact end my season with a BANG once again.  Iceland for the second time in 6 months.  My brother and sister came once again to assist, and we ventured around Vik and Snafellsness with Kim and Scott for their elopement.  Iceland has always had a piece of my heart, but I really think that I’ve become quite attached with this lovely little island now.

To those of you wondering, my son is doing well and nearly finished with his Chemotherapy.  We end his regimen on February 15th.  That day will be one of celebration.

Here are some fun tidbits to cap off the 2018 Colorado Wedding photography season.

– 4 times out of the country
– Lowest altitude wedding ever photographed: Underground in a Cave in Iceland near Reykjavik.
– Highest altitude wedding photographed this year: 11,991 Feet at Loveland Pass
– Watched a pregnant badass bride outpace nearly everyone at Loveland Pass
– Coldest Wedding photographed this year: the top of Vail ski resort in February at -2*
– Hottest Wedding photographed this year: Allenspark in July at 95*
– Bought 2 new cars, one my dream Jeep to get to all the amazing mountain loations
– Bought a Cabin in the San Luis Valley (which we can host private elopements at, hint hint 😉 )
– Got in a decent amount of hiking (all things considered)
– Longest Wedding photographed: Belize just outdid Iceland at 18.5 hours vs. 17 hours
– Most weddings ever photographed in a week timespan to date: 6 weddings in 7 days (this past September)
– Number of Soft Boxes bought this year: 4
– Number of Flashes bought: 6
– Number of cameras that went Kaput mid-wedding: 1 (and this, ladies and gentleman, is why you only hire people who shoot with more than one camera 😬)
– Number of lenses lost, but never forgotten, due to dings, scratches, cracking, waterfall damage: 3
– First time ever photographing with Horses this year
– Second time ever photographing with Horses this year 😆
– Countless memories made with my fellow photographers
– Number of Amazing couples with the best hearts: 27
(that’s how many weddings/elopements I photographed this year 😍)

Here’s to an amazing 2019.  To HEALTH (for reals though, no more surprises universe… okay??), Happiness, and Photography.

Love to you all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Savannah Chandler Photography | Best Colorado Wedding Photographer | Based in Denver, Colorado | Available for Travel Worldwide

Photographing in the Rocky Mountain region and beyond
Telluride | Silverton | Ouray | Granby | Winterpark | Steamboat | Breckenridge | Keystone | Vail | Aspen | Crested Butte | Durango | Silverthorne

Photography Services Available Worldwide | Destination Wedding Photographer
Ireland | Iceland | Belize | Italy | France | Switzerland

 

 

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Planning an International Elopement?  Available for travel Worldwide!
I’m looking to add the following locations to my 2019 Schedule.  Special pricing for the following countries:
Italy
Spain
Scotland
Greece
France