Steamboat Spring Destination Wedding | Midnight Ranch Mountain Wedding | Rea + Jake |Colorado Mountain Wedding Photographer | PUBLISHED ON ROCKY MOUNTAIN BRIDE
Here is Jake & Rea’s love story at Steamboat Spring Destination Wedding
– I might have a photographer’s crush on these two….
God had this plan for us long before we even knew it, I truly believe that.
Jake & I have gone to school together since the 4th grade, I didn’t know what he would mean to me right away but I always knew there was something special about the two of us. Starting in about 8th grade (if I remember right) I had a massive crush on Jake & turns out he had one on me too, we were so young but as the years went on this crush never really went away.
As a result, we both dated other people but I think in the back of our minds we always knew we were meant to be together.
We used to joke around & say one day we were going to get married.. we always said when we got married it would be in the mountains of Colorado. (We live in Michigan but the Colorado mountains have a special place in our hearts) little did we know that thought of us getting married would soon be our reality.
After high school Jake moved to Boulder Colorado to go to the university there, he of course loved living in Colorado. He came home for Christmas break & we ran into each other after years of not seeing one another. Our lives have never been the same sine that day. I knew after seeing him again he was my soul mate.
I confessed my love for Jake to his best friend Zach, Zach told me that if I really loved Jake I had to tell him before he went back to Colorado.
So I did. I made sure that Jake knew how I felt about him & he felt the same way about me!! Christmas break was coming to an end & it was time for Jake to head back to Colorado for school, this broke my heart knowing he was going to be so far away. The morning he was going to the airport to fly back to CO I woke up to a txt message from him, this is what it said…
“Im on my way to the airport Raven. I couldnt have asked for a better two weeks to end my break. Its extremely bittersweet but the sweet outweighs the bitter. I wasn’t planning on any of this happening but im so glad that it did. Its not goodbye, I promise you that. Stay beautiful “
“it’s not goodbye, I promise you that” that was only the beginning of our love story.
Jake finished up school for the year & moved back to Michigan (YAY!) we spent all of our free time together. He made me the happiest girl in the world, but something in me wasn’t allowing me to be truly happy. My whole life I have battled this terrible disease called “depression” as time went on I sunk into this really dark place where I felt like my world was falling apart.
I loved Jake so much & he made me so happy so why couldn’t I just be happy?
During this time Jake NEVER gave up on me, for countless days & nights I would lay in bed & cry, Jake was always there, he held me & told me everything would be ok. He loved me when I must have been impossible to love. THAT IS TRUE LOVE.
Jake is my rock, he is strong when I am weak & I cannot thank him enough for loving me in good times but more importantly loving me in the really bad times.
The thing about depression is it never really goes away & you have to figure out ways to cope with it. I tried everything countless medications, therapy, anything & everything, it was often hard for Jake to understand why I couldn’t just be happy.
This is where God comes in. Jake has always had this amazing love for God, this was something I didn’t understand. He would talk to me about God & wanted me to accept God into my life. Me, being the stubborn person that I am wanted nothing to do with it. As the years went on he just stopped trying, he would go to church without me & I really didn’t mind, but I still felt like something was missing from my life.
Jake’s dad got involved with a ministry called “declores” it is a spiritual weekend retreat for people seeking God. Jake really wanted to go but I wasn’t convinced. Jake went on his weekend & when he came home he was on fire! His love for God was pouring out.
He was going to change the world. I had to go after seeing what it did for him, so I did. I went on my Declores weekend with my mother in law, Sheila. Our lives haven’t been the same since.
When I’m having a bad day I pray about it, when everything is going great I pray about it & I thank God every day for placing Jake in my life. The power of prayer has changed our lives dramatically. We are so happy & more in love than ever before.
God placed Jake in my life long ago because he knew I needed a saving Grace, I needed somebody to save me & Jake did just that. God has been working in our lives in so many different ways & I have never felt so free & so happy.
I believe God placed Jake in my life knowing that Jake would lead me closer to him. God is now using Jake & myself to change & inspire other peoples lives. I thank God everyday for blessing me with the most amazing husband.
This is our story for now, I know this is really just the beginning & I can’t wait to see what God has in store for us.
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These are absolutely incredible Justys! Love u!
Thank you baby for supporting my dreams and my passion! Love you too!
Lovely <3
Awww, I had a couple that went to elementary school together too! These images are absolutely beautiful. Their story touched my heart.
Thank you!!!! Each couple I get to document, touches my heart and soul! Their story was so beautiful!!! I am so lucky to be able to capture their love and this gorgeous destination wedding as well!!!
Such a beautiful, beautiful story!! And such a gorgeous way she styled her wedding!!
She did such an amazing job with all the details…the flower crown, the wildflowers dried so beautifully…such a timeless, boho styled wedding! Loved every bit of it!
From start to finish, this is simply romantic – their story and the way you capture it.
Yes! Their story, their souls, their love and connection…so so beautiful!
Wow…their story made me tear up! That is incredible. And everything about this wedding is a dream..the styling, colors, back of her dress! Love love love
Katie! Just finishing up this beautiful gallery and let me tell you…IT WAS SUCH A PERFECTION!!!! I am swooning over this gorgeous gallery!!!!!
Once again, amazing! Love your work girl.
Awe…thank you so much! You made my morning sweet friend!
Oh my gosh, incredible! Your ability to tell the story blows my mind. I love everything about this wedding and the joy these people have shines through. Gorgeous in every way!
Erica! Thank you my sweet friend! This entire colorado mountain wedding was just breathtaking! starting with the timeless, mountain venue, Midnight Ranch is absolutely a perfect fit for an intimate Colorado destination wedding! These two gorgeous souls picked the best what Colorado has to offer! And then all the boho details I got to capture! Wow! Still swooning over their gallery as I am uploading right now getting ready to send! Love these two so much!
Oh my gosh, Justyna. What magic you have created for Jake and Rea! I love love stories that are meant to be and theirs certainly seems to be. So much warmth and authenticity you have captured. Lucky couple!
Thank you so much Kate! It was such a beautiful day! Incredible couple, so beautiful inside and out!!!! And I’m a bout to deliver their BIG Day to their mailboxes! So excited to share…so much love!
Gorgeous gorgeous photos!!
Thank you so much!!!! Their wedding was such a dream…rolling Colorado hills, wildflower meadow at Midnight Ranch, canoe romance, and to top it off the bonfire snuggles…gah…perfect mountain wedding experience for any adventurous soul!
I love this story! And his tie. And your images, as always, are beautiful.
These are STUNNING! Their color palette is so earthy and gorgeous, it matches so well with your editing style. The bride crying during the ceremony was my favorite photo! (okay the spinning one was also my favorite)
Weren’t they like so beautiful! The emotions though the entire day, the love and their beautiful connection was just out of this world and boho style dress, flowers, and all the DETAILS were just straight from a Junebug weddings magazine!!!!! So timeless!
What an absolutely beautiful story and Justyna you captured their day so perfectly!