Piper and Stephen’s Crooked Willow Farms wedding
When Piper told me she was having her wedding at Crooked Willow Farms, I drew a blank. Now it’s one of my favorite venues. The venue is in the rolling hills of Larkspur, which happens to almost exactly between Colorado Springs and Denver, convenient to both but visually far removed. There is an actual farm on the edge of the site, but it’s a purpose-built space that mostly feels rustic with stables, a barn, etc. but without the compromises of places just tried to capitalize on the wedding business. The space feels open and grounded at the same time—weathered wood, old brick, enough distance from urban areas to allow a psychological shift. This day leaned made the most of that space, with a couple who were far more interested in being present than performing for the camera.
As a Denver wedding photojournalist, my work is rooted in documenting what actually happens rather than directing it. This wedding was a perfect example of why that matters—the kind of in-between moments that tend to disappear if you’re not paying attention. And then there’s Piper, climbing over five-foot fences in a long wedding dress to go running through a field in pursuit of a horse which was less interested than she was. Stephen is more of an even keel, which is absolutely a compliment. We need people like both of them in our lives.
Crooked Willow Farms continues to be one of those rare venues that supports that kind of storytelling. It gives space for both intimacy and scale, whether it’s a quiet exchange before the ceremony or a packed dance floor under string lights. For couples drawn to documentary wedding photography in Denver and across Colorado, it’s a place where the day can unfold honestly—and where the photographs reflect that.
Piper getting ready at Crooked Willow Farms. She had this long, wavy, platinum blonde hair with offered a nice contrast to the intricate detail of her dress.
Piper and her maid of honor.
Piper and her grandma.
Stephen and his friends got ready in a separate building at Crooked Willow Farms, making it easy to avoid running into Piper and company.
Not one of those orchestrated “first looks”, just… Dad.
The weather was a bit iffy, but Crooked Willow Farms is set up for indoor ceremonies as well in a spacious upstairs loft with a rustic interior, rough wood and wagon-wheel chandeliers. Most backup plans for rain feel like a compromise, but it was a good space to work in and dedicated for the purpose so they were able to move things indoors at the last minute without much fuss. The light was dim but even, and the wooden walls made for good backgrounds.
Crooked Willow Farms has lots of little spaces conducive to even small moments of transition.
Crooked Willow Farms is an actual farm with stables and a paddock. Though I’m not sure Piper was supposed to be in the paddock with the horses.
After a while, Stephen came out to see what was going on.
Come to think of it, I think the paddock/pasture was off limits. Piper evidently had not spent months perusing the pages of Elegant Bride magazine. But this is totally her.
This is Piper and Stephen, in a nutshell. But they balance each other quite well. Pipers need Stephens. And Stephens need Pipers.
It’s a wedding. There are cake photos.
Everyone had left to go outside for a sendoff. A few caterers were starting to clear the tables but the lights were still off. I crept in, making some photos at a distance. This is why I stay to the end. You never know.
