Manor Vail Lodge Rehearsal Dinner Photos of Ali & Drausin in Vail Colorado

I recently returned to the rocky mountains of Colorado to photograph the Manor Vail Lodge Rehearsal Dinner Photos of Ali & Drausin in Vail Colorado for their wedding weekend.

It was a wonderful crossroad of my past and my future. Ali, has been a buddy of mine for many years. Back in college, while my journalism peers were seeking out newspaper internships, I opted instead to work two years as a summer camp counselor at Cheley Colorado Camps. Ali was a campfire counselor at the adjacent girls camp.

It was a job that paid pennies but rewarded you with an entire summer of exploration of the surrounding mountains while sharing your passions, skills and goofiness with great outdoorsy kids.

It’s amazing how certain places in your life really leave an impact on you. My two summers in Estes Park, Colorado and the wonderful people I met there, like Ali, played a big role in shaping me into the man I’ve become. Besides helping to steer me on my path, the experience gave me some really great friendships. I was lucky to keep in touch with her.

Photographing my friend’s rehearsal dinner at Manor Vail Lodge

When Drausin and Ali emailed me about photographing their wedding day and rehearsal dinner back in the mountains stomping grounds of my youth, I was thrilled. I love mountain weddings!

The soon to be newly weds decided to have a causal relaxing rehearsal “dinner” at the base of the Vail ski mountain at the Manor Vail Lodge. It was quite the place. Instead of a formal sit down dinner, they had a tapas style buffet and a bar which worked out really well. It allowed everyone to go at their own pace and socialize.

They also spread out the wedding toasts throughout the evening rather than one right after the other. It gave each speaker a chance to really express themselves without feeling rushed. It was so special to listen to the incredibly eloquent speeches from friends and family in such a warm (and green!) setting.

There is a lot of love and support for these two newlyweds.

Here are some of my favorite images from the evening. I’m hard at work finishing the wedding photos. So excited to show you all. It was quite the weekend. Stay tuned… -M