Northern Colorado is the understated choice, and many of the photographers we list here are based in Fort Collins, with a few in Loveland and nearby towns. They work a landscape that tourists mostly skip: a red hogback over Horsetooth Reservoir, the granite of Lory State Park and forty miles of the Cache la Poudre, Colorado's only Wild and Scenic river.
Ask a photographer which light they like for your site, because it differs sharply here. Horsetooth faces east over the plains, so a sunrise from Horsetooth Rock or the dam overlooks is the signature image, after a steady climb by headlamp. The Poudre Canyon stays shaded until mid morning and glows in late afternoon. Larimer County handles small ceremonies at Horsetooth and Devil's Backbone with a simple permit and a daily vehicle entrance permit, Lory State Park needs a special activity agreement, and the Forest Service may ask for a permit along the Wild and Scenic corridor, so a photographer who knows those rules saves you a phone call or three.
If you plan to marry in Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park is about an hour away, so ask about travel fees. Late September and early October are the best weeks in the canyon, with golden cottonwoods and aspens near Cameron Pass.
