STILLS & MOTION
BY THE WEST
Telluride Wedding Photographer and Videographer
A balance of raw emotion and refined composition. Immersive wedding photography and films shaped by landscapes, movement, and connection across Telluride and Southwest Colorado.
As a Telluride wedding photographer, our approach blends documentary storytelling with a cinematic, editorial sensibility, creating imagery that feels refined, honest, and deeply personal. Whether you are planning an intimate elopement above Telluride, a celebration at Mountain Lodge, or a multi-day destination wedding across the San Juan Mountains, our focus is on capturing how your wedding felt, not just how it looked.
We work with couples planning intentional, experience-driven weddings in Telluride, Mountain Village, Ouray, Ridgway, Silverton, Durango, and other Southwest Colorado destinations, as well as select locations across the American West and abroad.
FEATURED IN
The
Storyteller
Behind The Scenes
Some moments define a lifetime. They unfold in the stillness of a mountaintop, in the warmth of candlelit celebrations, in the echo of laughter shared with your closest friends. These are the moments that deserve to be more than remembered. They deserve to be felt forever.
As a Telluride wedding photographer and videographer, I’ve spent the last decade documenting weddings and elopements across Colorado’s most remote and spectacular corners — and Telluride is in a category of its own. From intimate ceremonies on the mountain to multi-day celebrations in the valley, I work with couples who chose this place because it means something to them — and I treat it the same way.
Every story we tell is intentionally crafted to feel distinct, immersive, and undeniably yours. Not just how it looked, but how it felt.
—Mark Blake
Telluride. Mountain Village. The San Juans.
Telluride sits in a box canyon at 8,750 feet, surrounded by 13,000 and 14,000-foot peaks on three sides. The terrain is unlike anywhere else in Colorado, and it shapes every wedding held here. Ceremonies at San Sophia Overlook, tucked at 10,540 feet above Mountain Village and accessed by gondola, and at the newer, more secluded Palmyra Lookout higher up the mountain, produce some of the most dramatic ceremony imagery in North America. Full-service resorts like Mountain Lodge Telluride and The Peaks Resort & Spa carry the whole weekend in one place, while further into the San Juans, Dunton Hot Springs, a restored ghost town deep in the Dolores River Valley, offers a setting so remote and deliberate that it demands a different kind of coverage entirely.
We have documented Telluride weddings across these venues and throughout the surrounding region, including Ouray, Ridgway, Silverton, and Durango. The San Juan Mountains reward a Telluride wedding photographer who understands how to work with rapidly shifting alpine light, high-elevation weather, and landscapes that frame every moment without needing to be managed. For a full breakdown of each ceremony site and reception venue, with costs, capacity, and seasonal notes, browse our complete Telluride wedding venue guide.
FROM VOWS TO
THE AFTER PARTY
“so grateful to have had such an awesome photographer
on our day”
Mark is truly the BEST photographer and such a wonderful person to work with!! My husband and I didn’t know exactly what we wanted in terms of wedding photos but we knew we loved Mark’s work. Mark’s easygoing & professional attitude helped guide us to the services that were best for us, and when our venue cancelled on us and we had to entirely re-plan our wedding, he was SO flexible and helped us restructure our package to accommodate a new location and timeline. Throughout the entire planning process he was super communicative and thoughtful. The day of, he and his team ran things incredibly smoothly, took advantage of every moment and helped us get in some extra shots, and made everyone feel comfortable in front of the camera (something my husband and I struggle with) – we received a ton of compliments from our already-married friends about how professional they were throughout the day. Not to mention – he and his team stuck it out through a freak hailstorm during our ceremony with us!! We really can’t recommend Mark enough, & are so grateful to have had such an awesome photographer on our day!!
“Mark delivered something beyond our wildest dreams. His art form is unique yet has a timeless feel.”
Mark Blake was the very first choice we made for our big day and it turned out to be the best one we would make! Creating a story and true art though photos was our highest priority and Mark delivered something beyond our wildest dreams. His art form is unique yet has a timeless feel. The emotion of our moments really came through and you can see the rawness and beauty of the memory. His use of light and dark is truly an art. He was able to direct us to create every shot and we felt completely comfortable with his kind energy. Everyone can’t stop commenting on how stunning our photos are and says they look like they are from a magazine. He really captured both the amazing mountain backdrops and us in every shot. I cried many tears of joy when I saw our photos!
“Mark stole our hearts from the first photo we saw, and he’s lived up to that expectation.”
Where do I start. Mark really helped us plan our wedding in a sense. We knew we wanted something small, out West, natural, and easy. Mark helped us narrow down where we wanted to get married, was there to bounce ideas off of, and had an amazing attitude throughout the whole thing. Day of, he was on the ball, quick to keep things going when we inevitably ran out of time, and was well organized. Not to mention, he has a corgi, so you know he’s good people. Mark stole our hearts from the first photo we saw, and he’s lived up to that expectation. Get ready Denver area, Mark’s about to take the town by storm.
Questions About Telluride Wedding Photography
What makes Telluride a unique wedding destination?
Telluride occupies a box canyon in the San Juan Mountains at 8,750 feet of elevation, surrounded by 13,000 and 14,000-foot peaks on three sides. There is no equivalent setting in Colorado. The scale is extraordinary, the light is theatrical, and the sense of genuine remoteness is real. Unlike Vail or Aspen, Telluride does not feel like a resort town that has been built around wedding infrastructure. It feels like a place that couples choose for what it is, not what it offers as a venue. We have documented weddings at Mountain Lodge Telluride and across the broader Mountain Village, and the setting consistently produces some of our most compelling work.
When is the best time of year to get married in Telluride?
Late September is Telluride’s most visually dramatic season. Aspen color in the San Juan Mountains peaks with an intensity that surpasses anywhere else in Colorado, and the canyon walls turn gold in a way that is genuinely extraordinary to photograph. July and August offer the most stable outdoor ceremony conditions at elevation. Winter weddings in Telluride are rare and intentional. The town’s remote access via Montrose Regional Airport and challenging mountain road conditions make logistics demanding, but the visual payoff under snow against the box canyon walls is unlike anything else in the state.
How do guests get to Telluride for a destination wedding?
Most destination wedding guests fly into Montrose Regional Airport (MTJ), approximately an hour from Telluride, or Denver International Airport (DEN), approximately five to six hours by car. Telluride Regional Airport (TEX) handles direct private and charter flights and is the most convenient option for guests traveling from major metropolitan areas. Shuttle services between Montrose and Telluride are well established. For multi-day destination weddings, coordinating guest accommodation blocks at properties like Mountain Lodge Telluride simplifies logistics significantly.
What venues are available for weddings in Telluride?
The primary dedicated wedding venues in the Telluride area are Mountain Lodge Telluride in Mountain Village and the Madeline Hotel (now operating under the Auberge brand). Both are resort properties with on-site accommodations that support full destination weekend formats. The town of Telluride itself, the historic main street, Riverside Park, and the surrounding canyon floor, is also used for ceremonies and elopements. Our Mountain Lodge Telluride venue guide covers the property in detail, and our full Colorado venues guide places Telluride within the broader landscape of Southwest Colorado wedding options.
How far in advance should I book a Telluride wedding photographer?
For September weekends, the most sought-after photography conditions in the San Juan Mountains, booking 12 to 18 months in advance is recommended. Telluride’s wedding market is smaller and more selective than Vail or Aspen, which means the best dates at the best venues book quickly among a smaller pool of photographers and planners. We take on a limited number of Telluride weddings each year. If you have a date in mind, reach out through our booking page to check availability and begin the conversation.
Framed, By The West.