Emily + Jordan’s San Sophia Overlook Wedding

Emily and Jordan’s San Sophia Overlook wedding in the mountains of Telluride was one of the most beautiful days I’ve had the honor of photographing so far. The San Sophia Overlook is positioned at the top of the free gondola run, with access from downtown Telluride and from the Mountain Village side. The gondola rides were such a unique part of the day, and became a beautiful setting for some of our photos as well.

The couple had a traditional Jewish wedding ceremony at the San Sophia Overlook. They signed the Ketubah together in a yurt before the ceremony, used a Huppah built by their friends for the ceremony, when Emily had walked up the aisle she circled Jordan to demonstrate that he is the center of her world, and of course the ceremony ended with the breaking of the glass. This was my first time photographing a Jewish wedding ceremony, and it was fascinating to see how the couple incorporated and put their own touches on all these ancient traditions!

After the wedding ceremony at the San Sophia Overlook, everyone enjoyed champagne while taking in the views of the Telluride valley and mountains. Then we all took the gondolas down to the wedding reception site at the Ah Haa School For the Arts. The reception venue was a short walk away from the gondola station, on a secluded path in the trees along the San Miguel River trail that runs the length of Telluride town. At Ah Haa, the patio was ready for cocktail hour, and dinner was served in the main art gallery space.

For Emily and Jordan’s couples portraits, we wandered along the San Miguel River Trail, then headed up to Colorado Ave – the main street running through the town of Telluride. It was the perfect time of the evening for that soft summer glow, the tourist traffic from earlier in the day had died down, and we got some incredible photos in the middle of the street with views of Bridal Veils Falls and the surrounding mountains in the distance.

I absolutely loved shooting this San Sophia Overlook mountain wedding (well worth the 7 hour drive each way!), and I can’t wait to come back to Telluride to hike and explore more next summer. If you’re getting married in Telluride, get in touch and let’s chat about your wedding photography!

Want to get married at the San Sophia Overlook?

San Sophia Overlook is part of the Telluride Ski Resort. They host wedding ceremonies every day of the week in summer, with multiple different time slots every day.

The wooden deck and grass amphitheater can seat up to 250 guests, but you can also rent the overlook for smaller elopement ceremonies. Renting the San Sophia Overlook costs between $3000-4000, depending on the date and time of day.