Holly Pacione: Colorado Springs Wedding and Portrait Photographers

Our New Blog

2010-07-26T15:09:00.001-06:00

Hi everyone! We just wanted to announce that we have rolled our blog into our web page. You can check it out here:

http://hollypacionephotography.com/blog/

For those of you interested in subscribing to getting updates for the blog, you can sign up for the RSS feed through our livejournal blog at:

http://hollypacione.livejournal.com/

Thanks for following!

Holly and Matt Pacione

Sarah and Jordan's wedding at Chapel One and the Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield

2010-07-20T14:12:00.006-06:00

Sarah and Jordan are such a fun a lively couple. They love playing games and having fun and that idea was very much an important part of their wedding. The ceremony took place at Chapel one at Lowry, in Denver. The beautiful twilight reception was at the Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield.

You could just see how close Sarah and her dad are, as he walked her down the aisle.

Jordan's mom looked on as he received a long distance phone call from his Uncle in Italy, who had stayed up late to be able to congratulate the newly married couple once they tied the knot.

This was one of my favorite moments as Sarah and Jordan were sitting together in the "limo" (an old classic car) and she suddenly shouted, 'We're married!" and turned to hug him.

Sarah and Jordan have a long history with blue suede shoes, including Jordan wearing them on the night he proposed! We wanted to capture these great shoes they both wore at their reception, and I loved the way they looked on the swing!

This shot was taken as Sarah and Jordan were about to enter their reception and were laughing as they heard the crowd cheering for them.

The DJ played funny music during the cake cutting and Sarah and Jordan responded with appropriate expressions!

This shot was taken during the father daughter dance later that night.

Then there were toasts, including one by Sarah's sister Amy.

4th of July Fireworks

2010-07-04T22:50:00.003-06:00

We went with our kids and my sister's kids to watch the fireworks from the Air Force Academy. The lightning was amazing behind the fireworks, causing the whole sky to light up!

Emile - 1 Week Old Baby Portraits

2010-06-30T13:30:00.003-06:00

Emile is 1 1/2 weeks old, and such a beautiful baby! We took these photos at his home in Woodland Park. I loved his wrinkled little brow and his thoughtful eyes.

Emile's "sister"

Nicholina and Brett - Wedding Reception at Lodo's

2010-06-30T12:42:00.001-06:00

Nicholina and Brett got married in May in Riviera Maya. Then they had a wedding reception in Denver at Lodo's for their friends and family who could not make it.
My father, Peter Schwepker came and photographed with me as he was in town for the weekend.

Photo By Peter Schwepker

Photo by Peter Schwepker

Adam and Nikki- Inidian Wedding at Terrace Gardens

2010-06-22T12:10:00.003-06:00

Nikki and Adam got married this Saturday at Terrace Gardens in Denver, Colorado. It was a beautiful day and an even more beautiful wedding. While it was an Indian ceremony, there were lots of pieces of Adam's irish heritage incorporated into it including a bagpiper and Irish dancers. It was such a beautiful blending of cultures!

This spot at Terrace Gardens was so beautiful! I loved the way they decorated it in orange and pink banners.

One of the traditions in an Indian ceremony is for the the bride and groom to both search for a ring, and whoever finds it most often is said to have the power in the relationship. You can see how badly they both wanted it!!!

Adam's henna was very personalized.

This little girl was irresistible!

Sand Dunes and 11 Mile Canyon

2010-06-09T15:59:00.001-06:00

Two weeks ago we went to the sand dunes with the kids and with my sister and her family. It was so beautiful! The water was wonderfully warm and the sun shining!

We originally thought maybe you could sled down the sand hills, but at least on the small ones, that was only possible with a bit of Matt energy!

My brother in law shot this photo of Matt and I.

Then, this weekend we got to drive to 11 mile canyon for some good old tent camping. We had SUCH a good time! It is great having the kids old enough to all participate in the camping experience! We did some hiking, some "river rafting," (i.e. blow up Dora and Spiderman rafts), some marshmallow roasting and some rock climbing, all just under two hours from our front door!

Liana made it about 4 feet off the ground before becoming very frightened. Later on, however, she was very proud to tell everyone "I made it almost all the way to the top!"

Other than her brief stint in the water, (she is NOT a water dog), Trin was a very happy puppy on our trip!

Family portrait courtesy of the timer on my camera!

Our kids loved seeing the embers glowing on the end of their roasting sticks.

Bill and Jocelyn - The Church at Woodmoor and the Air Force Academy Officer's Club

2010-06-02T19:24:00.004-06:00

Bill and Jocelyn are such a fun couple! They have so much love for each other, for their families and for God. Their entire wedding was a time of joy for everyone there!

Jocelyn got ready at her home in Colorado Springs. Here her dad walked her down the stairs followed by one of her sisters and other bridesmaids.

I loved the flow of the veil in this shot of Jocelyn doing a last mirror check.

Then it was off to the church at Woodmoor in Monument, Colorado.

Bill was all emotion during the wedding ceremony. His look here at Jocelyn tells it all.

The couple took communion together during the ceremony.

Then away in the car for a quick portrait session.

The reception was at the officer's Club at the Air Force Academy.

In the middle of the night Jocelyn's mom pulled Bill aside. I couldn't hear them, but you could tell it was something pretty special.

Jocelyn right before the bouquet toss.

Bill turned out to be quite the dancer!

Laura and Steve - Garden of the Gods Engagement Shoot

2010-05-27T21:57:00.003-06:00

Laura and Steve are getting married this summer, and I am so excited to photograph their wedding! They were really fun to work with and have a great chemistry with each other!

Brett and Nicholina - Garden of the Gods engagement portraits

2010-05-11T15:16:00.002-06:00

Brett and Nicholina are getting married in Riviera Maya at the end of this month and wanted their engagement photos taken before they left on their destination wedding. The clouds rolled in just before the portraits, but these two created their own sunshine!

Dance Recitals

2010-05-06T12:33:00.004-06:00

Both of my daughter's have a dance recital coming up in a couple of weeks with Sundance Studios. They are so excited about their new dance costumes! This week I took them each on a separate little photo shoot to more fully enjoy the costume before the big show!

The first shoot was Jadyn's.

Then it was Liana's turn.

Sarah and Jordan

2010-05-05T10:41:00.003-06:00

Sarah and Jordan are a laid back couple who really enjoy hanging out together. They were so sweet and tender together as we took their pictures in Lodo (downtown Denver). This was a really fun and special session!

Parker Family - Family Portraits, Red Rock Canyon

2010-05-05T10:28:00.003-06:00

The Parker's had never had a family portrait done since having their daughter. Since their mother-in-law was in town, this was a perfect time! We had a great time walking around Red Rock Canyon.

Will and Jami- Memorial Park Engagement Session

2010-05-05T09:02:00.002-06:00

Will and Jami are a fun and lively couple who's wedding I am photographing on Halloween in Denver, Colorado. I can't wait! For their engagement session they wanted to do something a little different, so we did a night shoot! We took most of these photos at Memorial Park.

More snow!

2010-03-25T22:34:00.002-06:00

Since we got two feet of wonderful fluffy snow yesterday, we decided to go have some fun with the kiddos.

Kai was most interested in eating icicles.

Liana's goal for the morning was to eat as much snow as possible, and to lay in it too!

Then the little guys got cold and had to watch from the window.

Jadyn concentrated on snow angels.

And in sharing a snowball!

While Levi was king of the world.

Last but not least, Matt spent 45 minutes on making a snowboard jump.

Stephen and Katherine's Day After Session

2010-02-19T14:00:00.003-07:00

Stephen and Katherine got married in January and also had a day after photography session (or week after session in this case!). These portraits are always so fun because we have so much more time for portraits and there is no wedding day tension, so it leads to even better wedding portraits!

Congratulations Stephen and Katherine!

Morgan and Matt

2010-02-19T09:22:00.003-07:00

Morgan and Matt are getting married this summer, and are so cute together. They have a great chemistry together, funny and sincere. We really enjoyed photographing them!!!

Matt and Morgan wanted a photo of their very different sized cowboy boots together. i love the way this one came out!

My sister's maternity pictures

2010-02-19T09:12:00.004-07:00

My sister Connilee recently had her fifth baby! Very shortly before he was born, I was able to shoot a quick maternity session for her! She is so beautiful!

Mary Ellen and Scott at Shove Chapel and Cheyenne Mountain Resort

2010-02-04T13:24:00.006-07:00

This last Saturday, Mary Ellen and Scott had a beautiful wedding at Shove Chapel. Their reception followed at Cheyenne Mountain Resort. They are such a happy couple and were surrounded by loved ones, Scott's son, by seven beautiful flower girls who are all Mary Ellen's nieces (who I was told to take lots of pictures of, as you'll see I did!), and her other ringbearers. Their wedding was a real party and a real time or celebration for them. Thanks for letting me be a part of it guys!!!

Mary Ellen got ready at her downtown home with the help of her sisters, father and flower girls.

With the honesty that only a child has, this little flower girl announced that she didn't like the smell of the coffee Mary Ellen had been drinking.

Mary Ellen had quite the joyous look when told she was now married. So did everyone else!

Upon arriving to the reception, they needed to wait for a little while, so the kids amused themselves with some video games.

The beautiful cake was soon...tested to be sure it tasted good enough for Scott and Mary Ellen.

There were many eager eyes watching the cake cutting.

Guests were told to point to the person at their table who was the best singer. That person would then need to sing part of a song on the microphone. The reactions were hilarious!

Family Photos with the Thornsons

2010-01-13T18:52:00.003-07:00

For Christmas this year, the Thornson kids gave their parents a photo session! All of the kids were in town the weekend afterward Christmas, so we were able to get a picture of them all together! They were an amazing family, and so fun to work with!

Christmas in Arizona

2009-12-22T17:17:00.005-07:00

We are in Flagstaff, Arizona for Christmas with my parents and having so much fun!

Kai just had one of those days today! Poor kid.

Gingerbread house fun.

This was how Levi and Jadyn fell asleep. Sweet kiddos!

Markie and Randall

2009-12-08T13:31:00.002-07:00

On Saturday evening, Markie and Randall braved the cold weather with me for a snowy portrait shoot. They love the outdoors and the snow so it was a perfect setting!!!

Markie and Randall both love snowboarding so we took the boards out for a couple of shots. While it wasn't deep enough to actually snowboard, it was deep enough for them to try to knock one another off their boards!

Jocelyn and Bill

2009-12-02T14:56:00.004-07:00

Jocelyn and Bill are getting married next May, and we did their engagement photos this last weekend at Garden of the Gods. It ended up being such a beautiful and warm winter day!

Charlotte, Mike, and Ally

2009-12-01T21:12:00.003-07:00

On Friday evening I did a portrait session for Charlotte Geary (www.charlottegeary.com), an absolutely amazing photographer and a friend. I photographed her with her husband Mike and their sweety dog, Ally. We had a wonderful time hiking around Garden of the Gods!

Family Portraits

2009-11-30T20:42:00.003-07:00

On Saturday morning I had the extreme pleasure of photographing this family on some trails near their home. Their kids were so sweet and well behaved, and had a great time on our hike. They are an awesome family!

I told the kids that they were free to play and this is what they did. So cute!

Shaina- Purely Chic Events

2009-11-21T19:31:00.002-07:00

Tonight I got to photograph the sweet and funny, Shaina, of Purely Chic Event Planning! We had a great time strolling around Colorado Springs! Thanks Shaina!

Sledding

2009-11-15T16:38:00.002-07:00

Today we got about 8 inches of snow, so we built a sledding hill on our driveway which slopes down towards the house. We had a great time sledding out there!

I love this shot of our four kids lined up and watching Matt get the sledding hill ready.

The Graham Family

2009-11-04T13:08:00.000-07:00

During one of our latest snow storms I photographed the Graham family. We decided to do a short session in the snow (seeing as how the kids were freezing ten minutes in) and another session in some warmer weather.

Purely Chic

2009-10-29T18:04:00.002-06:00

Shaina, at Purely Chic weddings and events, recently featured us on her blog. You can see her blog here:

http://purelychicevents.blogspot.com

Purely Chic does awesome event planning for weddings and other events, with smaller packages that offer a helping hand where needed, to larger full service packages that allow the bride to sit back and enjoy the day!

Bridal Shows

2009-10-27T09:28:00.001-06:00

The last couple of weeks we have been doing our first bridal shows. They have been great! Here is a photo of our booth we made for the event!

November Portrait Special

2009-10-22T13:54:00.002-06:00

During the month of November we are offering our portrait sessions with no sitting fees ($100 value). Just give us a call or an e-mail to set up a session! 710-321-9419 or hollypacionephotography@gmail.com.

Reflections Magazine

2009-10-13T09:39:00.002-06:00

I was recently honored with being published on the cover of Reflections magazine. Reflections is a publication of Hope's Promise, a Colorado adoption agency. For more information on Hope's Promise you may see their web site at: http://www.hopespromise.com. The older of the two girls on the cover, Ryleigh, was adopted through Hope's Promise as an infant.

Here is the photo that was used:

Here is the actual cover.

My Kids In The Snow

2009-10-11T19:17:00.003-06:00

Today when I saw all the beautiful frost I did what anyone would do, asked for volunteers. I got Kai and Liana to offer me four minutes of their time for some portraits in the snow.

This first one is my favorite because of Liana's expression as she jumps. if you look really closely I think her tongue is freezing over just a bit as she holds it out in conentration!

Kai loves his baby sister!

Nate, Nick and Charlie

2009-10-06T22:46:00.002-06:00

I had the honor of photographing these three boys last year around this time and was so excited to photograph them again. They have grown up so much! They are such cuties and were very patient with the whole portrait experience.

Gabrielle and Eddie's Wedding at Montview Presbyterian and Hotel Monaco

2009-09-30T08:28:00.007-06:00

Gabrielle and Eddie got married this Saturday at Montview Presbyterian Church in Denver, Colorado. They are a goofy, caring and really fun couple.

The flower girl and ringbearer were having so much fun in this mirror that they were keeping us all entertained!

Gabrielle had these shoes set aside for dancing.

The church had all these beautiful arches and gorgeous stained glass.

This cute little girl was so quiet during the ceremony and kept herself entertained.

I loved all the reflections in the glass. You can just see how surrounded by love and friendship these two were.

The reception was directly following at Hotel Monaco in downtown Denver.

This sequence of photos was during the toasts for the night by the Maid of Honor and the Best Man.

This photo was captured by Matt during the first dance. I love the way Gabrielle's head fit so perfectly into Eddie's shoulder.

This girl was a relative of Gabrielle's, and I discovered her over in the corner sneaking sugar packets. The last one especially made me laugh.

Eddie is Korean and so there was a traditional Korean ceremony during the reception. This ceremony was symbolic of the groom's family welcoming in the bride. They then threw handfuls of acorns and dates into her gown to show how many children (dates are girls and acorns are boys) the lucky couple will have. I think the final count was around 30 since the bride's family was also allowed to toss some in! Photo by Nathan Erfurth.

Sophie and Bella

2009-09-21T14:45:00.002-06:00

These two adorable twin girls just learned to walk and are so much fun! They are sweet, energetic and absolutely adorable! We shot these photos with them and their parents at a park in Arvada, Colorado. I loved these gorgeous mountains behind them!

Christa and David

2009-09-15T14:16:00.002-06:00

Christa and David were married last week at Happy Heart Farm in Fort Collins, Colorado. It was a stunning outdoor ceremony bedecked with beautiful flowers, and backed by trees and fields.

David walked both his own mom, and Christa's, down the aisle. This moment here was as they waited for their turn to proceed.

Christa's dog, and that of one of the bridesmaid's, were also part of the wedding party.

The ring bearer couldn't resist having his dog, Fudge, in attendance as well.

The reception took place at the Lincoln Center. This too was outdoors, and despite lingering rain clouds the event went off almost entirely without rain!

The guests were each given paper and instructions for making these oragami birds.

There were a lot of funny toasts during the reception. I loved Christa and David's reactions to this one!

Wedding of Adi and Chrissy: University of Denver

2009-08-25T22:00:00.004-06:00

This Saturday, Adi and Chrissy were married at the University of Denver (DU). It is such a beautiful location and they are such a beautiful couple! They are funny, caring and very in love!

This photo of Adi getting ready was taken by Matt.

Adi and Chrissy decided to have a "first look" where they got to have a special moment together before the ceremony, and which allowed them to get all of their group shots out of the way beforehand too. I love both of their expressions as Chrissy approached Adi from behind.

I love the way the groomsmen took the time to help each other get their tuxes just right.

I took this photo sniper style as Chrissy and her dad talked while waiting for the wedding party to finish walking down the aisle.

These two were so cute in all of their excitement! You could just feel their energy radiating off of them.

This was Chrissy's side of the family watching their gorgeous ceremony. Everyone was having such a good time.

The ceremony took place where I was able to capture their relfections in a pond.

Adi's famiy during the ceremony. There was a lot of laughing and crying on both sides.

After the ceremony I pulled Adi and Chrissy aside just to snap a couple more portraits.

Chrissy spun around in front of this building several times before I got this photograph of her gown.

Then we coerced Adi into giving us a good jump in front of it too.

Then we were off to the reception before guests entered from the cocktail hour!
Photo by Matt

This photo was taken during the funny and touching toasts.

This first dance picture shows the wonderful humor and love of the moment that are so pronounced in Adi and Chrissy.

Adi wanted to be sure that he didn't miss that garter...
Photo by Matt

What a fun wedding!

Albums

2009-08-19T15:15:00.004-06:00

We are pleased to be able to announce that we have two new options in our albums!!! The first is that we now offer a panoramic album. This is a unique long format that creates a visually dynamic look that I just love!

The book opens up along the bottom of the black and white photo, all the way across.

Our second new addition is that we are now offering leather (full cover, 3/4 of the cover -as shown here, or 1/4 of the cover) on our horizontal, vertical, and square albums. The leather looks so sophisticated and sharp! This particular one is one of our engagement album guest books. The blank pages inside allow room for guests to sign and write meaningful messages to the couple! This same format is also often used for seniors.

Canvas Special

2009-07-31T20:01:00.002-06:00

We are offering a canvas special! If you have had a session wth us, or would like one (holiday pictures are coming up soon!), we are having a canvas special!

Canvases are a wonderful way to dispaly your photos as they don't need framing and they have a clean, fine art, slightly modern look to them. They also look great in clusters! All canvases ordered between August 16th and August 22nd (regardless of when the session was) will be 20% off! So schedule your session now or order a canvas from an old session!

Here is an example of some canvases I have hanging in my own home. They middle one is a 20 x 30 and the two on the sides are 20 x 20's. By combining the canvases in a line, I was able to fill out a long space with a cohesive grouping of canvases.

Our Family Camping Trip

2009-07-25T17:05:00.002-06:00

This week our family and my sister Connilee's family all went camping at eleven mile canyon. It was our first ever family camping trip and we had such a good time!

This fun little snapshot was taken as we drove to the campsight.

Here my sister Connilee and her daughter Tessa are playing together while the guys set up the tents and she and I watched the kids (well, actually I was taking pictures of the kids...).

I rarely title a photo, but this one I've titled "You doom cometh."

Liana looks a little protective of her smore in this photo.

Here Tessa was taking Trinity for a "walk."

My daughter Jadyn and her cousin Ryleigh are best friends!

Ryleigh snuck off into the bushes to get into her swimsuit but I loved the way the light was falling aorund her so I stopped her to take this cute little shot of her!

Here is Liana at home camping.

Garden of the Gods Engagement Portraits- Geoff and Rachel

2009-07-20T16:30:00.004-06:00

On Saturday Matt and I photographed Rachel and Geoff at Garden of the Gods. They are a friendly, fun couple who met while attending college at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor.

Esther and Deaven

2009-07-16T20:53:00.002-06:00

Esther and Deaven were married just a few months ago, and have that sweet newleywed glow! It was a lot of fun photographing their portraits in downtown Colorado Springs!

The Inn at Palmer Divide and Forestgate- the wedding of Jessica and Craig

2009-06-30T18:50:00.006-06:00

On Saturday, Jessica and Craig had a beautiful ceremony at Forestgate Presbyterian Church with a reception following at The Inn at Palmer Divide. They are a sweet, quiet couple who have are in college and have been excitedly anticipating their wedding for many years while they have been in school.

Jessica's mother helped her tie on this long satin sash.

Matt photographed Craig and his brother during the quiet moments before the ceremony.

When we exited the wedding, these gorgeous storm clouds were rolling in. I pulled Craig and Jessica out to this hill under cover of an umbrella, then we dropped the umbrella and snapped a few shots before the rain drops got too big!

A huge downpour happeend on the drive to the Inn, so I had to catch this reflection photograph below to remember it by. All during this time people were arriving, they kept telling Jessica and Craig, "You can't have rainbows without a little rain" to cheer them up.

And then came the rainbows!!!!

Jessica was all giggles and smiles the whole day. This shot was taken at the head table.

This little girl and her Daddy didn't wait for the music to start dancing!

I thought this shot Matt took of Craig and Jessica's first dance was lovely.

Jessica and her brother had a fun dance together.

Stumbo Family at the Air Force Academy

2009-06-22T20:37:00.004-06:00

Last week I got to take photos of the Stumbo family, including the grandparents. They had found this lovely little spot on the air force academy grounds that was perfect for then photos! it was a neat place to do the photographs because it is where the father, Jim, works.

and the Grandparents!

Wedding of Kris and Mike at La Foret

2009-06-16T15:40:00.008-06:00

This weekend Kris and Mike got married at La Foret Conference and Retreat Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It was such a gorgeous wedding and a beautiful afternoon.

Below is a photo of the chapel where the ceremony took place.

One of Kris' friends helped her tie up the back of her stunning gown.

After our before the wedding portraits, Kris and some of the flower girls walked back to the building where the reception would be later be, and I loved the way they looked on this winding forested path.

Here is Kris' daughter Skyler, and her cousins who were the flower girls with her.

While Mike and the pastor waited for the cermony to start, Mike couldn't resist peeking out into the chapel (behind the curtain) and giving a little wave to his friends and family.

This cute photo was taken as Kris looked at Mike while she walked down the aisle. I love the excitement on her face!

Here Kris looked lovingly at Mike as her father prepared to give her away.

During the sermon, Mike and Kris sat down and listened. They were so full of joy and excitement throughout the entire thing.

The chapel was so beautiful!

Here, Skyler and her grandma shared an embrace during the ceremony.

After the wedding, Kris and Mike hurried back to the waiting room and attacked each other. Their love for each other was overflowing. It was so sweet and endearing.

This was taken just outside the chapel in a spot where warm light was bouncing all around.

Mike and Kris practicing their first dance.

Here is the real first dance from the wedding.

Mike put the moves on during the reception!

This little guy was a regular jumping jack. I took so many pictures of other people to discover this little guy mid-air in the background. So hilarious!

Denver Botanic Gardens Wedding of Nathan and Sara

2009-06-10T21:46:00.005-06:00

Nathan and Sara got married in a wonderful sunny ceremony at Denver Botanic Gardens this last Saturday. They are a sweet, quiet couple with an obvious deep love for one another. Nathan is also a talented photographer. You may see some of his work here: http://www.nathanerfurth.com/

Sara loves pictures of the wedding dress in the window (and her dress was stunning!), so I thought I'd include one here!

Here Sara and her bridesmaids are on their way to some portraits, and I loved their interactions with one another.

This wedding had some of the cutest grandparents!

Nathan and Sara wrote beautiful touching vows to each other, that I think made a lot more people cry than just Sara.

This tender moment with her mother was shortly after the cermony.

I got a kick out of this shot of everyone "practicing" for the bride and groom's departure. This was a fun crowd!

Hillside Gardens and Phantom Canyon Wedding- Jenny and Zac

2009-06-02T22:57:00.003-06:00

This Saturday, Jenny and Zac got married! They are a really sweet, loving couple who cherished every minute of being around their family and friends. They were truly a pleasure to be around with their thoughtfullness and joy.

The wedding was held at Hillside Gardens and was finished shortly before the wind and rain began whipping through. What great timing! The reception was at Phantom Canyon and was so much fun!

The added bonus was that my father, Peter Schwepker (http://schwepkerphoto.com/), was my second photographer. It was really great to be able to work with him and see his genious at work!

Below: Photo credit Peter Schwepker

The matron of honor was pregnant and I loved her sweet little round belly with the flowers as she stood up front during the cermony.

One of the flower girls, Ali, was a real show stealer. She was so cute!

Below: photo by Peter Schwepker

Once everyone arrived at Phantom Canyon, and the food had been served, the dancing began! here is Jenny and Zac's first dance.

I just thought there was something so precious about the way Zac looked at his mother in this picture!

Zac was asked to get the garter with his teeth.
Photo by Peter Schwepker

This photo is the mother of the bride and the bride's sister in a very sweet and tender moment.

After Zac got "loosened up" a bit, he became the life of the party!
The DJ, AJ at Celebrity DJ, did a great job.

I thought this was a fun party shot taken by my dad at the close of the night.

Fox Run Park Engagement Photos-Kris and Mike

2009-05-29T19:37:00.003-06:00

I am so excited that my friend Kris has met a great guy and is tying the knot! They are getting married in June, and I photographed their engagement session at Fox Run Park, along with Kris' daughter Skyler. I think the photos say it all for the happiness these three have together!

This photo was a true candid. I was taking pictures of Skyler when I looked behind me and saw these two laughing on this little brick wall. I thought it was such a cute moment!

Garden of the Gods Portraits- The Bradleys

2009-05-29T13:56:00.003-06:00

The Bradleys used to live in Colorado Springs and moved last year to Maryland. I was so glad to get to see them when they came back to visit, and to be able to take their family portraits as well! Garden of the Gods is a spot with a lot of memories for their family, not least of which that it is the site where Terry and Connie got engaged!

They have three wonderful boys, Matt, Joshua and Zachery, each with a different fun personality.

Walter kids

2009-05-22T21:53:00.003-06:00

On Monday I had a great time out with my sister and her four kids. We went to Rock Ledge Ranch down by Garden of the Gods. The kids had a great time climbing and running around and occasionally forcing themselves to stop for a photo. They are the best nieces and nephews!

Josh and Janie

2009-05-18T13:20:00.002-06:00

This Saturday our friends Josh and Janie got married!

Their wedding was at Tri-Lakes Chapel in Monument, Colorado and their reception was at Forestgate Presbyterian Church in Gleneagle. Josh and Janie are one of those couples that can't stop showing their love for one another, and who are so filled with excitement, that it made the wedding particular fun to photograph!

Matt was actually a groomsmen in this wedding so he is the hot cymbol player in the front right of this groomsmen portrait I took!

I took this photograph directly after the first kiss.

This cake topper was made by Josh for Janie out of clay. He makes her little clay figures to represent special moments in the relationship.

Gabrielle and Eddie

2009-05-11T13:32:00.004-06:00

Gabrielle and Eddie are friends who are getting married this summer and I had the priviledge of photographing their engagement session on Saturday. Their first date was at Coors field, so it was really fun to go back to Coors field for this shoot! They are a relaxed couple who love making each other (and others) laugh.

Amanda

2009-05-07T13:00:00.003-06:00

I took these pictures of adorable Amanda a couple of weeks ago for my friend Carrie. Her little girl participates in very laid back pageants and these photos are for the most photogenic contest in her upcoming contest. Amanda is so easy and fun to photograph, and has such a dynamic and lively personality, I think that she should be a shoe-in!

I selected a couple of my own favorites from the session.

Jadyn at Fox Run

2009-05-06T22:00:00.003-06:00

My daughter, Jadyn, is in a ballet and tap combo class at Sundance Studios in Monument, Colorado. She will be having a recital in a few weeks, so I took her out to Fox Run Park to take some dance photos for her. I love getting to watch her dance. She dances with her whole heart!

Adi and Chrissy

2009-05-01T17:20:00.006-06:00

Adi and Chrissy are a very fun couple from Denver who are getting married in August. I can't wait until we get to photograph their wedding! We had a great time taking portraits at Garden of the Gods and also at downtown Colorado Springs. It was great being able to get such a large variety of settings and to have such gorgeous weather for it all! These two were hilarious too, really just enjoying every moment they spent together.

Tara's Senior Portraits

2009-04-23T14:50:00.002-06:00

Last week I photographed Tara, a laid-back sweet girl who is graduating from high school this year and preparing to go off to college in Pueblo. We had a lot of fun photographing out pictures outside of the Air force Academy and then at Palmer Park off of one of the hiking trails there.

Tara is a very talented volleyball player, so I wanted to capture her in action!

Ian and Katie

2009-04-17T20:42:00.003-06:00

This last weekend our friend Ian got married to his beautiful bride Katie. They had their wedding and reception at Crooked Creek Ranch, near Winter Park, Colorado. It was a very fun and lively wedding, as well as beautiful and intimate.

Matt took this photo of one of the groomsmen getting ready before the wedding.

I captured this moment as Ian and Katie exited the ceremony into a silent world of falling snow, just the two of them, husband and wife.

I love this captured moment as Katie turns around in her reception hall, playing with the new ring on her finger and with a look of such joy!

Sleeping

2009-04-08T10:51:00.003-06:00

We have all been feeling a bit under the weather here lately, so I thought I would post some sleeping photos since we seem to do a lot of that!
This first one is Liana and Jadyn during their "sleepover."

This second one is when Matt and Liana were both feeling sick and fell asleep together.

2009-04-06T08:36:00.002-06:00

Last week I received 2 different awards from the Wedding Photojournalists Association. The first one was photographed as the couple were about to see each other for the first time that day. It received a third place.

The other one placed 6th place in the toasting category.

You may see other award winning photographs on WPJA's web site http://www.wpja.com/

Melissa and Jacob

2009-03-10T21:32:00.002-06:00

Melissa and Jacob are a great couple who's wedding I had the pleasure of photographing a year ago. Now I got to photograph their one year anniversary and maternity pictures, as their first baby is due on April 5th! We took these photos at Fox Run Park in northern Colorado Springs.

2009-03-08T23:24:00.004-06:00

Tonight we took our kids out to the back yard and finally took some portraits of them! Here are a few of the highlights.

Gymnastics

2009-02-28T21:41:00.002-07:00

We went to see the son of friends compete at the Olympic Training Center in gymnastics. It was amazing to see the things a little six year old could do. This picture was taken on the parallel bars.

Esther

2009-02-24T14:28:00.005-07:00

I photographed senior portraits for my cousin Esther this weekend. We went to downtown Colorado Springs and walked around for a while enjoying the beautiful weather and time together! She is a spirited, fun, young woman and I enjoyed spending some time with her.

Esther has always loved horses (our cousin bond), so when I saw this beautiful wall mural I knew I needed to photograph her with it.

This mural of Mozart seemed particularly perfect for a portrait of a girl with her cello!

Boys and Dogs

2009-02-20T16:01:00.006-07:00

My two boys, Levi and Kai, love their dog Trinity. She is a rescue dog who is half german shepherd and half black lab. She is loving and sweet and we are so glad we were able to rescue her from a bad life. She has been with us for two years now and we love her! Here are some pictures I took of the boys with her at Fox Run Park in Monument, Colorado.

Liana and Kai

2009-02-08T15:24:00.003-07:00

I took these pictures of two of my children doing their favorite things. The first one is of Liana hugging her teddy. Teddy is an all purpose friend for her, she uses him to shield her eyes from the "bright," as a pillow, and as a companion. The second picture is of Kai showing off his running skills. He was about to take flight to the couch.

Valentine's Day Gift?

2009-02-07T23:08:00.003-07:00

Are you looking for a gift for that someone special for Valentine's Day? How about a portrait? We are offering Valentine's Day portrait sessions at 1/2 price (normally $100). Book between now and Valentines Day for a portrait during the month of February and you will receive a gift card to give your loved one for a portrait session and will only pay half the price! And, the first three bookings will get their session fee for free!

Baking Cookies

2009-01-31T15:31:00.004-07:00

My husband Matt, and my three year old Kai, spent some time together this week baking cookies. They both put on their Starbucks aprons and got down to business!!! I couldn't miss the opportunity to take some candid portraits of these sweet moments they had together as father and son. I also got to take some video which I hope to post later!

In this picture below, I couldn't get over how beautiful Kai's little hands were as he rolling the dough into balls. I loved how they contrasted against Matt's rough large hands in the background as they worked together.

Emily

2009-01-20T20:09:00.002-07:00

Today I got to do portraits for Emily. She never got senior portraits done when she graduated from high school, and now that she's in college she wanted to get some portraits done! She is a beautiful young woman who loves life very much. We really had a good time tromping around Fox Run Park, which is in Monument, Colorado.

I loved the way the trees formed this beautiful slant against the blue sky.

2009-01-16T14:47:00.002-07:00

I spent last week in Carefree, Arizona at a photography conference. It was such a great learning experience! I also had a blast getting to know other wonderful photographers from around the world. We stayed at the Carefree Resorts and Villas and it was so pretty. On the last day we got a chance to go out and do some shooting. We took turns with our friends as our models and did the set-up completely on our own throughout the resort. Below are a few of mine!!!

I loved this gorgeous bright Arizona sun and the way everything was warm and dreamy in the middle of January.

This shot is of Stephanie Zettl. She and her husband are very talented photographers who volunteered a lot of their time at the convention to take photos of many of us (me included!) Another photographer was taking her picture and she looked so mysterious and beautiful I snagged a photo of my own. She is a very beautiful woman.

When I was walking around taking pictures I saw this bush that formed an archway. So I posed my subject below it and let that gorgeous Arizona light make her glow. It was so nice to not be freezing cold while shooting portraits!

I had to try out my new 5d mark II in a real low light situation as this is what the camera excels in. All the light on this cactus is from the environment around it. I loved the way the moon was shining behind it. The Arizona desert is so beautiful!

The net

2009-01-13T15:58:00.002-07:00

Many of you may not know that I am on facebook and twitter too!!!

Here are the links:

Facebook for Holly Pacione Photography
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Colorado-Springs-CO/Holly-Pacione-Photography/17740909078?ref=ts

And twitter under the name HollyPacione.

See you there!

Walters

2008-12-31T14:02:00.017-07:00

For those of you wondering if you know the person in these pictures, it is my big sister Connilee (we do look a bit alike) and her beautiful family! We had a good time at Garden of the Gods doing these portraits!

For this picture Connilee decided to sit on Pat's shoulders and I had to call the kids over to come pose with their funny parents!

Craig and Jessie

2008-12-21T01:08:00.016-07:00

Tonight Jessie and Craig had a beautiful wedding at Jessie's parents home. They were so sweet and excited about one another!

Craig was told to turn his back as Jessie came down the stairs and they saw each other for the first time.

You can see the excitement on Craig's face as jessie's dad gives her away. It is so beautiful to see!

Isabella and Sophia

2008-12-13T16:09:00.003-07:00

Isabella and Sophia are two of the cutest little babies I've ever seen, and they are twins! it was really fun to see how much they enjoyed each other and what a lovely family they had!

Olmstead Family

2008-12-06T12:26:00.013-07:00

The Olmsteads are a great family who love being with their kids. The children were true troopers and so well behaved despite the cold and all of the posing. It was very impressive!!! We had a great time!

Amanda

2008-12-03T20:35:00.005-07:00

This little cutie is Amanda. This is the third time I have gotten to photograph her and she is always a new experience. She has such a vibrant and energetic personality!

Ft. Worth Zoo

2008-11-26T21:47:00.012-07:00

Today we went to the Ft. Worth Zoo. It was so fun to get to be out as a family and enjoy the weather!

Jadyn's Fifth Birthday

2008-11-25T16:46:00.011-07:00

Our daughter Jadyn turned five this week. Since we were in Texas we were able to celebrate with her Nana, Papa and cousins. We had so much fun being able to celebrate outdoors and with beautiful autumn leaves still on the trees!

The birthday girl!!!

The kids all had a race. Here Levi and Ava battle it out for first.

Matt captured this sweet picture of Kai climbing up a series of rings.

Liana loves swings!

The kids discovered this mound of dirt and thought it was much better than the playground. I mean, who could blame them?

Matt also took this picture of me and my baby Liana. it is very rare for me to be on that side of the camera!

Nate, Nicki, and Charlie

2008-11-05T23:35:00.002-07:00

These three boys were so sweet and so fun! Because of some special circumstances, we only had about 20 minutes for the shoot, but these three turned on the charm! This sweet moment happened after I asked Charlie, the youngest, to hug his big brother. He did it with enthusiasm and then turned to look at me for the shot!

Josh and Janie

2008-11-05T22:56:00.011-07:00

Josh and Janie are friends of ours who are getting married in May. We had a ton of fun doing ther engagement photos at Fox Run park yesterday morning! It was a gorgeous day and ended up being the last warm day we'll probably have for a while!

Caleb

2008-10-27T15:06:00.009-06:00

Caleb is the son of our very good friends, and I had fun going to the Western Museum of Mining and Industry with him. He was full of fun ideas for his portraits and truly intrigued by all the facets of the location!

Jen and Zac

2008-10-08T21:31:00.016-06:00

Jen and Zac are getting married next year and had a lovely engagement session. They have a great chemistry together and really enjoy just hanging out with one another. We went to Garden of the Gods for the shoot and it was gorgeous!

Michael and Janine

2008-10-06T12:57:00.016-06:00

Janine and Michael got married this Saturday at the Garden of the Gods Club followed by a reception at Giuseppe's Depot Restaurant. It was such a gorgeous wedding! The bridal party and families were a blast and the weather ended up being perfect!!!

The limo had a beautiful roof and I loved the way Janine reflected in it!

The flower girl was beautiful!

The ceremony at Garden of the Gods Club

The first kiss!

Janine and Michael arriving at Giuseppe's.

Craig and Jessica

2008-10-02T11:13:00.010-06:00

Jessica and Craig are recently engagged and I got to do their engagement photos! They are so in love and SO cute together! I know they have many, many happy years to come!!! Can't wait for the wedding guys!

Seth and Koren

2008-09-30T12:24:00.011-06:00

On Friday night Koren and Seth got married at Rocky Mountain Calvary Chapel with their reception at the Penrose House. It was a beautiful and elegant wedding filled with emotion and lots of love. They were so fun to work with! Congratulations guys!

The Penrose House!

James and Kimberly

2008-09-22T13:57:00.010-06:00

James and Kimberly got married this Saturday at the Flying W Ranch. It was a beautiful wedding with a beautiful couple! Congratulations guys!!!

Cheyenne the flower girl taking a spin in her beautiful dress!

Tyler, the ring bearer was watching the processional with some skepticism.

Jeremy and Rochelle

2008-09-02T14:28:00.011-06:00

Jeremy and Rochelle are such a cute couple and so passionate about one another! They got married Saturday at Applewood Baptist near Wheatridge. The church was so gorgeous I couldn't help taking tons of pictures, and Jeremy and Rochelle were so lighthearted and stress free during the whole thing it was a pleasure to be around then. Congrats guys and enjoy Aruba!

This was during the ceremony. As they went to pour the sand together into the jar it started swirling up all around them. They were voth laughing so hard!

Our House

2008-08-27T15:42:00.011-06:00

Here are some pictures from when we were in Winter Park. Me and the kids were in the condo for much of it, so that's why there are so many porch pictures. This first one was a tornado we saw touching down over Castle Rock. By the time I took this it was starting to go away but it sure looked daunting right ahead of us.

Hasler family

2008-08-16T10:04:00.009-06:00

I had the priviledge of getting to photograph the Hasler family reunion portraits. What a beautiful group of families! All of the kids were so well behaved and everyone had a great time! Thanks for letting me be a part of this guys!!!

Hannah

2008-08-16T09:17:00.003-06:00

My good friend Hannah helped me on a photo shoot the other day in Divide, and as we were driving home I saw this beautiful patch of flowers that fit her happy personality so perfectly that we pulled over and took a picture. Thanks Hannah!

Piano Ballerina

2008-08-13T19:22:00.004-06:00

When my four year old Jadyn plays the piano, she does it with real style!

Vacation Bible School

2008-08-04T17:36:00.004-06:00

I took this picture at my kids' Vacation Bible School. This picture was my three year old Kai and his friend Lily on the playground. I just couldn't resist their sweet smiles when they saw me pull out the camera!

Matt and Rebecca

2008-08-01T21:28:00.015-06:00

I always love it when I get to do more than one wedding for a family. Last weekend I got to shoot a wedding for Rebecca, who's sister Erika I had the opportunity to photograph in January! Rebecca and Matt had a beautiful wedding a reception full of life and joy! It was so great to see them both again and to get to be a part of their celebration!

Jake

2008-07-28T21:53:00.007-06:00

Doing senior pictures is always so much fun! Last week I got to shoot pictures for Jake, a family friend. We went to downtown Colorado Springs and really enjoyed it! He is a great young man.

Dan and Laureen's wedding

2008-06-29T11:18:00.025-06:00

On friday I got the great pleasure of photographing Dan and Laureen's wedding. This was the third time I've been able to do photography for them and it has been great getting to know the two of them over the months! They had a beautiful wedding at St. Patricks Catholic Church, and had a very cool reception at UCCS (University of Colorado, Colorado Springs).

I love this special moment during the ceremony!

This happened right after the ceremony as Dan and Laureen were alone together for the first time as husband and wife.

As we approached the reception site (UCCS), there was a beautiful stormy sunset that was just breathtaking!

Texas

2008-06-11T21:55:00.000-06:00

Our family enjoyed a much needed vacation in Texas! Matt's family is there and we had so much fun playing with the kids and spending time with his parents! Here are a few pictures.

Here is my handsome husband and my sweet Liana baby at the airport. Matt had to take Liana aside from the windows because she got so excited every time a plane would land that she was drawing a LOT of attention! She is so funny!

Here is Levi the adventurer standing proudly after wading a river. He loves anything outdoors, and when it gets combined with water it is all the better!

When Jadyn found herself surrounded by wildflowers
she was so excited and picked some for all of us!

Kai got so tired after our time at Dinosaur Land that he crashed hard on the couch. He looked so sweet I had to take a picture.

Jared and Jordan

2008-05-26T22:28:00.001-06:00

Jared and Jordan are a cute couple who met while working together at a ranch. They got married at the Briarhurst on Sunday to beautiful warm weather! It was a gorgeous wedding, lighthearted and fun with a bit of country flair. They were both quiet and calm throughout the day, enjoying every little moment.

This cute moment happened as the wedding party was preparing to come down the aisle, and the grandparents were watching guests be seated.

This sweet little flowergirl was very patient during the ceremony but couldn't help this one little yawn.

This beautiful bride and groom are a family heirloom.

Jadyn

2008-05-25T21:56:00.000-06:00

My four year old Jadyn needed some pictures for her upcoming dance recital. She has not been allowed to wear her costume before the performance and got so excited when I let her put it on for her pictures!!! She was dancing all around the house for hours (even after the costume had to come off!)

Joey and Emilie

2008-05-20T23:02:00.001-06:00

This weekend I had the pleasure of shooting Joey and Emilie's wedding. It was a beautiful event at Hillside Gardens. It was also so much fun! The two of them were enjoying each other so much!

My friend Charlotte Geary, an amazing fellow photographer, came and helped me out that night, as I wasn't feeling well, and she took awesome pictures! You can see them on her blog at http://charlottegeary.livejournal.com/ She had to cancel her plans and pull everything together at the last minute to be there, and I am so grateful!

Stephen

2008-05-17T22:47:00.000-06:00

Stephen is graduating this year and pursuing a degree in Communications. We had a lot of fun, especially when we stumbled upon a John Deere tractor at Fox Run Park. Stephen is a friend of ours from church and it was great to get the opportunity to take pictures for him!