A Rainy Summer Elopement Picnic near Rollinsville
danced in the rain, picnic they packed themselves, vows at the end
When I send location guides out to couples, a lot of times folks end up picking familiar spots, or well known spots. But not these two! Even though I literally only had one (ONE!) photo of this location from some random summer camping trip I had taken yearsssss ago, these two trusted me enough to know that this location was 1) gorgeous, 2) about as private as you could get, 3) did I mention gorgeous?
So when they picked this spot, I was STOKED. I had envisioned bringing a couple to this incredible location and I am so grateful that they could see the vision for what a beautiful backdrop this spot could be for their elopement.
If you’re in the “sounds amazing but HOW do you actually elope in Colorado” phase, I’ve got a full guide breaking that down right here → How to Elope in Colorado.
We started our afternoon meeting at the bottom of a 4x4 road that we drove up together - talk about a bumpy road! 4WD roads in Colorado can be some serious business but this one is on the easier/non technical side. The only down side to it is that you need a decent amount of clearance, and you can’t go fast (unless you’re looking to get bumped around A LOT). But as far as steep, scary, or technical, this road is definitely easy for beginners!
Once we arrived at our first location, we meandered through meadows, keeping an eye on a nearby storm that was coming in. Being so far out in the middle of nowhere, we actually stumbled upon a dog blanket and some toys, realizing that someone had lost their dog the previous weekend. It was legit the SADDEST thing ever, UNTIL the owners came during our time there to take down the signs and collect the blanket - and let us know that the dog had been found!!!
As the storm rolled in, we hopped in the car and drove to another spot that has the most insanely gorgeous views of the mountains. We danced and played in the rain, chilled in the truck for a bit as the heavier rain came through, had a little elopement picnic that Camille and Craig set up themselves (literally the cutest!), and then they finished the evening reading personal vows and exchanging rings with each other.
It was the perfect mix of private, celebratory, and Colorado all wrapped up into one unforgettable evening.
What Their Timeline Looked Like
3:00 PM - Meet at bottom of 4WD road to follow each other up
This makes it easy incase anyone has car trouble, gets lost, etc!
3:45 PM - Arrive at first location
Explore the area
5:15 PM - Head to second location
5:45 PM - Arrive at second location
Picnic, cake cutting, first dance, personal vows, and general fun times
6:00 PM - Head to Square Top Lake/Guanella Pass Summit
About 20 minute drive
Thunderstorms most likely around 6
6:20 PM - Arrive at Summit
Wait out any rain!
Ceremony!
Thinking about your own Colorado elopement and want something private, flexible, and not exhausting? Start here → How to elope in Colorado
Want to see pricing and what's included? → Colorado elopement pricing
Hi I’m Kimberly!
I'm a Colorado elopement photographer based in Denver, but I'm usually somewhere in the mountains with a camera and way too many things in my backpack "just in case."
I've been photographing elopements out here for 10 years and 100+ couples, and I eloped in Colorado too, so most of what I write about here comes from actually doing it.
You can learn more about me, or if you're planning your own elopement, start with my pricing & experience page.
A two part elopement day that started with vows at Lost Gulch Overlook in Boulder and ended with a hike to a still snowy Dream Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park.