What Actually Happens on Your Colorado Elopement Day
The number one question I get from couples after they book: "Okay but… what do we actually DO all day?"
And I get it. The ceremony is maybe 20 minutes. You've been planning this for months. The location is locked in, the license is handled, the vows are… somewhere in your notes app. Now what?
This is the guide for that. Everything that actually happens from the moment you wake up to the moment you're back in the car with champagne-pink cheeks and no idea what day it is. Getting ready logistics, ceremony stuff, what to do with the eight hours around the twenty minutes, and real timeline examples for three different Colorado locations.
If you're still in the planning stage and haven't nailed down the logistics yet, start with the full Colorado elopement guide first. Then come back here.
First, let's talk about why the full day matters
Most couples underestimate how much time everything takes. Not the ceremony — that part's usually faster than people expect. It's everything around it.
The drive to the trailhead that's longer than Google Maps said. The moment where you both sit on a rock after your vows and just… look at each other. The second location you didn't plan for but stumbled onto and couldn't leave. The getting-ready that took twice as long because you kept laughing.
Give yourself more time than you think you need. Not for logistics. For the feeling. Nobody looks back on their elopement day and says "I wish we'd rushed more."
My timelines are built around real sunrise and sunset data for your specific date and location, with buffer for the things Colorado will definitely throw at you — afternoon thunderstorms, a road that takes longer than expected, an alpine lake that turns out to be even better than the photos. Here's what a real day can look like.
Getting ready
This is the part that surprises people the most. Not because it's hard — it's actually one of my favorite parts of the day to document — but because it looks nothing like what you're picturing.
No hotel suite with good lighting and a vanity mirror. No bridesmaids fussing with a veil. No getting-ready playlist someone curated for this exact moment.
Instead: the back of a Tacoma, a parking lot at the base of a trailhead, a patch of trees just off the trail, or honestly just either side of the car with the doors open for privacy. And it's better. Way better. It's real and it's yours and the photos from it are some of my favorites from any elopement day.
Getting ready is also not just about putting on clothes. It's the slow, intentional start to your day. Sipping coffee together. Your dog losing his mind because he can tell something's happening. Copying your vows into vow books with slightly shaking hands. Writing a letter to each other. Having a quiet moment with some deep breaths before everything starts. That time is just as much a part of your day as the ceremony itself, and I treat it that way.
Hair and makeup
If you're doing hair and makeup, here's the move: get it done at the Airbnb or rental before we meet up. Not at the trailhead, not in the car on the way there.
Book someone who knows what they're doing with setting spray and hairspray, because whatever they build needs to survive altitude, wind, and the general chaos of being outside in Colorado. Some couples have their hair and makeup artist tag along for the day for touch-ups, which is great if your day involves multiple locations or a lot of weather variables.
One thing I tell every single couple: give your hair and makeup artist a call time that's 15 to 20 minutes earlier than they actually need to be done. They will not be done on time. They never are. And sunrise is the one thing on your elopement day that you genuinely cannot be late for. The mountain will not wait.
Changing into your wedding clothes
Most of my couples aren't hiking long miles to get to their ceremony location — that's kind of my whole thing — so a lot of them just wear their wedding clothes. Drive up, get out, you're already dressed. Easy.
But if you are hiking in, or if you want to change at the location: the car is your dressing room. Both sides of it, doors open, one of you on each side. For real privacy I bring a popup changing tent that works great when it's not windy. (Wind is its nemesis. We work around it.) Out on a trail we can usually find a tucked-away spot with enough privacy to do what you need to do.
If you're carrying your wedding clothes up any kind of terrain — bring a good backpack with a hip belt. You want the weight on your hips, not your back. Showing up to your ceremony already sore is not the vibe.
A few practical morning things
Pack your bag the night before. Everything in it. Marriage license, vows, rings, snacks, layers. Don't be hunting for anything at 4:45am.
Eat something real before we start. Altitude plus nerves plus no food is a rough combination and it will catch up with you.
Change your socks at the trailhead. Your feet sweated on the drive up. Wet socks in cold air is how you end up miserable by 8am. I say this every time and I mean it every time.
Download your maps and your playlist before you leave. Cell service disappears above 9,000 feet and it will not come back when you need it.
The first look
You don't have to do one. But if you're doing one, here's what to expect.
This is usually the moment where the day actually becomes real. Not the ceremony, not the vows — the first look. I've watched people hold it completely together all morning and then absolutely lose it the second they turn around and see their person.
That's the stuff. That's what you'll want in your photos.
Where it happens depends on your day — sometimes at the Airbnb, sometimes at the trailhead, sometimes right at the ceremony spot. Some couples exchange letters during their first look, or give each other small gifts. Some just hold each other for a minute. Some cry immediately and can't stop. All of those are correct.
If you want to get ready separately and have a more traditional first look moment, we can build that in. If you'd rather get ready together and skip the whole reveal thing, that's also completely fine. Either way I'll help you figure out what makes sense for your timeline.
The ceremony
Shorter than you think. Bigger than you expect.
Most ceremonies run 15 to 20 minutes — enough time to read full vows to each other, take a breath, actually feel it. Some couples go longer. Some say three sentences and mean every single word. Both are right. There is genuinely no wrong version of this.
What it actually feels like
You show up. You're probably a little nervous — totally normal, don't freak out. You look around and go oh. This is really happening. And then you just... talk to your person.
That's kind of the whole thing. I've watched hundreds of couples stand there convinced they were going to freeze up and forget every word, and then five minutes later they're both sobbing happy tears and laughing and I'm crying behind my camera. Every single time.
What do we actually say first?
This is the question nobody thinks to ask until they're standing there and both of you are going "...you go first." "no YOU go first."
A few ways to just start:
Look at them and say exactly that. "I don't really know how to start this so I'm just going to say it." And then say it. Start with why you picked this spot. Lead with a memory — "I knew I wanted to marry you when..." Or just dive straight into your vows. No preamble needed.
The second you start talking to your person it's going to feel completely natural. If you genuinely can't decide who goes first, rock paper scissors is completely legal.
What do we do with our hands?
The eternal question. Here's what I tell every couple: just hold hands. That's it. It looks natural, it photographs beautifully, and it gives you something to hold onto when you're nervous (literally). If you want to hold your vow book with one hand and their hand with the other, also fine. If letting your arms hang naturally at your sides feels more like you, do that. I will never let you look weird.
What if one of us starts crying and can't get through the vows?
Good. Cry. I will be so happy if you cry.
But also genuinely — take your time. There is absolutely no rush. Pause, breathe, laugh at yourself a little, and keep going. Nobody is waiting on you. Some couples have a little signal worked out beforehand — squeezing each other's hands — so if one of you needs a second the other knows to just hold on and wait. Small thing, but it helps.
Things you can add to make it personal
Because your ceremony is entirely yours, you can throw basically anything in there. Some favorites I've seen:
Crank a song on a bluetooth speaker and just stand there in it for a second before saying anything. Pass a flask. Do a ring warming if you have guests — everyone holds the rings and sends a little something before the exchange. Read letters from people who couldn't be there. Bring your dog up for the ring exchange. Sit together right after your vows and just don't move for a minute. Just be in it.
That last one. Every time. The couples who give themselves permission to just sit there and feel the weight of what just happened. Gets me every single time.
Things your ceremony does NOT have to include
An aisle. An officiant. Memorized vows. Guests. Anything traditional that doesn't feel like you.
You are allowed to keep it so simple it feels almost too easy. That's not a bug. That's the point.
When do you sign the marriage license?
Whenever feels right. Right after the ceremony, later in the afternoon, before you fall asleep that night. I always grab photos of it too because it's somehow even more emotional than you'd expect for something that takes about 45 seconds.
A note on private vows and a public celebration
A lot of couples don't realize this is an option: you can have a completely private, just-the-two-of-you ceremony earlier in the day AND still have a meaningful moment with your people later on. Same day. It's actually one of my favorite ways to structure an elopement, and it's what I did on my own wedding day.
Earlier in the day you sneak off somewhere just the two of you. No audience. No pressure. You say the long vows, the embarrassing ones, the ones you could never get through in front of your families. You exchange rings. You sign the license. You sit there afterward and feel it.
Then later, the ceremony with your people is shorter, lighter, more celebratory. A simple promise, a first kiss, everyone cheers. It takes so much pressure off because you already had your moment. You're not nervous anymore. You're just happy. And it shows in every photo.
Right After the Ceremony
This is the part nobody talks about enough and it's often my favorite part of the whole day.
You just got married. You're standing somewhere incredible. There's nobody telling you what happens next.
Pop the champagne. Sit on a rock. Eat the charcuterie. Cry a little. Laugh about the thing that almost went wrong. Jump in the lake if that's who you are. Most couples spend 30 to 60 minutes just existing in the moment before we move anywhere else — and those photos, the ones where you've completely forgotten I'm there, are almost always the favorites.
If you want a moment completely alone together before we move on, just say so. Camera goes down, I wander off, you get that time. Always an option.
Don't rush this part. It doesn't need to be productive. Just be in it.
The Rest of the Day
The ceremony is done. You've got hours left. Here's what couples actually do with them:
Drive somewhere. Colorado has 30+ scenic byways and most of them are empty on a Tuesday. Some of the best moments I've ever photographed happened out a car window between locations — one of you with your feet on the dashboard, both of you singing something embarrassing, the peaks going by outside.
Eat real food. Snacks are not a meal. If your day runs from sunrise to sunset, you need actual food in the middle of it. Pack something or find a restaurant in the nearest town. Either works. Just don't skip it. (And for what it's worth, I have a Dometic fridge in the Tacoma at all times. Warm brie in the Colorado sun is a crime and I will not let it happen to you.)
Find water. River, lake, waterfall — whatever's close. Go barefoot. Skip rocks. Jump in if it's warm enough. This is Colorado. There's almost always water somewhere nearby and it's almost always worth finding.
Explore the town. If you're near a mountain town, poke around. Ouray has the Alchemist Museum. The San Luis Valley has a UFO watchtower outside the Sand Dunes. Manitou Springs has a penny arcade. The weirder the better. These are the things you'll talk about at dinner for the next ten years.
Nap. If you did sunrise, a midday nap before golden hour shots is not laziness. It is strategy. You'll thank yourself.
Try something you've never done. Paddleboard on an alpine lake. Go offroading somewhere that requires a Jeep. Get tattoos after your ceremony. Book a hot air balloon. Get a tarot reading from someone in town. The weirder the idea the better the story.
Just drive and talk. No destination. Playlist on, windows down, no agenda. Some of the best conversations of your life happen in a car moving through mountains and you don't need to photograph any of them.
A few things I carry that you're welcome to use if you want them: Polaroid camera, picnic setup, champagne flutes, lanterns, blankets. Just let me know ahead of time what sounds fun and we'll build it in.
Golden Hour and Sunset
If you're doing a full day, this is the second peak.
The light at golden hour in Colorado does something it doesn't do anywhere else — it hits the peaks at an angle that makes everything go warm and weird and beautiful, and it changes every few minutes so the photos from 7:45pm look completely different from the ones at 8:15pm. We aim to be at the final location 45 to 60 minutes before sunset so we catch the whole show, not just the last five minutes of it.
Then you get in the car, crank the heat, eat whatever's left in the cooler, and figure out where you're going for dinner.
That's the day.
A Few Things Worth Knowing
Colorado weather moves fast. In July and August above treeline, afternoon thunderstorms are basically guaranteed. They roll in fast and they don't negotiate. Plan your ceremony for morning and treat the afternoon as bonus time. A storm that arrives at 2pm doesn't ruin a sunrise elopement — it usually just makes golden hour more dramatic if it clears.
You will feel the altitude. If you're coming from sea level, give yourself at least a day to adjust before the wedding day if you can. Drink more water than you think you need. Eat real food. Bring Advil. These are not suggestions.
There are no bathrooms at most of our locations. Plan accordingly before we leave. If you need to find the closest facilities for guests or family, I can help with that.
Cell service disappears. Download your maps and your playlist before you leave. Don't rely on streaming anything above 9,000 feet.
Sign the license and put it in the car. Not your pack. The car. You have 63 days to return it to the county clerk's office but you do not want to be hunting for it when you get home.
It won't go perfectly. Something will be different than you planned. The wind will absolutely send it. Someone will cry at a weird moment (probably me). You'll forget one thing you meant to say and remember it later that night and laugh about it. And it will still be the best day. The imperfect moments are always the ones couples talk about the most afterward. That's the whole point.
Tell me if you want the camera put down at any point. Not every moment needs to be documented. Some things are just for you.
Real timeline examples
Sunrise elopement — Rocky Mountain National Park, October
October 3rd, specifically. Because if you know, you know.
Late enough into fall that the leaf peepers have gone home, early enough that there are still pockets of golden aspens on the hillsides. The elk are bugling. The trailheads are empty by tourist standards. This is the move.
4:45 am Wake up, grab pre-packed bags, warm clothes, headlamps
5:15 am Trailhead — hike in by headlamp to the lake
5:50 am Alpenglow starts on the peaks
6:03 am Sunrise. Vows at the lake.
6:45 am Wander, photos, just exist in the moment
8:00 am Back to the car and cabin
9:00 am Make breakfast together (pancakes, obviously)
10:00 am You ate too much. Nap time / hot tub / movie on the couch
12:00 pm Getting ready, hair and makeup if applicable
1:15 pm Wedding clothes on
1:30 pm First look at the cabin
2:30 pm FaceTime with whoever couldn't be there
3:15 pm Drive to ceremony spot
4:00 pm Arrive at designated RMNP ceremony location
4:30 pm Ceremony. Champagne. Cheese. Sit in the grass.
5:15 pm Drive Trail Ridge Road for sunset above treeline
6:41 pm Sunset. Stay through alpenglow.
7:30 pm Back down to town for dinner
9:00 pm Hot tub, stars, first dance in the backyard if the mood strikes
Golden hour elopement — San Juan Mountains, July
The San Juans are best in late July when the wildflowers are absolutely losing their minds. Animas Fork, Ice Lakes, the road above Ouray — pick your poison. All of it is unreal.
This one's built around golden hour rather than sunrise, which means you get to sleep in. You're welcome.
8:00 am Slow morning. Breakfast in town. Real coffee
10:00 am Drive up to a 4x4 road or trailhead to explore
12:00 pm Picnic lunch somewhere with an unreasonable view
(brie, champagne, yes even at noon, you're getting married)
2:00 pm Back to the cabin / rental to get ready
3:30 pm Wedding clothes on, first look
4:30 pm Drive to ceremony location — leave extra time for the road
5:30 pm Arrive and wander before the light gets good
6:30 pm Ceremony
7:00 pm Champagne, photos, explore the location
8:15 pm Golden hour hits — this is the good stuff
9:00 pm Sunset. Alpenglow on the peaks.
9:30 pm Dinner in Ouray or Silverton
(call ahead, mountain town restaurants fill fast and close early)
Shorter elopement — Crested Butte, any season
Not everyone wants a full day. Some couples want 4-5 hours, a ceremony, and then they want to be left alone to eat tacos and drink Eddyline beer at the campsite. That's completely valid. Here's what that can look like:
5:30 am Sunrise at Gothic Valley or Lake Irwin (drive up, no hike)
6:15 am Vows at the lake
6:45 am Wander, photos, take it in
8:00 am Back to town for breakfast at a local spot
9:30 am Done. Rest of the day is yours.Or if you're golden hour people:
3:00 pm Get ready at your rental
4:30 pm Drive to location
5:00 pm First look
5:45 pm Ceremony
6:15 pm Photos, wander, champagne on a hillside
8:00 pm Sunset
8:30 pm Dinner in townSimple. Clean. Plenty of time to actually feel the whole thing.
If you want help building a real timeline for your specific date, location, and vibe — that's something I do for every couple I work with. Reach out here and we'll figure it out.
And if you're still working through the bigger planning questions, the full Colorado elopement guide has everything from permits to marriage licenses to what to pack.
Sound like what you’re looking for on your wedding day?
