How to Elope in Colorado:
Locations, Permits & Planning Guide
You can legally marry yourselves.
Yep, really. Colorado is one of the only states where you can legally get married without an officiant or witnesses. It's called self-solemnization, and it means your ceremony can be just the two of you.
How to Start Planning Your Colorado Elopement
Pick a Season
Summer wildflowers, fall aspens, winter snow, or spring foothills.
Pick a Location
Match the vibe to the drive. No hike options everywhere.
Set a Budget
Elopements can save you money, or not. Here's the honest breakdown.
Decide on Guests
Just the two of you? Immediate family? Twenty of your favorite people?
Find a Local Photographer
Someone who knows the roads, the permits, and the light.
Get Your Marriage License
Any Colorado county. Yes, your dog can sign as a witness.
Write Your Vows
Or don't. Both are legal. Both are valid.
Pack for the Day
Layers, snacks, sturdy shoes, and champagne at minimum.
Why Elope in Colorado
Yeeee old Colorado. Home of 58 fourteeners (fancy mountains that are so tall you can't breathe on them), 300 days of sunshine, and the loosest marriage laws in the country.
Here are some other reasons Colorado is the best state to elope in:
No permit required for most Colorado elopements
Most Colorado elopements on National Forest or BLM land don't require a permit. As long as you're keeping things small, respecting the land, and following Leave No Trace, you can skip the paperwork and focus on what actually matters. (Rocky Mountain National Park and a few state parks are the main exceptions.)
The scenery is genuinely unhinged
You know that feeling when you walk out of a grocery store in a mountain town and there are just... peaks everywhere? And you stop for a second because you forgot that was just the backdrop to regular Tuesday errands? That's Colorado. The scenery is so good it becomes part of your normal but it still gets you every time.
Now imagine saying your vows in it. That's a Colorado elopement.
See every Colorado elopement location →
You don’t have to earn the view
I love hiking. I don’t love hiking when I have to feel pretty and be photographed So this is the part I’m super passionate about. You actually don’t have to hike 8 miles through the backcountry to have an incredible elopement. Colorado has alpine lakes you can drive up to, four wheel drive roads that take you above treeline, and mountain pass pull offs with views.
If you do want to hike on your elopement day? Great. If you don’t? Also great. The mountains don’t care either way and neither do I (unless you’re hiring me, in which case I know some great photographers that would love to hike 10 miles with ten pounds of camera gear. I’m not one of them).
You can come any time of year
We’ve got snowy peaks and frozen lakes in the winter. Wildflowers at lower elevation in spring, and at higher elevation in the summer. Alpine lakes and long days through July and August. Leaves turning every shade of orange and red in the fall. Every season out here will make you question why you live anywhere else (sorry.)
Colorado Elopement Seasons: How to Pick the Right Time of Year
Your season and date determines everything. Location options, road access, weather reality, and the whole vibe of your day.
And yes, we actually do have all four seasons out here. Sometimes simultaneously. You can leave Denver in a t-shirt, drive an hour into the mountains, and it’s a completely different season. So it means picking the right season for what you actually want matters more than people realize.
A few questions worth thinking through before you land on a date:
What do you actually want the day to look like? Snow? Wildflowers? Green mountains and a lake?
How far are you willing to drive? From the airport, from your Airbnb, from the nearest town with a real bathroom?
How do you handle the cold, wind, afternoon storms, heat?
Summer
Late June – Mid September
The golden child. Wildflowers, long days, alpine lakes, and every road open. Peak of the peaks.
Fall
Mid Sept – Early October
Peak aspen. A narrow window, but it's the moment Colorado turns into a screensaver. Book flexibly.
Winter
November – March
Beautiful. Underrated. RMNP stays accessible year round. Snowmobile access opens spots most people can't reach.
Spring
April – June
Muddy but green. Foothills doing something special. Off season pricing. An underrated sweet spot.
Summer — Late June Through Mid September
Wildflower season peaks late June to mid July and it’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen in my life. Pull the car over and forget that you’ve been driving for 5 hours and need to find a bathroom beautiful. Fields of every color that you can’t believe can exist in nature. Every year they’re incredible and every year I think “wow, this is even more than last year”… Plus long days, warmer nights, alpine lakes, green everything. Road access opens up. I could go on and on about summer out here.
But there’s a catch: afternoon thunderstorms are basically guaranteed in July and August. They roll in fast, do not care about your plans, and are dangerous especially if you’re above treeline. Plan your ceremony for morning and build a time buffer into your afternoon. I do this automatically for my couples.
Fall — Late September Through Very Early October
Peak aspen season. One of my favorite times to shoot in Colorado as we (sometimes) get more predictable weather than summer, and the 2pm thunderstorm situation mostly goes away.
But the number one thing you need to know about eloping in the fall is: the window is narrow. Like, one to two weeks narrow. And it moves every year depending on how the summer went. Dry summers mean earlier color that doesn't last, wet summers push it later. And then there's wind. Some years the aspens are perfect for five days and then a single windstorm takes every leaf overnight. I watched it happen in real time. It was a whole thing and I’m still bitter.
So build in flexibility. Don't decide to elope on October 11th and assume the aspens will cooperate. Late September is the sweet spot but just go in with eyes open.
Winter — November Through March
Beautiful. Underrated. But if you're staying closer to Denver and hoping for a snowy elopement without much of a drive, winter at lower elevations like Denver is unreliable. Denver sits at 5,280 feet and some years it's 70 degrees in January and everyone's hiking in t-shirts. If you want guaranteed snow, you’ll need to drive. Breckenridge, Winter Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, somewhere with actual elevation and real snowpack.
If you're okay with the drive, winter elopements are incredible. Location options get specific (most unpaved roads are closed), but Rocky Mountain National Park stays accessible year round. And elsewhere, snowmobile access opens up spots that would otherwise require a 10 mile hike to reach.
Spring — April Through June
Nobody gives spring enough credit but it can be good out here. While the mountain roads are still thawing out, the foothills around Denver are doing something genuinely special. Wildflowers begin at lower elevation, spring storms bring rolling hills, fewer crowds are out, and there’s off season pricing on lodging in the mountains.
Above 10,000 feet in April and May is mud season though. Dirt roads are soft and trails get torn up, so not the move. But if your elopement doesn't require 12,000 feet, spring at lower elevation is an underrated sweet spot most couples sleep on.
By June, higher elevation access opens back up and the wildflowers are just getting started. June is genuinely one of the best months out here and most people don't realize it. But you do have to wait until Memorial day for a lot to open up.
Locations for a Colorado Elopement
This is where people spiral... Colorado has an absurd number of incredible spots and the internet (and I) will happily overwhelm you with all of them.
So let me make this simpler. Here are the best places to elope in Colorado →
Some of the incredible options:
Crested Butte
The Wildflower Capital of Colorado.
July in Crested Butte is genuinely magical. Fields of wildflowers so dense and colorful they look like a painting. The town itself is tiny and weird and wonderful and one of the few mountain towns that still feels like an actual place.
Rocky Mountain National Park
Iconic Colorado, easy year round access.
The most iconic Colorado elopement location and it earns it. Alpine lakes, mountain peaks, easy access to jaw dropping views. Trail Ridge Road takes you above 12,000 feet without hiking a step. Ans it's close to Denver.
The San Juan Mountains
Alpine drama, above the crowds.
Dramatic, remote, jawdropping. Full stop. Glacial blue alpine lakes, wildflowers, and rugged terrain that drops off the map. Old mining towns like Silverton, Ouray, and Telluride give you a home base that feels like a movie set. The kind of mountains that make you feel very tiny in the best way.
Buena Vista
Peak classic Colorado
Buena Vista is the perfect basecamp for couples who want mountains AND water. The Arkansas River runs right through town, hot springs are 30 minutes away, and the Sawatch Range gives you more fourteeners than any other area. Small town energy, big landscape payoff.
Breckenridge
Winter mountain town, four seasons deep.
Breckenridge sits at 9,600 feet, which means real snowpack from November through March. If you want a snowy elopement without gambling on weather, this is the spot. Historic downtown, ski slopes as your backdrop, and cozy vibes for guests all winter long.
Colorado Foothills
Close to Denver, but not less amazing.
Boulder, Golden, Evergreen, and the wide belt of foothills west of Denver. Real mountain views, real Colorado landscape, all within 30-60 minutes of the airport. Ideal for couples flying in with family, or those who want beautiful without the long drive.
How Much Does a Colorado Elopement Cost?
The bare minimum to legally elope in Colorado is $30 and that is for the marriage license. So, arguably the cheapest place to get married, ever?
If you want a full day that you’ll remember forever, photographer, videographer, lodging, activities, florals, a Colorado elopement can run anywhere from a few hundred to $10,000+. It just depends entirely on your priorities.
The best way to approach it: figure out what matters most (usually the photographer and the location experience), start there, and build the rest around it. Don't build your budget around lodging and have nothing left for photos. You'll regret it in about three years when the photos are the only thing left from the day.
Photography with me includes full planning support, location scouting, permit guidance, timeline building, and complete day coverage. Learn more about the experience and request pricing →
For the full breakdown of what everything actually costs, photographer averages, permit fees, lodging, florals, all of that: How much does it cost to elope in Colorado →
Step 4. Decide on Guests
As your guest count goes up, permits get more complicated, location options get narrower, and the day gets harder to keep feeling like yours. Not impossible, just something to plan for. Your photographer can tell you exactly what guest limits apply at your specific location.
Options, in order of chaos:
Just the two of you
The purest form. You say vows nobody else will ever hear. You cry, you laugh, you eat the charcuterie board in silence. It's perfect.
A small group
A handful of people who love you, don’t mind last minute changes, and won't complain about the altitude. Keep it under 10-12 and it still feels intimate. This is what I did for my wedding.
Micro-wedding
More people, way less wedding. Ceremony somewhere spectacular, dinner in a mountain town after. None of the stuff you didn't want anyway.
What’s the difference is between an elopement, a micro-wedding, and a regular wedding? →
How to Find a Colorado Elopement Photographer and What We Help With
I know. Obviously I'm going to say this.
But Colorado weather doesn't care about your timeline. Permit logistics are genuinely confusing. The roads to some of these locations will absolutely eat a rental sedan. The elevation affects people differently. The light at 11,000 feet behaves differently than anywhere else.
You want someone who has actually been to these places. Who knows what "afternoon weather usually does in August above treeline" means from personal experience. Who has a real refrigerator in their car warm champagne is gross.
Also:
- Fully insured
- Photos backed up in three separate places as soon as I’m home
- 100+ Colorado elopements photographed
Here's what a local photographer should be helping you with:
More detailed locations
Not just “the San Juans”, but the specific pull off on the specific road that faces the right direction at the right time of day for your season. This is what I do.
Permits
Permits depend entirely on where you're eloping and the rules are not the same across the board.
National Parks (RMNP, Great Sand Dunes, Black Canyon, Mesa Verde) all require a Special Use Permit for weddings and elopements. You apply directly through the park, and there's usually a fee ($50 to $150 depending on the park). Some parks have designated ceremony locations while others give you more flexibility. Apply early, especially in RMNP as prime dates book out months in advance. Start at recreation.gov or the specific park's website.
National Forest land and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) generally doesn’t require a Special Use Permit unless you’re having some type of decor, a large group, etc. If you do need a permit, you get it through the relevant Ranger District. Call the local Ranger District and ask directly. The websites are never current and ask them to send their answer in email in case you do get stopped by a ranger.
State Parks typically require permits and often have designated ceremony areas. Contact the specific park.
When in doubt, call! Do not rely on the websites. And if the paperwork is making your head spin, this is one of the things I help with for my couples.
Vendors
You don't need vendors to elope. Truly. But if you want them, here's what's worth knowing.
Some vendors couples love having on their elopement day:
Videographer
My favorite Colorado videographer is EMBR films
Florist
Hair and makeup artist
Private chef or caterer
Bakery because yes you can have a cake at a trailhead and yes it's incredible
How to find elopement vendors in Colorado
Once you have one vendor (like your photographer) locked in, ask them who they'd recommend. We know each other and know won’t cancel on you last minute.
How far in advance should you book elopement vendors?
If you find someone you love and can't imagine anyone else doing that specific job, book them immediately if your date isn’t flexible. Photographers and videographers can book a year or more out especially for summer weekends, and fall peak season. Also, hair and makeup artists who are willing to start at 3am when you're six hours from the nearest major city are also rare and beloved and you should definitely lock them down early.
If you're more flexible on who fills a role, you have more time.
What to do on your elopement day
The ceremony is maybe 5 to 20 minutes. The rest of the day is yours. A good photographer helps you build a full day that actually feels like you. Not just ceremony and done, but breakfast together, a lake swim, a drive down a road you've never been on, whatever makes you two feel like yourselves.
65+ ideas for what to do on your elopement day →
Timeline
Decide on the time of day. The thing that will most affect what your photos look like. Sunrise or sunset. Pick one (or both!). Morning means you beat the afternoon thunderstorms and you beat the crowds. Golden hour means you've had all day in the mountains. Midday is hard. Harsh light, afternoon weather building, tourists everywhere. Hard pass.
Give yourself more time than you think you need for the getting there, wandering around, bathroom breaks.
I build real timelines for every couple I work with, built around real sun data and experience for your date and location, with buffer for the things Colorado will definitely throw at you. Here are full elopement day timeline examples if you want to see how a real day actually unfolds.
Getting Ready
Slow morning moments at the Airbnb before heading into the mountains. Coffee, details, final touches, and soaking in the excitement of the day.
Exploring
A headlamp hike to the bridge for your first look as the mountains wake up around you.
Ceremony
Vows at Long Lake while the first light hits the peaks and the lake reflects the alpenglow.
Exploring + Photos
Wander the shoreline, take in the views, and celebrate with all the candid moments in between.
Picnic + Celebration
Meet loved ones back at Brainard Lake for champagne, a first dance, hugs, and celebrating together.
Relaxing at the Airbnb
Brunch, cake, puppy naps. Spending time with your loved ones you actually wanted there.
End of the Adventure
Just a whole lot of "did we really do that?" feelings.
Get a Colorado Marriage License
Logistics first, then the fun stuff!
Where to get it: Any Colorado County Clerk & Recorder's office. You do not have to apply in the same county where you're getting married. This matters if you're eloping somewhere remote! Grab the license in Denver before you drive four hours southwest. You do have to return it to the county you got it from though. So you can’t pick it up in Denver, sign it in Ouray, and return it to Ourays’ county clerk office.
What you need: An appointment. Both of you, in person. Valid government issued ID. You don't even have to be a Colorado resident.
What it costs: $30 to$80 depending on the county. Cash or card but call ahead or check the specific couny website to confirm.
How long it's valid: 35 days from the date you receive it.
After the ceremony: You have 63 days to return the signed license to the Clerk's office.
How to find your county
Use the interactive map below from Wedlock Officiants or Google the city + “county clerk and recorder Colorado” and the correct county should pop up! Most counties require appointments now and some book out fast, so don’t wait until the day before to make an appointment. Some also only offer them on specific days of the week, at specific times.
What to bring
Both partners in person
Valid ID or passport for both of you
$30-$80 cash or card (call ahead or check online to confirm which)
Divorce info if applicable, date and location of the dissolution
Can your dog sign your marriage license?
Yes. Your dog can leave a paw print on your Colorado marriage license as a legal witness. This is completely real. It is one of the best facts about this state and I will talk about it forever.
Important though: not every county allows it. Denver, El Paso, and Arapahoe County do not accept dog paw prints. Most other counties do. Confirm with your specific county before you get the ink out. (Yes, this is a sentence I have to write. I love Colorado.)
A few other things worth knowing
Broomfield County has an option for rainbow marriage licenses. Just in case you want to have the coolest looking marriage license ever.
Boulder County requires video Zoom appointments and then they mail you your license BUT they will only mail it to a Colorado address (aka not practical for anyone out of state). If coming from out of state, you can contact them in advance and ask to pick up the license the same day you have your online appointment.
Denver County books up fast. If you can’t get an appointment there, check nearby Jefferson or Broomfield County instead. They usually have more availability and they’re close.
Most counties open new appointments about 6 days out. Be sure to set a calendar alarm for the release date if you’re particular about the day and time of your appointment!
How to Write Your Elopement Vows
This is the most intimidating part of any wedding day and the one you’ll probably put off the longest. But it’s also the most important. Some tips:
Write them yourself. Not what you think vows are supposed to sound like. Start with little things you randomly think of over the months. Write them down in your notes app so you're not trying to think of everything last minute. The weird inside joke. The specific thing your partner does that drives you crazy but you'd miss immediately. The embarrassing memory from the trip where everything went wrong. Write that down.
If you're staring at a blank page, here's how to actually write your own vows without it feeling like a homework assignment.
My partner snuck a fart joke into his vows. I'm not kidding. It was the realest thing he could have said and I laughed for a solid minute straight. Our families weren't there to hear it. That was entirely the point for us.
What to Pack for a Colorado Elopement
Depending on your elevation, you can genuinely hit every season in one day in Colorado. 85 in Denver and 40 on a ridge above treeline. Here's the list I send every couple:
Layers (always more than you think):
A cute jacket you don't mind being photographed in
Gloves and a hat, any time of year
Hand warmers
Rain jacket
Microspikes if it's winter or early spring
The practical stuff:
Marriage license and a pen
Rings
Vows written on something, paper, a card, a journal. Trust me on this one.
Downloaded maps AND a downloaded playlist, cell service disappears fast out here
Portable charger
Food. Real food. Not just snacks. But also…
Snacks. A lot of them. Energy drinks for after long drives. Candy bars for when you need a pick me up. Treat yo’ self! It’s your wedding day and personally, nothing energizes me more than a Zero Ultra Monster and a Reese’s Fast Break.
Water (more than you think)
Sunscreen and sunglasses
Chapstick (non negotiable)
Bug spray if it's summer
Advil, especially if you're bad at drinking water. Dehydration will hit harder at high altitude
Headlamps if you're doing sunrise or sunset
A real backpack if there's any hiking or 4WD roads involved
If your dog is coming:
Cute leash and cute collar (obviously)
Food, water, and poop bags
Treats, I'm going to need them to look at the camera at some point and cheese is extremely persuasive
Okay But What Actually Happens on the Day?
You've got the license. You've got the location. You've got snacks (you better have snacks).
The planning part is done. Now comes the actually getting married part. The ceremony, where to put your dress on when there's no bathroom for 40 miles, how to fill the rest of the day so it doesn't just feel like ceremony and done, what to do when Colorado throws afternoon weather at you, and how to slow down long enough to actually feel the whole thing.
Find out what actually happens on your Colorado elopement day →
Colorado Elopement FAQ: The Questions Everyone Actually Has
Do we need an officiant in Colorado?
Nope. Colorado is one of the only states that allows self solemnization so no third party is required.
Do we need witnesses?
Not legally, but you can opt to have someone sign as witness. Loved ones, random strangers, your dog, your photographer.
What is the best time of year to elope in Colorado?
July for wildflowers. Late September for golden aspens. Both are stunning. Summer has afternoon thunderstorms so plan ceremonies for morning. Fall has more predictable weather. Winter is beautiful but has limited access. Spring (April-May) is mud season so unless you want to stay close to Denver, just wait for June.
Can you elope in Colorado without hiking?
Yes and this is something I specialize in. Colorado has incredible drive up accessible locations, 4WD roads that take you above treeline, lake viewpoints with short flat walks, and mountain pass pull offs with million dollar views. You don't have to earn the scenery out here.
Can we elope on a weekday?
Yes and you probably should. Fewer people, same mountains. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are the quietest days in most locations.
What do we wear?
Whatever you want but think about your terrain first. I've photographed couples in full wedding attire at 13,000 feet and couples in flannel and hiking boots in a wildflower meadow. Both were perfect. If you need help, here are some wedding dress ideas for an outdoor wedding →
What if it rains?
Colorado rain usually means 20 dramatic minutes and then the most incredible light you've ever seen. We work with it. I've never had a bad rainy elopement. And TBH the moody ones are often my favorites.
Can our dog be there?
Depending on your location, obviously yes. Hard yes. Strongly encouraged. Dogs can even sign your Colorado marriage license. How to include your pets in your elopement →
Wait, our dog can sign our marriage license in Colorado?
Hell yes, your dog can leave a paw print on your marriage license as a witness and it's completely legal. The only catch: Denver, El Paso, and Arapahoe County don't allow it. Most other counties do. Confirm with the specific county from your marriage license first.
How far in advance do we need to plan?
For popular locations (RMNP especially), 6 months minimum for peak season to snag a permit. BLM land and National Forest locations give you more flexibility. If you're feeling spontaneous, reach out anyway. Let's see what we can do, I once helped a couple elope in less than a week.
Do we need a permit?
Depends on where you're eloping. National Forest or BLM land: usually no for small elopements. National Parks: yes, always, apply early. When in doubt, ask your photographer, this is one of the things I handle for my couples.
Ready to Plan Your Elopement in Colorado?
My partner and I drove up a 4x4 road in our sweatpants to get married. We put our wedding clothes on outside of our Tacoma, had a first look that was way more emotional than we expected, and read each other vows that were real and weird and full of inside jokes we could never, ever say in front of our families. And then we made pancakes in the back of the truck, ran around with our dog, and jumped into an alpine lake. Butt naked. (Surprise.)
That's what I build for couples now. The moment to yourselves. The inside jokes. The pancakes after. (Optional but strongly recommended.)
So I’ll handle everything. Locations, permits, timelines, backup plans. You just show up, let the scenery do its thing, say your vows, and don’t forget the snacks.
So if any part of this made you go "oh hell yeah", reach out below. Let's figure out your version of this.
And if you want to learn a little bit more about the experience and pricing first →
Hey, I'm Kimberly.
A Colorado elopement photographer based in Denver, specializing in elopement locations you don’t have to hike to around the state.
I photograph elopements and micro weddings from Rocky Mountain National Park to the San Juan Mountains to Crested Butte. Full planning support is included and my pup Flapjack personally approves every location first.
Fill out the form below (location, vibe, whether your dog is coming) and I'll send back full pricing plus way too much other information within 48 hours.