How to Elope in Colorado:
Locations, Permits & Planning Guide
Yeeee old Colorado. The Centennial State. 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.
That last one is the part nobody talks about enough.
It’s the real wild west out here y’all and Colorado is one of the only states where you can legally marry yourself. Not like .. yourself. You can’t marry you, but you and your partner can marry yourselves. So you know. No officiant. No witnesses. Just you, your partner, and whatever view you managed to find. The fancy term for it is self-solemnization, it's completely legal, and it is the entire reason Colorado is one of the best places in the country to elope.
So if you've been Googling "how to elope in Colorado" at 11pm while your partner is asleep and you're three tabs deep into county clerk websites — howdy. You found the right place. Let's actually figure this out.
Why Elope in Colorado
Honestly a lot of states have mountains. Colorado has mountains AND a legal system that was basically designed for people who want to get married without making it a whole thing. Here are some other reasons Colorado is the best state to elope in:
You don't need anyone's permission
Colorado is one of the only states where you can legally marry yourselves. No officiant. No witnesses. No stranger in a robe reading from a script you found on The Knot at 11pm. You write the vows, you say the vows, you sign the license. That's it. That's the whole legal requirement.
No permit required for most Colorado elopements
Most of Colorado outside the National Parks sits on National Forest or BLM land, which is a fancy way of saying you can just show up and get married there. As long as you're keeping it small (under 6 people including your photographer counts), leave-no-trace, and not hauling in an arch and a flower wall, you don't need a permit, a reservation, or anyone's sign-off. Rocky Mountain National Park is the exception and does require a permit. But the San Juans, most of the Western Slope, the Front Range? You're basically good to go. No paperwork, no waiting, no asking permission. Very Colorado of us.
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.
The privacy is real
Go even a little off the beaten path and it's mostly just you out here. Especially on a weekday at sunrise or sunset…which is what I'll always push for, and what you're looking at in basically every portfolio you've clicked through to get here. Otherwise, occasionally a hiker wanders by and says congrats. But mostly it's you, the peaks, and whatever you brought for snacks.
You don’t have to earn the view
This is the part nobody talks 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, mountain pass pull offs with views that you’ll have to start telling yourself “no” every time you pass one you want to stop at.
If you 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. I’m not one of them).
You can come any time of year
Snowy peaks and frozen lakes in winter. Wildflowers at lower elevation in spring, higher elevation in 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.)
A Quick Note on Self-Solemnization
You’re gonna hear “self solemnization” a ton in this guide so before we get into planning, the most important thing to know about eloping out here is that you can legally marry yourselves. No officiant/priest/ordained minister required. You get your marriage license from the county clerk, say your vows (or don’t, also legal), sign the license together, return it within 63 days, and that’s it. You’re married.
In practice, this means your ceremony is entirely yours. The length, the vows, the format, the location. Nobody else has a say, and that’s a huge reason why couples choose Colorado over other states. The legal process is genuinely the easiest part.
Oh, and also your dog can sign your marriage license. More on that in step 6.
Step 1. Pick a Season
Your season determines your 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. Which is part of what makes Colorado so good for elopements. There’s something for everyone, year round.
But it also means picking the right season for what you actually want matters more than people realize.
So a few questions worth thinking through before you land on one:
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 Through Mid September
The golden child. Wildflower season peaks early to mid July and it’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen in my life. Pull the car over, forget what you were doing beautiful. Fields of every color that you can’t believe can exist in nature. Plus long days, warmer nights, alpine lakes, green everything. Road access opens up.
The 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.
Fall — Late September Through Very Early October
Peak aspen season. One of my favorite times to shoot in Colorado. More predictable weather than summer, the 2pm thunderstorm situation mostly goes away, and the light is something else.
But here's what nobody tells you: 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.
So: build in flexibility. Don't book a nonrefundable Airbnb for October 3rd and assume the aspens will cooperate. Late September is the sweet spot but just go in with eyes open.
Full guide on how to have a fall elopement in Colorado →
Winter — November Through March
Beautiful. Underrated. Also: if you're on the Front Range hoping for a snowy elopement without much of a drive, winter at lower elevations 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 need to drive. Breckenridge, Winter Park, Rocky Mountain National Park — somewhere with actual elevation and a 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.
Full guide on how to have a winter elopement in Colorado →
How to stay warm during your winter elopement →
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 and Front Range parks are doing something genuinely special — wildflowers at lower elevation, green rolling hills, fewer crowds, off-season pricing on lodging.
Above 10,000 feet in April and May is mud season. Roads are soft, trails get torn up, 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.
Step 2. Pick a Location (Informed by Your Season)
This is where people spiral. Colorado has an absurd number of incredible spots and the internet 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. (They gave themselves that title and they earned it.)
July in Crested Butte is genuinely unhinged. 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. Most of the best spots are drive up: Gothic Valley, Emerald Lake, Lake Irwin. You pull right up to them.
Want to bring family? [Here's exactly how to elope in Crested Butte with family.
Season notes: Summer (July especially) for peak wildflowers. Fall for aspens. Spring above the town is mud season. Winter in Crested Butte is beautiful but the town is small and lodging books fast around ski season.
No permit required for small elopements on National Forest land.
This is for you if: Wildflowers are your whole thing, or you want the elopement to be the centerpiece of a long weekend in the mountains.
How to elope in Crested Butte →
The San Juan Mountains
If you want dramatic, remote, and jaw-dropping, the San Juans are it. Full stop.
Glacial blue alpine lakes. Wildflowers. 4×4 roads with thousand foot drop offs. The kind of mountains that actually make you feel tiny. The drive from Denver is 6+ hours, which is exactly why you’ll find more Texas in this area and than Coloradans.
Imagine: a rented Jeep, Animas Fork Road, your partner, the sun going down over rolling green hillsides and lakes that are somehow that shade of blue. You've got champagne. Maybe you're half brie at this point. This IS IT. If a Jeep is genuinely part of the vision, here’s the full guide on planning a 4×4 wedding in Colorado. And yes, it’s a real thing. Take this Telluride Jeep elopement for proof.
Most of the San Juans sits on National Forest land too so you don’t need a permit.
This is for you if: You love old mining roads, being at the tippy-top of mountains, and the feeling of being genuinely far from everything.
How to elope in the San Juan mountains →
Rocky Mountain National Park
The most iconic Colorado elopement location and deservedly so.
What makes RMNP different from everywhere else on this list isn't just one incredible spot. It's that there are dozens of them, and most of them are genuinely accessible. Dream Lake is a short hike and looks like a postcard. Mills Lake is longer and almost nobody goes there. Trail Ridge Road takes you above treeline at 12,000 feet without a single step of hiking. You could elope in this park ten times and never repeat yourself.
Season notes: Summer and fall are the main windows. Timed entry permits are required during peak season (late May through mid-October) be sure to check recreation.gov well in advance. RMNP also requires a $300 Special Use Permit for actual ceremonies; popular months book out six months to a year ahead. Winter access is limited and trail conditions get serious fast. Spring is a good time to visit but some trails are still snowed in through May. But if you’re just doing photos and not vows, no permit needed.
This is for you if: You're short on time in Colorado and want something completely, undeniably epic. Or you're eloping in winter and want guaranteed access — the park plows the roads and the main trails get packed down enough to actually be usable.
Full breakdown: How to Get Married in Rocky Mountain National Park →
Buena Vista
My favorite mountain town in Colorado and the most underrated place to elope. I'll die on this hill.
Alpine lakes, hot springs, rivers, short hikes, long hikes. And it's never more than 3 or 4 hours from anywhere in Colorado. You can elope at an alpine lake in the morning, soak in your private hot spring in the afternoon, and eat tacos in town by evening. The Collegiate Peaks are right there the whole time. It's a lot. And yes, a hot spring elopement is absolutely a thing. And it is as good as it sounds.
Season notes: Summer and fall are the sweet spots. Spring access to higher elevation spots is limited until late June. Winter in Buena Vista proper is mild, but the alpine lake locations above town won't be accessible. Year round hot springs access though, which is always a win.
This is for you if: You want everything Colorado has to offer without driving seven hours to get there.
Full guide on how to elope in Buena Vista →
Alpine Lakes
Colorado has over 2,000 of ‘em. And hiking to an alpine lake and jumping in it in your skivvies after your vows is maybe the most uniquely Colorado thing you can do with your life. Yes, the water is cold and will absolutely wake you up. Which honestly helps when your alarm went off at 3am.
Season notes: Summer is the main window. Most alpine lakes above 10,000 feet are frozen or snowed in until late June and start becoming inaccessible by mid October.
This is for you if: You want a truly Colorado experience and aren't afraid of cold water. (Strongly recommended.)
Step 3. Set a Budget
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 it: 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, can hike in real shoes, and won't complain about the altitude. Keep it under 10–12 and it still feels intimate.
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.
Step 5. Find a Local Photographer
I know. Obviously I'm going to say this.
But here's the real reason it matters: 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 because warm brie at 2pm in the Colorado sun is a crime against humanity.
Also:
- Fully insured (yes it matters for location permits, yes I have it)
- Photos backed up in three separate places before I take my shoes off — non negotiable
- 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
Here's the part nobody wants to read but everybody needs to.
Permits depend entirely on where you're eloping. The rules are not the same across the board, and not knowing this is how people end up with a surprise fine on their wedding day.
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; others give you more flexibility. Apply early, especially in RMNP as prime dates book out. 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. National forests are less restrictive than National Parks, often cheaper, and some areas don't require one at all for small parties (usually under 15 people). Call the local Ranger District and ask directly. The websites are never current.
State Parks typically require permits and often have designated ceremony areas. Contact the specific park.
When in doubt: call. Do not rely solely on websites. And if the paperwork is making your head spin, this is one of the things I help with for my couples. You shouldn't be falling down a Reddit rabbit hole about Colorado elopement permits at 11pm.
Leave No Trace: An important part of permits, and exploring Colorado in general, is following Leave No Trace principles. Things like, pick up your trash, respect the trails, don't carve your initials into anything. Leave everything better than you found it. These places exist for everyone and the only reason we get to elope in them is because enough people have treated them that way.
Fire bans: Colorado has a serious wildfire situation and there is almost always a fire ban running from around July 4th through at least Labor Day. Different levels mean different restrictions so sometimes fires are allowed in designated campgrounds, sometimes nothing at all. Always check current conditions before you plan anything involving a flame. This includes sparklers.
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
Start with Instagram hashtags like #coloradoelopementphotographer, #coloradoflorist, #coloradoweddingvideographer. Check Wandering Weddings for elopement-specific vendors. Google your location plus "elopement" and see who comes up. And once you have one vendor locked in, ask them who they'd recommend — elopement vendors know each other and the good ones refer each other constantly.
How far in advance should you book elopement vendors?
If you find someone you love and can't imagine anyone else doing it, book them immediately. Photographers, videographers, hair and MUA artists, and private chefs can book a year or more out especially for summer and fall peak season.
If you're more flexible on who fills a role, you have more time. It'll just take longer to find someone available on your date.
The one exception: hair and makeup artists who are willing to start at 3am when you're six hours from the nearest major city. Those humans are rare and beloved and you should lock them down early.
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. Morning light or golden hour. Pick one. Both are incredible. Morning means you beat the afternoon thunderstorms (which are very real in Colorado, especially July and August above treeline) and you beat the crowds. Golden hour means you've had all day in the mountains and the light turns everything into something out of a painting. Midday is hard. Harsh light, afternoon weather building, tourists everywhere. Hard pass unless your specific location calls for it.
Give yourself more time than you think you need — not for the ceremony (that's usually 20–30 minutes even with long vows), but for the getting there, the wandering after, and the moment where you both sit on a rock and look at each other and go "we just did that." That part shouldn't be rushed.
I build real timelines for every couple I work with, built around real sun data for your date and location, with buffer for the things Colorado will definitely throw at you. It's honestly one of my favorite parts. Timelines are mostly for me, because spontaneity is kind of the whole point. Here are full elopement day timeline examples if you want to see how a real day actually unfolds.
8-Hour Brainard Lake Elopement
4:45 am — Car-side getting ready
5:15 am — Headlamp hike to first look at the bridge
5:45 am — Vows at Long Lake during alpenglow
6:15 am — Stroll, candid couples photos
7:30 am — Meet loved ones at Brainard Lake (champagne, first dance, hugs)
9:00 am — Head back to Airbnb
9:45 am — Brunch, cake, pup naps, newlywed vibes. Surprise second first look in her mom's wedding dress.
12:45 pm — Drive off into the autumn glow
Step 6. 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 Ouray’s county clerk office.
What you need: Both of you, in person. Valid government-issued ID. No blood tests, no waiting periods, no residency requirements. You don't even have to be a Colorado resident.
What it costs: $30–$80 depending on the county. Cash or card — call ahead to confirm.
How long it's valid: 35 days from the date you receive it. Don't get it six months early.
After the ceremony: You have 63 days to return the signed license to the Clerk's office. Put it in the car the day of. Not in your pack.
How to find your county
Just 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 allows Zoom appointments but you have to contact them in advance and pick up the license the same day they verify your info.
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 date and time of your appointment!
Step 7. Write Your 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.
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.
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.
You have total permission to be exactly yourselves. Nobody else is watching. There's no wrong version of this.
Step 8. Pack For Your Elopement
Depending on your elevation, you can genuinely hit every season in one day in Colorado. 85 in Denver and 40 on a ridgeline 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 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.
That's a whole other guide. A good one. That’s coming soon.
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 you two can marry each other. No third party 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 in that case, 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. Not making that up. 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 your specific county 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 here. Let's figure out your version of this.
And if you want to learn a little bit more about the experience and pricing first →
