Colorado Elopement Photographer & Intimate Weddings
Everything you're picturing, minus the part where you have to hike
Send me the detailsMountains, water, and each other.
That's all you have to know. I've got the rest.
The Colorado elopement photographer who makes it easy
Imagine this: you're standing at the edge of a lake that's completely still, and there's nobody here but the two of you and me (and your dog, if that's the plan), and it's so quiet you can hear your own vows. You didn't hike here. You didn't spend six months figuring out how to legally get married in Colorado from two states away. You told me you wanted mountains and water and who's coming, and then you showed up. So that's your wedding. Quiet and yours, with every piece of Colorado paperwork and planning handled by someone who lives here.
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You already know enough
Everyone apologizes for something in the first email.
- Sorry, we're not outdoorsy.
- Sorry, we want to bring the dog.
- Sorry, it might be twelve people.
- Sorry, we've never actually been to Colorado.
And what you're really saying under all of it is: we want this to feel like us, and we're not sure we're allowed. You are. Bring the dog. Bring the twelve. Not knowing where anything is isn't a problem, it's what I'm for.
The apologizing can stop here.
What I handle
"The rest" sounds vague. Here's what it actually means.
No officiant, no witnesses, a $30 license you sign on my tailgate.
National parks need a summer reservation. I file it before you land.
May is mud season. I'll point you at the months that are actually green.
The peaks go pink for eight minutes. The whole timeline is built around it.
Every spot is grandma-accessible. Hiking is optional, never required.
All of it is stuff you'd otherwise learn at 11 p.m. on a county website. The full nerd version is in how to elope in Colorado.
The part where you're awkward
You will be, for about four minutes, and then you won't, because I'm not going to pose you like a catalog. Mostly I'll tell you where the light is and get out of the way.
And after your people leave, I'll walk you two somewhere quiet and get you to breathe for a minute. A couple in Grand Junction told me that was their favorite part of the whole weekend.
The awkward part is real, and it's short.
Four steps, zero spreadsheets
From here, it's four steps. You do the first two. I do most of the other two.
Fill out the form and the full guide lands in your inbox within a day. No call required.
Sign the contract, pay the retainer, and the date is yours. Planning starts that week.
You tell me scenery, time of year, and who's coming. I come back with spots, permits, and a timeline built around the light.
I'll have the permit, the timeline, and a second photographer. You bring each other.
Want to look around first? Start with the no-hike locations.
The day stays yours
You bring each other. Here's who else gets to come, and what the photos look like when nobody's performing.
The people you want there
Bring your dog, if that's your thing. You never have to ask. Bring grandma, and she can get there, because every spot I pick is accessible on purpose.
That's the cap, and it's a land rule, not a pricing tier. An alpine meadow doesn't recover from thirty people standing on it.
Photos that look like you
Colorado light is weird, and that's the actual reason to hire someone who lives here. I know which spots hold shade at noon and which ones don't work until the sun drops behind the ridge, so your timeline gets built around the real light instead of around a rule. A second photographer gets the wide, quiet frame while I get your faces.
And because you're not exhausted and you're not being directed, you look like yourselves. A couple told me the photos were insane but the experience was what they kept talking about, and honestly that's the order I want it in.
Colorado elopement locations you can drive to
Who's coming decides the spot more than anything else, so here's where each version of your wedding goes.
Bringing people
Crested Butte
A small town where the meadows turn purple in July, a paved road runs right alongside them, and there's a real dinner spot ten minutes away for afterward.
Just the two of you
The San Juan Mountains
The sharpest skyline in Colorado, a lake in front of it, and roadside pullouts where you can be completely alone at sunrise.
Winter, close to Denver
Rocky Mountain National Park
Ninety minutes from the airport, frozen lakes, elk in the meadows, and the summer reservation system takes the season off.
I eloped too
And I worried about all of it.
Whether we'd picked the right spot or whether there was a better one twenty minutes down the road. Whether the photographer would get us or just get photos. Whether we'd regret any of it. Then I didn't think I'd cry during my vows, and I did, and none of the worrying showed up in a single frame.
That was before a hundred-plus elopements and 13 years in Colorado, four of them on the Western Slope. So now when your first email lands with the same worries in it (and it will, everyone's are the same), I legit know what to do with every one of them.
So I eloped too, and I remember exactly what it felt like. That's most of why I'm good at this.
What couples actually spend
Here's the part of the first email people are most nervous about, so I'll just say it.
Couples spend on average $7,000 with me, and that number is the package I recommend most.
Because it's the one that leaves room to actually enjoy your wedding instead of racing the light. It covers the planning, a second photographer, a free backup weather day, and travel anywhere in Colorado, no mileage math, no surprise fee for picking a spot two hours from Denver.
The last payment isn't due until after you're married.
A retainer holds the date and counts toward your total. Half is due a month out. The last half is due seven days after the wedding, which means you'll have already seen your sneak peek by the time you pay the rest of it.
You'll know exactly what it costs before you decide anything, and you'll know why.
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Straight From My Couples
Colorado elopement questions, answered
Do we have to hike to elope in Colorado?
No. Every location I recommend is reachable by car plus a short, flat walk. Easy-to-moderate hikes are available for couples who want one, but hiking is optional, never required.
Do we need a permit to elope in Colorado?
It depends on the location. National parks and some recreation areas require a special use permit and, in summer, a timed entry reservation. Many state and county spots need nothing. I handle the permit plan for every location I recommend.
Can we marry ourselves in Colorado without an officiant?
Yes. Colorado allows self-solemnization, so no officiant and no witnesses are required. You get a $30 marriage license from any county clerk, sign it yourselves, and return it. There is no waiting period and no residency requirement.
What are the best months for a Colorado elopement?
July through September for wildflowers, warm days and open roads, with late September for golden aspens. Winter is quiet and snowy. May is mud season in the mountains, so skip it. Read more about the month that actually works.
Will the altitude be a problem?
Most locations sit between 8,000 and 11,000 feet. Arrive a day or two early, drink more water than feels reasonable, and go easy on alcohol the first night. Since you won't be hiking, altitude is mostly a headache risk, not a safety issue.
How far in advance should we book a Colorado elopement photographer?
Most couples book 12 to 18 months ahead for summer and fall dates. Winter and weekday dates can sometimes be booked a few months out.
Scenery, time of year, who's coming. I know the rest.
Those three are yours to pick. The spot, the permit, the timing, the light, and everything else on this page is mine. The form takes two minutes, I read every one myself, and what comes back is real numbers, not a sales call.
Leave the rest to me.
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