COLORADO ELOPEMENT PHOTOGRAPHER
Howdy, I’m Kimberly! Crist, like wrist.
I plan and photograph Colorado elopements for people who flew here or grew up here and have no idea what they're doing yet. Neither did I.
I dressed for my first Colorado camping trip like the forecast was a suggestion.
I grew up in the Ohio suburbs, hated being outside, and thought camping was just being uncomfortable on purpose. Then I moved to Colorado where I didn't know what a trailhead was. I didn't know what elevation gain meant, or that a 14er is a mountain over 14,000 feet, or that there's less oxygen up here and that's why you're winded walking up one flight of stairs.
So on my first camping trip I wore a cute coat (not waterproof, not practical) and leggings and ankle socks, in late September, and of course it rained, and of course it snowed a foot overnight. If you ask me the coldest I’ve ever been while camping, this is it. And I learned everything else the same way, slowly and mostly by getting it wrong. Then somewhere in the 13 years I’ve lived out here, the outdoors went from something I tolerated to my entire identity. I now get legit depressed if I go too long without a night in a tent, which is not a sentence Ohio me would have understood.
Which is why I do this. The mountains aren't the hard part. The hard part is the hundred small things nobody tells you and the fear of getting one of them wrong when you only get the one day. I've made every one of those mistakes already, which honestly might be the most useful thing about me.
That's what I plan for couples now. Where to go, when to be there, what the weather will actually do, and what to bring so you're not shivering through your vows.
(Bring the jacket. Mine’s orange and in most of these photos.)
Want someone to handle it all?
Let's talk →
We're a good fit if you…
prefer to be barefoot at all times.
cannot resist taking a plunge in a swimming hole.
would rather relax in nature than tackle it.
love a good campfire and have unintentionally melted your shoe soles.
cannot stomach the sound of an alarm clock, but will gladly get up for sunrise.
believe a long drive isn't complete without a Taylor Swift singalong.
are ready to introduce yourself to any dog, any time, anywhere.
For the overthinkers in the room
100+ couples
Photographed all across Colorado.
Fully insured
Yes, it matters! Yes, I have it.
Two bodies, sometimes three
Cameras and SD cards fail, but I'll never be the reason you lose photos. Every photo writes to two cards, in every camera.
Backed up ×3
In three separate places (including the cloud) as soon as I'm home.
Always a plan B. And C.
Storms, closures, someone already at the spot. I've thought about it before you have to.
An actual car fridge
Nobody wants warm brie at 2pm in the Colorado sun.
Colorado, mostly
Here I know the weather, the light, the backup spots. Outside of Colorado, I'm just less informed, so it has to be a pretty good reason to leave.
Stuff you didn't ask, but I'm telling you anyway
01
I once had to interrupt vows because a moose was beelining straight for the couple. It went right into the water where they were standing. Wildlife wrangler is also on my resume??!
02
I will swim in just about any body of water, clothes or not. Modesty stops mattering after you've pooped outside as many times as I have.
03
Hiking is really just an excuse for me to eat pastries in realllllly scenic locations. Chocolate croissants, cinnamon rolls, donuts. All the baked goods.
04
A wedding dress lives in the back of my car for scouting, so you can actually picture yourself there. Also I just love playing dress up and running through fields. Win/win.
05
I know it looks like Flapjack and I (and a suspicious amount of snacks) live out of my car, but I do actually call Denver home.
06
I recently got really into EDM shows. So if you want to go dancing after your elopement, I will absolutely hit up the afters with you.
See how these actually go
Wanna talk about your dog and maybe also your wedding?
You don't have to have anything figured out to get in touch. The full guide, with every package and every price, will be in your inbox with a personal note from me, usually within a day.
A real Lake Irwin elopement in Crested Butte: wildflowers, a sunset ceremony, and zero long hikes. See the photos and steal the location strategy.