Our Top 3 Tips For Planning Your Colorado Adventure Elopement

Planning and Advice

Estes Park adventure elopement with thick fog surrounding the mountains

Things To Consider When Planning Your Colorado Adventure Elopement

If you ask us, Colorado is one of the best places in the country to elope. With more 14ers than any other state, 4 national parks, and landscapes ranging from desert to mountains, adventure is literally around every corner.

As Colorado-based adventure elopement and small wedding photographers, we’re constantly staying up to date on cool places for our couples to tie the knot, and there’s nothing that gets us more excited than helping them plan out their adventure elopement day. So if you’re considering eloping in the great state of CO, we have a few helpful little tips for you.

Consider One of Our Four National Parks For Your Adventure Elopement

Colorado is home to some of the US’s most beautiful national parks, and for couples looking to get married here, we love recommending national park elopements. There are four national parks here, and each park has its own distinct vibe. None of them are even close to looking the same.

While Rocky Mountain is the one most couples tend to immediately think about, we definitely recommend thinking outside the box and looking at the others as well. Not only are the other parks less crowded, but they have some of the most epic landscapes we’ve ever seen.

If you do decide to go with Rocky, you can expect the quintessential CO mountain views (but be aware that if you choose to elope there, you’re limited to designated ceremony locations [and the park only permits 250 weddings per year]).

We could go on and on about each park, but the point is that each park is vastly different from the others — each with its own distinct landscape — giving you plenty of options, depending on the vibe you’re going for.

Consider A Self-Solemnized Adventure Elopement (No Officiant Required!)

Colorado is one of a select number of states that allow you to get married without an officiant (aka “self-solemnize”). This is especially awesome for couple who want a super intimate adventure elopement with the minimum number of guests possible. Basically, when you pick up your Colorado marriage license, you and your boo will make sure to sign as witnesses for your own elopement. Pretty dang cool, huh?

If you’d like to read a bit more about self-solemnized elopements and how they work, we’ve got you covered. Check out our article all about self-solemnization!

Consider What Type of Landscape You Two Vibe With

One of the great things about this state is the vast number of landscapes you can choose from. In the northern Front Range, you’ll see towering mountain peaks emerging from behind the rolling foothills in the foreground. Go to Aspen, and you’re pretty much in the thick of the Rocky Mountains. And then drive straight down 25 to southern Colorado and you feel like you’re in the middle of the high desert, with open expanses of road and tumbleweeds as far as the eye can see.

Contrary to popular belief, Colorado is not all snowy mountain peaks (in fact, most of the eastern portion of the state is covered in open plains!). There’s a wealth of unique landscapes couples can choose from for their adventure elopement, so give a bit of thought into what specific landscape speaks to you. From red rocks, to canyons, to deserts, to the alpine tundra, to open plains: CO literally has it all.

P.S. As elopement and adventure wedding photographers, we pride ourselves on not just documenting your elopement or small mountain wedding, but helping you plan out all the little details as well — like helping you figure out the perfect time of year for your elopement.

Sure, we pride ourselves in taking killer photos of killer people in killer places, but we’re firm believers that your adventure wedding photographer should be so much more than that. They should be a resource and guide to you during the whole adventure elopement planning process. So if that sounds like your vibe, we’d love to chat with you about your dream adventure elopement.

Planning Your Adventure Wedding Or National Park Elopement?

Check out some of our favorite elopement and adventure wedding planning resources:

Sheena Shahangian Photography LLC

Empowering You To Have Your Adventure Elopement, Your Way

Colorado Elopement Photographers + Adventure Wedding Photographers

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