As a Colorado elopement photographer, I’d be lying if I said my home state isn’t one of my all-time favorite places to elope. The landscape, the adventuring, the views - you just absolutely cannot go wrong. But I’m getting a little ahead of myself! If you’re trying to find the perfect place to elope with your lover, it can be a hard decision to make. This blog is all about why Colorado is the best place to elope, from yours truly!

Diversity in landscape

One of the reasons why Colorado is the best place to elope is because of the diversity in landscape. Between mountains, deserts, alpine lakes, red rock formations, and more, Colorado has everything you could dream of for your adventure elopement! I love helping my couples choose their dream location based on how they see themselves saying “I do.” If you want to read all about my absolute favorite Colorado elopement locations, that will be later on in the blog!

So many adventure elopement options

If you know anything about me, it’s that adventurous couples have my heart. Couples who aren’t afraid to get down and dirty in their elopement attire, hike up to some breathtaking views, or go skiing in the winter! Because of Colorado’s diverse landscape, we have so many adventures to choose from for your big day. If you’re having trouble figuring out what exactly you’d want to do, ask yourself these questions:

What activities do my partner and I enjoy doing on the weekends?
Are there any activities on our bucket list that we haven’t done yet?
What activities are available to do based on the season we want to elope in?

National park views without the national park rules

Don’t get me wrong, national parks are beyond beautiful. Lots of adventurous couples choose to get married at national parks because of the epic scenery they have! What they don’t realize is that there are quite a few hoops to jump through in order to plan your elopement, aside from the crowds of tourists. There are costly applications, permits, fees, rules, and regulations you have to follow - plus, most of them don’t allow dogs! BIG con for me. Because you have to obtain special permits to elope, the spots are very limited and can sell out up to a year in advance. So if ya don’t get in quick, you might not get in at all!

Colorado, on the other hand, offers so many epic locations that give national park views without the national park rules. You literally get the best of both worlds! I know all the best spots that make you feel like you’re the only ones there, and NO ONE would guess that it wasn’t a national park. Just another perk of hiring me as your Colorado elopement photographer ;)

One of the few states where you can marry yourself

Did you know that you don’t have to hire an officiant when eloping in Colorado?! It’s one of the few states in the U.S. where you can marry yourself 100% legally. This means you’ll have a more secluded and intimate experience if you want to elope just you and your lover. How freakin’ cool is that?

Lots of dog-friendly elopement locations

I don’t know about you, but I literally could not imagine my big day without my dog included. Many couples are choosing to include their pups in their wedding or elopement, and I’m so here for it! Luckily, Colorado has tons of dog-friendly elopement locations, with the exception of Rocky Mountain National Park (see? National parks and their rules!). In fact, Charlie and Adam included their dog, Tally, in their sunset Colorado elopement in the mountains of Breckenridge!

You can elope here year-round

Don’t even get me started on the seasons here in Colorado. We’re talkin’ 300 days of sunshine, stunning fields of wildflowers in the summer, insanely colorful foliage in the fall, and snow-capped peaks in the winter. It’s like the region of Colorado was meant for outdoor weddings and elopements with all its beauty. Imagine having a winter Colorado elopement, renting a cozy cabin in the woods, and watching the snow fall while you get ready to marry the love of your life. It doesn’t get any better than that, does it?

Or if you’re not a snow person, what about rising with the sun (on any one of those 300 days) and hiking to a scenic viewpoint with your soon-to-be newlywed? Soaking up the sunshine, breathing in the fresh mountain air, and seeing the most impeccable views you’ve ever experienced. I’m telling you, I’m so excited just thinking about it!

There is a variety of things to do (outside of adventuring)

You didn’t think Colorado stopped at the scenery, did you? For one, we have the metropolitan area of Denver if you and your love want to celebrate with a night on the town! There are so many cool things to do there, and chances are you’ll be in the area anyways if you’re flying from out of state. On top of that, there are some really cool craft breweries to try out if you’re into that sort of thing! There are countless beer and foodie mountain towns that are just begging to be explored and experienced by couples like you.

Best Colorado elopement locations

I sure wasn’t gonna leave you hanging on locations. I can talk all I want about my favorite ones… orrrrr you can see them for yourself!

Breckenridge: A charming little town that outdoor enthusiasts absolutely love! Breck is my personal favorite mountain town (and is also where I’m based) — I know it like the back of my hand. I’ve spent many years as a child and into adulthood adventuring there in every season (summer & fall being my FAV). It’s in the heart of the Continental Divide, so there are countless peaks, waterfalls, lakes, and rivers to say your “I do’s”. Living in Breckenridge is a dream come true. Not to mention, I have a Breckenridge Elopement Package (inquire about it here) curated with my go-to ceremony locations, cabins & airbnbs, eats, shops & hikes to explore Consider it your one-stop-shop to planning the perfect elopement in Breckenridge!

Aspen: Hands down the most popular and visited mountain town in Colorado, just as long as you’re down to get boujee with it (it’s very fancy). There are countless luxurious resorts, Airbnb’s, and hotels in Aspen for you and your lover to stay at before & after your elopement. OR if you’re more of the adventurous type—I have a favorite, off-the-grid location (involves an off-road + quick ‘n dirty hike) with multiple alpine lakes. Summer or fall would be perfect for this spot!

Crested Butte: The first thing you need to know about Crested Butte is that it’s the wildflower capital of Colorado. Need I say more? It’s secluded (so not ideal for winter elopements, FYI) and makes for a beautiful road trip from the Denver International Airport. If you want to start your elopement celebration by taking a scenic, serene drive, head to Crested Butte.

Telluride, Ouray, and Silverton: There’s truly no other place like the San Juan mountain range in Southern Colorado. Ouray is literally nicknamed, “The Switzerland of America” and it truly lives up to it. Imagine jagged peaks with a maze of off-roads that connect you from mountain town to mountain town. There’s remote hot springs, countless alpine lakes, expansive basins, and charming old mining towns that yearn to be explored. If you can’t tell, I love it there and will find every excuse to visit in the summer and fall. This is your hint to be my excuse ;)

Garden of the Gods: This location is literally a National Historic Landmark, so you already know it’s gonna be good. Located in Colorado Springs, Garden of the Gods is home to the iconic Pike’s Peak and has incredible red rock formations! Plus, there are no permits required so that’s one less thing for you to worry about.

Paint Mines: Did you know you can feel like you’re on an entirely different planet in Colorado? Paint Mines looks (and feels) like you’ve landed on Mars. There’s chalky formations that you can wander around in, bringing a to-die-for neutral color palette for all my boho brides out there. One of the most unique elopement locations in Colorado!

Rocky Mountain National Park: A literal no-brainer. Rocky Mountain National Park is one of my all-time favorite Colorado elopement locations. We’re talkin’ open meadows, alpine lakes, cascading waterfalls, and obviously mountains on mountains on mountains. Does it really get better than that?

Great Sand Dunes National Park: The Colorado national park that’s a complete 180º from all the others. The Sand Dunes are a pretty epic place to elope—wide open, rolling hills of sand as far as your eyes can see. I recommend eloping here in the late summer to early winter for the best conditions. Aside from the Dunes being dog-friendly, the best part is that you have them all to yourself when you hike in far enough.