If you’re dreaming of a magical Brainard Lake elopement, you’re in the right place! In this elopement guide, I’ll discuss the perks of eloping at Brainard Lake, helpful planning tips, and photography packages. I’ll also answer common questions to help you make the most of your day.
Why elope at Brainard Lake?
As a Colorado elopement photographer, Brainard Lake is easily one of my favorite outdoor wedding venues. With its beautiful scenery, accessibility, and various locations for saying, “I do,” it’s an ideal alternative to eloping at Rocky Mountain National Park.
Gorgeous Scenery
The Brainard Lake Recreation Area is in a glacially carved valley offering magical panoramic views of Brainard Lake. Alpine forests and high peaks along the Continental Divide surround the lake, making for breathtaking scenery.
No matter where you explore around Brainard Lake, the picturesque backdrops almost seem unreal – an elopement couple’s and photographer’s dream!
Easy Access
With more than 20 trails and ample parking, Brainard Lake is easily accessible for most couples planning an adventure elopement. However, weekdays are the most convenient since the area is quite popular, especially during summer.
Many Locations
There are many locations to choose from for your ceremony – and they’re all stunning!
Some of the best locations include:
- Brainard Lake Recreational Area: The central, main area with gorgeous scenery and close to hiking trails and activities
- Mitchell Lake Trail: A short trail to a stunning lake that takes you past smaller lakes, jaw-dropping trees, and ample wildlife
- Long Lake Trail: A scenic trail to two beautiful lakes, Long Lake and Lake Isabelle
I’m always happy to work with couples to find the best location. Since Brainard Lake gets busy, it’s best to be open to exploring the area to find an intimate wedding spot to exchange vows. Best of all, this is the perfect way to enjoy the day with your love and take pictures along the way.
How to Elope at Brainard Lake
Have a fun and stress-free Brainard Lake elopement experience by following the steps below.
1. Book Your Photographer
Booking an elopement photographer at the beginning of your planning process is the way to go for an easy and enjoyable experience.
Many elopement photographers, including myself, will help you plan the details leading up to your elopement. And of course, they’re also there to capture all the special moments on your big day.
Not only do I take pictures of your elopement ceremony and adventures, but I also help you choose your dream location, pick your wedding-day attire, and plan special day-of activities.
2. Pick a Date
Brainard Lake is open year-round, but the best time of year to elope at Brainard Lake is summer or fall. There’s limited access into the area during winter, so I recommend this only if you’re up for an adventure.
For an intimate experience with fewer crowds, weekdays are ideal. Sunrise and sunset also offer picture-perfect scenery and lighting.
3. Choose your Location
There are several beautiful locations and lakes around the area, including Brainard, Long, and Mitchel Lakes. I recommend having a few locations in mind, but be open to flexibility on the day of, as some spots may be busier than others.
4. Get Your Brainard Lake Permit
The Brainard Lake Recreation Area is a popular area, so the timed entry system helps ensure parking and accessibility.
You can select the trailhead you want to park at and reserve your pass online for $16. If you have an annual national park pass, parking is $2. These are prices as of June, 2025.
5. Book Your Trip
If you’re traveling to Colorado for your elopement, the Denver International Airport is about an hour away. There are also a few small airports nearby.
There are many accommodations nearby, including the following:
- Pawnee Campground: A campground next to the lake ideal for adventurous couples who enjoy camping
- Nederland: A charming mountain town twenty minutes from the lake
- Boulder: A city in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains about an hour from Brainard Lake
- Denver: A larger city filled with fun activities and unique places to stay just over an hour away
6. Plan Your Elopement
When planning your Brainard Lake elopement, you’ll want to consider the following:
- Wedding rings and attire: You might wear more casual or traditional outfits – whatever feels most authentic. Since you’ll be outdoors, I recommend wearing comfortable shoes.
- Your vows: You can read traditional wedding vows to each other or write your own vows for a personalized, more special experience.
- Wedding day activities: Make your elopement day special with activities that represent your relationship and what you enjoy doing together. For example, have coffee together in the morning, go hiking at Brainard Lake, and have a first dance after you exchange your vows.
- Celebrate with loved ones: Even though you’re eloping, you can include loved ones by celebrating before or after your elopement day. You can also invite them to write letters you and your partner can read together.
If we work together, I’ll also send you a planning questionnaire that helps us get creative to plan meaningful activities. There are so many fun things to do around Brainard Lake, including hiking, kayaking, and picnicking.
7. Enjoy Your Elopement
Finally, the best part – enjoying your elopement experience!
On your elopement day, it’s best to make the day about you and your partner. Prioritize being in each moment together. Instead of worrying about a rigid schedule, go with the flow.
When I eloped, my husband and I did a sunrise hike, relaxed in a hammock, and went to a coffee shop together. It was the perfect day spending time with each other and starting a new chapter together. Afterward, we celebrated with loved ones.
Other Tips for Your Brainard Lake Elopement
Here are a few more details important to be aware of when eloping at Brainard Lake:
- Marriage license: Many couples prefer doing the legal stuff in their home state. That said, getting a marriage license in Colorado is easy because you don’t need a witness or officiant to legally get married.
- Guests: I love Brainard Lake for a just-us elopement. If you want to invite guests, it’s best to limit your count to a few loved ones. Since parking is limited and some areas don’t offer much space, 15 guests should be the max.
- Leave No Trace: As a Leave No Trace Aware Photographer, following the principles is important to me to ensure we preserve the area. These include respecting wildlife, disposing of waste, and leaving what we find.
- Bring your pet: Brainard Lake is a great place for a pet-friendly elopement. Pets are welcome, but there are moose in the area, so you’re required to keep them on a leash and close by for safety.
Brainard Lake Elopement Packages
My adventure elopement packages are ideal for a memorable wedding at Brainard Lake. I offer multi-day, full-day, or mini-elopement packages to perfectly fit your experience.
Each package includes the following:
- An initial phone consultation
- Location scouting
- Timeline planning
- Vendor recommendations
- A 100-page guide with elopement planning resources
- Outfit planning help
- My travel expenses
- A custom online gallery with all edited high-resolution images
- 24-hour sneak peek photos
- Rights to printing
Brainard Lake Elopement: FAQs
Make the most of your elopement at Brainard Lake with answers to common questions below.
How much does it cost to elope at Brainard Lake?
Eloping at Brainard Lake costs about $5,000, which includes the location and the services of an elopement photographer.
However, the total cost will depend on your packages, attire, travel expenses, and other vendors. If you’re eloping on a budget, you can easily do that at Brainard Lake since all you’re paying for the venue is parking.
Is there a place to get ready at Brainard Lake?
There isn’t anywhere to get ready at Brainard Lake, so you’ll want to do that at your accommodation before your elopement. This is nice because you’ll be ready to explore and exchange your vows when you arrive at the lake.
How long should I plan for my Brainard Lake elopement?
You can spend anywhere from an hour to half the day at Brainard Lake for your elopement. If you’re planning a hiking elopement, it’s easy to spend a while exploring and taking photos. You can also do a quicker vow exchange and take pictures without hiking.
Let’s Plan and Capture Brainard Lake Elopement
Brainard Lake is stunning and romantic, making it an incredible Colorado elopement location. I hope you found this guide helpful and are ready to have the perfect experience.
If you’re ready to start planning, I’d love to help you! I work with adventurous couples to plan and capture an unforgettable elopement.
kinsley + caden
“Brooke was the perfect choice for our wedding day! We had a micro wedding at Sapphire Point in August. I had never been to Sapphire Point and Brooke was so helpful suggesting vendors, picture locations, parking, marriage license info etc. She was so kind and helpful before and during the whole process and was a large part of why the day went so smooth. She does so much more than just show up and take pictures, Brooke will truly go out of her way to make your wedding day perfect! The photos are gorgeous and I keep getting so many compliments! I truly cannot recommend her enough!”
"Brooke was a large part of why our day went so smooth and will truly go out of her way to make your wedding day perfect!"
We chose Brooke to capture our Colorado elopement and she did exactly that and more. She made it easy to plan our day out with locations and timelines so that we could focus on ourselves. We decided last minute to change our afternoon/evening elopement to a 6am sunrise one so beat the heat of the day. Brooke accommodated us without hesitation and even created a new timeline for us so that we knew where to be for the perfect sunrise. She was kind and understood what we wanted in terms of our elopement and we are so grateful to have her capture the day. Our photos turned out beautiful and truly helped us relive the day. I would recommend Brooke to anyone wanting their special day photographed.
"Brooke accommodated us without hesitation and even created a new timeline for us so that we knew where to be for the perfect sunrise."
erica + stacy
kirstie + colin
Brooke not only photographed our mountain elopement beautifully, but she put so much thought into the details and knew all of the answers the questions I didn’t even know to ask. She really puts a lot of thought into each photo and brings her expertise while still remaining very open to what we wanted and ideas we had. She even helped pick the perfect spot for us and advised us on the logistical details like securing a reservation at the mountain lake where we wanted our ceremony. She is SO easy to work with and very friendly and chill. My husband and I are super awkward in front of a camera but she made it so natural and easy - and the shots came out better than we could have imagined.
"She really puts a lot of thought into each photo and brings her expertise while still remaining very open to what we wanted and ideas we had."
amanda + jace
Brooke is many things; talented, calm, flexible, experienced/ knowledgeable, patient, incredibly responsive, organized, resourceful in a pinch, supportive, creative, professional yet a blast to work with, and goes above & beyond w her clients. Our wedding was a spectacular dream and we couldn't be more grateful that she made that single day last forever. Whether she's photographing nature or an intimate event, her pictures tell a story of peace, love, whatever your vision may be. We couldn't recommend her more and we look forward to booking with her for all of our vow renewals, seasonal and family pictures for as long as she'll have us.
"Whether she's photographing nature or an intimate event, her pictures tell a story of peace, love, whatever your vision may be."
linden + brent
Working with Brooke was a dream come true! Before we even met, my husband Brent and I were impressed by her portfolio. After meeting, we were even more convinced that her photography skills and knowledge, and her fun and easygoing personality were exactly what we were looking for in an elopement photographer. Brooke was able to take our vision and facilitate everything so that it worked out beautifully, especially when it came to finding the perfect location (the incredible mountains surrounding Ouray). Throughout the entire planning process, she was honest and flexible, and made it clear that her goal was for us to be 100% happy. In the end, her creativity and our happiness totally shine through in every single photo.
"Throughout the entire planning process, she was honest and flexible."
lauren + branden
I can't begin to express my gratitude for the intimacy and beauty behind Brooke's photographs. In capturing our wedding day, she went above and beyond to document our story, our families, and the depths of our love in ways that I'll forever be grateful for. Brooke has an eye for not only capturing the adventure and magic of your love, but deeply connects with your personal story, understands your relationship, and then gives that back in the most incredible way. She is truly an artist and tells your story in an authentic and creative way for you to look back on for years to come. We are forever grateful to Brooke for spending the time to get to know us, our story, and capturing the memories that we'll relive for years to come.
"Brooke deeply connects with your personal story, understands your relationship, and then gives that back in the most incredible way."
heather + jedd
“If you're contemplating which photographer to go with, THIS IS YOUR SIGN TO CHOOSE BROOKE!!!! She is so so so talented and was able to capture our elopement exactly how I pictured and wanted! We eloped in Ridgway, CO this past September and she was so helpful figuring out picture locations, recommendations of timeline for the day, and just made the whole day feel so smooth. She schedules multiple check ins, phone calls, etc., leading up to the big day to ensure everything is as you want it. Brooke has such a calming, down to earth presence and is one of those awesome people you feel like you've known forever after just the first time of meeting."
"Brooke has such a calming, down to earth presence and is one of those awesome people you feel like you've known forever."
christy + austin
Brooke is the absolute best. She truly went above and beyond for my fiancé and I to be able to get our engagement photos taken with the fall colors. Brooke is so sweet, fun, personable and incredibly talented. We could not be more in love with our engagement photos! Our engagement session with Brooke was such a special experience and a memory we will cherish forever.
"Our engagement session with Brooke was such a special experience and a memory we will cherish forever."
