If you’re looking for a magical elopement destination, Colorado is it! The natural beauty is breathtaking, and there are endless places to elope in Colorado, from stunning national parks to charming mountain towns.
As a Colorado elopement photographer, I’ve explored so many incredible locations. In this guide, I’m sharing the best destinations for a Colorado elopement, including Rocky Mountain National Park, Breckenridge, and Colorado Springs. I’ll also include some of my favorite spots for exploring and tips for choosing the perfect place to get married.
Rocky Mountain National Park
Best time of year: Year-round
Vibe: Endless scenery and hiking
Rocky Mountain National Park is in northern Colorado and spans over 415 miles. The park has hundreds of miles of hiking trails, perfect for adventurous couples. Gorgeous landscapes surround the park, including lakes, waterfalls, mountain peaks, and meadows.
While you can’t reserve spots within Rocky Mountain National Park exclusively for your elopement, there are public sites you can reserve for a ceremony. You can also explore the park with your love for a fun wedding adventure and stunning photos.
Rocky Mountain National Park offers a unique experience in every season, including snow in winter and spring, wildflowers in summer, and colorful foliage in fall. My favorite time of year is late May or June when you can enjoy vibrant green mountains, beautiful weather, and fewer crowds.
Ouray
Best time of year: Summer and fall
Vibe: An intimate mountain getaway
Ouray is a romantic and fun mountain town in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado. It’s off the beaten path, so it’s one of the best places to elope in Colorado away from crowds.
While there are many places to elope in Ouray, some of the best are Cascade Falls Park and Box Cañon Falls Park, both ideal for a hiking elopement with waterfalls, and Beaumont Hotel & Spa for an elegant, intimate elopement.
Ouray offers many attractions and activities, perfect for creating new memories with your love. You can go off-roading jeep tours, enjoy year-round hot springs, and explore a charming downtown area.
While you can get married year-round in Ouray, I recommend fall or summer. Fall is stunning, with vibrant colors and incredible weather. Summer is also beautiful with warm weather, but some areas are more crowded. While winter and spring are the perfect seasons for snow sports, some areas are inaccessible due to snow.
Telluride
Best time of year: Summer and fall
Vibe: Natural beauty and fun activities
Telluride is another cute mountain town in the San Juan Mountains with a bit more going on than Ouray. If you’re looking for a more touristy destination but still with tons of natural beauty and fun activities, Telluride is perfect!
Although Telluride is most known for skiing, you can also chase waterfalls, go hiking and off-roading, and enjoy lake activities.
Some of the best elopement locations in Telluride include Bridal Veil Falls for a stunning waterfall venue, San Sophia Overlook if you’re inviting guests, and mountain passes for an adventure elopement experience.
Summer and fall are the best times of year for a Telluride elopement because of the gorgeous nature. Summer brings glistening blue lakes and colorful wildflowers, while fall brings crisp weather and fall foliage. Winter and spring are much quieter and many places are closed, but it’s nice for a peaceful winter wonderland elopement.
Crested Butte
Best time of year: Year-round
Vibe: Quiet yet adventurous mountain town
Crested Butte, nestled in the Colorado Rockies, is the perfect destination for getting off the beaten path for a quiet wedding getaway. As a Colorado elopement photographer, Crested Butte is easily one of my favorite locations. The views are stunning year-round, and there are minimal tourists, especially compared to other nearby mountain towns.
If you and your partner love adventures, Crested Butte is even better! From skiing and mountain biking to kayaking and camping, there’s something for everyone. There are also delicious restaurants, laid-back bars and cafes, and peaceful parks for relaxing.
There are countless places to tie the knot in Crested Butte, including Lake Irwin for a magical lake wedding surrounded by mountains or Town Ranch for a mountain wedding venue with guests. There are also many hidden gems to explore, and I love working with couples to find the perfect option!
Breckenridge
Best time of year: Year-round, especially in winter
Vibe: Winter wonderland elopement
Breckenridge is an iconic ski destination in central Colorado, and it’s one of the best places to elope in Colorado during winter. It’s home to world-class ski resorts, breathtaking mountain scenery, and fun snow activities.
There are countless places to elope in Breckenridge. Sapphire Point Overlook is perfect for an intimate ceremony with mountain views from a 9,500-foot elevation. Lake Dillon is also stunning, where you can enjoy lake activities and gorgeous ceremony spots and photo ops.
Being such a popular destination, Breckenridge is relatively lively year-round. However, some places are closed during the off-season. Winter is the best time of year for a magical snowy elopement.
Sand Dunes National Park
Best time of year: Year-round
Vibe: A unique location with tall sand dunes
Great Sand Dunes National Park in southern Colorado has the tallest dunes in North America, making for one of the most unique places to elope in Colorado.
You can spend your wedding day exploring the park and hiking trails that lead to wetlands, forests, and alpine lakes. You can also go sand sledding with your love for fun memories and photos!
If you’re up for an adventure, you can camp at Great Sand Dunes. There are also many accommodations in the closest large town, Alamosa.
Boulder
Best time of year: Year-round, especially winter
Vibe: Small town charm with a city feel
Boulder is a popular elopement destination in Colorado because its natural beauty is unmatched, with over 45,000 acres of protected land and endless locations for an elopement adventure and ceremony. Boulder also has the perfect mix of city vibes with small-town charm.
Whether you want a laid-back wedding getaway or something more adventurous, Boulder has it all. There are tons of adventures, including hiking, biking, and water sports. You can also enjoy great restaurants, breweries, and cafes.
There are so many places to get married in Boulder. Chautauqua Park, a historic park from the 1800s, is gorgeous and fun to explore. Lost Gulch Overlook has a scenic lookout point you can easily reach, and it’s an amazing place for a sunrise or sunset elopement. I also love Brainard Lake, a nearby recreation area with hiking trails and a picture-perfect lake.
My favorite time of year for a Boulder elopement is winter because there are fewer crowds, the area remains accessible, and the flat iron mountains are jaw-dropping when it snows. That said, Boulder is a great place to exchange vows all year!
Colorado Springs
Best time of year: Year-round
Vibe: A nature lover’s paradise
Colorado Springs is about an hour south of Denver, and I can’t say enough good things about this fun and beautiful city! The natural beauty is unmatched, with massive rock formations, lush forests, mountain scenery, and waterfalls.
There are so many places to explore in Colorado Springs, whether you’re looking for a private elopement destination or somewhere more popular. There are also fun dining and drinking experiences and local spas for unwinding.
One of my favorite places for a Colorado Springs elopement is Garden of the Gods, a National Natural Landmark with magical red rocks, hiking trails, and beautiful ceremony sites. It’s also perfect for an affordable elopement because entry is free, and no fees are required for eloping.
Colorado Springs is incredible all year, but late summer and fall are my favorite times for an elopement with ideal weather. That said, winter and spring are the slower seasons, so this time of year could be best if you want a more intimate elopement with fewer crowds.
Choosing Your Elopement Location
With so many amazing places to elope in Colorado, choosing just one can be tricky.
When deciding where to elope, consider the following:
- Activities – What kind of activities do you want to enjoy during your elopement? Are you looking to get adventurous or keep it relaxed? With so many options, Colorado has it all!
- Time of year – Some Colorado elopement locations are ideal year-round. However, others aren’t easily accessible during winter, and some may also be overly crowded during summer.
- Number of guests – Ideally, your elopement will be for you and your partner and maybe a few loved ones. Many outdoor locations are best for intimate elopements. You can also look into small wedding venues if you want friends and family to join you.
- Budget – If you’re planning a budget-friendly elopement, many locations in Colorado are free or low-cost. That said, there are also more private venues ideal for couples who want to splurge.
- Pets – Colorado is one of the most pet-friendly wedding and elopement locations. If you’re bringing your pet(s) along, look for locations where they’re permitted.
If you want help finding your elopement destination, let’s chat! As a Colorado-based elopement photographer, I can help you find your dream location, whether you’re interested in a popular area or a hidden gem.
Elopement Packages in Colorado
My Colorado elopement packages include planning support and beautiful photos of your big day, and I love working with adventurous couples who want to enjoy an authentic wedding day experience.
I offer multi-day, full-day, and mini-elopement packages, and each one includes:
- A phone consultation
- Location scouting
- Timeline planning
- Vendor recommendations
- Access to all-inclusive elopement planning resources
- Custom online gallery with all-edited high-resolution images
- 48-hour sneak peek photos
- Rights to printing
- My travel to anywhere in Colorado
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."
