Colorado Elopement Guide

Everything you need to know about how to elope in Colorado, finding the best places to elope, picking the perfect time of year, and planning an epic Rocky Mountain elopement.

You want to elope in Colorado.

I did the same thing, nine years ago. And since then, I’ve helped over one hundred couples plan their dream adventure elopements in the Rocky Mountains, and captured tens of thousands of photos of epic moments and mountains as a Colorado elopement photographer.

If you’re not sure how to even start planning your Colorado elopement, you’re in the right place.

I’ll show you the best places to elope, how to get your marriage license, recommend the best Colorado elopement vendors, and hopefully teach you some stuff you didn’t even know you needed to know.

What is an elopement?

An elopement is an intimate wedding that keeps the focus on you as a couple, and your commitment to each other, rather than the production and traditions of a big wedding.

Some couples elope without any guests at all. Others include their very closest friends or family for a micro-wedding. And many choose a combination, by eloping alone first, then throwing a big party for everyone to celebrate at a later date.

The best part of eloping?

There are no rules here. You get to decide every little part of your day, whether you want to wear hiking boots with your dress, drink your favorite microbrews instead of fancy champagne, exchange your vows in a hot air balloon, or do your first dance on a mountain top to Taylor Swift playing off a bluetooth speaker.

If the thought of planning a big wedding fills you with dread, you can’t stand the thought of reading your private vows in front of a hundred people, and you don’t want to go into debt over a party, a Colorado elopement might be just the thing for you.

Now read on to see how you can make this happen!

Why should you elope in Colorado?

Colorado is the perfect place to elope for down to earth couples who want an adventure in the mountains. With thousands of miles of hiking trails and 4WD roads, luxury mountain ranches and casual cabins, and breathtaking views in every direction, it’s hard to go wrong with a mountain wedding.

There are a couple of important reasons that make eloping in Colorado easier (and more fun) than anywhere else in the country!

You can self-solemnize your elopement in Colorado

Only a few states allow you to marry yourselves without an officiant, and Colorado is one of them. Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., California, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Nevada, and Wisconsin all have some variations of self-solemnizing, but these states have stricter requirements than Colorado. Learn how to apply for a marriage license from the Boulder County Recording Division, but keep in mind that each county has slightly different rules for applying.

What does this mean in practice? It means that you don’t have to hire an officiant for your ceremony, which opens up a whole new set of options for locations. Want to exchange your vows at an alpine lake at sunrise? You don’t need to pay someone for the whole four-hour hike just to lead a 15-minute ceremony. You can of course still hire an officiant if you want, and many couples do – especially when having a ceremony with guests.

2020 update: During the COVID-19 pandemic, some counties are only issuing marriage licenses to local residents. Other counties are offering virtual appointments, but require that your marriage license is mailed to an address in Colorado. And lastly some counties are still offering in-person appointments for out-of-state couples. If we’re working together, I’ll make sure you have the most up-to-date information about how to get a marriage license in the exact location where you’ll be eloping.

You don’t need witnesses

Colorado is the only state where you don’t need an officiant or witnesses to be legally married. So if you’ve been dreaming about a private elopement for just the two of you, Colorado is the way to go!

You can get married the same day

There’s no waiting period on marriage licenses in Colorado, so you can get married the same day as you apply for your license. But if you’re traveling in from out of state, I highly recommend that you arrive in Colorado at least two days before you plan to elope, so that you can adjust to the altitude before your wedding day, and pick up the marriage license at least a day before your adventure. Waiting in line at a county clerk’s office is not the most romantic way to start your elopement.

Your dog can sign your marriage license

Yes. Really. Because you don’t need “real” witnesses here, you can have your furry best friend sign as your witness with their paw print.

Epic and accessible mountain views

Nowhere else in the United States can you drive a car up a mountain at over 11,000 ft of elevation – and here you can drive up to 14,000ft! And in the months of the year when we have snow at high altitude, you can still have an epic winter elopement by taking a gondola up a mountain, renting a snowmobile, or snowshoeing into the mountains.

Now I’m personally a huge fan of hiking (or skiing) into the mountains to get away from people, but I think it’s pretty darn cool that you can get epic mountain views for your elopement without first having to train for it. A Colorado elopement really is accessible for everybody. 

Elopement vendors and specialists

You might think that wedding vendors and elopement vendors are the same thing, but many traditional wedding vendors, from florists to hair and makeup artists to caterers, have high minimum spends that can only be reached with a big guest list. Here in Colorado, because elopements have grown so popular over the past decade, there’s a large amount of elopement-specific vendors to choose from. This is especially important when it comes to booking your photographer. Colorado is known for unpredictable weather, so you want to work with someone who can easily come up with a plan B or C when your original location is closed due to wildfires, avalanches, or muddy trails.

Best places to elope in Colorado

There are countless beautiful locations to get married in Colorado. We are one of the best states to elope in, after all! Some locations require a rental fee or wedding permit, while others are completely open for you to go hike into the wilderness and exchange vows where you feel like it. If you have more than ~10 guests, I recommend looking into renting a small wedding venue for your elopement.

If you’re overwhelmed by the options, contact a local elopement photographer to get help from someone who knows the area to find the best spot for you. A local expert can also help you apply for a special use permit, tell you what to expect from the unpredictable weather, and help you pick a date where you’ll avoid traffic and busy trails. (Trust me – you do not want to elope anywhere near Estes Park at the same time as their elk festival, or depend on driving up I-70 early on a weekend morning during ski season.)

Most of my couples have no clue where (or even when) to elope before they contact me – and that’s okay! The locations I’m sharing here are some of the most popular places to elope, but that doesn’t necessarily make them the best choice for you. Tagging and sharing the names of specific trails is a big no-no for Leave No Trace practices, and us local photographers try to keep these places as quiet and pristine as possible so that you can enjoy the epic views without the crowds of people. I love getting to share hidden gems with couples, so if you don’t see what you’re looking for here, reach out and I’ll help you find the best place to elope in Colorado.

Where can I elope in Colorado?

Now I get what you’re probably thinking.

No, these are not the only places to elope in Colorado. And yes, there are more remote, more beautiful, and more unique locations to choose from.

Finding the perfect location is a big part of what I help my couples with. And that starts with getting to know you, and what your dream elopement looks like, so that I can give you personalized recommendations rather than an overwhelming list of options. (And the best options are never gonna be found publicly on a website.)

If you want to start searching for locations on your own, make sure that you also research permits and rental fees separately, as these can be hard to find and are often buried in legalese on the local authority websites. This is why working with an experienced elopement photographer is so important – you don’t want to accidentally break local rules and get a ticket in the middle of your ceremony!

What’s the best time to elope in Colorado?

What time of year should we elope?

If you live in Colorado, you already know that our weather is very unpredictable. But couples who ask me about the best months to elope in Colorado are always surprised that the weather and seasons are so erratic here.

I once had a Southern couple ask if they could do wedding photos on Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park in December. That road is closed from October through May, and is under 10+ feet of snow all winter. I’ve had couples ask if I can help them find a location with “spring wildflowers” in April – the second snowiest month of the year here. (If you do want wildflowers, the end of July is your best bet!)

July through September are the only months where you are unlikely to see snow in Colorado, but I’ve also photographed an elopement in the middle of a blizzard two days after Labor Day. Eloping in summer will give you the most amount of locations to choose from, and the least amount of weather related stress. But eloping in the winter months often means empty trails and epic frozen alpine lakes, and with a cozy airbnb you don’t have to freeze outside all day.

Want to learn more, and see a full breakdown of every month? Read my post on the best months to elope in Colorado.

Reasons to consider a weekday elopement

When couples contact me without having a date set yet, I always recommend going with a weekday elopement.

Most of my couples decide that having their dream location to themselves on a Thursday morning or Monday afternoon sounds way better than fighting through crowds on a weekend. After all, isn’t the privacy and intimate feels part of why more couples are choosing elopements over bigger weddings?

Here are five reasons why you should consider eloping on a weekday.

More privacy

I bet you’re picturing your elopement as a private celebration in the mountains, and not with a never-ending line of strangers honking and yelling “congratulations” out the window from their cars. You can get privacy on weekends if you’re willing to hike a bit, but the easier access locations are all very busy on weekends in summer. 

Less traffic

Driving I-70 to the mountains from Denver is notoriously slow on weekends, both in summer and winter. And driving through the entrance gates of Rocky Mountain National Park can take over an hour on weekends, when it’s two minutes on a Tuesday morning.

Easier reservations

If you’re looking to reserve a ceremony site, or even book an airbnb, you’ll have a much easier time getting the date and location you want if you elope on a weekday.

More vendors available

Many of the best Colorado elopement vendors are fully booked on weekends over a year in advance. With a weekday elopement, you’ll have more vendors to choose from. 

Make a vacation of it

If you’re already traveling to Colorado from out of state, you might as well make a vacation of it, and build in a couple of days before and after your elopement day. Make sure that you have at least one weekday (Mon-Fri) in Colorado before your elopement, so that you can pick up your marriage license. If you can, give yourselves at least two days to acclimate if you’re coming from sea level. The Colorado altitude can kick your butt if you’re not prepared for it!

Colorado Elopement Planning Checklist

Alright folks, let’s get practical here. I know you’ve probably never planned an elopement before, and it can feel overwhelming to even get started. But it doesn’t have to be hard! (Hey, it’s a heck of a lot easier than planning a wedding for 200 people…)

1. Start dreaming

Before you start booking anything, take the time to really dream up the best day ever. Browse Pinterest or Instagram for photos of locations you like. Think about what you want the day to feel like; whether that’s hanging out around a campfire with your closest friends or escaping into the wilderness, just the two of you.

What do you two love doing together? If you’d never go hiking on a mountain vacation, there’s nothing saying you need to hike on your elopement day, either. Maybe hanging out at a campsite, renting a boat to cruise around an alpine lake, or spending the day at a luxury mountain home sounds more fun to you. There are no limits here!

If you’re planning on including guests in your elopement, now’s a good time to work on a tentative guest list. Pro tip: try to keep it to under 25 people total, including yourselves and your photographer, if you want the most amount of locations to choose from. The smaller your guest list, the more options you’ll have.

2. Find your photographer

Your photographer will be more heavily involved with planning your elopement than any other vendors, so get them on board first! Start with searching Google or Pinterest for Colorado elopement photographers in the area you’re interested in. Look through a lot of websites; enough to really get a feel for what kind of photos you do or don’t like. Then reach out to your favorites to schedule a call.

It’s super important to find a photographer you’re genuinely excited to spend the day with, so trust your gut feeling here! And don’t be afraid to contact multiple photographers – the person with the most instagram followers or who you found first on Pinterest may not be the one you connect best with over emails and a call.

3. Pick your location

Once you’ve booked your Colorado elopement photographer, you should be working together on finding your dream location. I have a detailed questionnaire that I send my couples to learn more about what they’re looking for, then put together detailed location suggestions based on that.

4. Build your vendor dream team

After finding your location, you can now look for local vendors. Once again, your photographer should be able to give you recommendations for the specific area of your elopement. Most couples will need at a minimum a hair/makeup artist, florist, and either catering, a private chef, or a restaurant.

5. Book your travel

Don’t wait too long to book your travel – especially if a unique cabin or airbnb is part of your dream! Accommodations in the Colorado mountains often fill up 9-12 months in advance for popular times of year, so the sooner you book, the better.

Don’t forget about renting a car. Spend a little extra and get 4WD – if you’re traveling into the mountains, you won’t regret it.

6. Plan your ceremony, details, and activities

Even if it’s just the two of you, your ceremony is the most important part of your elopement day. Spend some time brainstorming ideas for how you want to make it special. Agree on how long your vows should be. Incorporate your favorite music, or a reading, or an inside joke that’ll make your partner crack up.

Write out your vows in a nice notebook, or on thick cards, rather than holding a flimsy sheet of paper. (Or worse, reading them off your phones.)

What foods and beverages would make the day special for you? I’ve seen a couple eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches they made that morning, and I’ve seen couples hire a private chef to cook a one-of-a-kind meal at their airbnb. Your tastebuds and imagination are the only limits here.

7. Get your marriage license

Getting your marriage license in Colorado is easy. You can get it at any Colorado county clerk’s office, even if it’s not the same county as the one where you’re eloping. Most offices are open 8am-4:30pm Mon-Fri, and you can show up for a 20-30 minute walk-in appointment. You can’t apply for the marriage license online, but you can fill out parts of your application online, then complete it in person.

When you arrive in Colorado, you need to get your marriage license before your elopement day. Once it’s been issued, you have 35 days to use it before it expires. You cannot backdate the license if you forget to apply in advance, so this part is important!

In order to get your marriage license, you need to bring:

• ID (driver’s license or passport)
• Social security numbers
• $30 feee (payable in cash, check, or credit card)

After your elopement, you can drop it off in person where you got it, or mail it in to have it officially recorded.

8. It’s your elopement day!

This is what we’re here for! 🎉 You’re done planning, it’s time to elope!

What’s the cost of eloping in Colorado?

The cost of eloping in Colorado really comes down to your budget. The only required expense is the $30 price of the Colorado marriage license. Anything beyond that is up to you.

Some couples want a simple elopement package with photographer, officiant, and florist all included in one price, and this is by far the cheapest way to go. But you don’t have much control over the vendors you end up working with when going that route, and you’ll get a much more personalized experience by booking vendors individually. (Pro tip? Start with your photographer, and we’ll help with recommendations for any other vendors you need!)

But I’m sure you’d like some real examples, so that you can plan out your own elopement budget. I’m going to show two different examples of different price points, without including travel costs since those vary so much depending on where you’re based. Neither of these examples include any costs related to inviting guests.

These numbers are only meant as examples based on my experience with local vendors, and are in no way meant as an actual quote for Colorado elopement packages. As with a “traditional” wedding, you can of course spend as much or little as you want.

To put these numbers into perspective, the average cost of a wedding in Colorado is around $32,000, and the average cost of a reception venue is around $4000. Why not skip all that, and instead spend a fraction of the price on a day that’s truly unique and meaningful to you?

Looking for Colorado elopement collections? You can see my elopement photography prices here.

What to wear for your Colorado adventure elopement

Colorado Elopement Galleries

Want to see what all this planning looks like in action? Check out the highlight galleries from some of the 100+ elopement days I’ve photographed in the Colorado mountains. 

Want me to help you elope in Colorado?

If you’re interested in having me help you plan and capture the perfect adventure elopement in the Colorado mountains, I’d love to get to know you better! Check out my pricing, then contact me to schedule a video chat so we can make sure we’re a good fit!