Colorado elopement packages

Colorado elopement packages

For down-to-earth couples who want more than just a quick ceremony and a few photos to remember their epic elopement day

You’re not a traditional couple, and you don’t want a traditional wedding.

Not the stress of planning a big party and little details you will have forgotten by your first anniversary. Not being the center of attention as you exchange vows in front of a crowd. Not the expectations of what everyone else wants from you and your wedding.

It doesn’t feel right, and you know there has to be a better way to celebrate your dedication to each other.

Where you can be fully present in the moment together. Where you can do what you want, and not what you should. Where you can experience a breathtaking landscape and create memories for life.

That’s what eloping is all about.

LGBTQ+ elopement in the Colorado mountains

Where to begin?

When you throw out any expectations and pressure of what a wedding should be, you’re left with this:

Two people in love, dedicating their lives to each other.

The rest is up to you.

And that can feel overwhelming. Where do you even start making decisions about choosing a date, finding a location, navigating permits, booking vendors, and planning out the day?

You start by finding someone who can guide you to your dream elopement day, with none of the stress.

Oh, and you just did.

“Nina was a constant source of knowledge and positivity throughout the planning and execution of our intimate wedding in Colorado. She became so much more to us than just a photographer, and the care and attention to detail she puts into her work were clear from the very first conversation we shared.”

Samantha & Zach

Nina Larsen Reed

About Nina

I want you to have a memorable elopement day, because I didn’t.

My husband and I eloped at the Boulder courthouse in 2011. We knew we didn’t want a traditional wedding, but not that we could have exchanged our vows privately in the snow-covered mountains outside.

Adventure elopements weren’t a thing then, but lucky for you—they are now.

Since then I’ve photographed over 190 elopements, and I like to think I’ve gotten pretty good at guiding couples like you through planning an elopement day that feels true to your relationship.

But don’t just take my word for it.

“We are so glad we went with Nina! The photos are brilliant, the experience was wonderful (and stress free!), and I would recommend Nina to anyone. Seriously, she is worth EVERY penny!”

Rachel & Sam

“When we decided to elope in another state, we knew we needed to find someone who could be a partner in the whole process with us, and that’s exactly what we found with Nina.”

Nickie & Will

“Booking Nina is the best decision we made while planning our elopement.”

Alex & Jose

How this works

Bride and groom wearing backpacks, winter skiing elopement in Colorado mountains, backcountry skiing wedding

Step 1

We’ll start with a free no-commitment video chat so we can get to know each other, and make sure you want me by your side on this adventure. We’ll talk about what you’re dreaming of and how I can help you make it happen, so that you can feel completely confident in your decision if you book me.

Colorado elopement packages for hiking and adventure weddings

Step 2

I’ll send you a questionnaire to get clear on your vision so I can suggest the best locations for you, and a digital guide to planning out every little detail of your elopement, complete with a long list of recommended vendors to make sure your day is everything you dreamed of and more. I’m always just an email or text away.

LGBTQ+ elopement package in Colorado

Step 3

By the time your elopement day rolls around, we’ll feel like old friends. I’m not just another vendor—I’ll be there to support you and document these epic memories. I want you to be able to relax and know that I’ve got you. We aren’t going to make this an all-day photo shoot. The best photos come from the moments you forget I’m there.

“Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for capturing so much raw emotion, beauty, and most importantly memories we can cherish for a lifetime! We absolutely loved adventuring with you. We could not have have asked for a more perfect day or a more perfect photographer to share it with.”

Holly & Matt

Wildflower elopement in Colorado

More than just photos

✓ Questionnaires

Planning your elopement starts with letting me getting to know you, because no two couples are the same. The more you can share about what you want from the day, the better I can personalize my suggestions for you.

✓ Personalized location guide

All the best locations that fit exactly what you want from your elopement, whether that’s hiking to an alpine lake or driving a Jeep up a mountain pass.

✓ Digital planning guide

Everything you need to know about planning your elopement is in this guide.

✓ Vendor recommendations

I have lists of trusted vendors across Colorado, from hair and makeup artists and florists to private chefs and horse sleigh drivers. And all my vendor recommendations are LGBTQ+ inclusive, because I know how much it sucks when you have to ask.

✓ Timeline

When the big decisions have been made, I’ll help you craft a relaxed timeline that incorporates everything you want from the day without any stress.

✓ Planning help

There’s no such thing as asking me too many questions. I promise.

“Nina is in the business of making dreams come true. When my husband and I were planning our Colorado elopement, we were looking for a photographer who felt like a friend. Someone who was up for an adventure and believed in the magic of the mountains. We TOTALLY found that in Nina.”

Alison & Trevor

Colorado Elopement Packages for 2022–23

Adventure hiking elopement in Colorado

Fourteener

Full day elopement. Perfect for telling the full story of your epic elopement day from start to finish.

  • 12 hours of photography
  • Digital elopement planning guide
  • Personalized location suggestions and planning tips
  • High resolution digital photos with print release
  • Personal website to view, download, print, and share your photos
  • Gallery delivered in six weeks

$10,000

Hiking elopement in Colorado

Summit

Half day elopement. Perfect for capturing all the most important parts of your elopement day.

  • 8 hours of photography
  • Digital elopement planning guide
  • Personalized location suggestions and planning tips
  • High resolution digital photos with print release
  • Personal website to view, download, print, and share your photos
  • Gallery delivered in six weeks

$7,500

Hiking elopement in Colorado

Alpine

Mini elopement. Perfect for simple elopements in one location or with a short hike.

  • 4 hours of photography
  • Digital elopement planning guide
  • Personalized location suggestions and planning tips
  • High resolution digital photos with print release
  • Personal website to view, download, print, and share your photos
  • Gallery delivered in six weeks

$5,000

Let’s talk about your elopement

Are you having a bigger wedding at a venue? Check out my wedding photography collections.

“Nina helped us plan our elopement with her vast knowledge of the Rocky Mountains. It lifted a huge weight off our shoulders knowing that we were in capable hands, and we couldn’t be happier with the photos she created of our special day!”

George & Varvara

How long should we book you for?

Most of my couples book 8-12 hours, but how much time you need really depends. I don’t want you to rush through your elopement, because it deserves so much more than just a quick ceremony and a few posed photos.

How do you want to remember the day? What do you two love doing together? How can you create an elopement that feels like you?

These timelines are just a few examples of how you can spend your elopement day, but the best part is that you get to make it your own! Want more details? Contact me to schedule a video chat, and I’ll help you figure out exactly how much time you need.

Sunrise hiking elopement in Colorado

12 HOURS

9:30am – Getting ready at a cabin
10:30am – First look
11:00am – Jeep up a mountain pass
12:30pm – Exchange private vows
1:00pm – Champagne and picnic lunch
1:45pm – Adventure around for epic photos
3:30pm – Start heading back to your cabin, stopping for photos along the way
5:30pm – Ceremony with your friends & family
6:00pm – Group photos
6:30pm – Dinner prepared by a private chef
7:30pm – Sneak outside for sunset portraits
8:30pm – Whiskey and toasts by the campfire
9:30pm – Nina leaves

Bride and groom skiing in Colorado mountains at sunset, blue hour wedding photos, Colorado adventure wedding photographer

8 HOURS

9:00am – Getting ready together
10:00am – Drive to trailhead
10:30am – Ski into the mountains
12:00pm – Change and freshen up
12:30pm – Ceremony
1:00pm – Picnic lunch
1:30pm – Portraits
2:00pm – Get some runs in
3:00pm – Start skiing out
4:00pm – Sunset photos
5:00pm – Arrive back to cars, Nina leaves

Colorado elopement packages

4 HOURS

3:00pm – Meet at trailhead, start hiking
4:00pm – Arrive at lake, change into wedding attire
4:20pm – First look
4:30pm – Ceremony
5:00pm – Couples portraits
6:00pm – Hike back
7:00pm – Arrive back to cars, Nina leaves

Schedule your free elopement consultation

“Nina is absolutely EXCEPTIONAL. She is down to earth, personable, responsive, hardworking, and exceeded our every expectation. She is so easy to work with and does everything in her power to make your day easy and perfect. Nina is the definition of “going the extra mile.” I couldn’t recommend her more for answering my 500 emails full of questions and capturing our day PERFECTLY.

Megan & Brandon

Frequently Asked Questions

Heck yes! I’m bi, an Equally Wed certified LGBTQ+ inclusive vendor, and passionately believe that love is love.

Yes, it’s one of my favorite parts of planning! Whether you’re local to Colorado or visiting for the first time, want to hike into the wilderness or want a ceremony spot that’s easy for your parents to access, I’ll help you find the perfect location for your elopement.

Once you’re booked, you’ll get a questionnaire to complete together so that I can learn exactly what you want from your elopement day. Then I’ll put together a personalized location guide with photos, maps, trail descriptions, and all the info you need to choose your favorite place(s).

I sure am—I even wrote a blog post on 420 elopements!

I help my couples with location guides, vendor recommendations, navigating permit requirements, and creating a timeline for the day. My couples also get a big planning guide with tips on wedding attire, adventure gear, activity ideas, lodging and travel, and everything else I’ve learned from planning and photographing almost 200 elopements since 2017. 

I am not a wedding planner though. Here are just a few of the many ways in which a wedding planner can help you: 

  • Contact, book, and coordinate vendors and activities on your behalf
  • Help you design the day and make decisions on decor
  • Secure rentals (tables, chairs, dinnerware, barware, ceremony decor), pick everything up, and setup the ceremony and/or reception on the day of your elopement. 
  • Coordinate vendors on the day of your elopement, so that you don’t have to worry about missing calls from your chef or officiant.

If you’re interested in working with a planner, please ask me for recommendations!

All my couples worry about being awkward in front of the camera. (Yes—the ones whose photos you’ve seen on my website, too.) But being photographed on your elopement day is nothing like when your parents ask you to “say cheese” for the camera, I promise!

The more you can live in the moment and focus on having a good time together, the more you’ll forget that I’m even there, and that’s when the magic happens. This is why it’s so important to make sure that we get along before you book, and for you to keep me involved in the planning process—so that when we finally meet in person, it feels like hanging out with an old friend who happens to take the best photos of you: the ones that will bring you right back to your elopement day, the ones that make your friends and family go “so *that’s* why they wanted to elope”.

Nope. Some of my favorite elopement locations in Colorado are places we can drive up to in a 4×4 vehicle (or even snowmobiles!), and there are lots of beautiful locations that can easily be accessed from paved roads with any car. Generally speaking, locations off the beaten path will feel more secluded, but we can avoid crowds at easily accessible locations by visiting at off peak times.

Short answer: no—however many people you want to be a part of your elopement, there are ways to make it happen.

That being said, many locations on public lands have group size restrictions. The smaller you keep your guest list, the more locations you’ll have to choose from, and especially if you want a free and secluded location. Once your group gets bigger than 10-15 people, you’ll most likely need to reserve a ceremony site (usually in the $50-300 range), and if you’ll have more than 30 people, you’ll likely need to book a venue (usually starting around $1500 for short weekday elopements).

Most of my couples who invite guests will split the day into two parts: a ceremony with their guests in an easy access location, and a hike or other adventure for just them (and me!) to a more remote location.

I generally don’t book more than 18 months in advance, and most of my couples book around 9-12 months out—but I’ve also booked an elopement the day before, so do reach out no matter when you’re getting married. If I’m available, I’d love to help you plan and capture the day!

You do not need to have a specific date picked out before contacting me. If you want warm weather and wildflowers, fall colors, or a winter wonderland, I can help you pick the best date based on the location, weather, and avoiding any local events or holidays that can make a place more crowded than normal.

Get in touch via my contact form, and tell me all about what you want from your elopement, and what you’ve planned so far. If I’m available, we’ll schedule a video chat to talk more about your plans and how I can help you. This part is super important! The more comfortable you are around your photographer, the better your photos will be, too, so let’s make sure we’re a good fit before you book.

If you decide to work with me, I’ll send you a booking link with your contract, the invoice for the $2000 retainer, and once you’ve signed and paid it’s official and we’ll get started on planning your elopement.

You’ll get 3-5 sneak peek photos within a week after your wedding, and your full gallery will be ready within six weeks.

The exact number of photos will depend on how many hours I’m there for, and what’s happening throughout the day, but around 50 photos per hour of coverage is normal. You’ll get all the good stuff, without any unflattering photos or lots of duplicates of the same thing.

Yes, every photo is edited in a style consistent with what you see on my website. I don’t retouch body shapes, hair, skin, or clothing, because I want you to look like yourselves in your photos!

You’ll get your photos in a digital gallery that you can easily share with family and friends. You can download your photos as many times as you want, as high resolution files without any watermarks. Your online gallery will be live for one year, so you’ll need to download and backup your photos elsewhere.

You can order high quality prints, wall art, cards, and wedding albums directly from your online gallery. All products ordered from your gallery come from my preferred printing labs, and are shipped directly to your home.

You’ll also get a print release that allows you to print your photos anywhere you’d like, but I can’t guarantee the colors and quality on any prints and products ordered outside of your gallery shop.

Ready to connect?

Finding a photographer you connect with is the most important step to loving your elopement photos. Reach out now to schedule a video chat so we can make sure I’m the right photographer for you. (And if I’m not, no hard feelings—better to find out on Zoom than at your elopement!)

Contact Nina