Jess + Izzy’s Georgetown Hiking Elopement

When Jess and Izzy contacted me about photographing their elopement, they knew they wanted to elope somewhere with mountain views and wildflowers, but not much more than that. With their mid-July timing, I knew the flowers would be popping off all over Colorado, and after considering a few different locations we decided on one of my favorite alpine lake hikes near Georgetown.

We decided to start the day early (4am early!) so that we could get the majority of uphill hiking over in the dark, and were rewarded with the most beautiful alpenglow on the mountains above the alpine lake. It’s not easy getting up that early, but it’s always so worth it for having the whole place to ourselves. By the time we started hiking down again we passed dozens of hikers, and the trailhead was completely packed when we got down mid-morning.

Jess and Izzy were so excited about having a 420 elopement, and shared their first joint as wives after their heartfelt vow exchange. When smoking in nature, I always make sure we’re on durable surfaces (i.e. rocks, not flammable vegetation), and we of course take every care to safely put out butts and leave no trace behind. There were no fire bans in place for Clear Creek County during this elopement—but please avoid smoking when there are bans in place, since it takes only the smallest spark to start a wildfire.

More than anything, the couple wanted a relaxed day in a breathtaking landscape, and that’s exactly what they got. They explored around the lake, saw countless wildflowers and one curious marmot, drank some champagne and got rocky mountain high, and overall just had the best possible time together without any stress. Pretty perfect, if you ask me!