How to Elope in Colorado | A Comprehensive Guide to Colorado Elopements
It’s not difficult to understand why Colorado elopements are wildly popular. If you’re into epic nature, outdoor recreation, or adventure, there’s no better elopement destination. With landscapes ranging from soaring mountains to massive sand dunes, endless backcountry trails to fill your days, and laid-back marriage laws, there are countless reasons to elope in Colorado.
So you think it’d be cool to elope in Colorado?
That’s rad! Colorado is so inspiring! It’s one of my favorite states to shoot elopements in. But before you lock in a date, let’s cover all the important things to know about eloping there.
This is your personal guide to eloping in Colorado — complete with frequently asked questions, location advice, pricing for both of my comprehensive Colorado elopement packages, and of course, information on all the legal stuffs. Let’s go!
Why you should elope in Colorado
First of all, let’s talk about why you should elope in Colorado.
There are lots (and lots!) of reasons people consider eloping in Colorado. For starters, there’s adventure around every corner and it’s stunningly beautiful no matter what time of year or which part of the state you’re in. The weather is AMAZINGGGGGG! Did you know Denver averages over 300 sunny days a year?! Besides the awesome weather, there’s SO MUCH diversity in terms of geography all throughout the state.
If you’re dreaming of snow-capped mountain peaks for your elopement, Colorado has a ton of them. There are over 3,400 named mountains in the state, including 58 “fourteeners” (peaks over 14,000 feet tall). In Colorado, it’s easy to find an epic mountain blanketed (or at least dusted) in snow, whether it’s January or July. And if alpine lakes, sand dunes, ancient ruins, high desert, red rock canyons, or expansive plains are more your thing, Colorado has all of those, too.
Aside from incredible elopement photography locations, Colorado also has a super dope, low-key, laid-back culture. From the endless outdoor recreation and quaint mountain towns to the world-class craft brewery scene and major cities, Colorado kinda has it all.
Colorado marriage laws and how to elope in Colorado
Are you ready to hear one of the very besssst things about eloping in Colorado? It’s suuuuuper duuuuuper easy.
Under Colorado marriage laws, you don’t need any witnesses or an officiant. That’s right — you can legally marry yourselves if you want (this is called self-solemnization). If you’ve always pictured eloping in Colorado as literally just you and your partner in the mountains, we can totally make that happen!
You are required to get a marriage license for your Colorado elopement. It doesn’t even have to be the same county and there is no waiting period, so it’s really simple. I’ll walk you through the process😉.
Here are the requirements most counties require on the Colorado marriage license application:
Date and place of birth
Current address
Social Security Number (if you don’t have one, your passport qualifies; you do not have to be a U.S. citizen to obtain a license)
Names and addresses of parents, living or deceased
Mother’s maiden name
Marital status. If divorced, the date and the court where the final decree was issued must be provided. If widowed, then the date you were widowed.
As I mentioned, Colorado does not have a waiting period, so you can apply for the license on your elopement day — just bring your ID! Note that the fee for a Colorado marriage license is $30 and it’s relatively common for County Clerk’s offices to accept cash or checks only.
Once you’re officially married, you have 63 days to return your Colorado marriage license for legal filing. You can mail it or drop it off in-person, but it MUST be returned to the same county it was issued in.
Okay, let’s recap so far! Here are all the legal details about eloping in Colorado:
No officiant or witnesses required
No waiting period
Pick up a Colorado marriage license in person from a County Clerk office and pay the $30 fee. Bring cash just in case.
Return the license by mail or in-person to the same office that issued it within 63 days of your elopement
Getting location permits to elope in Colorado
Each of Colorado’s national and state parks, and many other protected areas, require permits that must be obtained in advance. That includes the four big parks (Great Sand Dunes, Mesa Verde, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, and Rocky Mountain), national monuments, wilderness areas, and more. Fees vary significantly between sites. For example, Mesa Verde’s is $50 and RMNP’s is $450.
Interestingly, Garden of the Gods (another epic spot to consider for where to elope in Colorado) works on a first-come, first-served basis. There are no permits or even fees required, but there are still a lot of logistics to consider in terms of time, location, etc.
Check out this epic sunrise elopement at Garden of the Gods, one of the best places to elope in Colorado!
If you have questions about whether a location requires a permit, how to get it, how much it costs, etc.—don’t worry, I got you! If the area you’re considering for your elopement requires a permit, I will walk you through the application process. I wear a lot of hats, so aside from being your Colorado elopement photographer, I’m also your elopement planner/guide!
Note: RMNP is arguably one of the best places to elope in Colorado. However, due to the pandemic, the park issued just 250 permits for all of 2021. In a typical year, that number is up to 2,190 (6 per day). Hopefully, things will return to normal for 2022! Check the park’s “Weddings” page here for more information.
Want to elope in Rocky Mountain National Park? Take a look at this elopement photography from inside the park for inspiration!
For 2021 + ‘22 mountain elopements, I highly recommend looking into the San Juans! They’re kinda my favorite (keep reading to find out why) 😍😍😍
Where to elope in Colorado
You may already have a very clear idea of what your wedding day looks like and where you’ll be eloping in Colorado. If that’s the case, that’s exciting and I can’t wait to hear allllll about it! But if you’re not sure where to elope in Colorado, no worries. That’s what you have me for!
Choosing the location for your full-day Colorado elopement is one of the most important decisions you’ll make about your wedding day. Luckily, I’ve photographed elopements all over this state and I’ve picked up more than just a few nuggets of knowledge along the way. More good news: there is truthfully no “bad” place to elope in Colorado — it’s all stunning hunny🤙✌️.
Rest assured, if you can share your vision for your Colorado elopement photography, the type of vibes and adventure you’re up for, and the time of year you plan to elope, then we can narrow down the best locations pretty easily. For example, say you want somewhere that’s easily accessible and your heart is set on a desert landscape, but you also love the idea of some light snow. Garden of the Gods in the spring is the perfect place to elope in Colorado.
No matter what type of day you’re picturing for your Colorado elopement, we will work together to make it magic. For some inspiration to start those wheels turning, here are some of my personal favorite best places for eloping in Colorado.
Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park, about 90 miles from Denver, is enormous (over 265,000 acres!), crazy beautiful, and insanely diverse. Aside from the Rocky Mountains themselves, there are countless alpine lakes, rivers, fairytale forests, and more — the perfect recipe for epic Colorado elopement photography. Summer and early fall hikes are nuts in RMNP, but there’s plenty of adventure in the winter and spring, too.
Imagine waking up before dawn and hiking (or in the winter, snowshoeing!) to a super-secret spot to catch the sunrise over 14,259-foot Longs Peak. You and your partner exchange vows, then share a leisurely champagne picnic breakfast next to a lake before hiking back. Your Colorado elopement photographer (that’s me!) set up a Jeep or snowmobile rental and you’re spending the afternoon exploring Trail Ridge Road, one of Colorado’s highest paved roads.
At the end of your elopement day, head back to the upscale, perfectly-Colorado-esque Devil’s Thumb Ranch. It’s time to celebrate — you’re married! Spend the next several days here enjoying horseback rides, hiking, yoga classes, spa treatments, and whatever other goodies your perfect honeymoon includes.
Elope in Garden of the Gods
Garden of the Gods (GOG) is easily one of the most unique and best places to elope in Colorado. It’s right in Colorado Springs, making it easily accessible year-round, yet it looks almost otherworldly with its huge red rock formations. Iconic Pikes Peak also serves as GOG’s amazing natural backdrop, so elopement photography here is seriously epic.
Another unique aspect of Garden of the Gods is that the park doesn’t require any fees or permits to get married. That means popular areas often get crowded, but luckily, I have several tricks up my sleeve. I’ve spent countless hours scouting secluded elopement locations with epic views for both sunrise and sunset, and many of the best spots don’t require long hikes. We can also rent e-bikes to check out different areas of the park, or go on a Jeep tour to see it all. For my super adventurous couples, rock climbing is popular in GOG!
You could easily spend weeks exploring Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs, and Pikes Peak, and there are some great lodging options nearby that make the perfect basecamp. This incredible Airbnb is just three minutes from GOG and has AMAZINGGGG views of the mountains, as well as a hot tub on the deck. Imagine waking up here together on your elopement day, then getting ready and heading into the park to get married as the sun rises!
Great Sand Dunes National Park
When you’re thinking about where to elope in Colorado, nowhere is more diverse than the Great Sand Dunes. Where else in Colorado can you find massive sand dunes and an actual beach in the middle of snow-capped mountains?
Great Sand Dunes National Park is open year-round and we can actually enter it 24/7. This is one of the best places in the country to stargaze, so consider a sunset elopement followed by a picnic dinner and stargazing. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of lying back against an enormous sand dune, under the vast night sky with your new husband or wife! If you’re game to try something new, sandboarding (snowboarding on sand!) is a must in Great Sand Dunes.
The park is fairly remote and there is a ton to explore in the area, so I highly recommend spending a day or two nearby. Check out the Medano-Zapata Ranch, a high-end working cattle ranch that’s also home to a herd of 2,000 bison. Bordering the park, you can spend your first days as newlyweds horseback riding among the bison, hiking, fly fishing or whitewater rafting on nearby rivers, or simply relaxing, dining on gourmet food, and taking in the views.
Elope in the San Juan Mountains
I am really partial to the San Juans being one of the BEST places to elope in Colorado. The super rugged mountain range in the southwestern part of the state encompasses four national forests, 13 fourteeners, countless lakes and rivers, some rad ghost towns, and the famous Million Dollar Highway. Some of the major towns in the San Juans include Telluride, Ouray, Durango, and Silverton.
With so much diverse terrain and adventure in this area, there’s no limit to what we can include in your Colorado elopement day timeline. Picture exploring some off-road trails in a four-by-four Jeep and making our way to a natural hot spring, where you’ll watch the sunset with champagne in hand. We can also do plenty of hiking, with hundreds of canyon, waterfall, and lake-view trails to choose from. And if the San Juan Skyway is open (it closes due to heavy snowfall in the winter), we can easily spend a whole day driving it and stopping for epic photos along the way. Literally, this road will knock your socks off!
There’s a ton to explore in the San Juans, but the teeny-tiny mountain town of Ouray is the perfect jumping-off point. It’s nicknamed “Switzerland of America” and it’s not hard to see why, with its jagged mountain peaks, waterfalls right in town, adorable historic architecture, and charming downtown area. Imagine spending your elopement night and honeymoon staying directly along the Uncompahgre River in a romantic log cabin!
How much does it cost to elope in Colorado?
Honestly, there is no one-size-fits-all answer here. The cost of eloping in Colorado is entirely dependent on your vision for the day and how simple or elaborate your plans are. I’ve seen couples spend anywhere from a few hundred dollars to over $10,000. And importantly, every elopement, regardless of budget, is epic in its own ways!
My Colorado elopement photography packages are personalized and all-inclusive. I help you plan every detail, spend hours researching and scouting epic locations, create custom-tailored timelines for your full-day elopement with all sorts of activities and ideas, and, as I am ordained, I can sign and file all the legal stuff (i.e., your marriage license) 🤙.
While I do wear a lot of “hats” as a Colorado elopement photographer, there are some additional, optional expenses to consider outside of the services I provide. I do not include makeup, hair, or floral services, although I’m more than happy to recommend and connect you with great vendors I trust or have worked with in the past!
As discussed above, there may also be costs for special-use permits at your elopement location, which typically vary from $50 to around $300. I mentioned that I do all the research and walk you through applying for those permits, but remember that you will need to account for their cost in your elopement budget.
Finally, consider including accommodations in your budget — whether or not you’re traveling from out-of-state to elope in Colorado. Your elopement day is very literally the adventure of your lifetime, and it deserves to be celebrated! Whether you spend a single night in a super unique yurt or you treat yourselves to a week at a luxury dude ranch, you will never forget this time you’ll be spending together 🤗.
When is the best time to elope in Colorado?
One of the many incredible things about Colorado is that the entire state enjoys four distinct seasons. The weather is also awesome year-round, although extreme elements in the winter aren’t uncommon.
Fall - My favorite time to shoot Colorado elopements. You just can’t beat the fall colors in the mountains!
Winter - If you’re dreaming of a winter wonderland elopement, it doesn’t get better than Colorado. However, careful strategic planning is necessary to account for potential weather setbacks.
Spring - It’s not uncommon for there to be snow in the mountains through June! Even in Denver, March is historically the snowiest month of the year. As it warms up though, waterfalls begin to roar and wildflowers explode in every color imaginable. Eloping in Colorado in the spring offers you a little of everything: snow, sunshine, flowing water, and lots of color.
Summer - I know I just said fall is my favorite time of year for Colorado elopements, but it’s actually tied with summer. Endless bluebird days, perfect weather, crystal clear alpine lakes and waterfalls...what’s not to love?!
If you’re flexible in terms of your date and your heart is set on a specific location, that can help us narrow down the best time to elope in Colorado. For example, if you want to elope somewhere along the Million Dollar Highway in the San Juans, a summer or early fall date is best, when the roads are open and there’s no danger of a snowstorm.
Aside from the time of year, another thing to consider when deciding on the best time to elope in Colorado is the day. After shooting hundreds of elopements, I’ve learned that weekdays are far less busy than weekends inside parks and on trails. Along the same lines, major holidays and school breaks tend to be very busy and it can be difficult to find secluded spots. Coloradoans LOVE their home and definitely make the most of their weekends and holidays (as they should!) 😂.
Ready to create your dream adventure elopement in Colorado?
Adventuring in epic mountain ranges to waterfalls, alpine lakes, and awe-inspiring canyons. Off-roading to hidden natural hot springs. Helicopter rides over the Rockies. Snowshoeing to catch sunrise in the mountains. Sandboarding before sunset, then stargazing against enormous sand dunes. All while marrying your very best friend. AND getting the most epic photos of the whole experience.
If any of this sounds like what you imagine when you think of eloping in Colorado, let’s do it hunny. 🤗 You deserve nothing less than an epic, full-day elopement experience — and I can help you make it happen.
This guide barely puts a dent in all the rad things we can do for your Colorado elopement, but I hope it gives you some great ideas to get started. Contact me so we can start planning your epic, adventurous, stress-free elopement. I can’t wait to meet you both!
