8 Unique Ideas to Celebrate Your Elopement in Colorado

My favorite thing about elopements in Colorado may just be the freedom every couple has to make the experience their own. The abundance of amazing locations, the option to self solemnize, and the flexibility that is a part of the DNA of elopements all come together in a way that allows couples to truly celebrate their love how THEY want to. It’s something I’ve always been obsessed with, and also the reason why this article came together in the first place. Today we’re going to be looking into 8 fun and unique ways for couples to celebrate their elopement in Colorado!

8 Unique Ideas to Celebrate Your Elopement in Colorado

1. A Canoe Elopement

Colorado is pretty renowned for its breathtaking mountain ranges, and those will get their fair share of the limelight in this article too. An area of exploration that I love in Colorado, and one that often gets overlooked though, are our incredible lakes, rivers, and reservoirs! Water activities are some of my favorites to suggest when couples travel to Colorado to elope, so why not include them into the ceremony itself? Let’s embark on our canoes together at the crack of dawn for an unforgettable sunrise elopement. Say your I do’s surrounded by the lake and the epic landscapes of Colorado. After your ceremony we’ll disembark to get some photos on land before you two head off to celebrate your elopement.

2. A Skiing Adventure Elopement

For all the skiing enthusiasts and winter lovers out there, there’s nothing quite like celebrating your elopement on some fresh powder in the Colorado mountains! Like I mentioned earlier, Colorado is home to a plethora of beautiful mountains, many of which host world renowned ski slopes and resorts. I have the perfect example of this one of a kind experience to give you a glimpse as to what an elopement on the Colorado ski slopes can look like. After your elopement we’ll have portrait opportunities at either the town, Airbnb, or resort you’re staying at, giving your photo album a full and well rounded feel to it.

3. Ghost Town Elopement

One of the most unique experiences you can have for your elopement in Colorado is exploring and taking portraits in one of the state’s ghost towns. No, not that kind of ghost! These ghost towns are historic sites found throughout the state that were either completely abandoned as is, or have been created through the state transporting historic abandoned buildings to a single site. These towns really do feel like you’re stepping out of a time machine as the historic buildings are immaculately preserved.

The state of Colorado has a rich and storied history, especially considering how important the early mining days of the state were for our country. These ghost towns offer the closest representation of what life was like at that time, and as such make for a wholly unique elopement experience! Personally I love the South Park City ghost town in Fairplay, Colorado, but there are tons around the state which you can learn more about here.

4. Hiking Elopement

Alright, back on track to something a little more expected, but equally unique for Colorado elopements, is a hiking elopement! Thanks again to the state’s immeasurably beautiful, mountainous landscape, there is no shortage of fantastic hiking trails to explore. Whether it takes you to the summit of an epic mountain, a hidden waterfall that feels like it’s never been seen before, or another one of Colorado’s seemingly infinite and equally gorgeous locations, an elopement on one of these hiking trails can be a dream come true. One of the best parts about this style of elopement is that the journey is equally as beautiful as the destination, so you’ll have NO shortage of amazing portrait photos from your day!

5. An Intimate Airbnb or Vrbo

With the abundance of naturally beautiful locations found throughout Colorado it should come as no surprise that there’s now an insane amount of Airbnbs and Vrbos near these locations. A-Frame houses, tree houses, log cabins, and more can make for the perfect location to celebrate your elopement in Colorado. Many of these Airbnbs have stunning views of the landscape to act as the perfect backdrop for your elopement ceremony. From there you can either head out on a nearby hiking trail for some portraits, or take some in and around the Airbnb to further document the experience. Either way, having a beautiful Airbnb or Vrbo to act as the homebase for your travels is a great option for your elopement celebrations!

6. Elope as Dinosaurs

As I mentioned at the start of this article, one of the things I love most about elopements is how they allow the couple to be unapologetically authentic to themselves. I adore this freedom of self expression, and I’m hoping someone will take it to the level that J+S did for their engagement session! These two dressed up in their inflatable dinosaur costumes for their session in Red Rocks, and ever since then I’ve been dreaming of a couple incorporating one of these costumes into their celebrations of their Colorado elopement. We can of course snap some photos of you two in some more traditional wedding attire, but this is such a fun way to bring some next level fun to your day!

7. Get Tattoos Together

Nothing says ‘forever’ quite like a tattoo! The trend of getting matching tattoos has only become more and more popular throughout the years, and I think it’s a fantastic way to celebrate your elopement in Colorado. Get a tattoo of your rings, matching outlines of the mountain you hiked earlier in your trip, or really anything that you want. It’s a permanent reminder of this wonderful moment in your lives, and one that you’ll always have with you no matter what. Plus, documenting you two getting your tattoos together leads to some pretty awesome photos for your album!

8. Book a Private Chef

The final idea for a unique way to celebrate your elopement in Colorado is a tasty one! Booking a private chef can take a couple of different shapes. First is that you can book a chef or caterer that will teach and walk you through how to cook a certain dish. This would be an incredibly fun and interactive experience for you both, and one that is a blast to document in your photos! You can also book them to instead cook the dish for you both to enjoy as a final treat for your elopement day. This option keeps things a little more lowkey and a bit romantic. Either way, this is a fantastic option to elevate the overall experience of your elopement here in Colorado.

Eloping in Colorado

Now that we’ve covered some of my favorite ways couples can celebrate their elopement in Colorado, there’s still a TON of planning that needs to be done. The good news is that I also have plenty of resources available to reference as you get deeper into your elopement planning. First is my overall guide to eloping in Colorado which also includes an inside look into my elopement packages. Next is a guide to some of my favorite elopement locations in Colorado. There are also a ton more resources on the blog to help guide you through the elopement planning process to help make things as simple and stress free as possible for you.

One of the BEST ways to ensure that you’re elopement planning is a breeze though is to work through the planning process with your photographer! If you’re ready to book me to document your day head on over to my contact page as I’d love to get to know you both and help bring your elopement vision to life.