2026
UNITED STATES
ELOPEMENT GUIDE
We specialize in crafting unique moments in beautiful places.
what is an
elopement
Elopements can be whatever you want it to be. Seriously.
Don’t listen to others when they say you have to “run away” to elope. You can create a day you will always remember and don’t have to worry about planning it super far in advance. You can hike a mountain, go kayaking, take a jeep tour, go camping with your closest friends or just the two of you, or travel to an epic place. There are so many options!
our top reasons
to
elope
01
More Intimate
You want your day to be memorable for the both of you (and your closest friends/family if you want). You have way more options with less people and that’s perfect for you both. You can even invite a chef to cook for you (and have way more options!).
02
Adventure More
You can camp, hike, and do all the fun stuff a lot easier with less people. You have so many more options of getting to the gorgeous places and getting permits for some of the locations too (not all need permits — we can help with that!). You can choose to chill or have an insane itinerary to create some epic moments.
03
Epic Photos
Sunrise and sunset, it doesn’t matter. Your photos will be beautiful and you will have much more time to explore to some insanely beautiful spots if you elope. Your schedule will be much easier and flexible with less people. You can have those epic sunrise, sunset, starry night photos sitting by a campfire if you elope.
04
Save Money
Sometimes we don’t know if we need to mention this, but eloping with less people is much more cost effective than with 200-300 people. You can splurge on great food, a gorgeous dress, cool lodging and experiences, among other things you might want.
how to plan
your
elopement
First off. Think about the why. Why do you want to elope?
It could be so many different reasons like:
– You want something easier
– You want to do WHATEVER you want
– You want something more memorable and more of an experience
– You want to escape some family drama
– You want to save some money
– You want to explore a new place with the love of your life.
It doesn’t matter what the reason, but it matters that you are both on the same page about the why and what you envision together.
Sit down, grab some coffee/tea/beer/wine and brainstorm some of your favorite or bucket list places.
When you two sit down, and chat and think about places, what pops into your heads? Waterfalls? Mountaintops? Beaches with mountains? Jeep rides? Hiking? Think about who will be there and what will work best too for that # of people.
You can always hike together and share your vows, and then have a ceremony with family/friends later.
What type of weather do you want to be in? Do you like the fall leaves, the summer heat, the snow? Do you want to go when it’s less busy at the location?
Another thing to think about is whether the time of year matters with your work or not. Locations are always less busy during the week, rather than the weekend. Can you manage to get away during the week? Do you have time off available to make your elopement a little longer and more of an adventure? Do you want to make an entire getaway of it all and combine your wedding with a vacation?
Because elopements are amazing for that!
Who do you want to be there? Think long and hard about who you couldn’t imagine not being there on your day. You don’t have to have anyone, but sometimes our couples still want some of their family and friends around. You can still include some of your closest people even when you elope.
You can hike together and have your own moments and then meet up with them after (or even before). If you want them there for everything, there are always more options to include them in all the festivities.
If you just want you two, that is always an option and we always support our couples to do whatever they want.
decide
on the
vendors
Which Vendors Do You Want?
It all depends on your budget and what vendors do you want to be there of course, but here are some you might want for your day. We can suggest some local vendors to help your day be amazing too.
– Photographer (oh, hey)
– Officiant (some locations you don’t need and can self-solemnize)
– Florals/Design
– Hair+Makeup
– Chef/Food
– Accommodations/Lodging
– Outfitters/Adventures
– Live Music (mostly at our intimate weddings)
– Videographer
locations
for your
elopement
US Elopement Location Ideas
Here are some of our location ideas. There are so many amazing options in the US!
*indicates places we have been. Other state and national parks are also great options and we can help with any permitting and location scouting.
what
to
wear
If you’re hiking for your elopement, you can choose to hike in your dressy clothes or change when you get out to the ceremony location. We have had some brides have two dresses too, one for hiking and one for the ceremony and the rest of the day. We have even had some couples have an evening outfit to change into also. The choice is really up to you!
Some of our couples might plan their day more last minute, so what to wear can be stressful sometimes. Here are some awesome stores that can work for your day:
Some of our recent elopements + intimate weddings
WANT MORE INFO
On our Elopements?
Check out more information at our Info+Pricing page or feel free to contact us too! We can’t wait to chat!
COLORADO ADVENTURE PHOTOGRAPHERS
BASED IN LONGMONT, COLORADO
720.432.5755
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