Garden of the Gods Elopement

I’m so dang excited to share this stunning Garden of the Gods Elopement! I may be biased, but traveling to Garden of the Gods to get married is worth it, no matter the distance! In Brittany and Drake’s case, they came all the way from Louisiana to get married among the red rocks.

When people think of Colorado I’m guessing they picture beautiful snow capped peaks. Maybe they think of skiing and hiking among the pines. But that’s not all Colorado has to offer! Colorado Springs is unique because of its desert climate and close proximity to the mountains. Garden of the Gods is especially beautiful because not only do you get to wander amongst the rocks, you get stunning views of Pikes Peak, too. The best of both worlds!

Another unique benefit to getting married at Garden of the Gods, is that you don’t need a permit or reservation. Most parks in Colorado require a permit, so this is definitely something to consider. You really can show up to the park whenever you want, free of charge, to say “I do!” The downside is that other couples may be thinking the same thing and there is no way to reserve your ceremony site. But, in my experience, if you are strategic about the day of the week and time of day you go, you shouldn’t have a problem!

When you decide to elope in nature, you never know exactly what to expect! Sometimes the end of October means snow in Colorado, but on this wedding day it meant warm temps and wind. At first wind might seem like a bad thing, but in reality I loved the movement it created. The other thing that is also out of your control is other people. This Garden of the Gods elopement was on a Saturday in October, which is a pretty busy time for weddings. I remember laughing because there were 3 or 4 other weddings going on at the same time! It was crazy. But don’t let that scare you! It didn’t stop Brittany and Drake from saying “I do!” and, like I mentioned earlier, day of the week matters. You can always opt for a weekday wedding to minimize the crowds.

The amazing thing about eloping is that it can be whatever you want it to be! Maybe you have some guests or maybe it’s just the two of you. Brittany and Drake got married with their daughter present and I thought it was so sweet! Of course they were all a family before the wedding, but it was so cool to see their family becoming officially official! How sweet for their daughter to be able to look back at her mom and dad’s wedding photos and to see herself in them!

The couple chose to get married in the late afternoon, which I thought was perfect because that meant we got some pretty amazing sunset portraits afterwards. If you’re planning on eloping, you are most likely planning your elopement day yourself. Having the whole day to whatever you want is freeing from a typically wedding day, but it can also feel overwhelming. What should you do and when? Make sure you ask your photographer what would be best for lighting purposes. Since you have the time and flexibility, why not get incredible photos!

As the sun continued to lower, it just kept getting better! The golden sunset mixed with the wind made for some hella romantic photos. That’s why I love this gallery so much!

Sometimes I can’t believe this is really my job! I got to explore the red rocks, in the golden light, with a wonderful family. Here’s to more moments among the rocks!