How to Elope in Colorado
If you’re excited about the idea of eloping in Colorado, but feel overwhelmed about how to make it happen, you’re in the right place! Your dream wedding day is possible and I’m here to walk you through how to elope in the beautiful state of CO! Let’s dive in:
1. Decide what month or season you want to get married
If you have a date that is meaningful to you and your partner, then that makes this step easy! But if you aren’t sure when you want to get married, this is a great place to start. I suggest thinking about what season you want to get married in, and from there, pick a month.
Here are some general timeframes for Colorado’s most sought after backdrops:
Yellow Aspen leaves: Mid September-beginning of October
Wildflowers: July
Green/summery backdrops in the mountains (no snow): Mid June-August
Alpine lakes: July and August
You don’t have to choose a specific date until step 3, but here’s a pro tip: If you want to elope in nature/in a public place, I suggest eloping on a weekday. Weekends in Colorado can be busy with tourists and locals alike enjoying the great outdoors! Choosing a weekday creates a more relaxed elopement experience.
2. Start brainstorming locations
When you think of your elopement, what do you picture? Saying your vows on top of a mountain? Eloping on the courthouse steps?
You don’t have to have your specific location picked out (that part comes next), but it’s good to have a general sense of what location you’re drawn to. Save some photos that you like and do some research on the different areas/towns in Colorado!
To help you narrow it down, here are some things to think about:
Distance from the airport
Accessibility during the season you want to get married in
Activities available: getting coffee, hiking, off-roading, boating, grabbing a drink at a bar
Backdrop: Colorado has urban cityscapes, mountain peaks, alpine lakes, Aspen leaves and more
If you want some ideas, check out my Best Places to Elope in Colorado blog!
3. Hire a local photographer
Most of my couples inquire with me before they have all the details figured out! As a local Colorado elopement photographer, I love helping my couples find the perfect location, choose their wedding date and secure any necessary permits. Most local photographers will offer and be able to help you plan your day, in addition to photographing it.
After I get an idea of what my couples are looking for in a location, I send them a list of ideas and available dates. From there, we pick a date, place and make it official!
4. Plan your dream day
Once you have a date and place, the world is really your oyster! We can spend your elopement day however you want. When planning with my couples, I send over a detailed planning questionnaire to help craft the timeline and get my couples brainstorming what activities they might want to include in their day. It’s important to have a timeline in place as a starting point, but the beauty of eloping is that you get to totally go with the flow on the day of!
5. Get your marriage license
Getting married in Colorado is almost too easy, which is why so many couples choose to elope here! Colorado allows self solemnization, which means you don’t need an officiating party or witnesses to make it legal.
Your first step should be to make the appointment to get your marriage license. Each county has different processes, so make sure you look into the specific county you want to pick up your license in. Keep in mind, you don’t have to get your license from the county you are getting married in, but you do have to return the license to the same office after signing it. Most couples pick up their license a day or two before their elopement and drop it off a day or two after, after signing it on a mountaintop, of course (:
Here are the details on getting your marriage license by county:
6. Have the best day ever!
The timeline has been set, you’ve chosen your dream elopement location, you have your marriage license in hand and your photographer is there ready to document your day. It’s time to get married! My sincere hope is that your best day really feels like your best day. Not the day your friends or family maybe wanted you to have, but the day that you and your partner are over the moon about!
Eloping in Colorado allows you craft an adventurous, intimate and unique day. I’m so excited that you’re here and reading more about how to make your dream wedding day happen! If you have questions or want to learn more about how to elope in Colorado, head to my contact form. I seriously cannot wait to hear from you!
