An Unforgettable Experience with a Colorado Elopement Photographer
As a Colorado elopement photographer, I believe my job is not only to create breathtaking pictures but to create an unforgettable elopement experience. This post will talk about the entire process from planning the dream elopement to enjoying the elopement day.
Whether you’re planning to elope in Colorado and are looking for a Colorado elopement photographer, or you’re a photographer looking to create an incredible experience for your couples, this article is for you. I’m passionate not just about great photography but about making the day my couples get married an unforgettable experience. If we focus on the meaning of the vows and the significance of the wedding day, great photos will follow.
Many couples choose to elope in Colorado because they want their wedding day to be stress-free or they want to avoid the family drama of a big wedding. Other couples choose to elope because Colorado elopement packages can be significantly less expensive than even a small wedding at a traditional venue. Regardless of your reason, when you get married you celebrate the adventure of your love!
How We Capture Colorado Elopement Photography
For me, Colorado elopement photography isn’t just about an epic photo, it’s about an epic moment. If I focus on creating an incredible experience and then capturing those moments, the photography is so much better when it’s anchored into real moments.
A meaningful photo is more important to me than a viral photo. I’m more concerned with how my couples feel on their elopement day. Because that’s what they’re going to see when they look at the photos, they’ll remember if they honestly felt the joy the photo communicates.
As a husband and wife team, we work together to make your elopement day an adventure and then we tell that story. That means we’re helping create a stress-free and joy-filled day and then we use our photography skills to capture it. As a team, we can shoot from multiple angles and perspectives or assist each other with crafting a complicated image.
Planning an Awesome Elopement Day
Elopement planning is a lot different than planning for a traditional wedding, but that doesn’t mean anyone should overlook the planning process. Our Colorado elopement packages, for example, typically include 3-4+ hours of coverage and a fine art wedding album. Whether you want to capture the whole day or just the highlights, I encourage you to think about what you want your elopement experience to feel like.
Our Colorado elopement packages are built around the experience of the elopement day. We don’t want it to feel rushed, we want you to feel comfortable, and we want you to focus on your relationship and the marriage ahead. This is the next step toward the rest of your lives, let’s make it a memorable one.
If you’re planning to elope in Colorado, we can help you think through the differences between a true elopement and an intimate wedding with a few guests. Then you might set your sights on finding the perfect location whether it’s an alpine lake in Rocky Mountain National Park or somewhere off the grid in the Rocky Mountains. You can think through if you want to hike or keep it more simple, when you start planning I suggest identifying your priorities and keeping them in focus.
The Colorado Elopement Experience
As a Colorado elopement photographer, what I love most are the little moments. The moment a couple looks out at the views from their alpine lake and realizes that they’re married. The hike to the perfect spot to exchange vows or the first time someone uses the word husband.
I love to craft pictures, don’t get me wrong. In fact, a lot of my elopement planning advice is around when and where to get great pictures. But the planning process, for an elopement or traditional wedding alike, doesn’t control how you actually feel when you say “I do” to your best friend.
As elopement photographers, we get to help our couples start their married life. We’ve helped create custom elopement packages and ways to celebrate that are unique to each couple. We might be in the same location in Rocky Mountain National Park that we’ve been to countless times before but Colorado elopements are as unique as the couples celebrating.
Elopement Memories
I would like to share a few elopement memories that come to mind, days that stick out as memorable and unforgettable. And they’re not even my wedding, I hope the experience had as much impact on our couples as it did on us. I imagine that if I looked at pictures from all the weddings I would remember something special from most of them.
Thinking through these stories fills me with a lot of gratitude for the couples I’ve met and the love stories I’ve gotten to tell. Thanks to all the people that have trusted us with their love over the years!
Colorado Elopement Memory 1
I remember hiking with a couple in the snow to a lake. The vision was clear, we’d get some epic mountain winter wonderland views. But Colorado had a different vision, it was a white out and there were no views to be had.
Instead, we have incredible memories of hiking in waist deep snow and laughing and smiling at the craziness of the day. The pictures weren’t like the original vision but the memory was unforgettable.
Colorado Elopement Memory 2
I remember a tragedy that hit one of our couples and their family and so they altered their plans to elope before their more traditional wedding in order to take some of the stress off the day and make it more intimate. It was heartbreaking and an amazing example of the power of love. I have no doubt that the couple will have a strong marriage ahead of them.
California Elopement Memory 3
I’ve been to Taft Point and Glacier Point countless times and taken the same wedding pictures that every other photographer has but every time it’s different because of the couple. And nature too, nature always does something different giving us a memorable show. One time I remember that the Bride’s dress broke while she was getting ready and I helped her tie it back together adding seamstress to my list of qualifications.
Colorado Elopement Memory 4
Someone very important to me asked me to help them capture one epic photo of their elopement. One epic photo doesn’t sound like a lot but that’s actually a lot of pressure. I hiked to nearly 14,000 feet while very pregnant and stood on the top of the world with my arms outstretched.
I believe we got more than one epic photo!
California Elopement Memory 5
Another elopement when I was pregnant we were racing the sun to the summit of a small peak so we could get some final pictures. I couldn’t keep up so I had Marc, my husband and photography partner, take the couple ahead of me. When I finally got there and saw the view I caught an extra wind and suddenly had the energy to create what are now some of my favorite photos.
California Elopement Memory 6
I always love meeting couples, hearing their stories, and getting to know them. One time we met a couple in Yosemite that I’m certain we’d be best friends with if we lived closer. Sometimes you have an instant connection with someone.
We swapped favorite books and workout ideas and shared interests, I left the day feeling inspired and like I had grown as a person.
Adventure Elopement: What It and Isn’t
What about the adventure elopement? What does that mean? My opinion is that it means whatever you want it to be at whatever level of adventure feels comfortable for you.
Some of our couples choose to elope because they want to be on a mountain and maybe their family can’t do that. Other couples aren’t very adventurous by nature but they know that this is the moment to do something out of their comfort zone. For the rest of their lives, they’ll have the photos from their wedding adventure to remember that on their wedding day, they took a risk, literally and figuratively.
In my years as a Colorado elopement photographer, I’ve heard couples say that they had fun, the best day, the perfect day. That’s what I want their photos to remind them of. We call your wedding day a special day, the big day, the best day ever. But really it’s the first page in a new chapter of your life!
Colorado Elopement Photographer / Planner / Tour Guide
Because an elopement is less formal than a wedding, often we act also as planners and tour guides. We’ve done this before so we can help you with your timeline, location selection, and vision for the day. For us, it’s not a cookie-cutter thing but we have a lot of experience and ideas that we can bring to the table to help craft something that will feel special to you.
Unlike a big wedding, elopements also have some intrinsic adventure in that they aren’t as formally planned out by the minute. Sometimes, our couples show up in Colorado for their elopement never having been to the location before. We love showing them our favorite spots and watching them soak up the beauty of Colorado whether it’s in Estes Park or Vail.
In fact, this brings me to think I should share some of the things I love most about capturing the adventure of an elopement before I sign off. Friends don’t let friends do something they hate, life is about joy, love, and adventure! Elopements make me feel all those things.
What I Love Most About Being a Colorado Elopement Photographer
Here’s a list of what I love most about being a Colorado elopement photographer!
- Couples that plan a Colorado elopement are fun and adventurous
- When I get to take someone somewhere they’ve never been
- Getting to see couples make their wedding day unforgettable
- Elopements are usually flexible and we can plan around sunrise or sunset when the light is most beautiful (this can also be true for small intimate weddings.)
- Colorado is a stunning (and fun) place to be a photographer
- Colorado has amazing local vendors, even if I don’t love how crazy the wedding industry can be at least there are trusted vendors. (Reach out if you need vendor recommendations.)
- Colorado elopements = adventure
More Elopement Planning Resources
Here’s a list of some of our popular elopement planning resources. The most important one is probably our free guide on how to prioritize your planning so that your wedding is a memorable adventure.
- finding the perfect adventure elopement photographer
- planning a wedding in the mountains? 4 quick tips to take you to the top
- where to elope in colorado: cost, logistics, and our favorite places to say i do
- how to plan an elopement in 10 steps: the ceremony, the reception, the family
- planning your colorado mountain elopement (less stress more views)
We also have tips for photographers such as this marketing guide.
About the author – Colorado elopement photographers
I am Brenda Bergreen, one half of a husband and wife photography and videography team specializing in Colorado wedding photography and videography and outdoor photography. Be sure to reach out if you’re looking for an elopement photographer or videographer! You’ll get your images in an online gallery two weeks after your wedding adventure, it’s your big day you shouldn’t wait forever for photos.
As a Colorado elopement photographer, I’d love to help you elope in Colorado or meet you somewhere else in this beautiful world. Check your date or view our Colorado elopement packages and let’s get to planning your perfect colorado elopement photography.
Remember to download our free Wedding Planning Guide on how to prioritize your planning or our Build Your Life guide! And don’t hesitate to contact us especially if you’re on the hunt for a Colorado elopement photographer!
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