Sunrise Hike Fall Elopement in Colorado
In Colorado, you don’t need an officiant or witnesses to legally get married. That’s exactly why Cat & Joe wanted to come here to elope! When they reached out to us, they didn’t have any locations/timelines in mind- they just wanted to make sure they caught the fall colors and could have the intimate ceremony they were dreaming of. They both loved the idea of spending their private moments together with the beautiful mountains and scenery of Colorado. They really wanted photographers to help capture this moment to share with their friends and family back home. Based on what they were looking for, we suggested a short sunrise hike and scouted the perfect, hidden gem location for them to exchange vows. All we had to do was wait for October 2, 2022 to arrive!
The day before their elopement, we had dinner together at our favorite Italian restaurant in Colorado Springs. We really like to connect with our clients and form a friendship with them, and we had the best time celebrating what was to come! Plus, pasta is good hiking fuel hehe.
We woke up at 3 AM to start getting ready, and then Cat & Joe met us at our place. The trailhead was an hour away, and then it was about a mile long hike to the location. Nich left with Joe in their rental car and started hiking before Cat & I, so that Joe would be standing at the spot, turned away, when Cat arrived (they wanted to have an epic first look moment). Getting up so early is really hard, but I’ll never forget how fun the drive to the trailhead was with Cat at 5 AM! She was just exuding bliss and excitement.
What’s crazy is that we weren’t even supposed to have a good sunrise that morning, it was cloudy with a really high chance of rain for the whole day! As soon as Cat and I arrived at the end of the hike, and she was ready for her first look with Joe, the clouds parted and revealed one of the most beautiful sunrises I’ve ever seen. We also had the place all to ourselves for the entire experience. It was exactly what they wanted and nothing short of magical. Fall is our absolute favorite time of year here in Colorado - and it only lasts a few weeks. The glowing, golden aspens made this elopement day even more special! Surrounded by mountains, just the two of them, reading their vows with the sun & the aspens as their witnesses.
After exchanging their vows and rings, they signed the certificate and popped some champagne! It started to rain a little (which is good luck, btw) so we hiked back down to our cars and drove to a couple of spots to take more photos and have some fun in some more aspens. We then had lunch back in Colorado Springs, and we called it a day!
This whole gallery makes me so happy. These two followed their hearts, stayed true to themselves, and came to Colorado to elope. Colorado truly rewarded them for that- a perfect sunrise, golden aspens, and a little magical rain. When Nich and I were going through the final gallery, we both had the biggest smiles because it’s SO evident how in love and excited and happy they are. It really felt like they were having the best day of their lives, and we got to be a part of that.
We can’t thank C & J enough for trusting us with their vision and allowing us so much artistic freedom. This will forever be one of my favorite days to look back on!
