Getting to this point took some planning, but honestly, it was such a fun experience! After figuring out what mattered most to us, we decided to elope well over a year in advance. Choosing where and when to make it happen took a little research, too. We knew we didn’t want a typical Vegas or courthouse wedding. Instead, we wanted something beautiful, memorable, and a little outside the box—something you don’t see every day and might not even think of at first.

That’s when Colorado came to mind. With its breathtaking scenery and mountain views, it felt like the perfect place to say “I do.” Who wouldn’t want to be surrounded by fairy-tale like mountains on their wedding day? Colorado also made the decision even easier thanks to its marriage laws, which make eloping surprisingly simple. No officiant or formal ceremony is required! In fact, we legally married ourselves the morning of our ceremony. Just the two of us. We literally walked into the Broomfield County Courthouse, signed a few papers, and walked out legally married.

Of course, there was still plenty to do before the big day. Luckily, we found a Colorado-based elopement planner who helped connect us with our vendors and bring everything together. We went suit and dress shopping, picked out a bouquet and boutonnière (courtesy of Amazon), ordered a few extra details, and coordinated with our vendors to make sure everything was ready for the day.

One of the most special parts of the experience was having Sydney, a longtime friend of ours, join us as our officiant for the ceremony. She prepared a beautiful speech for us, helped us get ready beforehand, supported us throughout the ceremony, and was there to help us decompress afterward. Having a familiar face by our side made the experience that much more meaningful.

And while the setting was absolutely beautiful, the weather kept us guessing right up until the big day! Loveland Pass is known for its unpredictable mountain weather, so we weren’t sure if we’d be dealing with both rain and cold during our ceremony. Thankfully, the rain stayed away, but the cold definitely showed up! While Denver was enjoying a comfortable 70–80°F, temperatures up at Loveland Pass hovered around 40°F thanks to the high altitude. Needless to say, we were ready to warm up afterward! We wrapped up the day with a delicious meal at Ocean Prime in downtown Denver. And at the end of the night, we celebrated some more with cake!

All in all, the ceremony went incredibly smoothly. We had a minor nail emergency that only needed a little glue to fix, and, of course, we had to brave the cold, but everything else came together just as we’d hoped. One of the best parts was how little we had to worry about in the moment. Once we committed to a date and location, the rest of the planning fell into place more easily than we expected.

Looking back, eloping was such a wonderful decision for us. It gave us the chance to focus on what mattered most, celebrate our relationship in a beautiful and meaningful way, and create a memory that was entirely our own.

And then our adventures as husband and wife began! Check out our photos section to see all the places we landed.