Colorado Rocky Mountain National Park Elopement
colorado Rocky Mountain National Park Elopement - Moraine Park Amphitheater and trail ridge road
Kayla and Jordan’s day began at Murphy’s River Lodge in Estes Park Colorado; which was perfect for getting ready photos and detail shots! There’s a river that runs behind the property, the rooms have big windows and plenty of space for everyone to hangout. I’m always a fan of good getting ready spots and on the lookout for places that have an abundance of natural light and cool places to hang. Don’t sleep on these Colorado Mountain Lodges for good places to stay when you’re eloping out here!
Around noon we all took off to Rocky Mountain National Park for the elopement! The park has designated locations for elopements and a permit process that’s required to book a spot. You can read more about that here Pro Tip: The locations book out way in advance, right now it’s only a $300 fee to secure a location in RMNP, so if you’re thinking about it you’ll want to start the process ASAP!
Kayla and Jordan chose Moraine Park Amphitheater for their elopement ceremony location! I love this spot for a few reasons, currently arches are allowed to be setup which I am huge fan of! Steph from Flower Disco did an incredible job and totally made Kayla’s floral dreams come true! The location is also awesome if you’re having friends and family join you for your day plus there’s a decent amount of shade which is a plus in the summer months of Colorado.
Pro Tip: If you’re wanting to include some of your people on your elopement one of my favorite things for couples to do is have a ceremony with everyone or an after party. You can TOTALLY split your day up and celebrate with your people then take off to explore, hike, take photos or how about have a picnic and go fly-fishing?
Kayla and Jordan exchanged vows, popped champagne and signed their Colorado Wedding License to make it official! Pro Tip: Get your Colorado Wedding License Online here.
We got a little rain, which was no big deal! Honestly, rain brings the good moody clouds and cools things off. Always be prepared for weather in the mountains! Pack the boots, rain jacket and umbrella. Once the rain passed through the mountains we headed down to Moraine Valley for a sushi picnic and some fly-fishing. How rad is that? There was no stress of being carted around at specific times but instead Kayla and Jordan just got to enjoy the day and actually do things that they love! Pro Tip: Get your Colorado Fishing License
After the picnic and fly-fishing we took off to Trail Ridge Road which is one of my absolute favorite locations for photos in Rocky Mountain National Park. Pro Tip: If you’re a photographer make sure and get your photography permit here practice LNT and stay off the marked protected tundra!
We wrapped the day up chasing the sunset overlooking Trail Ridge Road. There are so many hidden gems along the way that are amazing for hiking and epic couple portraits. Pro Tip: Always bring some warm clothes at anytime of the year since TR can be 20 deg. cooler than the park entrance or way colder than the Denver area.
I’m just going to say I was so inspired by Jordan and Kayla. Their intentionality and love for each-other is so evident! Colorado is a special place for them and when we first talked they shared how much they love the mountains, hiking and fly-fishing together. They wanted to be able to include these things on their elopement and we did it! If you’re reading this and thinking about eloping, just do the damn thing! Don’t be afraid to dream big and celebrate your day how you want to.
Planning your elopement and looking for free resources?
- How To Elope in Colorado
- Colorado Elopement Checklist
- Three Wedding Traditions for your Elopement
Florals: https://www.velvetarmoire.com/shop
Videography: https://whitneymilton.com/ — hands-down the best videographer in Colorado! If you’re looking for someone that does amazing work and is incredibly creative, Whitney is your gal!
