lost gulch elopement in boulder colorado and photos at chautauqua park

Alex and Pamela met each other while attending university in Florida. Their love for adventure and exploring new places eventually landed them living in Arizona, where they did the van life for a while (v jealous of this). Moving forward, they now live in Denver, Colorado where Pamela is pursuing audio and film production while also offering health and wellness mentorship. Alex serves in the Colorado National Guard with the plan to become a police officer someday.

When Alex and Pamela first contacted me, I knew right away that we’d be a good fit to work together and that I wanted to photograph their elopement. I asked Pamela, why they chose to elope, and her answer says it all, ‘We want less stress. Why spend thousands on thousands to prove you're in love anyway? It's all about love, man. Never about the status. Our opinion, of course.’

Pamela also told me that she and Alex desired to have an elopement that would be, ‘Dreamy, romantic, elegantly chill, and fun!’ Heck yeah! I so connected with this, their passion and desire to have a wedding that was true to who they are. They wanted to have a no-frills elopement in the mountains, with epic views and nature serving as the decor. And they had just this, near The Lost Gulch Overlook in Boulder, Colorado. It was the perfect location for an elopement, Flagstaff Mountain offers amazing views, that are private and just beautiful. The location even had a rock formation that served as an ‘alter’ for exchanging vows. There was just enough room for a handful of friends and family that came in from all over the country. It was so evident the love that their people had for this sweet couple, you could see it, hear it and feel it.

The day was meaningful, intimate and romantic. Let me tell ya, I love the breaking away from tradition, but at the same time, there are bits and pieces of tradition that make an elopement so meaningful. Whether it’s exchanging handwritten vows, a first kiss or in this story; it was Pamela’s father walking her down the dirt trail leading out to the overlook. You could feel the excitement, anticipation, and joy in the air. Everyone was fully present. It was so evident that each person was there for a reason, and that reason was to celebrate the love between Pamela and Alex.

After the celebration, we spent time taking family and friend portraits in an open space near Lost Gulch, which I think are so valuable and should never be skipped over. The whole party then went out for a late lunch, in Nederland at Crosscut Pizza. I highly recommend this, if you’re eloping you get to set your schedule up however you want, and can/should make time for good things like pizza. After a bit of downtime, I met up with Pamela and Alex at Chautauqua Park, in Boulder Colorado where we geeked about how beautiful the day had been thus far, everything had gone to plan and the yummy pizza was a hit for everyone.

While at the park, I was so thankful that it was mostly empty, the lighting was dreamy and just perfect. We spent the rest of the day chatting, stopping for photos and hiking some of the trails throughout the park. This was one of my favorite parts of the day because it’s time where I capture the love between Pamela and Alex as they reach the end of their wedding day, but the beginning of a lifetime together