Casey and Thomas reached out to me for an engagement session and an elopement. So I had the pleasure of taking photos for both of their milestones. When we started planning the elopement, they wanted somewhere easily accessible to Denver but in the mountains because they had family coming to join them on their wedding day. They wanted a campsite elopement.
We decided on Silverthorne for their elopement. They booked a cute campsite that had aspen trees in the background for their ceremony. We started their day at their Airbnb cabin, did a first look, went hiking with just the two of them, they said their personal vows, and we ended the day at sunset with their family at the ceremony.
Getting ready at a cabin before their campsite elopement
We started their wedding day at the Airbnb cabin. Casey got ready upstairs with her mum and other female family members while Thomas was downstairs. Her mum helped her get ready with the wedding dress before Casey and Thomas’ first look. I captured a few details of their dinner set up for later on that night.
I set Thomas facing the mountains on the balcony before Casey came up behind him to tap him on the shoulder for their first look.
Hiking Elopement at Loveland Pass
After their getting ready, we headed over just the three of us to go on a hiking elopement at Loveland Pass. Casey and Thomas are avid hikers so they wanted to include a hike on their wedding day before they said their vows at their campsite elopement. They wanted alpine lakes with epic mountain views so this was the perfect spot for them. We did a 1.5 mile hike out and back before settling on a spot next to the alpine lake for their personal vows.
Casey and Thomas wanted to say their own personal vows before saying a set of other vows in front of their family later on that day. It was so sweet to capture the emotions they felt while saying vows only meant for their ears.
Afterwards, we drove to the next location for their campsite elopement with family.
Ceremony at Campsite
Casey and Thomas booked a campsite in Silverthorne where they wanted their ceremony to be held. The campsite had limited parking so their family all carpooled to the location. They had six folded chairs for their parents and their brothers’ wives. They set up the ceremony spot right in front of an aspen grove next to their campsite. It was so beautiful and private. The campsites were nicely spread out so we didn’t see a single other camper.
Thomas walked down the aisle with his parents followed by the other guests. Casey had her grand entrance with both of her parents’ arms looped with her arm as all three walked down the aisle.
They started their ceremony by having their parents say some words of wisdom about marriage and love.
Casey and Thomas had their guests be involved in their ceremony by having them partial say some officiant words. It’s a great way to include family in your elopement. Once they get pronounced, they completely forgot to have their first kiss. So I shouted, “You may kiss your bride!”. There was a lot of laughter before Thomas swooped in and kissed Casey to seal their ceremony.
After their ceremony, we did some family photos before ending a little after sunset for some beers around the campsite.
How can you plan a campsite elopement?
If you’re planning to get married at a campsite, there are a few steps you’ll need to follow:
- Choose a campsite: First, you’ll need to choose a campsite that is suitable for a wedding ceremony. Consider factors like the size of the campsite, the availability of amenities, and the beauty of the surrounding area.
- Obtain a marriage license: In order to get married, you’ll need to obtain a marriage license from the county clerk’s office in Colorado where you plan to get married. Both partners must appear in person to apply for the license, and you’ll need to bring valid identification such as a driver’s license or passport.
- Ceremony: You can either hire an officiant or like Casey and Thomas, you can self solemize which means you marry yourselves. It’s legal in Colorado.
- Invite your family/friends: You can invite family or friends to your elopement however remember that elopements are based on who you truly want there. Your wedding day is not a performance for others.
- Plan the details: Consider factors like the time of day you’d like to have the ceremony, what you’ll wear, and how you’ll decorate the campsite. You may also want to plan for any potential challenges, such as inclement weather or lack of electricity.
- Get married: Once you have all of these things in place, you can have your ceremony at the campsite. Just be sure to follow any rules or regulations set by the campsite or where you are getting married.
