Colorado Sunrise Hiking Elopement
Colorado Sunrise Elopement and a Ceremony with Family
Erika + Tyler
Often, our couples crave two full elopement experiences. The first being quality time just the two of them while they hike and explore in the mountains. And the second being quality time celebrating with the people that mean the most to them. This was exactly the case for Erika and Tyler. They knew that they wanted to start their elopement day before sunrise with a hike up to one of our favorite alpine lakes in Colorado. But between the early morning, the hike length and difficulty, and the group size limitations in Colorado wilderness areas, it made the most sense for Erika and Tyler to do the early hike by themselves. So instead of changing plans and eloping without their guests, they decided to return to their families after the hike for a more traditional ceremony officiated by both of their dads and then celebrate with breakfast afterward. And we must say, we think this plan was perfect for them!
We met Erika and Tyler in the dark parking lot at the trailhead long before sunrise. It’s always a little bit unnerving meeting our couples this way. When another set of headlights approaches, we always guess that it’s them (because who else gets up this early?), and awkwardly approach them. Once we all confirmed our identities and loaded up our backpacks, we headed up the trail. Hiking in the complete darkness is something that most people don’t do very often (just us). While it does sound like it could be a bit scary, we find that it’s not too bad in a group of four. We make sure to keep the conversation flowing so that we can warn any animals of our presence, and we keep our bear spray close. Luckily we’ve never had to use it!
We made it to the lake in record time and were able to watch the clouds turn pinkish-orange. Erika and Tyler split ways and changed into their wedding attire separately. Tyler choosing a spot tucked away in the forest and Erika standing behind a large rock. Erika’s dress was gorgeous, with a lace illusion-style top and a long train. Once they were both dressed and the sun was up just enough, Erika and Tyler had their first look. And let us just be the first to say, these two are absolutely adorable together. Their excitement and smiles were so contagious!
As the sun illuminated the mountains behind the lake with the most unreal orange glow, Erika and Tyler walked hand-in-hand to their ceremony site. Alex started their ceremony with a reading to set the tone and then they read their handwritten vows to each other. It was so much fun watching their huge smiles (I’m going to say this about 30 more times) as they said their vows. After their vows, they had their first kiss and then we all celebrated that they were officially halfway married. They took in the view of the lake together before we started the hike down in search of some sturdy trees for their hammock. We can’t think of any better way to pause and take in that almost-married feeling than relaxing together in a hammock.
The hike back to the trailhead included their homemade sign as well as some cans that Erika dangled from the back of her backpack. We joked that maybe we should have used the cans on the hike up as a DIY bear bell! As we hiked back to the trailhead, most other hikers were just starting their hike. So Erika and Tyler received many congratulations on the way down.
Next, we hopped in our cars and drove to the house that they rented with their families. This house is one of our favorite event-friendly rentals in the area because it has space for a large group to stay, as well as a designated ceremony site, and a great patio for meals (and dancing, if that’s your thing). Erika and Tyler’s families were waiting when they pulled up, eager to hear all about their early-morning adventures. After freshening up a little bit, it was time for everyone to head to the ceremony site. The ceremony was officiated by both of their dad’s which was a really fun twist on tradition. As with the rest of the day, Erika and Tyler were nothing but laughs and smiles. Like belly laughs, the ones where you tilt your head back and the ones that make you bend over to catch your breath.
After Erika and Tyler were officially pronounced husband and wife, they celebrated with a breakfast buffet on the outside patio of the house. Erika and Tyler also special-ordered wedding donuts, which were definitely earned after the long hike. When they ordered the donuts, they were asked to send in a photo of themselves to the bakery so that the donuts would resemble them. We all couldn’t help but laugh because the donuts looked absolutely nothing like them! We ended their morning adventure by climbing up onto the rocks near the house and admiring the surrounding mountain views. It couldn’t have been a more perfect day, and we felt so lucky that Erika and Tyler invited us to be a part of it!
This elopement took place on Ute and Cheyenne Land.