Sunrise Elopement in Rocky Mountain National Park
Sunrise Dream Lake Elopement in RMNP
Alison + Hannah
When Alison and Hannah first contacted us, they told us about how they couldn’t imagine having a big wedding. Between the money, the stress, and the possible drama, an elopement seemed like a much better fit. They dreamed of their wedding day being an experience, not just a giant, expensive party. They dreamed of starting their elopement day long before sunrise, taking star photos underneath the Milky Way, then going for a sunrise hike to an alpine lake, then ending the morning with a ceremony with a few guests. And that’s exactly what we did!
After brainstorming locations, Alison and Hannah fell in love with Rocky Mountain National Park. On their elopement day, we met in the dark parking lot of the visitor’s center before driving to one of our favorite locations for star photos in the park. The Milkyway will generally appear within the southern skies, but its exact position changes throughout the night. We love this location because it has expansive south-facing views so we can properly see the Milkway no matter where it is! We hiked out with headlamps and lanterns and then allowed our eyes to adjust to the darkness. It was a new moon and we were lucky enough to have a cloudless sky, so the view was incredible!
Next, we drove to the Bear Lake Trailhead to do our favorite hike in Rocky Mountain National Park. We hiked up to Dream Lake in complete darkness. As we gained elevation, we watched the glow of sunrise along the horizon. Once we arrived at Dream Lake, Alison and Hannah changed into their wedding attire and then had their first look right as the mountains lit up with gorgeous, pink alpenglow light.
After exploring Dream Lake, we headed to Sprague Lake, which is one of our favorite designated ceremony sites within Rocky Mountain National Park. There, we met up with Alison’s sister and her partner, as well as Hannah’s close friend. The ceremony was held on the dock at Sprague Lake and even included some moose and elk wedding crashers! After the ceremony, Alison and Hannah celebrated with a delicious charcuterie picnic, complete with cake!
This elopement took place on Ute, Cheyenne, and Arapaho Land.