When Logan and Keaton first met, Logan was living in Nebraska and Keaton was living in Texas. They had mutual friends who thought they would be a good fit for each other and those friends spent a lot of time pushing to set them up. Finally, Keaton came to Nebraska to visit some friends and the timing was right for them to meet up. On their first date, they toured some local breweries and ended the night bowling. They spent the next few weeks casually texting, then moved on to chatting on FaceTime. A month later, Keaton came back to visit Logan and that was it, they both knew that had found their person. After eight months of long-distance, Logan moved to Texas so they could be together.

After getting engaged at the Dallas Arboretum, they started planning their intimate wedding. They both have a love for travel and exploring new places, particularly national parks. So when they decided to come to Colorado to elope in Rocky Mountain National Park, it seemed like the perfect fit! They chose to hike to Dream Lake for a sunrise first look and then have their ceremony at Lily Lake with their closest friends and family.

Two days before their elopement, the East Troublesome Fire started in Grand County, Colorado. Between high winds, drought, red flag weather conditions, and beetle-kill trees, the fire spread quickly toward Rocky Mountain National Park. On the morning of Logan and Keaton’s elopement, we drove through thick smoke on our way up Bear Lake Road. And when we met Logan, Keaton, and Keaton’s brother and sister-in-law at the Dream Lake Trailhead, the air was thick with smoke and the wind gusted at 70 mph past us.

We started the hike in complete darkness, lit only by our headlamps. The smoke made it difficult to breathe and the winds made our fingers stiff and cold. As we hiked through the forest at Nymph Lake, we could hear the trees creaking in the wind. Our original plan was to have Logan and Keaton’s first look at a gorgeous overlook, but it quickly became clear to us that it would not be safe with the strong winds. So we found a new spot earlier in the trail and waited for the sun to come up. During their first look, Keaton gifted Logan a pair of earrings, and Logan gifted Keaton a pair of boots. As the sky became brighter, we could see the thick brown smoke in the air, giving us some of the weirdest lighting we’ve ever experienced.

During our time exploring Dream Lake, we worked quickly to take photos in the freezing conditions. Logan was so brave and took off her jacket to show off her gorgeous wedding dress. And while Keaton at least had a suit on, it didn’t do much to block the wind and keep him warm. But even in the elements, they were determined to embrace the moment and enjoy the incredible views.

After the hike to Dream Lake, we stopped at Moraine Park. By this time, the smoke had cleared a little bit and it had warmed up a bit. Logan wrapped up in a cozy red blanket and she and Keaton explored the paths through the meadow. This was one of our favorite parts of the day because we got to slow down a little bit and enjoy some calmness, sunshine, and beautiful views. Unfortunately, only a couple of days later, this area would be engulfed with flames.

After quite the adventurous morning, Logan and Keaton had their ceremony at Lily Lake, which is part of Rocky Mountain National Park. Their friends and families joined them on a hill overlooking the lake and Logan’s dad walked her down the aisle. Their ceremony was short and sweet, which is exactly what they wanted. And after the ceremony, everyone headed to a rental house for some champagne and a picnic.

This elopement took place on Ute, Cheyenne, and Arapaho Land.

Photographs

Colorado Elopements

Destination Elopements