Hiking Elopement in Rocky Mountain National Park

David + Olivia

David and Olivia met when they were in high school and dated for a little while. Eventually they broke up, as many high school romances do, but neither could resist their connection forever. Years later they rekindled their relationship, and have been together again ever since. Now they love spending time in the outdoors, hiking, and camping with their pup, Sophie, so it only made sense for them to elope outside!

They fell in love with Rocky Mountain National Park and knew it was the perfect place for their Colorado elopement. On their elopement day, they started with a mountaintop first look. As Olivia walked up the rocky trail to where David was waiting, her dress blew in the wind so beautifully! With so many built-up nerves, Olivia and David hugged each other tightly for a long time, before looking out at the view together.

They then had their ceremony at Lily Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park, which is one of our favorite ceremony sites for couples with guests. But first, they decided to exchange their vows privately, before their guests arrived. This was a last-minute decision for David and Olivia, and we’re so glad they made that choice! It was so much fun watching them exchange their personal vows without anyone watching, and under no pressure. Just after their private vow exchange, David and Olivia’s families arrived and they had a second, more formal ceremony officiated by David’s brother. Afterward, they celebrated with a picnic near the lake.

To end the night, we drove up the Bear Lake Corridor of Rocky Mountain National Park for a sunset hike. David and Olivia both put on their hiking backpacks complete with signs on the back. Once we reached the end of the hike, we paused to take in the view before David and Olivia had their first dance. But before we could start, we realized that they had forgotten to download the song onto their phone. Fortunately, despite not being able to load anything else, somehow, Lisa’s phone had enough service to play 98° on Spotify. Olivia and David danced together on the rock as the sun set behind the mountains. And once we had used up the last light of the day, we hiked back down with headlamps to light the way.

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

Photographs

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