Family Elopement in Telluride
Telluride Jeep Elopement
Kimberly + Juan
Kimberly and Juan met in college, and after 6 years together, they got engaged. They started planning a big wedding near their home in Florida, but it just didn’t feel right. They were stressed and realized that they would much rather travel to the mountains of Colorado to elope with their immediate family instead.
They knew that they wanted to get married at the beginning of October and they wanted fall colors. For most of the state, fall colors can be a hit or miss by the time September is over. So we suggested that they look into Telluride, Colorado. Not only is it the most beautiful part of the state (in our humble opinion), but fall colors in the San Juans are usually a week or two behind the rest of the state.
With Telluride in mind, they began dreaming up what their dream elopement day might look like. Even though they hadn’t done much off-roading in the past, they were up for trying it on their wedding day. So we both rented Jeeps and met up just after sunrise. We led the way up the mountain, taking it slow for safety and so they could enjoy the views. We pulled the Jeeps over at one of our favorite waterfalls and Kimberly and Juan changed into their wedding attire.
They had their first look next to the waterfall. Juan waited nervously for Kimberly to take the long walk down the hill to him, which she elected to do barefoot. They embraced before being ready to explore. We carefully crossed the creek (which is not easy to do in a dress and suit). There, they cuddled up together and enjoyed the view. We were on a bit of a time crunch, so it was soon time to head down the mountain to a grove of aspens we had scouted for them earlier that summer. We were a few days past peak fall colors, so some of the leaves had already fallen, but we were still able to enjoy the last little bit of golden leaves.
Their families met them at a rocky outcrop surrounded by gorgeous mountain views. One of the things we love about elopements in Telluride is that we have access to so many beautiful ceremony sites that don’t require guests to do much hiking. Kimberly and Juan hired an officiant to lead their ceremony. She told the story of Kimberly and Juan’s relationship, making sure to mention their cat named Caspian and their dog named Leia. When it was time for them to exchange their personal vows, Juan accidentally ripped the paper that Kimberly had written her vows on. Everyone burst into laughter.
After the ceremony, they all gathered for celebratory champagne and then went into town for a picnic at a local park. We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful fall elopement in Telluride, Colorado. We are so happy that Kimberly and Juan decided to forgo their big wedding plans and get married in the mountains instead.
This elopement took place on Ute and Pueblo Land.