What Does an Elopement Day Look Like?
The most common questions we get are, "How much coverage do we need?” and “What does an elopement day even look like?" We always preface our answer by saying that every elopement is unique and your elopement day will be fully customized to your preferences. But most elopement days have at least some of the same basic pieces, the order and time of day might just change a little bit.
The Most Common Parts of an Elopement Day
You have a ton of freedom when planning your elopement, so your day may include all of these pieces or just a few.
Getting Ready
We love capturing the last bit of getting ready, whether you get ready at your accommodation or on the trail! Some of our couples choose to get ready together, which can make for very sweet photos, while other couples choose to get ready separately and build up anticipation.
First Look
Most of the couples we work with decide to have a first look with each other before their ceremony. During a first look, we step back and allow the moment to unfold naturally. This moment is for you, not us, so take your time and get some of the jitters out together.
Ceremony
Most elopement ceremonies take between 10 and 30 minutes and can be as formal or informal as you'd like! We work closely with our couples to help them craft their dream ceremony. If you have guests, your ceremony will undoubtedly end in a big group hug.
Group Photos
Okay, hear us out. We know group photos don’t sound like that much fun. But if you’re having guests at your elopement, we believe that they are so so important! We promise to get them done as quickly and painlessly as possible.
Adventure
Our favorite part of an elopement day is when the four of us head into nature for an adventure. This means different things to different people! Go for a hike, drive up a 4WD road to the top of a mountain, have a relaxing picnic, take a boat tour, or climb into a helicopter for a whole new perspective, the options are endless!
Private Vow Exchange
Many couples want the experience of a private ceremony in which they can really pour their hearts out to one another. But sometimes, you also want to include your guests. So do both! Exchange your vows surrounded by just the wilderness, and then return to a designated ceremony site for a slightly more traditional ceremony with guests.
Post-Elopement Meal
Whether you are planning to enjoy your wedding meal just the two of you, or your guests will be joining you, your post-elopement meal is another great way to customize your day! You can rent out space in a nearby restaurant, have a home-cooked meal, hire a private chef to cook a three-course meal at your Airbnb rental, set up a picnic in the forest, hire a food truck, or even order pizza!
“Reception”
This is most common for small weddings, but if you're eloping with no guests, there are still pieces of a traditional reception that you can pull from! Do you want to have a first dance? Do you want to dance with your parents? Would you like any of your guests to give speeches? Would you like to eat some cake (or donuts)? You could even end the evening with a dance party, if you'd like!
Star Photos
What better way to end your elopement than standing beneath the Milky Way?! If your elopement falls on a moonless night we can hang out past sunset! We’ll capture blue hour photos just after while we wait for the lights to fade and the stars to come out. In order to do star photos, it often requires 2 hours of coverage dedicated to staying out until they are visible.
Looking for some unique ideas for your Colorado elopement?
Get 41 ideas for your outdoor elopement
How Much Coverage Does My Elopement Need?
Our Elopement Packages
We offer Half Day packages (6 hours of coverage), Full Day packages (10 hours of coverage), and 2 Day packages (14 hours of coverage over 2 days). We think of these base packages as a starting point and give our couples the freedom to add coverage once we’ve started the planning process!
We’ve put together some timelines for our previous elopements to help you visualize what your elopement day might look like! When looking at each timeline, remember that hike distance, activities, drive times, and guest count will all impact the amount of coverage required.
How does the inviting guests affect how much coverage I need?
Most of our couples crave the “true” elopement experience of adventuring out into the wilderness, just the two of them. To some of our couples, their preferred adventure is hiking, for others, it’s driving down a bumpy dirt road in a Jeep. Or maybe it’s watching the sunrise together, dancing on a mountaintop, or having a private picnic along the shores of an alpine lake.
In addition to the outdoor adventures, some of our couples also want to spend quality time with the people that mean the most to them. They want to be surrounded by their community during their ceremony and have a group hug afterward. They want to pop champagne and celebrate with an amazing meal.
In order to have both of these experiences and not sacrifice anything, we believe that the proper amount of time should be given to each. You’re eloping because you don’t want to have a cookie-cutter wedding based on what’s expected of you, you shouldn’t have to settle or make concessions based on trying to squeeze two experiences into a short amount of time. Each timeline example below will include a note about how many guests the couple invited to help you see how you might include your own guests!
2-Day Elopements
14 hours of coverage split over 2 days
You should book our 2-Day Elopement package if:
You want to spend quality time with your guests without sacrificing a private elopement experience. Have the first day to yourselves, exploring some locations that are a little bit harder to get to and maybe even saying your vows in private. Then make the second day all about your loved ones, whether that includes a second ceremony, an outdoor dinner, or even go on a group Jeep tour.
You want to have an elopement day as well as a casual adventure day. Have your ceremony on the first day and put your wedding attire to good use, then celebrate on the second day with a via ferrata or stand up paddle boarding in casual attire.
You fall in love with two regions of the state. Spend the first day exploring waterfalls and mountaintops in Ouray, then spend the second day hiking through wildflowers in Crested Butte.
You really just want to do it all. Pack both days full of adventure. Visit a wide range of locations and landscapes, go for a longer hike or off-road trail, and stay out for star photos.
2 Day Elopement
Colorado Elopement Photo + Video Package
Elopement with 7 Guests
Day 1 - 9 Hours of Coverage
5 Locations
Off-Road Adventure
Private Vow Exchange
Sunset Adventure
First Dance
Star Photos
Day 2 - 5 Hours of Coverage
3 Locations
First Look
Wedding Party Photos
Off-Road Adventure
Ceremony
Champagne Toast
Afternoon Adventure
2 Day Elopement
Colorado Elopement Photo + Video Package
Elopement with 13 Guests
Day 1 - 7 Hours of Coverage
4 Locations
Off-Road Adventure
Private Vow Exchange
Day 2 - 7 Hours of Coverage
3 Locations
Getting Ready
First Look
Off-Road Adventure
Ceremony
Speeches
First Dance
Sunset Adventure
2 Day Elopement
Colorado Elopement Photo + Video Package
Elopement with 2 Guests
Day 1 - 10 Hours of Coverage
7 Locations
Off-Road Adventure
First Look
Ceremony
First Dance
Picnic
Day 2 - 4 Hours of Coverage
2 Locations
Off-Road Adventure
Sunset Adventure
Star Photos
Check Out More 2 Day Elopements
Full Day Elopements
10 hours of coverage
You should book our Full Day Elopement package if:
You want to visit a variety of locations on your elopement day. We’re going to be real with you. It’s going to be hard to narrow down which incredible locations you want to visit. But having a full day elopement means you won’t have to make the hard decisions on which locations to cut out, because we’ll have time to visit a lot of them!
You want to have time for adventure as well as time with your guests. If you’re bringing guests along, a full day elopement means you’re not going to have to compromise on the type of experience you have, because you can have both. You’ll have the time to really go out and explore just the two of you, but you’ll also be able to spend quality time with the people who mean the most to you.
You want to have a day full of exploring and then stay out to stargaze. After an elopement day of hiking, off-roading, having a delicious picnic, and watching the sunset, our favorite way to end the day is by photographing our couples in front of the Milky Way. It’s rare to be in a dark sky area, and your elopement day is the perfect time to stay out late to experience it.
You want to elope at both sunrise and sunset. Can’t decide between a sunrise elopement and a sunset elopement? Why not do BOTH? We will meet up for sunrise, take an afternoon break, and then go back out for sunset. This helps to avoid afternoon thunderstorms in the mountains, allows you to have the best light for all of your photos, and helps avoid the most crowded parts of the day.
Full Day Elopement with Sunrise + Sunset Coverage
Colorado Elopement Photography Package
Elopement with 0 Guests
12 Hours of Coverage
9 Locations
Off-Road Adventure
First Look
1 Hike
Ceremony
First Dance
Picnic + Letters From Family
Sunset Adventure
Blue Hour Adventure
Star Photos
Full Day Elopement
Colorado Elopement Photography Package
Elopement with 0 Guests
10 Hours of Coverage
5 Locations
1 Short Hike
First Look
Picnic
Ceremony
First Dance
Sunset Adventure
Blue Hour Adventure
Star Photos
Full Day Elopement with Sunrise + Sunset Coverage
Colorado Elopement Photography Package
Elopement with 12 Guests
Morning - 3 Hours of Coverage
1 Location
Hike
First Look
Private Vow Exchange
Evening - 9 Hours of Coverage
2 Locations
Off-Road Adventure
Ceremony
Stand Up Paddle Boarding + Fishing
Hike
Sunset Adventure
Blue Hour Adventure
Star Photos
Check Out More Full Day Elopements
Half Day Elopements
6 hours of coverage
You should book our Half Day Elopement package if:
You’ve fallen in love with one or two locations. A half day elopement usually allows us to visit one location that requires either a longer hike or an off-road trail, or two nearby locations that are a little bit easier to get to.
You have other plans for your elopement day that you don’t need to have captured. Maybe you want to go out for dinner at a restaurant after your elopement, maybe you want a slow morning of sleeping in and getting room service, or maybe you plan to head to another mountain town to immediately start your honeymoon that afternoon.
Half Day Elopement
Colorado Elopement Photo + Video Package
Elopement with 0 Guests
6 Hours of Coverage
1 Location
1 Hike
First Look
Ceremony
First Dance + Guitar
Champagne Toast
Half Day Elopement
Colorado Elopement Photography Package
Elopement with 0 Guests
6 Hours of Coverage
2 Locations
2 Short Hikes
First Look
Ceremony
Mini Picnic
Sunset Adventure
Blue Hour Adventure
Half Day Elopement
Colorado Elopement Photography Package
Elopement with 0 Guests
8 Hours of Coverage
4 Locations
Final Touches of Getting Ready
First Look
Off-Road Adventure
1 Short Hike
Ceremony
Picnic
Sunset Adventure
Blue Hour Adventure
Check Out More Half Day Elopements
Hi there!
We're Lisa + Alex, the goofballs behind Vow of the Wild. We live in Colorado, but we’re passionate about exploring new places. Being elopement photographers + videographers is a dream for us and we can’t imagine doing anything else (other than being professional dog petters).