Eloping in Colorado | Crested Butte Elopement Photographer
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I have a hard time coming up with the words to explain how incredible this crested butte elopement was. Sam and Molly opted to elope on the originally scheduled date of their east coast wedding. We spent months chatting about the perfect spot, where to camp, potential weather and how they day unfolds for a sunrise elopement. When August 29th finally arrived I was BEYOND excited to make the 5 hour drive out to their back country Crested Butte camp site.
I arrived around 5am to their site which was nestled into the tall pines. They had started to get ready for the day, maneuvering their packed cars, laying out ceremony outfits and gifts, and using the surrounding nature and tents as their dressing room.
I got started with Molly’s hair and makeup in the back of my Subaru (which yes, I can do hair + makeup out of the back of my car, cause trunk outlets and headlamps!). Sam and Reid (their officiant, best friend and companion of their sweet pup Nora) found a good spot to hang their suits, ties and lamps to get dressed under the moonlight. They then packed up the car and head out for the ceremony location along the lake to setup while Molly and I hung back to finish getting ready.
The alpine lake that they would be sharing their vows at is tucked away along a narrow stretch of forest road outside of Crested Butte, its a super bumpy but fun ride out there. It was a very overcast and foggy morning, even after the sun had come up over the mountains, it was still cloudy and cold but so beautiful.
We had the entire lake to ourselves at sunrise.
Sam and Molly saved their first look for their ceremony but shared gifts but opened them before they saw each other. These two are such amazing partners to each other and gifted so thoughtfully.
We set up their ceremony spot right along black stone/sand beach. They brought their favorite rug from home and used that and the lake as their altar. Reid led an incredibly sweet, funny and moving ceremony for these two. We were all simultaneously laughing and happy crying and so much in our feels. Molly and Sam’s vows were personally written and came from the heart with talks about their past, their bright future and their little baby baby on the way.
After the ceremony, it started to rain a little bit so we went under their little pop-up tent for a little picnic, coffee and popped some champagne to celebrate. Their first dance was along the beach to John Prine and it was just perfection, such beautiful perfection.
We ventured out in the cold rain to hop in a canoe and paddle around their wedding lake and hiked up a marble hill for some moody photos.
I was moved to tears so many times during my time with these people (and pup!).
It was freezing and magical and I loved every second.
push play and scroll through their photo story to feel all the feels.
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colorado elopement photographer : alchemy creative | hair + makeup : alchemy creative | floral : bramble + bloom | dress: rachel pally | rings: anueva jewelry |
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