Chelsea and Alysia flew out from Pennsylvania to elope in the San Juan mountains of Colorado. If you didn’t know this already, Southern Colorado is my absolute favorite. You’ll find me hiking, painting, and fly-fishing with my husband somewhere in the San Juans most of the summer and fall! So anytime I get to recommend coming to visit my favorite place–you bet I will!
Right from the start, I knew these two were ready for an adventurous hike. They had lots of experience hiking in Washington State and out on the East Coast together. So for their elopement, they wanted to put in some miles and hike to see alpenglow at sunrise.
I absolutely loved their chemistry together and how sweet they were to each other (even just from my chat before they booked me). On their day, they were giggly and smiley almost every moment. I love getting to share in the giggly excitement of finally marrying your best friend!
We hiked at sunrise for them to say their vows. While it was a lot of hiking in the dark, we were rewarded with complete privacy to enjoy the still morning and watch the alpenglow gradually rise on the mountains around us. This hike is incredibly popular, so going to some of the less visited areas for vows is always a good idea. Some of the summer wildflowers were still in bloom, just as the signs of fall were starting to arrive.
After their vows, we went down to the lake to chase the light and enjoy the beautiful views of the lake and mountains towering over us. It was such a calm and quiet morning (even though these ladies and I were giggling most of the time). But as soon as the sun came up and we started to get warm, we hiked back to the trailhead to sign their marriage license!
We took a break in the afternoon before meeting up again for sunset at one of my favorite more “chill” locations that doesn’t involve hiking. Sunrise hikes are tough! Meeting up again for sunset is usually too much for most couples. But these two wanted to enjoy sunset and play rummy (which is their favorite card game).
I cannot thank Chelsea and Alysia enough for letting me be a part of such a beautiful day. I absolutely love getting to spend my summer and fall exploring the San Juans. So being able to share such a special place with them was really meaningful to me. Thank you ladies!
Vendors:
Flowers/boutonniere: Dried Flowers by Olga
Vow books: Moonweddingstore
Dress: David’s Bridal
Suit: Truclothing
