Elope at Garden of the Gods
Garden of the Gods is a great place to elope for so many reasons.
- It’s accessible. Garden of the Gods is situated on the west side of Colorado Springs right up against the mountains. Elopement locations in Colorado with stunning views like this usually require a hike. Not at Garden of the Gods. There are many locations you can drive right up to and others that require a short walk on a paved trail. If hiking is your style, there are options for that, too!
- No permits are required. As of right now, the park does not require a permit to have a small wedding ceremony or take photos.
- The park offers designated ceremony spots. If you’re having an elopement with guests, I recommend checking out the designated ceremony spots inside Garden of the Gods park. While these spots are first come, first serve, it’s great to have options you know will accommodate all of your guests in one area.
https://gardenofgods.com/events/weddings/ - The landscape is diverse. When you see photos of Garden of the Gods park, you’ll notice the stunning, dramatic red rocks first. It looks like another planet. What you might not know, though, is there are also great views of Pikes Peak, a 14,000 ft mountain in the background, white rock formations and even grasslands.
- The park allows dogs. It’s no surprise Colorado loves dogs, but it is surprising a place as popular as Garden of the Gods allows them. Please make sure to follow all rules if you decide to include your furry friend in your Garden of the Gods elopement. You can even have them sign your marriage license!
Garden of the Gods Elopement Photographer
Brandy and Bailey reached out to me a few months before they planned to elope. They already had their heart set on Garden of the Gods, which made planning super easy! Brandy loved the other worldly feel of the red rock formations jutting up from the earth. Before their elopement trip, neither of them had ever flown on a plane before, which I thought was so interesting! I’m glad their first flight was enjoyable for such a big event!
Elopement Ceremony
Brandy really loved the idea of a first look with Bailey at their ceremony location, so she arrived with her dress in hand. I placed Bailey looking out towards Pikes Peak and then zipped Brandy’s dress up and led her over to her groom. They had the sweetest first look followed by just a few couples portraits. I always suggest going right into portraits – even if it’s just for 5 minutes – to get my couples to feel a little more comfortable before they say their vows. Chances are, it’s their first time meeting me in person and they just had a super emotional first look moment with their partner. They can recenter their emotions and get used to my shooting style before they pour their hearts out to one another during the ceremony. I highly recommend this order of events!
Both Bailey and Brandy loved the area I took them to first, so they decided to stay there for their ceremony. The ceremony was short and sweet with vows, a ring exchange, a few giggles and like five first kisses. Their love for each other was evident. It was then that Bailey confessed he really started to miss their baby son, wishing he could’ve been there to witness the wedding. He stayed home with his grandparents in Missouri. I suggested FaceTiming him to include him in the day. It’s never an inconvenience on your wedding day if you want to video call your loved ones. If it makes your day more special to see your grandma’s reaction to your wedding dress, I’m all for it. Please include them however you can!
Exploring the Park
After wrapping up a teary-eyed FaceTime call, we decided to explore the park a little more. I love being able to catch multiple locations in an elopement day to really give my couples a variety of backdrops. We stopped at 2 more places and explored the paved paths of the main part of the park. There’s truly so much to see in Garden of the Gods!
After portraits, Bailey and Brandy decided to go back to their ceremony location for a celebratory sip of sparkling juice. It was a sweet moment to end the sweetest elopement day.
As a Colorado elopement photographer, I specialize in intimate and intentional wedding days. From suggestions during the planning process to documenting your elopement day, I’m here to help you create a unique wedding experience. If you love the idea of sharing an intimate and intentional wedding day with your partner, reach out and we’ll start the planning process. I would LOVE to help you dream up your beautiful day!
