Adventure Elopement in the San Juan Mountains
Emily + Coleton celebrate their wedding day with an off-roading adventure elopement in Silverton, Colorado | September, 2024
This story feels like so long ago and yesterday all at once. Emily and Coleton reached out to me after my late summer trip to the San Juan Mountains in 2023. I knew right away I was going to love them. Coleton grew up vacationing in Lake City with his family and shared that special place with Emily after they started dating. The San Juan mountain area was significant to their love story. They loved the alpine lakes, adventuring and off-roading, and they knew they wanted to incorporate those things into their elopement day.
Off-roading to Silverton from Lake City
With both of them being familiar with the area and knowing most of the off-roading [4×4] trails, we discussed many locations that had blue alpine lakes. They finally settled on eloping in Silverton, Colorado – at a location neither of them had ever been, but wanted to deem their new special spot.
That meant, from Lake City, they had to traverse 3.5 hours of high-alpine 4×4 passes to get to their elopement location the morning of their wedding. That in itself was an adventure. Both of them were so excited to do so and show their families the alpine lake where they were about to make all of their wedding memories.
Getting Ready
Emily’s family set up a tent for everyone to get ready. It served as home base and housed all of the must-haves for their wedding day. Emily was even able to touch up her hair and makeup after their 3.5-hr trek. Coleton got ready first and headed out to the ceremony site with his side of the family. Then Emily’s mom helped Emily to get into her dress and cape. Sidenote: if you want a veil, but don’t have long hair or don’t want it pulling at your hair all day, consider a bridal cape. It carries the same magical movement with less hassle and more mobility.
Elopement Ceremony
Both of Emily’s parents escorted her to the ceremony spot while the rest of the family watched in awe. Coleton’s younger siblings served as the ring bearer and flower girl – it was such a sweet way to include them. Emily and Coleton officially got married at the edge of this alpine lake surrounded by towering mountains and sunshine.
Immediately after their ceremony, Coleton and Emily wanted to share private vows. The families went back to home base to prepare a celebratory feast while Emily and Coleton shared some quiet words with each other in the basin.
Celebration
To celebrate their union, they enjoyed a charcuterie board with the family, popped champagne, and cut their beautiful elopement cake. They shared cake and laughs as the clouds rolled in.
After signing their marriage license – and making it officially official – we took off up the mountain for some portraits. I’m seriously so obsessed with how moody they turned out. If you’re familiar with summer in Colorado, you know that thunderstorms are an almost daily occurrence. So…you can guess what happened next. It started sprinkling…then hailing.
We got a quick few photos with their vintage Toyota Land Cruiser, one of Coleton’s prized possessions. At that point, everyone was ready to start heading back to Lake City so they could make it before sunset.
All in all, it was one of the most magical days in the mountains, and I wish I could replicate that feeling for every single one of my couples.
Cake: Anne Marshall
Charcuterie Board: Climb Eatery
If you want to make the mountains your venue, I specialize in intimate elopements like this one. 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 elopement day with your partner, reach out and we’ll start the planning process. I would LOVE to help you dream up your perfect day!
Emily + Coleton’s Elopement Gallery | Inquire About Elopement Photography | San Juans Travel Dates
