Jillian & Nate’s Fall Telluride Elopement in the Colorado Mountains
Jillian & Nate's Telluride elopement was nothing short of magical. ✨
The search for a Telluride elopement photographer begins
After searching for Telluride wedding photographers, Jillian reached out to me to discuss her Telluride elopement vision. When I first met with Jillian and Nate over video chat, they told me how much they loved the mountains of Colorado and that they really wanted those rugged mountain views to be a part of their wedding day. Coming from Pennsylvania, they had only visited Colorado a handful of times and were unfamiliar with what would be the best location for their Telluride CO wedding. They had looked at a few Telluride wedding venues including the San Sophia Overlook Telluride, but those venues were a bit out of their budget.
They also valued privacy and wanted to find a spot away from the tourists, where they could just focus on each other during their Telluride elopement ceremony. As active individuals, they also wanted to incorporate a small hike into their elopement weekend plans.
finding the perfect telluride elopement location
After discussing their desires for their Telluride wedding day, I recommended several possible hikes around Telluride CO, that matched what they wanted. However, those recommendations came with one small caveat—J &N had a late-October date set for their elopement, which meant there was a high probability of the first snow happening before or on their Telluride wedding date. Knowing how unpredictable the snow season can be here in Colorado, I ensured we had a few backup locations in case J&N’s first hiking choice wasn’t accessible after that first snow.
As luck would have it, the first snowstorm of the season dumped snow across the San Juans the week before J & N’s wedding day. We had originally settled on hiking up to Hope Lake,, which sits around 12,000 ft in elevation, but that original plan was out of the question due to the 20 inches of snow that had fallen. So, we pivoted quickly and decided to check out one of our backup locations the night before their Telluride wedding.
The location we settled on, did not involve any hiking, since it sits on one of the historic backroads just above the town of Telluride CO. It features incredible views of the surrounding San Juan peaks that Telluride CO is famous for and we decided to head up at sunrise so they could experience the beauty of golden hour during their Telluride elopement ceremony.
an early wake-up call to catch the sunrise over telluride & the san Juans
We started off their day with an early start at 5:30 am in a cozy condo they rented in Mountain Village, Telluride. Local Telluride hair and makeup artist, Dallas Sainsbury, was a gem and got up early to help Jillian with her makeup while Jillian opted to style her own hair!
The first look
After finishing up in the makeup chair, Jillian was super sweet and made a quick breakfast and mimosas for Nate and I. After wrapping up breakfast, Jillian and Nate put their wedding clothes on, shook off the nerves, and prepared for a first look outside the condo. The first light of blue hour was coming up as Jillian tapped Nate on the shoulder and they shared a first look full of surprise and heartfelt laughter. After a warm embrace and giving them a moment to just be with each other we hopped in the car and drove up to their ceremony spot just above Telluride with views similar to the San Sophia Overlook.
A telluride elopement ceremony just for two
We arrived just as the sun broke above the ridgeline, bathing the entire area in warm golden light. J & N's Telluride CO wedding ceremony was just the two of them exchanging vows and self-solemnizing. After sharing their vows and exchanging their rings, they read heartfelt letters that their family members wrote for them and shed a few happy tears.
After drying their tears, we shot a few portraits with the surrounding snow-capped San Juan mountains in the distance. Jillian is a free-spirited woman who wanted to take her shoes off while she ran hand in hand with her new husband down the dirt-lined road. Nate and Jilian really lit each other up with laughter and tender moments. I feel so lucky I got to witness their love and that they trusted me to be the only person there to capture their Telluride elopement.
After wrapping up their beautiful and intimate ceremony with a champagne pop and celebration 🍾, we headed back to their cozy condo for a quick wardrobe change and shared a tasty bloody mary. We then headed into downtown Telluride where they signed their marriage license outside the Telluride CO County Clerks' office and celebrated with their first dance in the middle of downtown Telluride street!
Nate and Jillian still got the chance to go hiking, the next day with their family members who flew in to spend the rest of the weekend with them. Thankfully a few of the lower elevation hikes including the Bridal Veil Falls hike were doable with yak tracks! I love that Nate and Jillian chose to have a special Telluride elopement ceremony just for themselves, but that they were able to still include their family in a celebration the day after their wedding.
Telluride elopement timeline
Nate and Jillian chose a Telluride elopement package with 7 hours of coverage and here’s what their timeline looked like!
5:00—6 am: Hair and Makeup with Dallas
6:00—6:30 am: Quick breakfast and mimosas to tame the butterflies
6:30—7:00 am: Getting dressed
7:00—7:20 am: First look
7:20—7:40 am: Drive to Ceremony location
7:40—8:00 am: Reading vows and exchanging rings
8:00—8:20 am: Reading letters from family
8:20—8:30 am: Champagne pop & celebration
8:30—9:40 am: Portraits and exploring the area
9:40—10:00 am: Drive back to the condo
10:00—11:00 am: Wardrobe change and bloody mary’s
11:00—11:15 am: Drive to downtown Telluride
11:15—11:30 am: Signing their marriage license at the County Clerks Office
11:30—12:00 pm: First dance and exploring downtown Telluride together
If you’re interested in a Telluride elopement or having a wedding in any of the mountain towns in Colorado, i’m you’re girl! I can help you narrow down a location based on your preferences of scenery and the activities you want to do. I can also recommend local vendors i’ve worked with so your day goes off without a hitch! Get in touch with me to tell me about your Telluride wedding vision and we can get started planning ASAP!
