Are you hoping to elope but have no idea how to plan or even where to go? Look into central Colorado! Twin Lakes, Buena Vista, and Independence Pass are all breathtaking.

Twin Lakes is a big beautiful pair of glacier carved alpine lakes, with awe inspiring mountains in the near distance to create glorious views. About 20 minutes south on highway 24 is the little town of Buena Vista, which is situated between the towering Collegiate Peaks and the flowing Arkansas river. So if you’re looking for things to do beyond the Lakes, white water rafting, mountain biking, and more hiking tails than you can count are just a short drive away!

When Sarah and Gavin first contacted me and told me they wanted to elope in Colorado but have never been so they had no idea how to start. All they knew was, it would be just the two of them and they wanted beautiful mountains as a back drop. One of the first places I thought of was Twin Lakes, for its beauty and easy access. Since they had never been to Colorado before, I wanted to be mindful of elevation change and avoiding big long hikes. The more we talked it through, the more perfect this area became. So they found an AirBNB and all they wanted, was to experience Colorado in a fun low stress way and commit themselves to each other somewhere in between.

When we arrived at Sarah and Gavin’s AirBNB the first thing I noticed was the view. The house was on a hill that overlooked the lake with Mt. Elbert hovering in the near distance. It had been raining that morning so the sky was overcast but the clouds were just starting to break up and a little bit of sunshine was peeking through, it was gorgeous. These two wanted a super relaxed day with a slow morning, so we planned to start our time together mid afternoon with one of their favorite things-cooking together. They decided to make pizza, and watching them roll out the dough and toss it in the air brought so much laughter and the connection between these two was so sweet and caring. Dan and I felt like we were immediately invited into their lives for a very special day ahead.

After helping each other get dressed, we decided to venture out to find the perfect location to say their vows. Because it had rained all night we wanted to stay away from muddy trails, we steered them to a gulch with dark green pines and long yellow green grass. The open view of blue gray mountains in the back ground was the perfect compliment of color. We hiked to the open space and the smell of the pine was intoxicating. Once we arrived and took a moment to look around, Sarah and Gavin were ready to say their vows and commit their lives to one another.

Once vows were said they were ready to play and explore the area and since we were at Twin Lakes we headed to the water. The overcast day caused the water to be bluish gray with a hint of green combined with the beige sand and we had the perfect combination for the most dreamy photos. They walked up to the waters edge to take in the vastness of the rocky mountains against the calm lake. They ran along the beach, jumped into each others arms and made life long memories of their most special day.

This day ended with their favorite dessert and drinks. As blue hour was fast approaching, the overcast sky was thick with blues and purples. Sarah and Gavin did one last walk with lanterns across the immense mountain landscape. The orange light glow on their faces and was the perfect contrast as night was fast approaching. This was such a special day Dan and I will never forget and are so grateful we were given the privilege to capture these incredibly special forever memories.