Kelsie & Tyler Eloped at St. Mary’s Glacier, Idaho Springs Co

I am deeply in love with elopements… they are truly my heart and soul and embody everything that I love about being a wedding photographer — adventure, intimacy, story & connection. Being invited into someones intimate wedding day is always a great honor — but when your wedding is only 2 people and a dog… that feeling is heightened.

Kelsie & Tyler drove out from Kansas to elope by themselves in the Rocky Mountains and I suggested a totally-unique and adventurous location for their winter wedding — “let’s have your ceremony on a glacier!”

Kelsie is truly one of the most carefree people I have ever met — hiking up to the top of St. Mary’s Glacier with her and Tyler, I couldn’t help but imagine she was one of those girls who ran barefoot through fields of flowers as a child (as did I!). Their intimate wedding was one that I will always remember. To have the opportunity to witness two people commuting their lives to each other, in a totally intimate and private setting, alone in the mountains with their dog, on top of a glacier is an absolutely unforgettable experience. We hiked up to the glacier in the snow, taking amazing photos along the way, their adorable dog running in and out of the frame, and finally arrived at the top overlooking the glacier lake with mountains in the background. There they pulled out their hand-written vows and tearfully exchanged words of love and their rings, embraced in a kiss, and they were married. The beauty, intimacy, and simplicity of their wedding was overwhelming to me and I will carry the honor of witnessing and documenting their story with me forever.

Being an elopement photographer in Colorado happens to be the best job in the world because we are one of exactly 4 places that you can have a self-solemnization ceremony — which is a legal marriage ceremony without an officiant (also called self-uniting marriage or self-unification ceremony). While they’re only able to be performed in Colorado, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Washington D.C., self-solemnized weddings are completely legal and valid marriages in the entire U.S. Self-unification ceremonies are an absolutely incredible way to have a completely intimate wedding, with truly just the two of you. To execute a self-uniting elopement, all you need to do is apply for an obtain a marriage license from any county clerk & recorder office in Colorado, fill it out when you elope, and return within 60 days of your ceremony. You can read more about self-unification or self-solemnizing ceremonies here. 

I’m available for adventurous intimate weddings and elopements for daring couples worldwide. Get in touch with me about creating a two-person adventure for your Colorado elopement in the Rocky Mountains. 

Do you want to have an adventurous self-solemnizing elopement in Colorado? Get in touch with me and we’ll start an adventure together.