LGBTQ Mountain Elopement in Colorado, Alyssa & Carsten

An LGBTQ mountain elopement in Colorado looks like this: two people, golden hour light, wind moving through tall grasses, and vows spoken without permission from anyone.

Alyssa and Carsten traveled to Colorado to marry themselves in the mountains near Lake George, not just for the scenery, but for the freedom. In Colorado, couples can legally self-solemnize their marriage. No officiant required. No witnesses. No gatekeeping. Just two people making a decision together.

For many queer couples planning an elopement, that autonomy means everything. And for Alyssa and Carsten, it meant they could stand in a wide-open mountain meadow and say their vows to each other, just the two of them, with nothing between their words and the wind.

Why Colorado draws LGBTQ couples to elope

There's a reason queer couples travel from all over the country to elope in Colorado.

Some of it is practical. Colorado is one of only a handful of states that allows self-solemnizing marriages, which means you don't need an officiant or witnesses to make your marriage legal. You apply for your license, you speak your vows to each other, you sign the paperwork, and you're married. That's it. No one else has to be involved unless you want them to be.

For LGBTQ couples, that matters. Not because every queer couple has complicated family dynamics or painful histories with institutions, but because some do. And even for those who don't, there's something powerful about a state that says: you don't need anyone's permission to marry the person you love.

Beyond the legal piece, Colorado just offers space. Wide-open mountain views. High alpine lakes. Forests that go quiet in a way that lets you hear your own heartbeat. The landscapes here hold room for big feelings without making them feel small. Lake George, where Alyssa and Carsten chose to elope, is one of those places. Another location I love for this type of feeling is Brainard Lake. Like Lake George, it also showcases a beautiful lake and is perfect for your Rocky Mountain based Colorado elopement.

If you're early in planning and want the logistics laid out clearly, marriage license process, best times of year, what to wear, how to find locations, I share all of that in my complete guide to eloping in Colorado. For now, though, let me tell you about Alyssa and Carsten's day.

Before the ceremony: slowing down to arrive

We started their evening slowly. Before wedding clothes, before vows, before rings, there was time to simply arrive.

We curated space to land in their bodies before stepping into the ceremony itself. They walked together through tall golden grasses in their everyday clothes, letting the wind settle their nerves into something softer. Shoulders leaning close. Hands brushing. Laughter that came easy because no one was watching, no one was waiting, and there was nowhere else to be.

They wandering. Talking quietly. Letting the golden hour light warm their skin while the mountain breeze cooled it. By the time they were ready to change into their wedding clothes, their shoulders had dropped. Their smiles came easier. They were here.

Getting ready in the mountains

When it was time to change, they ducked into a vault toilet, the only structure for miles. Not glamorous. But real. And somehow, that made it even more meaningful.

This is what an adventure elopement actually looks like: making it work with what's there, finding beauty in the imperfection. They helped each other with buttons and zippers, passed a small mirror back and forth, and emerged looking like themselves in wedding clothes. Not a version of themselves dressed up for someone else's expectations. Just them. Ready.

The ceremony: self-solemnizing in Colorado

Carsten stepped into the light first. The sun found her instantly, warm, steady, almost intentional. When I brought Alyssa over, the flutter of excitement was palpable. In the midst of it, the ring slipped unnoticed from her hands. By the time we reached the ceremony spot, it was gone.

So I went back.

Part of my work as an LGBTQ elopement photographer is care. Holding space. Making sure nothing gets lost, including the feeling of safety. The ring was right where it had fallen, waiting to be returned.

They stood together in the open mountain air and spoke their vows without an officiant, without witnesses, without requirements. Two people. One decision. This is what a self-solemnizing elopement in Colorado makes possible, and for many LGBTQ couples, that freedom is the whole point.

Their vows were quiet and full. The wind moved through the grasses, the mountains held steady in the distance, and the light wrapped around them as they exchanged rings and promises.

After the ceremony

One of the things I love most about elopements is what comes after.

At a traditional wedding, the ceremony ends and you're immediately swept into cocktail hour, family photos, reception logistics. The moment you just had gets folded into the next thing before you've had time to feel it.

At an elopement, especially one in a place this beautiful, there's space to linger.

Alyssa and Carsten wandered after their ceremony. They walked through the meadow holding hands, stopping whenever something caught their eye. They laughed at nothing in particular, the kind of laughter that bubbles up when joy has nowhere else to go. They let the last of the light spill across the mountains while I stayed quiet and close.

This is the part that always gets me. The unguarded joy. The relief. The settling in of we actually did this. It's not posed, and it doesn't need to be. It's just real.

If this is the kind of elopement experience you're looking for, unhurried, intentional, documented with care, you can learn more about how I photograph elopements here.

Alyssa and Carsten's day

Sun-drenched. Wind-swept. Deeply human.

A vault toilet turned dressing room. A ring lost and found in the grass. Vows spoken in the open air with no one else to hear them. Golden light that stayed longer than it had any right to. And two people who traveled across the country to marry themselves on a mountain, because in Colorado, that's something you're allowed to do.

It was a quiet celebration of love that didn't ask to be seen, it simply was.

It was an honor to witness it.

If you're planning an LGBTQ elopement

If you're a queer couple thinking about eloping, I want you to know a few things.

Colorado will welcome you. The landscapes here are vast and unbothered. The legal structure supports your autonomy. There are vendors, myself included, who will show up for your day with genuine respect and care. You won't have to explain yourselves. You won't have to wonder if you're safe. You can just be married.

Your elopement can look however you want it to look. Big or small. Fancy or simple. Just the two of you, or with your favorite people. Sunrise or sunset. Mountains or desert or downtown. There's no right way to do this.

The logistics are simpler than you might think. Colorado has no waiting period for marriage licenses, and the self-solemnization option means you truly can elope with just each other if that's what feels right. Lake George is in Teller County, you can find marriage license information through the Teller County Clerk & Recorder. I walk through all of this in my Colorado Elopement Guide, how to get your license (in any Colorado county), when to apply, what to expect, and how to plan a day that actually feels like you.

Ready to plan your Colorado elopement?

If you're looking for an LGBTQ-friendly elopement photographer in Colorado, someone who will hold space for your day with care, help with the logistics, and document everything with intention, I'd love to hear from you.