Telluride Elopement on Top of a Mountain Pass

Ryan & Katie wanted an elopement in Telluride on top of a mountain. They had a couple places in mind already & we planned for the morning hours to avoid the daily afternoon rainstorms that are a regular occurrence in the San Juan Mountains around Telluride. I did want to make sure they were comfortable with heights & offroading because the pass we went up was a steep winding road with some drop-offs. Having a professional Jeep driver was definitely helpful here!

For the proposal, Katie & Ryan were staying in Glenwood Springs celebrating our 5 year anniversary. They went to maroon bells with Von, their dog, to hike. Along the trail, Katie was in the lead & Ryan asked to stop because Von needed something. Katie turned around & wedged in Von’s collar was a ring box. Ryan told Katie to grab the box & in shock, she said no. But then Ryan grabbed the ring box & got down on one knee & asked Katie to marry him. Obviously, she said yes!

First Look Before Their Telluride Elopement

Katie & Ryan were staying at the Hotel Telluride for their stay in town before & after their elopement. If you are traveling into your elopement location from out of town, I definitely recommend staying in town for a while if you can! We planned out a first look in Telluride just after Ryan finished up writing his vows in the lobby. Von & Ryan got into place waiting for Katie. Von got super excited when he saw her! And Katie even surprised Ryan with a little gift– an engraved tie clip. And I just loved their bright & colorful flowers from Finishing Touches Florist!

Elopement Ceremony on Top of a Mountain Pass near Telluride

Our Jeep drive from Telluride Offroad was great! He gave us a bit of a tour & a history of the area on the way up & has been in the Telluride area for decades now. The lighting was a perfect mix between being slightly cloudy but not totally gloomy with just a bit of sun. Full sun on top of a mountain pass can actually be quite intense! The high elevation makes you closer to the sun so you can really feel the heat & can get sunburned easier.

The views at the top of this mountain pass in Telluride were just amazing! Having a Jeeping elopement is one of my favorite ways for couples to access mountain top locations for an elopement or micro wedding without a ton of hiking. Von really stole the show with his custom made dog tux!

Picnic & Portraits in Telluride

When Katie & Ryan said they were packing a picnic for their Telluride elopement, I was just expecting something small, but Katie really went all out with their little setup! We found a dispersed camping site to set up their picnic & they had a table, nice glasses, champagne, & lots of great food! After enjoying their picnic for a bit with the amazing San Juan Mountains surrounding them, we headed back into the town of Telluride for a couple classic street photos in downtown Telluride.

Sunset Photos in the Mountains

As a Telluride elopement photographer, I love helping couples plan out beautiful locations & the right timing to get some epic photos in the mountains! I went up with Katie & Ryan in my Tacoma to some wildflowers & took them to these epic overlooks just outside of the town of Telluride. I absolutely LOVE color, & the wildflowers in western Colorado during the summer are just always so beautiful. Again, Von stole the show in his handsome little tuxedo again! This sunset was just epic & it was a perfect ending to their elopement in Telluride.

Looking for a local Telluride elopement photographer that area about leave no trace & that can help you with locations, weather, timing, & more for your elopement in the mountains? Be sure to view pricing & contact me for more information!