Ultimate Telluride Elopement Packages and Guide 2024
Top 5 Tips for your Telluride Elopement
1. Craft an authentic day that FILLS you with JOY!
2. Some of the best locations require a jeep to get to.
3. Make sure to dress for the weather.
4. Plan for a weekday to avoid crowds.
5. Telluride is fun all year-round, but my favorite times are August – September
Why have a Telluride Elopement
Telluride is one of the most famous towns in all of America, and for good reason. It is a stunning place, nestled inside towering mountains.
But I got a secret to tell ya – it’s more than just Telluride that’s bonkers incredible. It’s the whole San Juan National Forest area surrounding it! That’s right, we aren’t just talking about the town, we’re talking about gorgeous blue alpine lakes, majestic mountains, and some of the greatest scenery in all of America. In fact, they call the mountains outside Telluride the Switzerland of America! So if you want a Telluride Elopement, strap yourself in because you are off to a fantastic start.
All Year Round Fun!
Telluride is a town that’s fun to play in all year! The best times are of course summer, fall, and winter, but you can go almost any time and have a blast. Wanna go snowboarding or skiing? Telluride has some of the best slopes. Wanna see some of the best mountain ranges in all of America? Don’t worry we got you covered.
Want to see wildflowers? They are blooming like crazy in the summer. Want to see our gorgeous aspen trees change from green to gold? Hit up the fall and let your eyes feast on the magic. We got tons of fun all year round.
San Juan Mountains – The Switzerland of America
Let’s cut to the chase, the San Juans are some of the best mountains in all of America. There’s a reason they call it the Switzerland of America. Sure, you can elope in so many other gorgeous mountain areas in Colorado, but if you want the best. The most EPIC. The most EXHILARATING. Ya gotta go to the San Juans!
Your fur-baby doggos can witness your Telluride Elopement
You heard me right! Your fur-baby, your dog, who is 100% part of your family can legally sign your marriage license as a witness. So get that dog approved ink pad and get some paws on that license!
You can marry yourself during your Telluride Elopement
Your Telluride Elopement comes with a really really cool feature – you can marry yourself! That’s right, you don’t need any witnesses or an officiant. Though I recommend a dope photographer ;). All that’s needed are you two!
Where to have your Telluride Elopement
There are so many gorgeous places for your Telluride Elopement that you’ll have no problems finding the perfect one!
San Juan Mountains
Yankee Boy Basin
Alpine Lakes
Via Ferrata
Secret hidden locations 😉
When to have your Telluride Elopement
While the Telluride area is open all year, there are big differences in the seasons. So here’s a primer to help you figure out which season is your vibe! Personally, my favorites are winter and summer. Winter elopements have snowboarding, skiing, snowmobiles, and helicopter elopements. Summer time has gorgeous wildflowers, flowing waterfalls, and towards the end, golden fall hues.
Seasons:
A fall Telluride Elopement will feature a lot of lush greens turning to golden hues. The Aspens start changing and you have some serious Lord of the Rings Magical vibes. The bushes and grass also start changing to gold. It’s pretty majestic, to be honest. Really stunning. It does start snowing again around October, so you just have to consider that when planning a Fall Telluride elopement.
A winter Telluride Elopement has jaw-dropping white snow capped mountains. You’ll be able to do all the winter activities – skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, snowmobiling and even helicopter rides! This is the perfect time to put on some stunning clothes and frolic in some gorgeous winter escapades. Check out this comprehensive guide to winter elopement ideas.
A spring Telluride Elopement will be a bit of the mud season. You’ll have a mix of snow, melting snow, and some dried out trails. It’s a bit harder to get married during this season, especially since the mountains passes aren’t yet open, but still beautiful!
A summer Telluride elopement is where the magic happens. You have wildflowers in full bloom. The mountain passes are open, and the waterfalls floooowing. This is my favorite season to get married in the San Juans.
Weather:
We spoke briefly above about what to expect with weather. One thing to really take into account is that during the spring, summer, and fall you can expect thunderstorms every afternoon. You won’t want to be above alpine starting in the afternoon. Sunrise elopements tend to be the best here, though sunset can also be totally safe depending upon altitude.
Sunrise or Sunset:
Sunset elopements are easier in that you won’t have to wake up super early to enjoy the experience. But you’ll be competing with other people. Sunrise is normally free from anyone else, but you’ll have to wake up super early. So really, it’s all about what you want!
How to have your Telluride elopement:
Planning your Telluride elopement can be easy peasy!
Step 1: Dream Big
This is the start of the fun. You’ll want to dream up what your elopement should feel like. What will you want to do, experience, see, hear, smell. Let your ideas go wild!
Step 2: Big Picture Decisions
Your next steps will be to hire a photographer and pick a date. Choose a photographer that can help you with all the next steps (hey there, I see ya, and I’m here for ya!).
Step 3: General Plan
This is where you’ll decide what activities and specific location you want. As well as whether or not to include guests.
Step 4: Detailed Planning
All the big stuff is done, so now we’re going to dive into the details – vendors, logistics, marriage license, lodging, and transportation.
Step 5: Finalize Your Plans
Last minute checks!
Step 6: Elope
Heck yea it’s party time!!
Step 7: Relive the day!
Your elopement isn’t just one day – it’s your whole life! That’s why you get a photographer, to get the photos that will last a lifetime. Now print them out and plaster them over everyone’s walls, including your friends and family.What’s the point if you can’t relive the day over and over and over again! You’ll get your photos, and then you can print them out and plaster them all over your walls, as well as your friends and family.
Can Family come to my Telluride elopement?
Family are absolutely allowed to come! You’ll want to figure out a) if they should come and b) how you want them involved. You can have them present for the whole thing, or you can split your day up. Spend some of it with fam and some of it without. If they aren’t there physically you can still include them in many ways. Check out this really helpful resource on how to have a family elopement.
What to do during your Telluride Elopement
There are so so so many things you can do during your Telluride Elopement. During the Summer and Fall I highly recommend hiring a private jeep tour so that you can get into the mountains where the best views and most fun is at.
Check out this comprehensive guide for all the things you can do during your Telluride Elopement. Here’s a top 10 list:
- Jeep
- Hike
- Snowboard / Ski
- Hot Springs
- Picnic
- Mountain Bike
- Kayak
- Jeep
- Star-gaze
- Celebrate with family and friends
How to prepare for your Telluride Elopement
One of the best ways to prepare for your Telluride elopement is to make sure that you are wearing the right clothes. That means making sure you dress warm enough for the cold, and layer and cool enough for the heat. Make sure to bring rain or snow gear too! Best things to help keep warm aside from the best clothes (merino wool is your best friend), are hand, food, and body warmers. Make sure you have plenty on hand!
Put together a list of steps to help you plan out your elopement and make sure you are prepared. Be sure to have a checklist that you can easily reference. To get a pre-made one, check out my free elopement planning guide and checklists.
Telluride travel logistics
Telluride is located in the South West of Colorado. You can fly into a nearby airport, whether it’s Montrose or the small airport in telluride, or drive out there. It’s about a 6 hour drive from Denver that takes you through jaw-dropping scenery. Once you are in Telluride there is limited public trans options. The same goes for Ouray or Silverton.
Telluride Elopement Packages
My Telluride Elopement packages start at 4800
Meet the Best Telluride Elopement Photographer for You
Hi there! I’m Adam. I’m an adventure elopement photographer because I love crafting a truly unique day for the couple, not bound by expectations. If that sounds like something that stirs your soul, gets ya moving, and you want to chat with the best Colorado Micro Weddings photographer for you, send me a note, and let’s have a free consultation. I can’t wait to hear from you.
