Great Sand Dunes Elopement Photographer

Hi, I’m Lucy, your Great Sand Dunes elopement photographer and National Park freak! Welcome to my newest favorite Colorado National Park! If you’ve been wondering how and where to elope at Great Sand Dunes National Park, you’re in the right place. This guide will walk you through everything! From when to elope, a sample timeline, how to elope in the park legally – everything!

Where is Great Sand Dunes National Park?

Great Sand Dunes national park is located near Alamosa, Colorado in the San Luis valley. It’s about 4 hour’s drive Southwest of Denver airport, or 3 hours north of Sante Fe New Mexico. The dunes are the tallest in all of North America, rising over 800′ from the valley floor. You can see the dunes from the main parking lot. The huge Sange De Cristo mountains, home of nine 14,000’+ peaks, wrap around the eastern edge.

PRO TIP: If you are driving to and from Denver, take two different routes. First, take rt 285 through Conifer and over Kenosha pass, and enjoy the spectacular town of Buena Vista. On the way back, head east from the park to Fort Garland and north on i-25, stopping at Garden of the Gods and Pike’s Peak in Colorado Springs.

Elopement Locations in Great Sand Dunes National Park

Great Sand Dunes has no specific ceremony sites within the park. That means you can choose where YOU want to elope! But if you haven’t personally been to the park, it’d be pretty hard to plan. Let me walk you through several of the different areas and spots. And if you make me your Great Sand Dunes elopement photographer, you’ll get access to my custom, interactive map with detailed locations and photos.

How to elope in Great Sand Dunes National Park in 2024

Every National Park is vastly different in its rules for couples wanting to elope or even have their photo taken. Great Sand Dunes National Park has a unique process! To have an elopement or intimate wedding ceremony here, you have to fill in a $200 special use permit AND choose a location outside of the wilderness area. However, almost all the dunes are in the wilderness area! What’s a couple to do? This is where I come in! With my Great sand dunes photo permit, I can photograph ceremonies anywhere in the park – including on the iconic dunes! This is a necessary step for a true dune experience. So, in short, here are the steps to planning a Great Sand Dunes elopement.

How to plan a Great Sand Dunes Elopement

1. Pick a season or date range for your elopement.
2. Book a Great Sand dunes elopement photographer to guide you through the rest of the process
3. With your photographer’s help, select a ceremony location and fill in your Special Use Permit with the park
4. Book your accommodation, optional florist, and garments for your elopement
5. Pick up your Colorado marriage license and elope!

Do I need an officiant?

In Colorado, you do not have to have an officiant, minister or celebrant at your wedding. Instead, you can self-solemnize, or declare yourselves married, without any officiant. I did it myself, and it’s not difficult at all! You literally just sign on the dotted line. You may choose to have an officiant, hired or a friend, but legally it is not required. Another option is that I can legally marry you, as I am ordained. This easy state law makes Colorado a great choice to plan an elopement!

Getting a Colorado Marriage license is also not difficult or expensive. You can pick up your marriage license in person at ANY Colorado county courthouse, not just the Alamosa county courthouse, which is the closest to Great Sand Dunes. It costs $30 and some courthouses require an appointment in advance to pick it up.

When to Elope at Great Sand Dunes NP

It’s no secret that the dunes can be hot in the summer – how about 140 degrees on the sand! That’s enough to give you second degree burns. When considering when to elope at Great Sand Dunes National Park, timing is everything! Winter is a great option here, and there are plenty of aspens if you crave that fall color. Spring is the busiest month in the park, but there are still ways to get away from the crowds if you know the park well. Get in touch with me to talk timing and get more recommendations!

Eloping on a weekday

Please, please, please choose a Monday to Thursday date for your elopement at Great Sand Dunes. This is a popular weekend destination for Coloradoans, so weekends often have a line of cars waiting to get in. The parking lots of this park are not large, so definitely plan to elope on a weekday here.

Real Great Sand Dunes Elopement Photos

Sarah & Tyler self solemnized their elopement on the dunes in fall of 2022! These two goofballs packed their day full of fun adventures. After sand sledding and making sand angels, they continued their adventure up Medano Pass in an offroad jeep. The water crossings were fun and brought us to many amazing mountain views – even lakes! We returned to the dune field for sunset, which was so epic and stunning. Their elopement at the Great Sand Dunes was unforgettable! See their whole elopement story unfold here.

What to do at Great Sand Dunes

There are many experiences nearby to take your elopement day to the next level! Sand sledding or boarding is popular here to get your heart rate up. Play in the creek together and tube down it when the water is high enough! You can ride horses on the sand and experience guided tours, fine dining, and great accommodations at the nearby Zapata Ranch. They even have Bison! There are long and short hikes to lakes, waterfalls, and views of Mt. Blanca peak everywhere, trees to hammock in, and wildlife to watch. Consider a jeep or ATV tour to some of the more alpine and remote areas. There are a few gorgeous picnic areas for celebrating with cake afterwards.

What does it cost to elope at Great Sand Dunes?

So just how much is this going to cost you? The answer is that it depends! If you want to combine your dream honeymoon with your elopement day and don’t mind spending a bit to get you there, you’ll have the best time. But if a thrifty elopement is more your speed, you can achieve that for less than 10k! Here is a hypothetical budget for a 2 person elopement at Great Sand Dunes.

$30 Colorado Marriage License
$200 Special Use Permit from the National Park
$600 to $2600 Accommodation for a weekend
$500 to $5,000 your elopement suits or dresses
$6,000 to $9,000 Experienced Great Sand Dunes elopement photographer
$300 Food and all the snacks
$400 Jeep tour or horseback riding excursion
$450 Hair, makeup (optional)
$600+ Officiant (optional since you do not need one in CO)
$500 Flowers

=$8,500 to $18,000

How much time do we need for elopement photography?

Because Great Sand Dunes is a destination for almost everyone, I know you’ll be spending at least 1 day exploring the dunes! There is so much to do here that anything less than a full day would be short changing yourself. Embrace the memories, the spontaneous, and all the best things in life for a full day or multi-day elopement at Great Sand Dunes. Here is a sample timeline for a Great Sand Dunes elopement.

Great Sand Dunes elopement timeline

6:30 Get dressed in your glamping yurt or treehouse
8:00 Sunrise coffee on a jetboil and blanket cuddle
9:00 Get your first look at the dunes and get your feet wet crossing the creek
9:30 Hike to the top of Star Dune
10:30 Say your vows at the top of the highest dune in North America
10:45 Sled or sand-board down!
11:30 Cake, champagne and charcuterie lunch, in that order
1:00 Take a jeep tour off road, explore the dunes on horseback, hike up to the waterfall or play in the river
5:00 Dinner at Zapata Ranch
7:30 Sunset portraits and making sand-angels or sand castles in the creek
9:00 Stargazing at Great Sand Dunes’ epic dark sky park

Where to stay for visiting Great Sand Dunes

For those of you visiting from the front range of Colorado, you’re going to want to stay near the dunes because it’s a good 3 – 4 hour drive. This will give you more time to explore and check out all the areas around this amazing Colorado National Park. I’ll always recommend staying at Great Sand Dunes Lodge, which is right on the doorstep of the national park. This easy access means minimal driving for your day of fun. They also rent sand sleds right there, and have a seasonal restaurant! If you’d like to go off the wall, try my list of strange and unique airbnbs near Great Sand Dunes. You’ll be delighted with dome homes, cabins, tiny houses, campers, glamping yurts and tents – there’s even a school bus and a treehouse!

What to wear at the Great Sand Dunes?

Remember the scorching hot sand I mentioned? As early as May, the sand will reach unbearably hot temperatures. Instead of option for sandals of any kind, I recommend hiking boots that will protect your feet from all sides. Keeping footwear practical is my #1 recommendation here! If you are eloping from October to April, you may choose to go barefoot or wear amphibious sandals. I also advise you to bring sunglasses or clear eye protection, because nobody likes sand in their eyes. As for what you wear on the rest of your body, it’s completely up to you! You can view my style inspiration and tips for dressing masc, femme, and in between here.

Can we bring our dog to Great Sand Dunes?

Yes! Great Sand dunes is one of the few dog friendly National Parks! So long as your dog is on a leash, and you pick up after them, you can bring them along to your elopement at the Dunes! When your pup is your family, it makes sense to bring them! That makes this a very cool elopement location for you dog lovers. Plus – in Colorado, your dog can sign your marriage license with an ink pad paw print!

Ready to get your sand dune elopement on? Contact me!

Other elopement locations with Sand Dunes:
– White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
– Death Valley National Park (California)
– Snow Canyon State Park (Utah)
– California

More Colorado Elopement Guides