Great Sand Dunes Elopement

This Great Sand Dunes elopement is about to knock your socks off! Sarah & Tyler traveled to Colorado to roll in the sand and get married on the dunes – which they thoroughly accomplished! Above all else, they wanted their elopement to be FUN. That meant sleeping in, getting ready in the same room, and then having a first look. Sarah was so JOYOUS as soon as she put on her elopement dress, and it was contagious. They spent several minutes goofily landing smooches on each other.

Great Sand Dunes Elopement Ceremony

We wanted to kick off the Great Sand Dunes elopement by starting the day with the ceremony. A few tears were shed in the process as they each spoke from the heart and shared what the other’s love had meant to them. Ahhh. With PLENTY of sticking out their tongues at each other thrown in! And we found out that Sarah only cries out of one eye. Who knew? They exchanged rings and sealed their marriage with a kiss and a triumphant exclamation of “We’re MARRIED!!” Then it was time to use the sand sleds and surf down the dunes like the grown-up little kids they are.

Colorado Jeep Adventure Elopement

Not one to shy away from adventure, they chose to enhance their great sand dunes elopement with a jeep our of the backcountry. By going for a jeep tour instead of renting a jeep, they also got to sit back and relax while the tour guide drove us all over. The deep sand on this rough 4×4 road is not for the faint of heart! There are also 9 river crossings that kept the adrenaline up. Their reflection in the river with the last colors of fall ended up being one of my favorite photos. This is a part of the park & preserve that few visitors get to experience. The aspen groves, meadows and beaver dams were an unforgettable capstone to their Great Sand Dunes elopement.

How to have your Great Sand Dunes Elopement

Eloping at Great Sand Dunes national park is pretty easy. Once you secure your photographer and permit from the park.. you just show up and have your ceremony with your toes in the sand! Also, every time of day looks good here – you can’t go wrong! Download my interactive map of the park to see my favorite spots and find out more about eloping at Great Sand Dunes here. I’d love to join you, so if you want to have some fun and get married your own way, let’s talk!

Keeping it Authentic

I always tell my couples they won’t be the most awkward person at their own elopement if they hire me. Let’s just say I overdelivered on this promise on Sarah & Tyler’s day. After their ceremony, I really had to pee, but opted to use my she-wee instead of trekking all the way to the other side of the parking lot to use the bathroom. Readers, this was a mistake. I was so well hydrated (and desperate) that I overflowed the pee funnel. I was thus peeing both inside and outside my pants at the same time. As soon as I’d cleaned myself up, I was hit with a massive nosebleed. Finding clean tissues that didn’t already have my pee on them was the new challenge. When I cut my finger open on my light later that afternoon, Sarah said I really was the mess I’d promised to be as she bandaged me up. Just a day in my life..