a snowstorm and a dreamy sunrise ceremony

Jasmine + Ryan were after a Rocky Mountain snowy elopement, and after an unexpected snowstorm, that’s definitely what they got! We had originally planned for their elopement to take place the day before. However, a gnarly storm made it pretty miserable to be outside. The great thing about elopements is that you can be flexible!

We opted to push their elopement to the next day, and that ended up being the perfect move! We found them a secluded spot in the National Forest to hold their ceremony with family. The snowstorm plus the sunrise created a DREAMY morning. All of the trees were covered in frost and ice, the mountains had low flying clouds, and the crunch of the snow was the only thing we could hear for miles. It was such a beautiful start to the day.

Sunrise ceremonies for winter elopements definitely create a cold environment. We encourage our couples and their families to be fully prepared with warm gear, adequate footwear, and handwarmers (we always have extras stowed away for anyone to use). It was -2 degrees F when the sun broke the horizon, but everyone was bundled up and ready to celebrate Jasmine + Ryan!

why sunrise

One of the biggest reasons to opt for a sunrise ceremony is to avoid crowds. Another great reason is because sunrises are just absolutely stinking beautiful. For Jasmine + Ryan, they chose to not do a first look. Since the first time they would see each other is when Jasmine would walk down the snowy, tree-lined aisle, it made sense to do the ceremony first to leave plenty of time for adventures.

Rocky Mountain National Park

What better place to top off a snowy elopement than in Rocky Mountain National Park? We took an adventure from their ceremony site, made a pit stop at our favorite The Train Cars Coffee (check out the coffee shop in this cabin + lakeside elopement), and landed in RMNP for a snowy hike.

You can elope in Rocky Mountain National Park with a permit in specific locations. Our couple chose a ceremony site that worked better for their families, but still wanted to include RMNP in their day. Once we arrived in the parking lot, we strapped on our microspikes, tucked our handwarmers in our gloves, and made our way up the mountain.

The snowfall was PERFECT and reminded me of all of the reasons why I love winter so much. The puffy snowflakes fell on our cheeks, the snowpack crunched under our feet, and we actually warmed up enough that I had to shed layers!

Dream Lake is always a beautiful photo location, but it was extra stunning today. The massive, rugged peaks were visible behind heavy snowfall– and the coolest part– we got to walk on the lake! During the winter months when the lake is fully frozen, the trail path is shifted by hikers and takes you right across the lake. This was such a cool experience and gave us the opportunity to get closer to the mountains!

Snowy Elopements

If you love winter like us, a snowy elopement might be calling your name. Snowy elopements also open up the opportunity for helicopter glacier tours, snowmobile adventures, and cozy snuggles with hot cocoa by a cabin fireplace. Colorado, Washington, Alaska, and Switzerland all offer epic environments for a beautiful, snow-filled, mountain elopement. Let’s bundle up and go on an adventure!