Crested Butte Elopement Photographer
Elopements in Crested Butte
Colorado Elopement Photographer SERVING CRESTED BUTTE
Crested Butte is one of my favorite places in Colorado, and I'm so lucky to work here all throughout the summer! The beautiful mountain passes just outside of town, the adorable shops and restaurants down Elk Ave., the amazing hiking and mountain biking, and of course the best skiing in the winter make Crested Butte a perfect place to elope in Colorado. Mountain vistas, beautiful aspens, bright blue alpine lakes, and wildflowers galore will be a stunning backdrop that I live for as a Crested Butte elopement photographer!
TOP CRESTED BUTTE elopement locations
Alpine Lakes
There are a few notable alpine lakes near Crested Butte that make the most beautiful backdrop (and you can even paddleboard/canoe some of them!) Note that not all of these lakes are accessible without a high clearance 4WD vehicle.
Remote Forest Spots
Surrounding Crested Butte are miles and miles of Gunnison National Forest lands. Find a remote and private place to elope and exchange vows, camp, explore, and be nestled among the mountains.
Wildflower Meadows
Crested Butte is known for its wildflowers and the Wildflower Festival each July. Elope surrounded by the most abundant and vibrant wildflowers you've ever seen! Peak season is mid-July through early August. Be sure not to trample wildflowers or harm them - stay on trail!
Peanut Lake
Peanut Lake is overseen by CB Land Trust and lies just before the Lower Loop trail, with views of Paradise Divide and Peanut Lake itself, and aspen trees and the river nearby.
Woods Walk
The Crested Butte Land Trust oversees a few great elopement and wedding locations around Crested Butte that you can reserve for your elopement. Woods Walk lies just outside town and as the name implies features heavily on the aspen grove, with views of Mt. Crested Butte in the background!
River Valleys
The Crested Butte area is home to a couple iconic river valleys that wind their way through the area and make a great scenic spot for your elopement.
Lake Irwin
Up Kebler Pass from Crested Butte is Lake Irwin, a popular summer destination for the area. Camping, paddleboarding, canoe/kayaking and hiking bring hundreds of people to this area every summer. You can find some privacy just outside the area, going around sunrise or sunset, or by booking some camping spots to reserve a space.
Gunsight Bridge
This is another CB Land Trust location you can reserve, and it features a historic bridge over the Slate River just outside of town, with mountain views all around including Mt. Crested Butte and Paradise Divide.
travelcrestedbutte.com
Location Scouting
So you can stop googling, posting to forums, and wasting your time trying to find the perfect spot. I've spent countless hours driving the back roads or with my nose in a map (you should see how many spots I've flagged) to help you narrow down and find the best spot for you to spend your day.
Timeline Planning
So we're in the best places at the best times - cuz this is probably your first elopement, right? Whether you’re planning activities for your elopement or just need help with timing the perfect sunset ceremony, I love to help my couples with creating the perfect timeline for the day. I’ll create an agenda, with as much specific or general timing as we want, and what spots and activities we’ll be doing there.
Permit Guidance
Eloping in the west means navigating permits and other legal requirements. OOF right? You can rest easy, though. I know alllll the requirements and what we need to do.
Activity Ideas
From helping you brainstorm ideas you’ve never considered, to helping you with the logistics of making those ideas happen, consider me your go-to person to bounce things off of so you can craft the most amazing day you can imagine!
Vendor Recommendations
Small mountain and desert towns can be hard to find vendors at all, let alone ones who show up in an online search. Having helped couples elope in these areas for over nine years now, I’ve gotten to know all the pros to recommend to help bring your visions to life.
Group Photo List Creation
If you’re having guests along for the day, I will help create a formals list so that we have a list of groups to make sure we’re not missing any combos on the day-of.
Elopement Guide
You’ll receive access to my 124 page elopement guide full of everything you could ever have questions about for how to elope! From marriage license navigation, to emergency kit checklists, to advice for what to wear, to choosing your lodging, and so much more – this guide is your new best friend
Location Expertise
So you can stop googling, posting to forums, and wasting your time trying to find the perfect spot. I've spent countless hours driving the back roads or with my nose in a map (you should see how many spots I've flagged) to help you narrow down and find the best spot for you to spend your day.
Timeline Planning
From sunrise ceremonies to multi-location days, I'll create a timeline that gets you to the best spots at the best times—with buffer room so you're never rushing. I’ll create an agenda, with as much specific or general timing as we want, and what spots and activities we’ll be doing there.
Permit Navigation
Eloping in the west means navigating permits and other legal requirements. OOF right? You can rest easy, though. I know alllll the requirements and will walk you through every step.
Activity Ideas
Whether you want a picnic, a hot springs soak, a vineyard toast, or just stunning photos with minimal hiking—I'll help you design a day that feels authentically you.
Vendor Recommendations
Small mountain and desert towns can be hard to find vendors at all, let alone ones who show up in an online search. Having helped couples elope in these areas for over nine years now, I’ve gotten to know all the pros to recommend to help bring your visions to life.
Group Photo List Creation
If you’re having guests along for the day, I will help create a formals list so that we have a list of groups to make sure we’re not missing any combos on the day-of.
Elopement Guide
You’ll receive access to my 124 page elopement guide full of everything you could ever have questions about for how to elope! From marriage license navigation, to emergency kit checklists, to advice for what to wear, to choosing your lodging, and so much more – this guide is your new best friend
Elopement Planning Services
These planning services are included in all my elopement photography packages—AND are now available as standalone services for couples who've already hired a photographer or prefer to book planning separately.
COMPREHENSIVE ELOPEMENT SUPPORT
Because Your Day Should Feel As Good As It Looks
Since starting my business in 2012 and moving here in 2015, I've been helping couples navigate the beautiful chaos of planning and photographing elopements across Colorado's Western Slope, San Juan Mountains, and Moab, Utah.
I believe your wedding day should feel as beautiful as it looks—which means comfortable, stress-free, and entirely true to who you are.
Whether you need comprehensive planning support, photography that captures the story and scenery of your day, or both—I'm here to make sure the experience is exactly what you hoped for.
When I'm not helping couples, you can find me with a chai latte, binge-watching Gilmore Girls & Grey's Anatomy - again.
Hey there, I'm Amanda
she/her
WESTERN COLORADO & MOAB ELOPEMENT SPECIALIST
Couples I've worked with
350+
States I've visited
27
(and counting!)
Moose I've seen
8
Episodes of Gilmore Girls binged
100%
What's it like to Work with me?
Here's What People are Saying...
"Made us feel comfortable"
"Put us at ease"
"Incredibly organized & helpful"
"Made everything run really smoothly"
"Went above and beyond"
"The best decision we made"
"We never had to stress about photos"
"An effortless and fun experience"
"Made us feel so natural and relaxed"
Crested Butte Elopement Photo Inspo
What do we DO all day?
Elopement Timeline Example
It's not really about "What do we do all day??" -- it's more like "What CAN we do all day?" You should plan a day that sounds like the most fun you can imagine: whatever that looks like to you. Star gazing? Coffee and brunch? A trip to a book store? ATVing? Overlooking a cool new park? Get excited about the possibilities!
5:00 - DINNER
Whether you make dinner reservations at a nice restaurant in town, grab tacos from your favorite shop, hire a private chef to treat you to a fine meal in your vacation rental, or bring a picnic on our adventure in nature.
4:30 - GROUP PHOTOS
Spend some time taking photos with everyone in attendance in this beautiful place you've made this next step in your adventure together. Those images you'll look back at on their birthdays each year.
3:30 - CEREMONY
You (and any guests you have) head out to your ceremony location where you'll exchange vows, rings, a unity ceremony and sign the papers to make things official. Share a toast or speeches to celebrate.
2:30 - GETTING READY
Getting ready at your vacation rental or campsite. You help each other get ready, put on a pot of coffee, and take your time as you begin your elopement time. This is our ice breaker, so I'm not showing up at go-time.
6:30 - ACTIVITIES
After dinner, you can spend the time until sunset exploring the area, hiking, fishing, taking photos with amazing views, seeing new sights, eating dessert, and spending time however you would like to most! We'll get those iconic photos and those stunning candids you love so much and will hang on the wall to relive these moments any time.
8:30 - SUNSET & STARS
Watch the sunset together. Eat a snack or some cake while the stars begin to come out. Stargaze and take some photos with the milky way as you end your new favorite day.
-Allison & Ethan
Amanda is the perfect wedding photographer. The photos perfectly captured the whole day and I feel like I can easily relive it just by looking back at the photos. I highly recommend Amanda.
"The Perfect Wedding Photographer"
-Megan & Jordan
Amanda was the best decision we made for our wedding day! The photos are exceptional and perfectly capture the scenery and vibe we were going for, but that’s only a portion of what Amanda provided. She helped give us planning guidance, organization, and reassurance throughout, which alleviated all the worries we had about eloping in a place we’d never been before.
"the best decision we made"
-Beth & Dustin
We used Amanda for our wedding and she is the BEST! Our photos turned out amazing and she captured the feel of our night perfectly. She’s also really fun to hang with. We didn’t want her to leave at the end of the night!
"She captured the feel of our night perfectly."
- Kylie & Murat
Amanda did an amazing job on our elopement photos! She was incredibly organized during all the planning and sent incredibly helpful tips and ideas in the months leading up.
"Incredibly organized & helpful"
Crested Butte elopement packages range from $4-10k.
Crested Butte Elopement Pricing
No matter the package, you always get:
Access to my Locations Database - see the best spots I've accumulated over the years, in a personalized guide to fit your needs
Timeline & Group Photo List collaboration - you probably haven't made dozens of these per year like I have, so let me help you with that!
The final digital files in an online gallery, unlimited downloads, and online access for at least 1 year. Plus free websize downloads for loved ones!
My travel included - I work in the places I know best, and I'll meet you there!
Award-winning & Hand Retouched Photography - As a recognized artist in the industry, I strive to deliver beautiful artwork from your day, hand edited by me.
We're in... what now?
03
The big day & after
The day is here and you're surprised you're nervous after all this time. I will capture your day in a way that tells the story for you to relive forever. You'll have sneak peaks within 24-48 hours and a full gallery of the whole day within a month or so.
01
Let's Meet
We'll hop on the phone or Zoom (or grab coffee!) to get to know each other and talk all about your dreams and ideas for the big day, and how I can help make your life easier. When you're ready to book you'll put $1k down as a retainer and I'll get to work!
Planning journey
From there I'll send you my 124 page Elopement Guide and help with location ideas, scouting, emergency kit info, permits, activity suggestions, vendor recommendations, timeline creation, group photo lists, and so so much more. I will help you craft the most incredible day, with backup plans because life is life. You'll feel like you've never been so excited or prepared for anything before.
02
Ready to save your date?
Let's do this
Thank you!
I'll be in touch within 24-48 hours.
If you don’t hear from me soon, I’m probably in the mountains or desert capturing an adventurous couple.
Please feel free to reach out to me directly:
info@amandamatildaphotography.com
