Elopements in western Colorado & Moab
Photography + Planning Pricing for couples who want an incredible experience without the stress (or the sweat)
LET ME GUESS…
You started planning a traditional wedding, but everything felt performative.
The idea of being the center of attention for 100+ people sounds exhausting.
You'd rather spend your day doing something that sounds fun and worthwhile than checking off a list of wedding traditions for the sake of it.
You want your wedding to feel intentional and true to who you are, not like you're trying to fit into some box.
When you started researching elopements, the logistics still felt overwhelming. Permits. Timelines. Vendor recommendations. Locations. Suddenly "simple" didn't feel so simple anymore.
You want photos from the day that help your loved ones who weren't there feel like they were beside you - and photos that help you relive the day too.
YOU'RE NOT ALONE. And you don't have to figure it all out yourself.
really Imagine your elopement day for a sec...
Imagine...Feeling comfortable and relaxed in front of the camera, knowing you're working with someone who gets you—and who will gently guide you to look your best (and leave you alone when you're in the moment.)
Imagine...Spending your entire day doing exactly what makes you happy.
Imagine...Having over a decade of local expertise on your side, so every detail is handled and you can stay fully present.
Imagine...Investing in an experience that you actually enjoy.
Imagine...Having complete flexibility to design your perfect day—whether that includes accessible overlooks with stunning views, a vineyard ceremony, hot springs, stargazing, or whatever speaks to you.
Imagine...Award-winning photos that transport you back to the best day of your life, and let your loved ones who weren't there feel like they were.
Your wedding can be anything you want when you elope!
“There are moments that I know I will long for, even as I live them.”
Judith Katzir
That's exactly how I approach capturing your celebration - because I know these are moments you will long to relive one day... every emotion, the look on your loved ones' faces, the scenes you explored, and the way the sunset looked on your big day.
It's an incredible honor to be one of (or THE) only people to witness your wedding day. I don't take that lightly.
Elopement Planning Services
Every package includes comprehensive elopement planning support - because your day should feel as good as it looks.
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.
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. Plus I always carry the necessary photography permits for our areas!
Activity Ideas
Whether you're envisioning a picnic, a vineyard toast, a hot springs soak, or just beautiful photos with minimal effort — I'll help you design a day that sounds fun to you. Not what's trendy. What's actually your thing.
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 ten 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 140 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
Boots on the Ground Assistance
Most photographers show up on the big day and, well, not much else. Not me! I'm on your team offering assistance from day one - including being your boots on the ground teammate. I can bring my camp table, extra yaktrax, a cooler, and you can even add on florists' choice bouquets/boutonnieres that I'll order and pickup from a local flower farm.
Adventure...ish.
Elopements aren't just for climbing 14ers to epic views (in fact I'm entirely against that.)
Your elopement is totally valid even if you just want to ride the Palisade Trolley to a bunch of wineries, walk with alpacas through an orchard, drive a jeep to an epic cliff at sunset, enjoy a picnic in the mountains, hit a coffeeshop and play board games, stay at a 5-star hotel or camp under the stars.
There are no wrong ways to elope.
"Amanda’s work is incredible. She shares thoughtful, helpful tips throughout the months leading up to your special day and has a fantastic vendor list to guide you. She is professional, thorough, and navigates the day seamlessly, quietly, and always present without ever interfering. She even helps with those last minute touches like putting on your cuff links or assisting with your boutonnières. She captured so many great moments and we couldn’t be happier!"
- John & James
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%
featured on
wondering where to explore?
The Best Elopement Locations Include:
Ouray
Moab
Crested Butte
Grand Junction
Grand Mesa
Silverton
Aspen
Green River
Gateway
Twin Lakes
Marble
Palisade
I'm based in Grand Junction, surrounded by Palisade, The Colorado National Monument and the Grand Mesa under an hour's drive. Beyond that I serve Western Colorado and Eastern Utah as these are the areas I know the best!
Location Database
Exclusive Access to My
Based on your vision and needs, I'll hand select the best options from my extensive Location Database for you to peruse. Get intel like elevation, distance & difficulty, trail videos, coordinates, things to do nearby, and photo examples from the space!
What do we DO all day?
Elopement Timeline Example
4:30am - GETTING READY
Getting ready at your vacation rental, glampsite, or at the trailhead. You help each other get ready, put on a pot of coffee, pack up, and take your time as you begin to prepare for your elopement day.
6:00am - HIKE TO CEREMONY
You head out to the Monument before sunrise and take a short hike to where you'll exchange vows, rings, a unity ceremony and sign the papers to make things official as the sun comes up. Share a toast (or make some more coffee!) to celebrate.
6:30am - COUPLES PHOTOS
Spend some time taking photos with this beautiful place you've made this next step in your adventure together. Those images you'll hang on your walls and put on the holiday cards.
8:00am - BREAKFAST
Make coffee & eat donuts as the sun pours over the canyons below, or make breakfast at the trailhead on your camp stove! Or head back to town to grab breakfast at a brunch spot in Palisade. It's important to fuel yourself for the day.
9:30am - WALK WITH ALPACAS & PICK FRUIT
Before the heat of the day gets too hot, walk some alpacas around a peach orchard and get pictures with them. Go to a nearby U-Pick orchard to pick your own fruit to enjoy too.
10:30am - BREAK
Enjoy the day however you want, no camera pressure around (or take a nap, you got up early!) through the heat of the day. We'll meet back up later in the day.
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!
3:30pm - PADDLEBOARD ON THE LAKE
We head up to the Grand Mesa to escape the summer heat and spend the afternoon on the lake enjoying cold fruit we picked this morning and paddling around the cold water.
5:00pm - PICNIC DINNER
Enjoy a campfire, make dinner, have a picnic, whatever floats your boat after an afternoon on the lake. Refresh your look after you finish eating for sunset photos.
7:30pm - SUNSET
We meander down to Land's End, stopping at wildflower meadows along the way for photos, before coming to the edge of the Mesa to watch the sunset over the valley below. We make a bonfire as twilight ends to enjoy s'mores before we take photos with the rising Milky Way.
9:00pm - STAR PHOTOS
The milky way rises overhead and in the pure darkness of the area we take photos with the stars, count how many shooting stars we can see, and maybe even get spoiled with some Aurora Borealis! I'll cross my fingers (and totally die if it happens!)
You don't need to be hardcore adventurers.
The Western Slope and Moab offer epic scenery without extreme effort — accessible overlooks, drive-up ceremonies, gentle walks to breathtaking backdrops. If a 10-mile summit is your thing, I can recommend a good photographer for you! If a canyon rim at sunset with a glass of wine is more your speed, I'm absolutely into that too.
Your elopement should feel good — not like a workout.
Weather in Colorado & Moab is unpredictable. From flash floods to summer monsoons. Here's how I handle it:
I book one event per day so we have the flexibility to shift our timing around the forecast. Most afternoon summer storms blow through in under an hour — and honestly, wild weather makes for a better story. I keep clear umbrellas on hand just in case, and we'll never shoot in genuinely dangerous conditions.
If you're really concerned, I do offer the option to add a backup date to your booking.
Eloping should feel as good as it looks.
What about the weather?
Every elopement package includes travel and range from short & sweet 4 hour packages to multi-day coverage that's perfect for couples looking for a day to themselves AND time with guests. All packages also include concierge planning assistance (locations, timeline, vendors, an Elopement Guidebook and more) to bring your vision to life.
Most couples spend between $5-7k. Prices starting at $3,800.
Elopement Pricing
Most Couples Spend between $5-7k
-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"
-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"
-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"
Elopement Photo Gallery
I hear this constantly.
And after spending the day together, couples always tell me how natural and easy it felt.
"We're awkward in photos"
When you're comfortable with the people you're with and genuinely enjoying yourself, everything else falls into place.
I'm not here to pose you for hours or make you perform.
I'm here to document your day as it unfolds—the real moments, the in-between glances, the way it actually felt to be there.
And here's what matters most:
You don't have to be extreme athletes.
You don't have to look a certain way.
You don't have to hike 10 miles for incredible images.
Come as you are. You're welcome here.
“When we got the photos, my husband said, 'She made us look like models!' She really did.”
-Rachel & Loren
The secret?
Elopement Resources
Want to learn more about eloping?
Check out these free
"I think we have the best wedding photos I’ve ever seen. Amanda did an incredible job, her prices were better than most, and she truly delivered. I would look no further for an amazing photographer!!"
-Megan & Ryan
your first family heirloom
Want to add on an Heirloom Album, full of photos that tell the story of your day? You can flip through its pages and relive those moments you long for from the day. No more realizing years down the road you never did anything with your elopement photos!
PLUS you'll get professional design assistance, so you're not stranded doing all the work yourself, picking out hundreds of images and maneuvering software you're not used to. We're all about easy around here, if you haven't noticed!
"We have been passing around our photo album with family over the last couple days and everyone is loving it. We wanted to thank you again for your work!"
-Clinton & Ruth
Here's How it Works:
LET'S MEET
We'll hop on the phone or Google Meet (or grab coffee if you're local!) 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.
FIND A LOCATION
From there I'll send you my 140 page Elopement Guide and send over my questionnaire to get working on finding your perfect location. You'll get a customized look at my Locations Database, culled to show the exact places you've been dreaming about. You can click through photos, get the coordinates, learn about the distance and accessibility, see if it's dog friendly, and more.
PLANNING JOURNEY
Once we know where we're exploring I'll send over vendor recommendations (things like cake/dessert, picnics, transportation, hair/makeup, officiants, etc.) Then I'm on your team as we put the rest of the details together (I even have Area Guides for my most-worked locations like Aspen, CB, Ouray, and of course Grand Junction) full of where to stay, where to eat, what to do, and more.
TIMELINE COORDINATION
Once you know what activities you want to enjoy and where we're exploring I'll begin to put together our timeline. This isn't an ordinary timeline, it's a cool timeline. Think "forecast" details, your emergency contact, any group photo lists we need (I'll help there too.) and travel times built in. I gotchu.
THE BIG DAY
Once the big day is here, we'll have already discussed rain plans (just in case) and we're totally set. If there's any boots-on-the-ground work you need from me I'll be loading those things into my truck and meeting you (finally!) The day will fly by, despite our best efforts to keep things slow and soak it in, and it'll be the best time. I'll capture every amazing moment and emotion so you can relive them after.
AFTER THE ADVENTURE
Within 24-48 hours you'll have an extensive sneak peek so you can share the best day ever with all your favorite people. While industry standard is 6-12 weeks turnaround, you'll have your full gallery from me within 4-6 weeks! People always rave about how fast my turnaround is (I'm an impatient person lol.) If you added on an album I'll also make your first draft so we can collab on that design, and you'll be able to order prints & products through my professional labs on your online gallery.
Hold up!
We have a question...
How do we know if we need a permit?
How much time do we really need?
What if we're having more than a few guests?
No offense but we don't love having our picture taken for that long...
But what if the weather sucks?
How adventurous do we need to be?
Can I book you for just planning (not photography)?
The secret? The greatest benefit of eloping is the freedom and flexibility. Sure we'll have back-up locations in case of bigger issues like road closures, wildfire, or flash floods. But if you're worried about the typical afternoon rains Colorado gets each summer or a freak storm breaking out, don't stress about it. First, I only book one event per day so that we have the ability to move up or move back our start times to move around the weather. They say if you don't like the weather just wait 20 minutes! Beyond that, a lot of the couples I work with are up for an adventure already, and are stoked to have their day captured whatever the weather. I'll have clear umbrellas on hand juuuuust in case too. We'll never shoot in actually dangerous weather, but I bet you'll secretly appreciate what the winds do to fly your veil around! Crazy weather makes for a great story to take back home, too. But if you're really super concerned, I do offer the option to add backup dates!
Honestly? Same. When you decide to book me, you're getting more than a photographer and a photoshoot. I'm not going to have a camera shoved in your face the whole time. I'll be "along for the ride" to capture the way your day unfolds and feels like, so that when you look back on your images you feel like you're transported back there - reliving every memory. You don't get that by hiring someone to clock in and clock out, you get that by hiring a professional adventure buddy who captures days like this all the time!
Unless you want to basically get married and take a couple photos together, most couples book at least 4-6 hours to really capture their elopement story. From breaking the ice at getting ready at your vacation rental to exploring just a couple of the freaking cool places in the area, the time flies by faster than you think!
Absolutely! I now offer standalone elopement planning services for couples who've already booked a photographer or prefer to separate these services. Options range from single consultations (location scouting, timeline building, permit help) to full concierge planning from engagement to "I do."
Here's the thing: you don't need to be hardcore hikers to have an incredible elopement in these landscapes.
I specialize in locations that offer epic views without extreme effort - accessible overlooks, drive-up ceremonies, gentle walks to stunning backdrops.
If you want to hike 10 miles to a mountain peak, I can recommend photographers who love that. But if you want breathtaking scenery with comfort and ease? That's exactly my specialty.
Your elopement should feel good - not like a workout.
I feel like I practically specialize in micro weddings at this point, so you're not alone and you're definitely in the right place! I've helped couples with micro weddings at large vacation rentals, micro wedding venues, outdoor places that allow under 50 people, and so many other cool non-traditional celebrations. It's totally possible!
I'll help you out! You're not in this alone. When I help you narrow down the perfect location(s) for your elopement, I'll let you know if there are any permit requirements. Some permits require the couple to fill them out and submit, while others are my responsibility, but even when they are yours to submit I'm here to help out. No need to worry!
Travel Schedule
I'm based in Grand Junction, CO which means I get the best of both the desert and mountains each year! As such, I work specific areas during different parts of the year to give you the best experience in these locations. Take a look at where I spend my time below to find out the best times to book:
If you don't see your location on here, please still reach out! There's always a chance the stars will align.
Grand Junction
Moab
Green River
Eastern utah
Grand Junction
Moab
Green River
Eastern utah
Grand Junction
Moab
Green River
Eastern utah
Gateway
Grand Junction
Palisade (tree blossoms)
Moab
Green River
Eastern utah
Gateway
Grand Junction
Palisade
Western CO
Moab
Gateway
Western Co
Ouray
Crested Butte
Aspen
San Juan Mtns
Grand Mesa
Western Co
Ouray
Crested Butte
Aspen
San Juan Mtns
Grand Mesa
Twin Lakes
Western Co
Ouray
Crested Butte
Aspen
San Juan Mtns
Grand Mesa
Twin Lakes
(Fall Colors!)
Ouray
Crested Butte
Aspen
San Juan Mtns
Grand Mesa
Twin Lakes
(Fall at lower elevation)
Grand Junction
Palisade
Western CO
Moab
Gateway
Grand Junction
Moab
Green River
Eastern utah
Gateway
Limited Openings
Grand Junction
Moab
Green River
Eastern utah
Gateway
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 another couple.
Please feel free to reach out to me directly:
info@amandamatildaphotography.com
