If you’re picturing your wedding day as both a private, just-us elopement and a celebration with the people you love — you’re not overcomplicating things. You’re planning exactly the kind of day Emma & Skylar had, and it might be one of my favorite formats to shoot: a mountain elopement in the morning, followed by a full reception in Ouray that evening.
It’s not a micro wedding, and it’s not a traditional wedding either. It’s an elopement with a reception, and once you see how Emma & Skylar’s day came together, you’ll understand exactly why more couples are asking for it.
The Elopement: Just Them, Their Pups, and an Alpine Lake
I met up with Emma & Skylar at their hotel downtown, and we loaded into the Jeep — just the two of them, their pups, and me — to head into the San Juan Mountains. We had an alpine lake in mind for their ceremony, and we bumped and jostled up the mountain roads to get there, the dogs total champions the whole way up, standing and sitting on me like it was their job.
Once we arrived, we had the lake entirely to ourselves. Emma & Skylar exchanged private, personal vows and rings surrounded by a teal alpine lake and rugged mountain peaks — no audience, no program, no one to perform for. Their dogs signed the marriage certificate as the cutest witnesses around, and afterward we wandered through the mountains, lakes, and wildflower meadows for photos before heading back into town.
This is the part of a same-day elopement reception that I think people underestimate: the elopement itself doesn’t get smaller or less significant just because a party follows it later. Emma & Skylar still got the whole thing — the solitude, the vows meant only for each other, the mountains as the only witness besides two very good dogs.
I took a quick break over lunch to edit an image for a sneak peek before meeting back up with the group at an overlook for family photos. Everyone was buzzing about the sneak peek, admiring the view the two of them had chosen for their ceremony — a nice bridge between the private morning and the celebration still to come.
The Reception: A Garden Party at the Historic Beaumont Hotel
From there, we headed to the historic Beaumont Hotel for a reception in the courtyard. This is where an elopement with a reception really gets to shine — Emma & Skylar put together the most enchanting garden party vibe, honoring the “Switzerland of America” destination they’d brought their loved ones to.
They shared an exquisite meal, enjoyed some heartfelt speeches, cut a cake, and ended the night with a piñata. Along the way, they treated their guests to live music from a singer-songwriter they first heard on a date night out — the kind of detail that just makes a space feel warmer — and a live painter capturing portraits for guests to keep, which turned out to be a huge hit with the guests!
A Beaumont Hotel wedding reception has a built-in sense of place — the historic architecture and courtyard setting did a lot of the heavy lifting for that garden party feel, and Emma & Skylar leaned into it.
Why This Elopement + Reception Format Rocks
Emma & Skylar’s day is a great example of what an Ouray elopement reception can look like when you build it around what you actually want, rather than a template. They got the quiet, adventurous, just-us moment they craved in the mountains (without the logistics of trekking folks up there too), and they got to celebrate with the people who matter most afterward — without one part diluting the other.
If you’re considering a Colorado elopement with reception against a more traditional day, know this: you don’t have to choose between intimate and celebratory. Emma & Skylar didn’t. Their day was exactly as personal and chill as they’d dreamed it would be. You can have that too! Planning an elopement reception of your own in Ouray or elsewhere on the Western Slope? Click here to learn more about my services!
