Twin Lakes Elopement Photographer
Elope at Twin Lakes
Elopement PHOTOGRAPHER serving Twin lakes, leadville & Buena Vista
Twin Lakes, Colorado and the surrounding area like Buena Vista and Leadville are truly some of the prettiest, private, easily accessed mountain views in the state. There are few things I love more than capturing the love of my couples in the shadow of a mountain or a field of wildflowers! Between the hot springs, mountain views over the pass, historic mining towns to explore, old saloons and hotels, and the gorgeous lakes and river... there are nearly endless stunning backdrops that I love showing my couples as a Twin Lakes elopement photographer.
Flying to Twin Lakes
Flying to Twin Lakes for your elopement weekend involves some driving as well. You can fly into Denver (DIA) or Salt Lake City (SLC) for larger international airports. You would drive I-70 over and follow the driving directions from there.
There are also smaller airports that you can hop into, like Leadville and Aspen, or a medium sized regional airport like Grand Junction.
Driving to Twin Lakes involves taking I-70E to the Minturn exit for Hwy 24, or taking I-70W the Copper Mountain exit for Hwy 91. Both of those will lead you to Leadville. You'll drive down Hwy 24 through Leadville until it connects to Hwy 82 over to Twin Lakes. Incidentally, Hwy 82 is also Independence Pass that can take you over to Aspen in the summer/fall months!
Driving to Twin Lakes
Twin Lakes Elopement Locations
The Lakes
As the name implies, there are two large lakes at Twin Lakes that are surrounded by amazing mountain peaks. The forest service has specific locations in the area that allow micro weddings with a handful of guests, and lucky for you, I am a Twin Lakes elopement photographer that knows the locations to recommend!
Mountain Passes
Right outside the tiny town of Twin Lakes is Independence Pass, a well-known summer/fall route over to Aspen which offers stunning views of the mountain peaks. There are also lesser-known passes that can offer a real adventure through the history and hills of the heart of the Rockies.
Historic Colorado
This area is known as the Heart of the Rockies for more than its central location. Buena Vista, Leadville, and the other areas surrounding Twin Lakes offer a rich history of Colorado for your elopement adventure. Explore old mining towns, go gold panning, enjoy a drink from one of the oldest saloons, or stay at a historic hotel like the cowboys of the Wild West.
River Adventures
The area near Twin Lakes is known for its river adventures, and beyond being a lovely backdrop for your elopement, it can be a fun activity to include while you're here! The Arkansas River has its headwaters here and is the river folks will white water raft and enjoy time on.
Wildflower Meadows
In July (and sometimes August) the wildflowers come out to play, and boy are they magnificent. At elevation over the pass, you won't see quite as many as below 10,000' but they can be but there are some amazing wildflower meadows that would make a stunning backdrop for your elopement in Twin Lakes.
The Lakes
As the name implies, there are two large lakes at Twin Lakes that are surrounded by amazing mountain peaks. The forest service has specific locations in the area that allow micro weddings with a handful of guests, and lucky for you, I am a Twin Lakes elopement photographer that knows the locations to recommend!
Mountain Passes
Right outside the tiny town of Twin Lakes is Independence Pass, a well-known summer/fall route over to Aspen which offers stunning views of the mountain peaks. There are also lesser-known passes that can offer a real adventure through the history and hills of the heart of the Rockies.
Historic Colorado
This area is known as the Heart of the Rockies for more than its central location. Buena Vista, Leadville, and the other areas surrounding Twin Lakes offer a rich history of Colorado for your elopement adventure. Explore old mining towns, go gold panning, enjoy a drink from one of the oldest saloons, or stay at a historic hotel like the cowboys of the Wild West.
River Adventures
The area near Twin Lakes is known for its river adventures, and beyond being a lovely backdrop for your elopement, it can be a fun activity to include while you're here! The Arkansas River has its headwaters here and is the river folks will white water raft and enjoy time on.
Wildflower Meadows
In July (and sometimes August) the wildflowers come out to play, and boy are they magnificent. At elevation over the pass, you won't see quite as many as below 10,000' but they can be but there are some amazing wildflower meadows that would make a stunning backdrop for your elopement in Twin Lakes.
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"
Elopement Planning Services
I include 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
Twin Lakes Elopement Inspiration Photo Gallery
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.
-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"
Twin Lakes Elopement Pricing
Twin Lakes elopement packages range from $3-9k.
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 Google Meet (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 another couple.
Please feel free to reach out to me directly:
info@amandamatildaphotography.com
