A perfect summer day filled with a hike and a pizza picnic for this incredible Buena Vista elopement! | Averi and Chandler
Averi and Chandler wanted an intimate elopement with beautiful mountain scenery in Colorado. After looking over their location guide, they decided that a Buena Vista elopement was perfect for them!
Buena Vista is one of my personal favorite mountain towns in Colorado. If you want amazing mountain views without lots of crowds, then Buena Vista might be the perfect choice for your Colorado adventure elopement! There are plenty of great places to stay. Two spots I like to recommend include the Inn in Buena Vista and the Surf Hotel!
Buena Vista is close to some of the most gorgeous areas, including Cottonwood Pass, Mount Princeton Hot Springs, and even Twin Lakes. If you are up for some extra adventuring, there are also great hikes and off-roading routes to take near Buena Vista. Averi and Chandler opted for an easily accessible spot at Cottonwood Pass with their friends, followed by a hike to a stunning and secluded lake!
Cottonwood Pass is is one of the best elopement locations in Buena Vista. However, it is only accessible from around late May into early November. Therefore, this is only a good elopement location in the summer time! Even then, be prepared for cooler temperatures and some wind. Cottonwood Pass also does not have restroom facilities, but you can access vault toilets at a stop down the road. If you and your guests are ready for a high altitude adventure, the 360 views at Cottonwood Pass are definitely worth it!
If you are dreaming of a beautiful mountain elopement in Colorado and need help planning, Mountain Marta Photography is the Colorado elopement photographer for you! Let’s chat!
Getting Ready at The Inn in Buena Vista
Averi and Chandler got ready at the beautiful and historic, The Inn in Buena Vista. The views of Mount Princeton alone make it such a cool place to stay for your elopement trip! Averi got ready with the help of her mom, grandma, and sister. Chandler got ready with his family. Then, before their first look, Averi’s dad gave her a special bracelet that brought them both to tears. After their sweet first look, it was time to head to Cottonwood Pass for their ceremony!
Buena Vista Elopement Ceremony at Cottonwood Pass
All of Averi and Chandler’s guests were dressed to impress at 12,000 ft! Cottonwood Pass is a high elevation location, so when choosing a spot like this for your elopement day, definitely be prepared with lots of water, sunscreen, and layers. Also, be ready for any weather. Even if it is a hot summer day in the foothills, it can still be chilly at mountain pass locations like Cottonwood Pass, Independence Pass, and Loveland Pass! There was definitely some wind that greeted us at the top of Cottonwood Pass, but the weather for this late August elopement was just perfect with lots of sunshine! Averi and Chandler had a beautiful Cottonwood Pass elopement ceremony surrounded by their closest family. After family photos, Averi and Chandler’s guests headed back into town while Averi and Chandler were ready for the private part of their day.
Private Vows
Before leaving Cottonwood Pass for a hike, Averi and Chandler read private vows to one another and took a few photos with their pup! Private vows are a great addition to your day if you don’t want to share your most personal vows with your guests. This was the part of the day where Averi and Chandler were definitely the most emotional. It was such a special moment for just the two of them!
Hike time!
Soon enough, it was time for their little adventure. We hiked to Lost Lake which is just a few miles down from Cottonwood Pass in the San Isabel National Forest. This is a relatively new trail after the original trail to Lost Lake was closed and a new trail was built to prevent erosion in 2023. Now the hike is a little longer and steeper, at 3.5 miles roundtrip, but Averi and Chandler were ready! We hiked up together enjoying all of the stunning mountain views along the way. The best part is that we had the trail all to ourselves! If you want privacy on your elopement day, I highly recommend a sunset hike on a weekday to avoid any crowds. Sunrise is also a great option if you want to avoid lots of people.
Once we reached the gorgeous lake, we took some couples portraits and took in the scenery. Lost Lake has a cool little island in the middle. If you are feeling extra adventurous, you can even paddle to it!
Pizza and Cake Picnic
After walking around the lake, Averi and Chandler sat down for a pizza picnic! Pizza picnics make for the cutest elopement day photos, especially with stunning mountain views and an alpine lake behind you! They also cut their wedding cake that Averi made herself! This was such a sweet and intimate part of their elopement day. You don’t need anything elaborate or crazy to have a memorable experience when you choose to elope in the mountains. A box of pizza and a small cake are just as special as a multi-course meal and 3-tiered cake!
More exploring and hike back down
After their picnic, we hiked around for a little more to explore the rest of the area and took some more couples photos as the sun started to set. Alpenglow in the mountains is truly unbeatable! We made our way back down to the trailhead, stopping along the way for more photos before we ended their elopement day. It was simply the most beautiful day in Buena Vista!
Congratulation, Averi and Chandler!
FAQs about eloping in Buena Vista, Colorado
- What is the best time of year to elope in Buena Vista?
While Buena Vista is a great location for elopements all year, if you are choosing a location like Cottonwood Pass, then you would want to choose a date between May and November because Cottonwood Pass is closed in the winter months!
- How far is Buena Vista from Denver?
Buena Vista is about 2 hours and 40 minutes from Denver International Airport. While it is a little farther than locations like Breckenridge, it is definitely worth the extra drive!
- Do I need a permit to get married in Buena Vista?
No, in most places on national forest land, you will not need a permit. Of course there are a few locations that may require one, so definitely check with your Colorado elopement photographer on any restrictions! I also don’t recommend group sizes more than 20 people in some locations and often less than 15 in most spots.
- Do we need to hike?
No! While there are lots of beautiful locations in Buena Vista that require hiking, there are also plenty that do not. It is up to you if you choose to hike on your elopement day!
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