Fall Elopement in Telluride

A blue lake, golden aspen groves, and brewery fun, were all part of this incredible 12-hour fall elopement in Telluride! | Kenna and Landon

Kenna and Landon were dreaming of an elopement in the mountains with their closest family and friends, and during the peak of fall colors in Colorado. They knew they wanted a day just about them and to truly enjoy themselves without any stress. After they came across photos from a previous elopement couple of mine, they immediately knew they wanted an all-day fall elopement in Telluride!

The best time to elope in Telluride if you are looking for the peak of fall colors is usually the first week of October. If you go any earlier, then there might still be some green leaves that haven’t changed. On the other hand, any later and the windy weather could blow most of the leaves off the trees. From my experience, the first few days in October have always been amazing for a fall elopement in Telluride!

If are planning a fall elopement in Colorado, Mountain Marta Photography is here to help! Let’s chat!

Getting Ready and Details Photos

Kenna and Landon began their elopement day getting ready with their closest family and friends at a stunning house rental in Mountain Village. Telluride has some of the best house rentals for larger groups that can accommodate all of your guests! Whether in Mountain Village or a little further outside of town off of Last Dollar Road, there are plenty of great accommodations if you are choosing to include some guests at your elopement. Kenna and Landon got ready in separate parts of the house since they were waiting to see each other for the first time at their ceremony.

First, I photographed their details. Kenna and Landon had so many beautiful and special details, including the most adorable cake that Kenna made herself! Since their dog and cat could not be there for the wedding, she included them on the cake. It was so adorable!

Kenna got ready with the help of her friend and mom. Her mom helped her put on a very special hummingbird necklace to remember her grandmother. Meanwhile, Landon got ready with the help of his parents, and his mom pinned in his boutonniere. Soon enough, it was time to head to their first location for their ceremony!

Fall elopement ceremony at Trout Lake

We headed to a beautiful lake in Ophir, which is just outside of Telluride (around 30 minutes). There, Landon got to see Kenna for the first time, as her parents walked her down to the lakeshore. After an emotional and heartfelt ceremony, Kenna and Landon branded a cutting board as their first act as husband and wife! This was such a unique addition to their ceremony and left them with a beautiful piece they will have in their home to cherish forever!

Trout Lake Elopement Portraits

After taking family photos, Kenna and Landon were ready for some fun on their own. A great way to celebrate your elopement day is to have parts of the day with your family, and then some time to truly enjoy each other. We took some more photos at the lake and then explored another beautiful location nearby where the mountain peaks towered over a beautiful road lined with yellow aspens. Fall in Telluride truly is something else!

Mountain Village for lunch and drinks followed by an aspen grove adventure!

After enjoying the lake, we made our way back to Mountain Village in Telluride. There, they met back up with their family for cocktails and appetizers at Tomboy Tavern. The best part of a 12-hour elopement day, is getting to include activities like this in your day. And, they were never feeling stressed or rushed. They had a nice time with their families, before we continued on to the next adventure of their day!

That adventure included a little bit of off-roading to Last Dollar Road. There, Kenna and Landon got to experience a perfect golden aspen grove! We walked around on the paths between the trees, taking in all the mountain views as well. The fall aspens really add an extra level of beauty to an already stunning location. Finally, we headed back toward Telluride and Main Street!

Sunset photos and dinner to end the perfect fall elopement in Telluride

We took a few photos on Main Street before Kenna and Landon’s final adventurous activity for the day! They rode the Telluride gondola, which is free to ride and open in the summer and fall! The gondola closes temporarily in mid October to prepare for ski season, so keep that in mind when choosing your dates to elope in Telluride.

When we made it to the top of the gondola at San Sophia station, we walked around the trails up there and Kenna and Landon sat on a lift to enjoy the view of the gorgeous valley below. We witnessed the stunning alpenglow on the mountains as the sun set. It was the perfect end to the exploring part of their day! One thing to note is that none of the locations that Kenna and Landon experienced on their day required any hiking. While you can go hiking on your elopement day, and I always love an epic hiking elopement, you can also experience an adventure elopement without it if you prefer not to!

Kenna and Landon’s elopement day ended with a delicious dinner with their families at Rustico Ristorante. There they also opened a few gifts from family and cut their cake. I can attest, it was a delicious homemade wedding cake!

Congratulations, Kenna and Landon!