Colorado Riverbank Elopement

I met Paige and Justin in the parking lot next to a trailhead in Idledale, Colorado. We hiked a few minutes down the trail, chatting about the details of the day and what they had left to do to get ready until we reached a clearing.

The trail split in two with tall grass consuming the middle. Down a hill and to the left was the riverbank, surrounded by trees and boulders. To the right was the main trail, where runners, families, and bicyclists passed by throughout the day. The goal was to have the ceremony on the bank of the river - and I was stoked.

Jump forward about two weeks and I was knocking on the door of Paige and Justin’s house. I unloaded my camera gear and started taking photos of the girls getting ready. One especially eager member of the bridal party was Laila, the couple’s adorable dog.

Once everyone was ready and all the pre-wedding photos were done, we hopped in the car and drove to the trailhead. As Paige and her parents adjusted her dress and grabbed tissues from the car, I ran down the trail to make sure everything was in position - then ran back up the trail to follow Paige down her long, rugged aisle.

Paige and Justin’s family and close friends - and Laila - stood to the left of the clearing, eagerly awaiting Paige’s arrival. Justin stood down the hill, about 20 feet away from the group, right at the edge of the river. As she walked through the group and down the hill, she and Justin exchanged the biggest smiles they possibly could and they entered their own little world. The coolest part about this whole elopement - and I’ll call it an elopement - is that no one could hear a thing but them. By having the ceremony (which they officiated themselves) at the edge of the river, the rushing water made a sound barrier that kept their vows between the two of them.

During the 10-minute ceremony, the two laughed, cried, and embraced each other often. I always say that I get weepy shooting weddings and this was certainly a weepy time for me. They were just so happy and so in their element. And when I turned around to take photos of the guests I found that they were just as happy. No one could hear a thing they were saying, but they were all still laughing and crying along with them.

Once they finished their ceremony and hiked back up the hill through cheers and hugs from their family and friends, we went to take portraits. We got all the traditional photos, as traditional as I ever get (aka a few posed shots then the rest are just me trailing behind snapping photos) then they said “We want to get in the river”. Now please note, it was September. The river was snowmelt; cold water. They didn’t care, so into the river we went. They changed from their dress shoes, fancy Chacos for Paige and dress shoes for Justin, into their regular Chacos. Then they carefully lead each other into the middle of the river. I hopped across rocks and had a typical moment of, “wow I can’t believe I get to do this”, and before we knew it we were all back on land.

After the couple dried off and we’d all walked back to the trailhead, Paige, Justin and I hopped in Justin’s refurbished Mustang and headed to Red Rocks. They told me how Paige was the only girl to set foot - or butt - in the Mustang that Justin had been working on since he was 13. We found a quiet spot within the park and took some portraits and finished just in time, there was a concert that night and people were pouring into the park.

A quick stop back at their house for the marriage license signing, feeding the dog, and then a walk to the reception venue - an Italian restaurant a few blocks from their house. This restaurant is one of their favorites and made the perfect spot for an evening of good food, good conversation, and their favorite company.