Elopement Ideas for Unique & Sentimental Couples
What Does It Mean to Elope?
Eloping has come to mean so much more than just a quick, secret ceremony. Today, it’s about choosing an experience that truly reflects who you are as a couple and the journey you want to celebrate. For many, eloping means breaking away from traditional expectations to create an intimate, intentional day focused solely on their connection. It’s a chance to say your vows somewhere meaningful, surrounded by only what matters to you, without the pressure of large guest lists or formal timelines. Ultimately, eloping allows you to design a day that feels natural, adventurous, and deeply personal—a celebration where you can be fully present and authentically yourselves.
Here are a bunch of ideas to get you started with planning your dream elopement including options for getting ready, what you can do for your ceremony, unique activity ideas, and more!
Getting Ready Ideas for Elopements
Getting Ready in Separate Locations/Rooms to Have a First Look
Getting ready in separate locations or rooms adds a unique layer of excitement and anticipation to your elopement day, creating a beautiful build-up to your first look. By taking this time apart, you’ll have a chance to reflect, settle into the day, and truly soak in the significance of the moment to come. This way, when you finally see each other—whether it’s in the middle of a forest, by a mountain overlook, or right outside your cozy cabin—it will feel like the beginning of a whole new chapter. The reactions captured during a first look are raw, emotional, and deeply personal, making it an unforgettable part of your day that’s beautifully authentic.
Getting Ready Together & Helping Your Partner
Choosing to get ready together creates a beautifully intimate start to your day, allowing you both to savor the quiet, meaningful moments before the ceremony. Whether it’s helping each other adjust outfits, sharing a laugh, or calming pre-ceremony jitters, getting ready as a team sets a tone of partnership and closeness. This choice invites a relaxed, connected beginning to your elopement, where you can embrace every part of the experience together. It’s a heartfelt way to honor the essence of your relationship—side-by-side, from the very start of the day.
Getting Ready in Nature
This is a great option if you’ll be driving to the location with your partner but would like to have a first look or if you’ll be going on a longer hike to get to your first location and would rather not wear your wedding attire on the hike. Getting ready in the open air or within a breathtaking natural setting also adds a special kind of magic to your elopement morning. Imagine slipping on your wedding attire beneath towering trees or beside a tranquil lake, feeling at ease as you breathe in the crisp mountain air.
Logistically, there’s two ways to make this happen: 1) You and your partner can help each other get ready, or 2) Your photographer can help you with the finishing touches (like buttoning up a dress or pinning boutonnieres) and you can still have a first look with your partner.
If you’re looking for more privacy but would still like to get ready after arriving at your location, you can use a portable changing station, trees and other dense foliage, or even car doors and blankets!
Elopement Ceremony Ideas
Vows
Traditional wedding vows might feel too formal or impersonal, leaving you wanting something that speaks to your unique relationship. Writing your own personalized vows allow you to capture your feelings and commitment in a way that’s deeply meaningful and intimate. Your vows can be written in any format that feels right to you: a list of promises for your marriage, everything you love most about your partner, the milestones in your relationship that led you to knowing your partner is the one, or a mix of any of these!
Have an Officant
If leading the ceremony on your own feels too stressful or awkward, you can always have an officiant—whether professional, family, or a friend— to guide the flow of the ceremony. As an added plus, an officiant can add warmth, familiarity, or spiritual grounding, allowing your ceremony to feel well-guided and meaningful.
Handfasting
Many couples desire a ritual that visually represents their union in a unique and timeless way. Handfasting, an ancient ritual where hands are bound together, symbolizes “tying the knot” in a literal sense. This visually striking ritual highlights the strength of your bond, creating a memorable moment to reflect on long after the ceremony.
Sage Burning
Burning sage is a purifying ritual that creates a serene space, releasing any lingering tension and setting a peaceful tone for your day. This ritual establishes a sense of calm, allowing you to feel present, connected, and ready to start this new chapter with good energy.
Unity Ceremony
A unity ceremony can take many different forms, like planting a tree, mixing sand or lighting a candle together. This type of ceremony represents two lives coming together as one. It also serves as a visual reminder of your bond and the merging of your lives, creating a moment to cherish.
Religious Ceremony
If faith is a big part of your lives and relationship, it may feel like a significant part of your life and family traditions is missing from the ceremony without any religious elements. If you choose to lead the ceremony on your own, you can always incorporate scriptures and traditions that speak to you. Or you can hire an officiant that is able to conduct a religious ceremony for you.
Exchange Rings
Some couples want a meaningful, tangible way to signify their promises. Exchanging rings serves as a visible, daily reminder of the vows you made and a lasting symbol of your love and commitment.
First Kiss
Sealing your vows with a kiss is a traditional moment that marks the conclusion of your vows and the start of your life together. For couples that aren’t too keen on PDA but still want to have a first kiss, let your photographer know that you’d like them to use a longer lens during your ceremony so you can have this moment to yourselves.
Elopement Activity Ideas
Champagne Pop
Popping a bottle of champagne is a common way to celebrate officially being married! To be environmentally conscious, I’ll have my couples pop a bottle of sparkling water for the photos. Plus side, this also leaves more champagne for you both to drink!
First Dance
Just because you don’t have a DJ doesn’t mean you can’t have a first dance! Once you’ve picked your first dance song, download it onto your phone (or send it to your photographer for them to download) in case of bad cell reception, and bring a portable speaker!
Picnic
A picnic is a wonderful way to intimately celebrate get married, and you can make it completely yours with all the food, drinks, and decor you’d like to include. Plenty of couples opt for cake, charcuterie boards, and champagne. If that’s not quite your jam, you can get pizza, donuts, cheesecake, tacos, burgers, beers, or literally whatever it is you’re craving. If you really want to get into the design details, the blanket you choose will set the vibes and color scheme, and you can complement that with candles, fairy lights, florals and other decorative details. Whether you keep it simple or go all out, a picnic is the perfect way to have a “just us” reception.
Unique Elopement Activity Ideas
Make a Time Capsule
Gather small mementos and write letters to your future selves, creating a time capsule to open together on a future anniversary
Board Games
Bring the board games you both have always loved playing together.
Painting
If painting has always been a go-to date night for you both, incorporate it in your elopement! My partner and I did “pass the canvases back and forth” painting trend and now display our two special paintings in our home.
Interactive Art Class
Take a class together like wheel pottery or candle making.
Wine Tasting
Bring a few bottles of wine you want to try or visit a vineyard for a proper tasting! The wine you both like best can become the bottle you open on your 1-year anniversary.
Visit a Dive Bar or Cocktail Bar
Maybe you both have had a go-to spot over the years, or you’d like to try a new spot! I especially love finding small bars with that special rustic charm in Colorado’s mountain towns.
Arcade or Mini-Golf
For that classic date night vibe and a little touch of competitive fun, visit one of Colorado’s many arcade bars, mini-golf, bowling, or whatever activity you like most!
Catch a Concert at Red Rocks (or Another Sick Venue)
There’s nothing like going to the concert of your favorite artist decked out in wedding attire!
Get Matching Tattoos
Some couples opt to tattoo their ring fingers instead of traditional rings. You could also get matching tattoos that are representative of your relationship, or different tattoos that are representative of each other!
Adventurous Activity Ideas
Hiking
In the winter, a hike might turn into snowshoeing depending on the trail and snowfall, but otherwise, hiking is an adventure activity you can do year-round. I recommend giving yourselves around an hour per mile so you can hike at a relaxed pace, have time for stopping at cool spots along the trail, and truly enjoy the scenery you’ll be surrounded by. The farther you’re willing to hike, the more remote location options you’ll have! If you’re planning for a sunrise or sunset hike, you’ll definitely want to bring headlamps and layers or cold weather gear to be prepared for hiking in the dark.
Backpacking
If you’re looking for hiking, camping, and stargazing all rolled into one multi-day experience, a backpacking elopement might be for you! I definitely only recommend this for couples who already have plenty of experience with backpacking and being at altitude to make sure it’s an enjoyable and safe experience. This type of elopement gives you access to stunning, remote landscapes that feel entirely private, allowing you to share personal vows without interruption. Plus, with the journey to your ceremony site itself becoming part of the story, each step along the trail adds meaning to the day and unforgettable memories to look back on.
Camping
Ending your elopement day with a camping experience offers a cozy, meaningful way to wrap up your adventure. After a day of vows, breathtaking views, and exploring together, setting up camp allows you to slow down, share a fireside meal, and soak up your first evening as a married couple under the stars. Camping gives you the chance to escape distractions and savor this private, unrushed time together, whether that’s sharing stories by the fire, reflecting on the day, or waking up to a sunrise that marks your first morning as partners. It’s a perfect way to turn your wedding day into an unforgettable experience filled with both adventure and intimacy.
4×4 Off-Roading
A 4×4 off-roading elopement in Colorado offers a thrilling, adventurous way to reach remote and stunning ceremony locations with ease and style. Ideal for couples who want a blend of rugged terrain and breathtaking views, off-roading gives you access to areas like the San Juan Mountains, which boast dramatic peaks and alpine lakes, or the trails around Buena Vista and Salida, with their wildflower paths and open mountain panoramas.
Winter Activities: Snowshoeing, Skiing, or Snowboarding
For couples looking for a slower pace, snowshoeing is a perfect way to explore snowy trails and reach secluded spots surrounded by pristine beauty. Skiing or snowboarding can add a dose of exhilaration to your day as you glide through fresh powder. Colorado’s winter landscape is stunning, and with areas like Rocky Mountain National Park, Breckenridge, and Vail as your playground, you’ll have breathtaking alpine backdrops and snow-dusted pines for a ceremony that feels like a winter wonderland.
Water Activities: Kayaking, Paddle boarding, or swimming
Incorporating water activities like kayaking, paddle boarding, or even taking a swim adds a refreshing, adventurous element to your elopement day, especially if you’re drawn to Colorado’s beautiful lakes and rivers. Locations like Dillon Reservoir, Grand Lake, and Horsetooth Reservoir offer both tranquil waters and breathtaking backdrops that are perfect for a water-centered elopement.
Rock Climbing
Colorado’s diverse climbing spots offer breathtaking views and a unique, elevated way to say “I do.” For couples who share a love for climbing, this is the perfect ceremony to symbolize teamwork, trust, and the challenges you’ll conquer together in marriage.
Ideas for Including Family & Friends
Reading Letters from Loved ones
Including a moment to read letters from loved ones during your elopement brings an incredibly personal touch to your day, especially for couples who choose to keep their ceremony private or elope in a remote location. By reading heartfelt words from family and friends, you can still feel connected to those closest to you, allowing their presence to be felt in a way that’s meaningful and intimate. This quiet, reflective time also creates a beautiful space for you and your partner to pause, soak in the moment, and hear the love and blessings that support your journey together.
Facetiming Family
Facetiming family members during your elopement is a beautiful way to share the moment with loved ones who can’t be physically present. If you have cell reception, video calls can bridge the gap, allowing your family to witness your vows, congratulate you, and be part of your special day virtually. This adds a sense of closeness and connection, blending the intimacy of an elopement with the warmth of family. It’s a heartfelt way to include those you love in real-time, capturing authentic reactions and preserving the emotional depth of the day. And if you don’t have cell service, you can always record a quick cell phone video to share with your loved ones later, or hire a videographer!
Intimate Family Style Dinner
An intimate family-style dinner is the perfect way to celebrate your elopement in a relaxed, cozy setting. Gathered around a rustic table with your closest loved ones, you can enjoy meaningful conversations, toast to new beginnings, and savor a delicious meal as the day winds down. Whether it’s a private chef-prepared dinner in a charming cabin or a simple picnic spread, this shared meal lets everyone connect and reflect on the day’s beauty together.
Looking for more Elopement Ideas?
There’s plenty more in my client exclusive 83-page Elopement Guide! And after we chat, you’ll get tons of recommendations based on your personal preferences.
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