Alternatives to hiking elopements

It’s pretty wild how far we’ve come on the idea of eloping here in the US this last decade!

Looking back, we’ve seen a cultural shift from the trichotomy of either getting married traditionally in a big church, running off to get married in a chapel in Vegas (like my parents did, and my sister too), or having a wedding on a beach.

Since then “adventure elopements” kinda exploded on social media — dramatic photos of couples in wedding clothes, hiking in front of wild natural features, complete with backpacks and boots — it was something new, something… adventurous, and something that still speaks to so many here in Colorado especially.

But for years now we’ve been hearing something similar from our couples — “We love hiking, we really love being outdoors together, but we’re not feeling a huge hike on our wedding day.” And there’s this feeling that what they’re picturing isn’t epic enough or worthy in some way.

We’re here to tell you that it’s absolutely fine to not crank it to 11 on your wedding day! And to help you plan a day that makes sense, feels fun, and feels effortless. If we can help you do this, it really doesn’t matter how many miles you’re logging or what elevation you reach.

Here are a few ways our couples have gotten out there together that didn’t involve a serious hike.

Go off-road

We love off-roading for lots of reasons and suggest it frequently to folks looking for privacy and/or to really get out there without having to hoof it.

The drive itself is always gorgeous and absolutely a part of the experience, and then you reach a spot where you really can just hang out with some privacy, do some chill exploring of the area, and get married. This could be by Jeep or side-by-side up a mountain pass, or in your Subaru along some more chill OHV roads to a lake shore.

Check out this guide if you’re curious!

Incorporate your interests

There are a ton of things you can do outdoors on your wedding day — canoeing, paddle boarding, renting a pontoon boat, chartering a trip on a catamaran, other things that don’t involve water — that aren’t extreme but can absolutely be part of making your day special.

Think about the kinds of things you love to do together already, and let’s talk through incorporating them in a way that makes sense and feels romantic. There’s something really fun about wearing your wedding clothes while you do non-wedding stuff — but don’t get hung up on incorporating something just for the photos. Treat everything you might incorporate as something you connect deeply with first, and a chance for an incredible photo second.

Start where you are

One of the best parts of getting married while you’re on vacation somewhere is that beautiful scenery and experiences might not be far from where you’re staying.

Maybe the A-frame you’re renting has some land and chill trails nearby to explore (with your dog!)
Maybe the town you’re staying in has a cute downtown area you can go walk around together — grab some coffee, sit by the river, get a mocktail somewhere, maybe a little art gallery date?
Maybe you drive from your Airbnb on the coast to the ocean for the evening — walk along the sand as far as you want, skip stones, play in the waves, look for shells, explore a tide pool, have a beach sushi picnic, play some music.

Any of these things would make for a beautiful time, either on their own or as part of a larger wedding experience. It’s okay to make time for some small moments.

Hike less

Some of our favorite hikes ever have been little half mile loop trails around lakes (Fire and Ice hike Rebecca Ben) that we basically drove right up to. Sometimes a little extra quiet and privacy to have a chill experience is worth more than maximizing epic-ness. And in some areas, epic is all around, including on the short loop hikes that you can drive right up to.

Expectations and modification

One thing I don’t see talked about enough? That elopements sometimes require modification — either to accommodate a mobility issue (sometimes unforeseen), a freak weather event, a serious life event.

When you’ve put everything into EPIC but epic isn’t on the table, that’s a recipe for disappointment. It’s a “of two minds” situation — to be all-in on Plan A and all-in on the idea of going with Plan B.

With connection and intention at the core of what you’re doing and why, plan changes are still aligned with why you’re there in the first place — even in the new form it’s taken on.

For one reason or another, everyone in the following images had to change up their plans.