Esslie and Nathan | Loveland Pass Elopement
Savannah Chandler Photography | Colorado Elopement Photographer

 

 

I love elopements.  There’s something so wonderful about two people heading somewhere together just the two of them to start their journey of marriage together.  Another thing I love – Colorado Mountains.  🙃

When Lilli of Sweetly Paired, Colorado Wedding Planner connected me with Esslie and Nathan, I knew right off the bat that they were my kind of amazing people.  They were so excited to start a life together, and would also be welcoming a new little one into their lives in 2018.  To celebrate their union, they were heading West from Missouri and eloping up on Loveland Pass.  Loveland Pass sits at 11,990 feet elevation and has 360* mountain views.  The Continental Divide sits alongside the pass, and you can see views of Greys and Torreys (some of Colorado’s most famous and most widely climbed 14er’s).

I met Esslie, Kendra (the amazing planner who worked with us on the day of), and Scott (the officiant) up at the Pass to prepare for the couple’s first look.  We decided to ascent up the ridge a little bit to get a better view of the East wall of Arapahoe Basin – where Nathan would see his bride for the first time.  We had a super special guest with us for their first look – Tyson the doggie, adorned with the cutest flower collar ever.

To say their Vows to one another, Scott led a beautifully touching ceremony that included knot tying to signify Esslie and Nathan’s promises to one another.  Trying to portray the feeling watching a couple get married mountainside just the two of them is incredibly difficult – the words never seem to fully describe how magical (and honoring) it truly is to be a part of.  I certainly caught myself choking up listening to Esslie and Nathan recite their handwritten promises to one another.  Or there was an onion up in the alpine.  Yeah, that must be what it was. 😃

Once the emotional portion of the day concluded – we began our time together for their couple’s portraits.  To say that Esslie was a trooper would be a severe understatement – she was pregnant, from sea level and hiking as fast as I was up and down the ridges at nearly 12,000 feet of elevation.  I’ve seen burly men hike slower and complain more than she did in that altitude.  She was definitely one Badass Bride.

We began on the Southfacing ridge, and made our way across to the Northwest side of the ridge as the sun began to crest over Hagar Mountain.  The look of light falling behind a mountain and giving off a glow as it crests is one of my absolutely favorite things to photograph.  I think the light is so dramatic and beautifully bold.  On the night of Esslie and Nathan’s Colorado elopement, we sure caught a light show.  The sun would hit behind the ridge, and we’d slightly ascend up the trail to catch the light from a slightly higher angle until daylight faded.  Throughout our phone conversations, I had told Esslie and Nathan about Alpenglow, and that Loveland Pass is unique in the fact that you can catch the pink colors at sunset due to the Eastern facing mountainsides.  Colorado did not disappoint – the entire East Humboldt Mountain Range turned amazing colors of pink and red.

Thank you again, Esslie and Nathan, for inviting me to be a part of your Colorado elopement up on Loveland Pass.  It was such a lovely evening and I wish the two of you all the love as you venture into marriage (and parenthood!)

Vendors:
Planner and Coordinator: Sweetly Paired
Officiant: Scott with WedLock Officiants
Florist: The Olive and Poppy

Photographs on Loveland Pass by Colorado Elopement Photographer Savannah Chandler

Esslie brought out a family Heirloom necklace to attach to her bouquet <3

If you’re looking for a Vendor team that will help with any/all the things you need for a Colorado Elopement – Sweetly Paired was awesome.  Kendra helped watch sweet Tyson, ran back to the car to grab things as needed, and was there the entire evening to help in any way she could.

Savannah Chandler Photography | Colorado Elopement Photographer
Based in Denver, Colorado | Available for Travel Worldwide
Photographing all along the Rocky Mountain Region

 

 

Some of my favorite locations in Colorado to Elope:
Loveland Pass, Buena Vista, Crested Butte (Gothic Road) Winfield, Estes Park, Breckenridge, Telluride, Ouray, Durango, Keystone, Twin Lakes, Aspen

Want to see more Colorado Elopement Photographer images?  Check out the blog posts HERE