Haley and Alan | Twin Lakes Elopement

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Savannah Chandler Photography | Colorado Elopement Photographer

Oh, how I love Twin Lakes and Independence Pass.

Haley and Alan came out from Florida for their Colorado Elopement – after getting engaged on the top of Pikes Peak last year it only made sense to have a beautiful mountain wedding! We talked about many locations, and settled on Twin Lakes for their intimate ceremony.

Joining them to celebrate their marriage, a few family and friends gathered near the waterfront for a lakeside ceremony. Booming at over 13,000 ft behind, the Twin Peaks and Quail Mountain were still snowcapped and looking as stunning as ever.

After their ceremony, we had some quick hugs and CONGRATS, then the three of us headed on our way for some amazing Colorado Mountain couple’s portraits.

Staying by the Lakes for a little while, we walked the rocky and sandy shores to capture some of the crazy haze settling in the valley. Haley even wore her heels through all the elements and uneven ground – a true Coloradan Bride.

As the sun began to dip towards the horizon, we started our drive up the road to Independence Pass.

There’s a small bridge that goes over Lake Creek on the way up, which I mistakenly drove right past the turn off. When I pulled off in a dirt turn-around section – we glanced to see we had even more stunning access to the water with some stunning rocky outcroppings. Sometimes, getting a little lost is one of the best ways to find some new and amazing locations.

With the sun still dipping below the adjacent mountains, we were graced with the most magical light just hitting the rocks and parts of the rushing creek below. As we were taking our photos in the area – Alan mentioned that they love waterfalls and were hoping that we’d somehow find one on their elopement day. The universe has an amazing way of providing if you take the time to let it speak to you <3.

To cap off our evening together, we headed up to the summit of Independence Pass at 12,095 feet.

In true Colorado fashion, there were some wildfires burning in multiple areas of the state. The smoke had begun to settle in the distance, making for the most dramatic sky gradient and incredibly deep pink alpenglow.

We galloped across the alpine tundra trail and watched the glowing sun set to the West.

Thank you for adventuring with me, Haley and Alan. I hope that your trip driving through all the National Parks to hike and enjoy the amazing nature our country has to offer was nothing short of spectacular.

Cheers –