How much time do you actually need for an elopement day in Colorado?
Nobody talks about how an intentionally planned elopement in Colorado requires time.
Especially when we are talking about a day that includes: multiple scenic locations, off-roading on mountain roads, hiking, dancing, picnicking, getting ready, weather delays, and the cushion time between these moments. Your coverage needs to reflect the experience you dream of, not dictate how much of the experience you’re allowed to have.
We’ve helped plan plenty of Colorado elopements, and in this guide we’re breaking down how long different parts of an elopement day actually take so you can make an informed decision about how much time you’ll want
Time is what makes an elopement day feel more intentional
Your elopement is not supposed to feel like a photoshoot. Yet, that is exactly what happens to a lot of couples when their day doesn’t have even a little bit of room to breathe. It’s super common for couples to assume that they only need a couple hours for their elopement day, only to find that the experience they dream of doesn’t fit in that rushed time frame.
When you don’t give yourself enough time, every minute becomes about moving to the next thing and it takes away from being in the moment.
So, how much time do you actually need for your elopement?
Before randomly choosing a package you think you need, the first thing you need to think about is how you plan to celebrate the day.
For example, are you imagining…
- Getting ready together or separately?
- A first look?
- Private vows?
- A ceremony?
- Hiking to your ceremony spot?
- Hitting up multiple scenic locations?
- Including family or friends?
- A picnic?
- A first dance?
- Exploring/adventuring?
- Dinner?
- A campfire?
- Stargazing?
- A hot spring?
- Just hanging out together with no agenda?
The more you want your elopement to be an actual day, rather than a short ceremony followed by portraits, the more time you’ll want to give yourselves.
How long does everything actually take?
It really depends on the type of experience you’re going for. This can range from a simple experience to super adventurous & celebratory. So I am going to break down how long things typically take below, so you can have a rough ballpark for the amount of coverage you’ll want:
Getting ready + details shots: 1-2 hours
I think the part of the day that commonly gets ranked the “least” important on an elopement day is the getting ready portion. But it has to be one of the most essential parts. Not only does it set the tone of the day, it also gives your photos and experience a beginning. This is also a great time to warm up to your photographer so allowing good time for this part of the day is important if you’re a little camera shy.
For us, this portion can take between 1-2 hours. That time frame allows us to set up artistic shots, and ease you into the day. When you start your day rushed, that is the feeling that follows the rest of the time. Some examples of what this looks like when we plan elopement days are:
- Enjoying your favorite drink together
- Exchanging any surprise gifts with each other
- Documenting the details like ring shots, flat lays, etc. that tell the story of the day
- Transferring your vows in your book so you can get in your feels right before
- Helping each other get dressed or getting dressed separately
- First looks
- Getting bomb photos in the cute lodging you booked
Driving between locations: Up to 1 hour
We try our best to keep this at a minimum, only because we don’t want your time to be spent in a car. Most of the time the locations we suggest to couples will be under 1 hour away from their lodging so that your time is maximized in the cool spots you choose.
Driving times can vary widely though if you decide to pick a location that requires off-roading or lodging that is far away. Things that also eat this time up are loading/unloading the car, parking situations, etc.
Ceremony: 10-30 minutes
Elopement ceremonies in Colorado can take up to 30 minutes depending on the route you take. If you hire an officiant, or have someone lead a ceremony for you it will typically take around 30 minutes.
If you go the self-solemnization route, time will depend on how long your vows are and whether or not you include a unity ceremony afterwards. From our experience self-solemnizing ceremonies take around 10–15 min.
Portraits: Up to 2 hours
Portraits are one of the most important parts of the day for most couples and the amount of time needed varies depending on whether you’re staying in one location or visiting a few. Of course portraits can be taken at different times of the day, so time is not a consecutive time where you just stand there and take photos. They usually consist of walking together, spontaneous moments, interacting with each other and the environment, and exploring. That time allows us to get the best formal and artistic shots as well.
Activities: Up to 2 hours
Fun activities are a big part of what makes an elopement feel more special and fun. Here are a few that couples like to incorporate into their day and how each can take:
- Picnic: 30 min-1 hour depending on how elaborate set up is
- First dance: 5 min
- Hiking: I would allot 1 hour per mile
- Canoeing: 15-30 min
- Candle lit dinner: Up to 1 hour
- Campfire: 15-20 min
- Stargazing/ astrophotography: Up to 1 hour
- Any hobbies you love doing together
- Reading letters from family
- Soaking in hot springs/hot tub
You don’t need to fill every minute of your elopement with an activity though!
What else affects how much coverage you’ll need?
Your coverage need can change based on:
- Number of locations you want to visit
- Driving distances from lodging and locations
- Hiking distances
- Off-roading speeds
- Whether family is attending
- The season you choose
- The weather of the day
So, what do different coverage amounts actually feel like?
Our base packages start at 4 hour coverage, and they can be customized based on the type of experience you’d like to have. It can be hard to understand what 4, 8, or 12 hours of coverage actually means when you’re looking at a package guide. You might think, “Okay, but what are we supposed to do for that long?” The answer is that you’re not spending that entire time posing for photos. Your coverage is there to document the experience you’re having throughout the day.
4 hours: A short, focused experience
Four hours can work really well if you’re looking for something simple to document the most important parts of the day. You might get ready beforehand, meet us at your location of choice, have your ceremony, take portraits, and maybe fit in one additional activity like a champagne pop and cake cutting. It’s suitable for one easy drive up location where all of the activities will take place.
This is not for you if you if: you want getting-ready photos, to hit up multiple locations, a location that requires a hike, time with family, several activities, or a day that feels slow and unhurried.
8 hours: An intentional full-day experience
Eight hours gives your elopement room to actually feel like an experience. It is our most booked coverage for a reason. This amount of coverage will document the most important parts of the day like getting ready, first look, vows, marriage license signing, epic portraits, picnic/cake cutting along with activities/excursions like easy hikes, off-roading experiences and stargazing. For many couples, this is where an elopement starts to feel less like a photoshoot and more like an actual wedding day.
This is not for you if: You don’t want to spend a full day celebrating and would like to keep things on the more simple side. Also, if you are someone who has a ton of things you’d love to include or explore as it may not be enough coverage for more than a couple added activities.
12 hours: The full story
Twelve hours gives you even more freedom to let the day unfold naturally. You can have a slower morning, spend more time getting ready, travel to multiple locations, include family or friends, take on a longer adventure, stop for meals, watch the sunset and sunrise, and continue into the evening for things like a campfire, dinner, stargazing, or nighttime photos. You have room for the big moments, but also all the little ones in between
What if we don’t know what we want to do yet?
You don’t have to have your entire elopement figured out before reaching out to us. In fact, that’s a huge part of what we help with. Maybe you know you want mountain views, a little adventure, and time together, but you have no idea which locations make sense, how much hiking you actually want to do(if any), how long it will take to get there, or what you should even do with the rest of the day.
That’s where we come in. We help you take all those ideas floating around in your head and turn them into an actual experience: from choosing locations and activities to figuring out travel time, permits, weather considerations, and how to fit everything together without making your day feel rushed.
Still not sure how much time you need? That’s exactly what we’re here for.
Tell us what you’re imagining, and we’ll help you figure out what makes sense. We are Laura & Hugo, the photo + video team at Together We Roam . We would love to talk more with you about what you’re thinking and see if we’d be a good fit to help! Reach out and let’s start planning! Fill out the form below and we will get back to you asap 🙂
