Eloping at Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado USA
A peek into a dreamy, real elopement at the iconic national park in Colorado!
Come along on this blog post journey as we cover what the beautiful day entailed and share planning tips for couples who are interested in eloping at Rocky Mountain National Park themselves!
Setting the scene!
This is Emerald Lake, a hike up from Bear Lake that’s 100% worth it!
Mid-December in Rocky Mountain National Park has a certain kind of hush to it. The typical snow cover there makes the world extra quiet and peaceful.
The crowds mostly thin out. The trails glisten and sparkle under your feet from the snow. Everything slows down in a way that feels amazing, like the park is giving you permission to take your time to soak it all in (and you should!).
Bear Lake and the trails surrounding it was the perfect setting for this unforgettable elopement for the couple from out of state!
This couple chose a snowy elopement in Rocky Mountain National Park, right in the heart of winter. Their ceremony happened at Bear Lake with just their parents there to witness it. After hugs, happy tears, and a few final family photos, the parents headed back to warm up and rendezvous for dinner later, while the couple and I continued on foot, hiking up to Dream Lake for a newly-wed hike and portraits, a part of elopement weddings that do so well to hold space and be present.
If you’ve been dreaming of a winter elopement in RMNP, feel free to gather inspo and ideas from this couple’s day!
Starting the day at Bear Lake in winter
Bear Lake is one of the most iconic places in Rocky Mountain National Park. It’s also a location that carries a few extra logistics to think about, which is part of why winter is such a perfect choice for this location. In the colder months, crowds aren’t as large, the air is crispy, the evergreens feel extra saturated, and the lake area is frozen over and snowy, having it look like it belongs on a postcard!
The couple was so intentional about their elopement day beforehand and it reflected in the actual day. They were ready to live in the moment and remain present throughout their wedding (as the best elopement weddings do!).
I met the couple underneath a shelter that stands at the beginning of the Bear Lake Trailhead along with their parents and the officiant. The couple arrived a bit earlier and actually got ready together in the visitors center bathroom a bit down the road, so they wouldn’t wrinkle their suits from a longer drive. When I got there, the energy was a mix of excitement, calm, and awe. Once we were all gathered and ready, we made our way to the ceremony spot at the edge of the lake together. With only parents attending, it felt less like a production and more like a family moment unfolding outdoors.
Bear Lake as a ceremony location is designated and regulated by the park, which is actually amazing because it helps protect the space and keeps ceremonies intimate and dialed in. Rocky Mountain National Park requires a Special Use Permit for weddings and ceremonies, a logistic totally worth navigating (it’s pretty straightforward!). Since Bear Lake is such a sought after spot, it has it’s own specific limits, including things like a maximum party size and vehicle count.
For this day, those limits didn’t feel restrictive at all! They felt totally aligned with what the couple envisioned for their wedding day. It kept everything focused on what mattered: their love!
A understated elegance ceremony on ice
The ceremony itself was intimate and heartfelt!
There were no chairs, no aisle runner, no giant setup. Just the snow, mountains, trees, and parents standing close enough to hear every word. The couple took their time with vows, which were written so beautifully, and held space for when big emotions hit! The couple also performed a handfasting ceremony which they said the meaning of really resonated with them. If you’re unfamiliar with handfasting, check out more about this intentional ceremony here!
Winter and the snow honestly has a way of making moments feel even more intimate. When it’s cold, you all naturally move closer and huddle together! When it’s quiet, you hear everything a bit better. You notice the small things, like the way your micro spikes crunch under the ice from the lake or the raven floating on the wind or a parent’s shaky exhale when they realize their kid is getting married. It’s a vibe!
After the vows, we all just soaked in the ceremony moment and their were big hugs all around!
We then seized the moment to take a few family photos with the newlyweds! We captured the classic Bear Lake backdrop. I also leaned into the candids, parents pulling their kids in for long hugs, the couple showing off rings with red, wind-kissed hands, the slower walks back to the trailhead so no one fell! These make the best photos in my opinion :-)
That is the part people underestimate. A small elopement with parents still holds all the emotional weight of a bigger wedding day, sometimes even more, because there’s less distraction in a large production of a wedding. As someone there to capture it, there are incredibly sweet moments witnessed oftentimes.
A perfect balance of your wedding day: family time, then just the two of you
If a couple is choosing to include family or loved ones as a part of their elopement, then I personally love when couples go about the day the way this one unfolded!
Part one is shared. The ceremony is something everyone gets to witness and celebrate at and be present in the moments with the couple!
Part two is time for the newly married couple. The loved ones attending the ceremony head back to grab a bite, start the drive home, or explore on their own in between event of the day. This is time for the couple to be together just the two of them (with me trailing along capturing the moments!) and bask in their love! It’s an incredibly intentional way to start your marriage with your spouse and maybe a hard decision at the time, but one a couple never regrets! Go have some fun outside with your partner- it’s your wedding day!!
No surprise here, this couple did exactly that :-)
Once we finished the family portion at Bear Lake, the parents hugged the couple with big smiles, watched them sign the marriage license, then boogied to rendezvous later for dinner with the couple. Then, the couple and I grabbed a quick snack at the car, made sure we had packs with water, and started the hike towards Dream Lake!
Hiking from Bear Lake to Dream Lake in the Snow
The hike to Dream Lake starts at the Bear Lake Trailhead and climbs steadily through the forest. The National Park Service lists it as 2.2 miles round trip with about 425 feet of elevation gain (which can feel like a lot at how high you start at the trailhead!). It’s an out-and-back that still feels approachable, but also gives you that “we earned this” feeling, especially in winter if the trails a bit icy or snowy!
In mid-December, the trail is typically packed down in places and can be icy in others. This particular December we were lucky to not experience really any dire ice on the trail!
Winter traction can be a game-changer here in Colorado! The goal is not to slip and slide your way through the hike, it’s to move safely and keep the experience enjoyable (of course!) so we always touch base beforehand to make sure couples have the proper gear/attire to stay safe and comfortable.
We took our time hiking up, being intentional to observe our surroundings and all the forests happenings, snapping a few photos, and making sure to stay hydrated and comfy! On elopement days, we always love to add extra time to every aspect of the day so nothing feels rushed and everything feels present and memorable.
About halfway in, you pass Nymph Lake. Even when it’s frozen, it’s still charming, tucked in the trees like a lil secret! This December, it was completely frozen over so we got to walk right across it on our way through!
From there, it’s another steady climb to Dream Lake, where the landscape suddenly feels larger than before. The lake sits beneath dramatic peaks, and in winter (like this one!) the lake was totally frozen. The patterns that happen in the ice were so mesmerizing to look at.
Dream Lake & Emerald Lake: truly unforgettable
Once we arrived at Dream Lake, the magic was happening in a big way!
One of the grooms had a surprise for the other groom- a beautiful custom wedding ring they wanted to semi-recreate their proposal with (which was also an epic surprise!)!
After this tender surprise and moments following, I snapped some photos and we took our time there soaking in the scenery and I gave the couple some space to be just them even more so. As we started up further still on the trail towards Emerald Lake, a curious red fox popped out of the trees to congratulate the couple! It was breathtaking and perfect.
We walked along the shore of the lake on the ice and followed the trail up to Emerald Lake which is nestled right at the base of some iconic peaks. Once we arrived at the lake, we had it all to ourselves the entire time we were there- a very rare experience for this part of the park!
Winter elopements hold extra space for the natural world to surprise you- like the fox making an appearance or the sun sparkling the snow below you… it only amplifies your love!
Why Bear Lake is extra special as a wedding ceremony spot
Like we mentioned previously, Bear Lake has specific ceremony rules issued by the national park, and one of the big ones is seasonality! Bear Lake is one of the only locations in Rocky Mountain National Park that only allows ceremonies in the winter.
This regulation is part of what makes Bear Lake elopements extra special though :-) We love that the park has this rule in place because winter at Bear Lake is much more intimate during the winter than any other season. Not to mention, less logistics, easier access, and few (if any!) tourists looking on.
Winter access and road planning in RMNP
Winter in Rocky Mountain National Park is beautiful, but it does require realistic planning beforehand!
Some roads close for the season. The park’s road status page is regularly updated with any road closures (seasonal or beyond) and what else you might expect while driving through the park. We definitely recommend checking before your elopement to prepare properly!
Bear Lake Road, though, is open year-round, with the park advising drivers to be prepared for snow and ice in winter and spring. This makes winter elopements at Bear Lake possible, but it also means you should build extra time for driving, parking, and walking carefully :-) Safety is sexy, y’all!
If you’re reading this while planning your own December elopement, it’s worth checking current conditions close to your date! Colorado’s weather conditions are known to change rapidly, especially in the mountains at higher elevations, so be prepared on this front! Having a photographer and/or videographer who is also a local guide and can take the stress out of the planning is a good way to go (shameless plug, oops)!
What we love most about December elopements like this
This day had all the things we hear couples wanting out of their elopement.
It was so intentional without ever feeling like a production. It included family without becoming a crowd or about anyone else. It had an iconic ceremony location, then a private adventure immediately after. It was beautiful, yes, but it was also simple in a way that made the beauty feel more authentic.
Bear Lake gave them a ceremony setting that felt classic and meaningful. Dream Lake and Emerald Lake gave them space to slow down and celebrate in time together.
Eloping in December always adds a cozy, extra intimate feel the way winter has a habit of doing!
Planning a snowy Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado USA elopement!
If your dream is a winter elopement in Rocky Mountain National Park, with a ceremony in an unforgettable spot followed by a hike after, it can be an incredible experience with the right pacing and prep! If you’re curious about what other spots in Rocky Mountain National Park look like for your elopement ceremony, check out our YouTube video to the right here about different locations!
Bear Lake is a designated ceremony site with specific limits and seasonal availability. Dream Lake is a relatively short hike with a steady climb and big payoff. The park requires a Special Use Permit for ceremonies, and your permit impacts access and timing. Winter roads and conditions deserve respect and flexibility too!
If you build around those realities, you get a day that feels calm, meaningful, and fully yours- all the prep 100% worth it.
A wedding day that feels like a winter adventure with the people you love, followed by a hike into the quiet with just the two of you!
If this sounds right up your alley and you’re looking for some local Colorado folks to help you plan and capture your elopement day, fill out the contact form below to get in touch with us!