Rocky Mountain National Park Elopement
From their Arizona engagement session to their Rocky Mountain National Park elopement day, it has been amazing getting to know Joanna and Cody, working with them, and helping make all their dreams come true. Joanna and Cody traded the deserts of Arizona for the mountains of Colorado for the backdrop for their elopement day. Joanna’s vision for her elopement photos was woodsy with mountains, pretty much twilight without the rain – I can’t blame her! They had hoped for an intimate wedding with some of their loved ones here in Colorado. Due to unforeseen circumstances, Joanna and Cody opted for a courthouse ceremony with a memorable elopement photo shoot afterward.
They liked the look and feel of Hidden Valley in Rocky Mountain National Park, but including their awesome pup, Xena, in their day was essential. While dogs are allowed in Rocky Mountain National Park, it is not the way you would hope they are for your elopement day. Dogs are limited to picnic areas, campsites, and parking lots of the national park, so if you want to include your dog in your day, a great alternative may be spending a portion of your elopement in Estes Park, where they can be present. Then after the ceremony, have a friend take your dog while you go into the park or stay in the car with the dog while you explore the park for all the epic elopement day photos.
Cody and Joanna opted to have their emotional first look at a lake in Estes Park where they could include Xena in photos before heading into Rocky Mountain National Park. The beautiful moody weather made blues in the mountains pop along with Cody’s dark blue suit, while Joanna was stunning in her floral applique dress. With its off-the-shoulder sleeves, corset details, and flowing skirt, it was a perfect choice for their location, blowing perfectly in the wind – talk about captivating. We ended their day frolicking in the fields on Trail Ridge road, where we got those whimsical top-of-the-mountain views Joanna had been hoping to get! These two were absolute troopers for a moody, chilly day in August, and they made it look effortless.
Vendors
Photographer: Jessica Puckette Photography • Dress: David’s Bridal • Suit: Men’s Warehouse
How to Plan Your Elopement in Rocky Mountain National Park
Are you thinking of planning your own Estes Park elopement? Please feel free to reach out through my contact page! Be sure to check out my Ultimate Guide to Eloping in Colorado.
My goal is to help couples feel at ease during the process and make myself available to them. Oh, and to be the biggest hype girl on your elopement day! Don’t take my word, this is what Joanna had to say about her experience!
“Jessica is truly amazing. I originally had meetings with a few other photographers but their vibes didn’t match mine. I met with Jessica and I immediately felt comfortable and I felt like I could talk to her like she was my friend. I didn’t feel any judgment from her about any questions or uncertainties I had throughout the months leading up to our photos. She has her availability calendar always open to you as a client and I never felt annoying to schedule a call or email her with my million questions. There were some other road bumps on our end that she was just so understanding about and my husband and I appreciated that so much! She also did our engagement photos and that experience was also so amazing and fun! During the actual day of our photos, I was so nervous but as soon as we met with her and got to our location, it was flawless! She provides direction and some poses and is just the ultimate hype-woman for you! I just felt like we could really be ourselves and get the photos and poses we wanted. If you are wanting a photographer who is a literal expert and best friend on your special day, Jessica is the person for you. You won’t be disappointed.”
