There are so many reasons that I just adore elopements, and one of the big ones is how they allow couples to really celebrate how THEY want to! For Misaki and Eric (who may look familiar from their engagement session), this meant a full day of elopement festivities in the wonderful town of Crested Butte, Colorado. They chose Crested Butte for the breathtaking views, superb hiking trails, and the fun mountain town feel, all of which were crucial in making this elopement a one of a kind experience for these two incredible people!!

The Start of Their Full Day Elopement in Crested Butte

When I say that Misaki and Eric’s elopement in Crested Butte was a full day celebration, I mean FULL day! We started off in the early morning, getting ready well before the sun came up in their cute Airbnb. This led to one of the many highlights from their day, their lantern-lit first look which was SO sweet! Eric’s face just lit up when he saw Misaki for the first time, and having their lanterns illuminating them in the dark hours of the morning was a surreal experience. From there we ventured out down a long and very bumpy dirt road towards their ceremony location!!

We had decided on a sunrise ceremony, so we actually still had some time before that for some couples portraits which was wonderful! This spot is one of my favorite locations in Crested Butte, and was an easy choice for their elopement ceremony and portraits. As their friends arrived with their pups, and the alpenglow started to illuminate the mountains, it was time for the big moment! Misaki and Eric shared their emotional vows to one another, and with their closest friends and the breathtaking landscape around them they were officially newlyweds!!

As the sun continued to rise, Misaki and Eric made the most of their time in this unreal setting. We explored the hillsides together, documenting their love along the way, before heading back to the lake for some portraits with their friends. We chose to then head back into the town of Crested Butte for the second piece of their full day elopement! This portion of the day was all about refueling at two of Crested Butte’s iconic spots, Butte Bagels and Camp 4 Coffee.

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Sunset Portraits to Finish off the Day!

After our pit stop in Crested Butte, we chose to head back out for some more elopement portraits in the beautiful Kebler Pass. This area features some truly incredible mountain views, and a seemingly endless sea of evergreen trees that made for the most remarkable backdrop! Even with a slight summer drizzle falling on us, this was still such an amazing experience for Misaki and Eric!! We took a break for lunch (and some much needed naps!), before meeting up again for sunset.

Misaki, Eric, and I would spend the last leg of their full day elopement in the countryside of Crested Butte, enjoying the sunset and blue hour with the beautiful mountains surrounding us. Misaki and Eric were so bubbly, joyful, and just radiating with love the entire day, which made this experience all the sweeter! As the night came to an end we took a few final newlywed portraits under the stars, a beautiful final note of their amazing full day elopement!!

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Misaki and Eric’s full day elopement was an out of this world experience, partly due to their incredible love, and partly due to the wonderful location of Crested Butte! It should come as no surprise that this town is on my list of favorite places to get married in Colorado!! Check that article out if you’re looking for more wedding and elopement inspiration, and if you’d like me to document your day be sure to send me an inquiry ASAP!