All of my couples have their own reasons for choosing to elope in Colorado.
Some want the mountain views they can’t get at home, some just want to go on an epic adventure, and for others it’s a more emotional choice. Sydney and Cade’s mountain elopement in Keystone, Colorado falls into that last category. Cade and one of his best friends, who passed away, used to go together all the time. To honor him, they chose to elope in Keystone.
The Details
- These two stayed at a condo right near the ski resort. For those of you who don’t know, whenever I go skiing with Alex and his friends, my alter ego Tiffany comes out. Their condo was right off the lake and Tiffany was ready to move in ASAP.
- They got ready in two separate rooms, and we did their first look right outside the condo before heading up for their mountain elopement.
- Even though officiants aren’t required in Colorado (self-solemnization bitch), Cade and Sydney had a friend meet us up there to make the ceremony go smoother and be less of a stressor for them.
- After they said “I do,” I put on some tunes for their first dance. There’s something so special about watching a just-married couple have their first dance with the mountains in the background.
- We ended the day with some yummy cupcakes and capturing amazing pictures around the mountain!
Must Knows
- A lot of my out-of-town couples have concerns about being able to do a first look if they’re staying in the same space. Sydney and Cade proved it’s possible! They just got ready in separate rooms and then did their first look outside. Simple.
- If you want music incorporated into any part of your elopement or intimate wedding, make sure you download it BEFORE you trek up into the mountains. I promise, there is no service up there. I take care of downloading everything for my couples, so if I’m your photog, I got you boo.
- The spot we chose for their elopement required some off-roading. This is always a good option for my couples who don’t want to hike. Just make sure your rental car is something that can handle the mountains, like an SUV.
Vendors
- Florals – Black & Blossomed
- Dessert – Flick of the Whisk Cakes
- Hair/Makeup – Abstract Beauty
- Dress – The Dressing Room
- Jewelry/Rings – Brilliant Earth and Holden Rings
- Suit – Lindbergh
- Other – The Crepe Stand
Follow me on Insta if you want to meet Tiffany.
"Hiring McKenzie to photograph our wedding was single-handedly the best decision we made when planning our wedding. Wedding planning and vendor research was so stressful, and once we had Kenzie, she stepped in as support and helped us with narrowing down things that were important to us and to figure out what we really wanted. wish we could get married over and over again just to recreate these and work with Kenzie again! "
Nadia + Daniel
"You will not find another wedding photographer who has the McKenzie signature style- she can capture the absolute beauty of the area and people all at once. She can shoot in a variety of settings and lightings and the photos are all gorgeous. One of the main reasons we booked McKenzie was the fact that she showcases a diverse clientele and finds beauty in all beings- something not all photographers can say.As a plus size bride who was extremely worried about looking back at my wedding pictures with dread that I wouldn't look like those gorgeous girlies on Instagram- this meant so much to me. "
Sydnie + Nathan
"When we got engaged, we searched near and far for an elopement photographer - & we met with several different photographers but none felt right until we met McKenzie. My husband, my dog and I are avid hikers - we wanted a beautiful hike and view, but it was also very important that we could be our authentic selves and intimately celebrate our 10 years together in the way we wanted. I'll be honest, I was shy about wanting to elope (ya know, family opinions and such), but McKenzie made us feel so comfortable in our decision. She wholeheartedly welcomed us being.. us! We couldn't have asked for more."
