Crested Butte
Elopement Guide

Crested Butte is an Elopement Hidden Gem

Located in the Rocky Mountains about four hours west of Colorado Springs, Crested Butte is one of my favorite quintessential Colorado mountain towns. What was once a coal mining town is now a paradise for hikers, skiers, and yes, eloping couples! This town’s historic charm and access to so much cool nature to explore are just a few of the reasons why you should consider a Crested Butte elopement.

Why Crested Butte?

Need a bit more convincing? Crested Butte brings a lot of the table as an elopement destination, including . . .

  • Two major airports within a five-hour drive (and a smaller local airport only an hour away)
  • Its own ski resort (with significantly fewer tourists than popular resorts like Vail or Steamboat)
  • Access to countless trails for hiking, backpacking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and off-roading
  • Tons of restaurants, shopping, and places to stay

When should you elope
in Crested BUtte?


Summer

Summer is the best time to elope in Crested Butte! It is known as “Colorado’s Wildflower Capital,” and the wildflowers are at their peak during the summer.

Crested Butte even has an annual Wildflower Festival in July – which you may want to avoid if you’re seeking less tourists during your elopement, but is super cool to check out regardless!

The town’s high elevation (almost 9,000 feet) also means temperatures never get too hot in the summer – highs from June to September are usually in the 70s.

Fall

Fall is also a great season to elope in Crested Butte. Late September and early October are the best time to find fall colors here, which can make a gorgeous backdrop for your elopement.

With average highs in the 50s and 60s and snow not quite yet falling, it’s still warm enough to hike, bike, and camp in Crested Butte throughout most of September and October.

Winter

While it can be a bit more challenging to plan a Crested Butte elopement for the winter months – it is certainly not impossible! High average snowfall from December to March can cause road closures that make traveling to Crested Butte a tad more difficult.

However, if you’re envisioning skiing, snowshoeing, sledding, or even snowmobiling as part of your elopement day, winter is the perfect time for you to elope in Crested Butte!

Spring

Crested Butte doesn’t have much of a true spring – snow continues falling into April and May, and the “thaw” between winter and summer produces a lot of mud, which isn’t ideal for hiking, off-roading, or camping.

That being said, if your heart is set on a spring elopement (or you just want to avoid the crowds as much as possible), I’m happy to chat about how to make a spring Crested Butte elopement work for you!

Got a season in mind for your elopement? I’d love to chat about all the pros and cons and help you pick the perfect time of year for your Crested Butte elopement!

Where to Elope
in Crested Butte

Trails

In my opinion- the best venue is no venue at all! The Forest Service maintains over 3,500 miles of day hiking trails in the area around Crested Butte. For an elopement with no guests, you often don’t need a permit – or a ton of advance planning – for a hiking elopement along one of these trails. This is the best way to get off the beaten path and experience a truly private Crested Butte elopement!

Waterfalls

Exchanging vows at a waterfall definitely adds an element of magic to any Crested Butte elopement. There’s a few popular options, or I’d be happy to take you to some of my favorite secret spots!

Crested Butte Land Trust

The Crested Butte Land Trust is a local nonprofit that protects and manages land around Crested Butte to preserve it for public use. The trust allows small wedding ceremonies at two breathtaking locations – Peanut Lake and Woods Walk.

This is a great option if you’re planning to include some guests in your Crested Butte elopement, or if you want to be surrounded by nature but still book exclusive use of a venue. The cost of renting the venue also supports a great cause, and 50% of the price is considered a tax-deductible donation!

Lake Irwin

Lake Irwin (or Irwin Lake, depending who you ask) is an alpine lake with a loop trail and campground in Gunnison National Forest, about nine miles outside Crested Butte. Perfect for a day trip or overnight camping elopement, Lake Irwin is surrounded by wildflowers, and according to the Forest Service, “so full of fish you can see them rise to the calm surface.” This peaceful spot would make for amazing elopement photos in front of the snow-capped Ruby Mountain Range.

Backcountry Campsites

Some of the most stunning views around Crested Butte are the backcountry campsites I’ve found while exploring! They’ve got privacy and views (my favorite). A lot of my couples choose to camp at them before or after their ceremony.

Mountain Passes

If off-roading is more your style, rent a Jeep and let’s escape to a mountain pass for an off-the-grid Crested Butte elopement. There are quite a few roads that run through the mountains around Crested Butte. Choosing a 4WD-only elopement location definitely cuts down on crowds, and we’re sure to find wildflowers in the summer and golden aspens in the fall along these passes.

Mountain Wedding Garden

Mountain Wedding Garden is a gorgeous venue, open from June through September, that hosts weddings in its garden ceremony space and outdoor reception pavilion. The garden can hold up to 125 guests – but its quaint charm, nestled in a grove of aspen and pine trees, would also be a perfect backdrop for a microwedding.

Emerald Lake

Emerald Lake is a very popular elopement location, that does require some off-roading. But with little to no hiking required, it’s a great option. If your elopement day vision includes you and your partner in wedding attire atop paddleboards or exploring wildflower fields, few other locations deliver quite like Emerald Lake.

Rocky Mountain
Biological Laboratory

You’ve probably never considered a scientific field station as an elopement location – but RMBL holds private events at their rustic lodge surrounded by aspens. You can rent the large community center and outdoor tent in the fall, but they also consider events with less than 30 guests at other times of year!

Did one of these locations strike your fancy? Reach out to me to start planning your ideal Crested Butte elopement!

Adventuring during your Crested Butte Elopement

Crested Butte is surrounded by mountains, rivers, lakes, and passes that create so many opportunities to plan an adventure with your partner on your elopement day. I love when couples incorporate the outdoor activities they’re most passionate about into their wedding day – and I love helping you plan these adventures!

skiing & Snowboarding

If you are your partner love to hit the slopes together, adding a visit to Crested Butte Mountain Resort to your plans would make a wintertime Crested Butte elopement truly unforgettable.

Or, if you’ve never skied before but love experiencing new things together, you can book a ski lesson and gear rental – though you might want to plan this for the day after your elopement, because falling a few times is pretty much a given. Either way, this would be an incredibly fun way to kick off a winter honeymoon!

Mountain Biking

Crested Butte is also a popular place for mountain biking! If you don’t have your own bike (or can’t quite get it on a plane), you can rent one for the day from several local bike shops, including Big Al’s Bicycle Heaven, The Alpineer, or Crested Butte Sports.

Once you’ve got a bike, you can check out the Crested Butte Mountain Bike Park, which has 30 miles of its own trails and connects to over 800 miles of trails through the valley.

Hiking

As I mentioned above, there are over 3,500 miles of day hiking trails managed by the Forest Service in the area around Crested Butte! This many options can definitely get overwhelming, though – so here are some of my favorite trails that would be a great venue (if that’s your vibe), or just a fun place to adventure with your partner before or after your ceremony.

Off-Roading

Another awesome way to experience some off-the-grid nature around Crested Butte in the summer months is off-roading! No worries if you don’t have a 4WD-capable car – you can rent one for you elopement day from Alpenglow Rentals and hit the (dirt) road.

Hiking

As I mentioned above, there are over 3,500 miles of day hiking trails managed by the Forest Service in the area around Crested Butte! This many options can definitely get overwhelming, though – so here are some of my favorite trails that would be a great venue (if that’s your vibe), or just a fun place to adventure with your partner before or after your ceremony.

skiing & Snowboarding

If you are your partner love to hit the slopes together, adding a visit to Crested Butte Mountain Resort to your plans would make a wintertime Crested Butte elopement truly unforgettable.

Or, if you’ve never skied before but love experiencing new things together, you can book a ski lesson and gear rental – though you might want to plan this for the day after your elopement, because falling a few times is pretty much a given. Either way, this would be an incredibly fun way to kick off a winter honeymoon!

Off-Roading

Another awesome way to experience some off-the-grid nature around Crested Butte in the summer months is off-roading! No worries if you don’t have a 4WD-capable car – you can rent one for you elopement day from Alpenglow Rentals and hit the (dirt) road.

Mountain Biking

Crested Butte is also a popular place for mountain biking! If you don’t have your own bike (or can’t quite get it on a plane), you can rent one for the day from several local bike shops, including Big Al’s Bicycle Heaven, The Alpineer, or Crested Butte Sports.

Once you’ve got a bike, you can check out the Crested Butte Mountain Bike Park, which has 30 miles of its own trails and connects to over 800 miles of trails through the valley.

Where to Eat in Crested Butte

There’s a good chance you’ll have worked up an appetite during your Crested Butte elopement – especially if hiking, skiing, or mountain biking was a part of your day! You can pop into town to eat at one of Crested Butte’s many delicious restaurants – or, for ultimate romance, hire a private chef for an intimate, beautiful meal as the sun sets.

Private Chefs

Alpen chef

Based right in Crested Butte, Alpen Chef offers private dinners with the highly experienced Chef Christoph Peherstorfer, who will travel to your location and tailor the entire menu to your tastes.

Crested Butte Personal Chefs

Another local business, Crested Butte Personal Chefs advertises farm-to-table catering for anywhere from two to 250 guests. Their intimate meal catering service has options for chefs to come to your location to cook and serve the entire meal, or you can choose pick-up or delivery of your custom dinner menu.

Terrene Gatherings

Terrene Gatherings is based in Longmont, CO, but travels to Crested Butte and specifically caters to elopements and microweddings. Terrene not only offers private chef services, they will also provide gorgeous table styling for an unbelievably romantic event. Their elopement dinner package includes a four-course custom menu and a breakfast kit for the next morning!

Restaurants

Django’s Kitchen

Django’s Kitchen serves New American cuisine as part of what the restaurant itself describes as an “adventurous,” seasonal menu. What could be more fitting to cap off an adventure elopement than an adventure dinner?

Elk Ave Prime

Elk Ave Prime is a classic, upscale steakhouse in Crested Butte. In addition to their regular dining room, they also host events and parties – perfect for if you want a semi-private dining experience with your closest friends and family.

RYce Asian Bistro

Ryce Asian Bistro serves a delicious Asian fusion menu that includes classic Chinese takeout dishes, Vietnamese noodles, and Thai curry. They also offer takeout if you prefer to eat somewhere out in nature!

Butte Bagels

While not a suggestion for dinner, I strongly believe that anyone who visits Crested Butte needs to work in at least one visit to Butte Bagels into their trip! They make bagels, breakfast sandwiches and coffee, and open at 7:30am, so you can grab a bite for the day’s adventures!

Want more crested butte elopement Inspiration?

Check out these elopement days!


How to Plan your
Crested Butte elopement


Step 1:
Contact me

First things first, fill out my contact form! No worries if you don’t have all the details figured out yet—reach out to me with your ideas, and I can help walk you through the rest of the steps from inquiry to elopement day. I pride myself on being not just an elopement photographer, but also a local expert and elopement planner here to help you as you navigate the elopement planning process.

Step 2:
Pick a time & Place

This is where I come in as your on-the-ground local expert. I’ll create a personalized location guide based on your preferences and priorities. If one of the sites above has piqued your interest, awesome! But I’ll also share some hidden gems and off-the-beaten-path ideas, and help you choose the perfect location for your Crested Butte elopement.

Once we have the location nailed down, if you don’t already have a date in mind, I’ll help you choose the perfect timing for whatever activities and backdrop you’re envisioning on your Crested Butte elopement day.

Step 3:
Find other Vendors

If your dream elopement includes florals, hair and makeup, skiing or mountain biking, or even a Jeeping adventure, I can provide tailored recommendations for vendors to make it all happen! I have great relationships and experience with many local venues and vendors.

I can also help you find accommodations for your Crested Butte elopement, whether it’s an Airbnb for cute getting-ready photos, or the perfect campground for a night under the stars.

Step 4:
Learn How to Get Married Legally

If you’re planning to apply for a marriage license in Gunnison County, make sure you’re familiar with the process! Fortunately, Gunnison County doesn’t have any special requirements for out-of-state residents.

Marriage license applications are done in-person at the Blackstock Government Center in Gunnison. Applications are by appointment only and are valid for 35 days are they’re issued, so you’ll need to secure an appointment within this window. After your ceremony, you’ll just need to forward the certificate to the County Clerk and Recorder within 63 days.

Marriage licenses in Gunnison County are $30. And because Colorado is a self-solemnization state, you don’t legally need an officiant or witnesses to get married! (And if you want- your furry friend can “sign” your marriage license as your witness)

If you’re traveling from another county in Colorado for your Crested Butte elopement and stressed about getting a marriage license, you can also choose to apply for a marriage license in your home county. That way you can just focus on your partner, your vows, and your adventures together during your elopement day!

Step 5:
Elope!

With all the planning out of the way (and me on your team to tackle any last-minute emergencies), all that’s left to do is have the adventure of your lifetime with your person!

Ready to plan your Crested Butte Elopement?

Hey there, the name’s Sam! I cannot wait to chat with you.

This is gonna be epic.

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