Elopements

A Winter Wonderland Dog Sledding Elopement Adventure in Colorado

This couple eloped in Colorado and planned an epic dog sledding adventure after their winter vow exchange and visiting a cool brewery. Get all the details of their adventure in Breckenridge, CO, plus the photographer’s tips when planning there!

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About This Dog Sledding Elopement Adventure in Colorado

Photography by We, The Light Photography

“Brittany and Ray had one wish for their wedding day: to go dog sledding! We started the day with their first look. The pair shared their vows next to a frozen lake just as the sun decided to make an appearance. One bottle of champagne, two thermoses of homemade Italian Wedding Soup, approximately 50 million belly laughs, and a handful of strawberries later, we took a lunch break at Outer Range Brewing where we cheered with some brews and signed their marriage license.

Finally came the moment we had all been waiting for. We spent some time getting to know the pups before hopping on a sled for the next hour, exploring the snow-covered landscape, and ending just before sunset. It was a short and sweet winter elopement that was chock full of adventure and the perfect representation of Brittany and Ray’s personalities!

Brittany and Ray spent the day doing things that truly brought them joy: sharing their vows, popping a bottle of champagne, enjoying homemade Italian Wedding Soup in their custom mugs, grabbing a pint, facetime their family, playing with dogs, and crossing something off of their bucket list!” [Bailey, the photographer]

Explore more places to elope in Colorado.

Permit and Leave No Trace During This Elopement

“We spent the majority of the day on public land in the White River National Forest. Permitting requirements can vary depending on the activity and who is involved, so it’s always important to call in advance for the most up-to-date information.

While exploring, be sure to follow Leave No Trace principles to ensure that the land will still be accessible and well-taken care of for generations to come.” [Bailey, the photographer]

Learn more about leaving no trace during your elopement.

Top Tips for Planning a Winter Elopement Adventure

“If you’re planning a dogsledding elopement, there are a few things that can help your wedding day go smoothly.

First, it’s extremely helpful to book a private tour so that you have more time and privacy to explore and stop for photos.

On the actual tour, it can get quite cold. Be sure to have lots of warm layers, as well as snow boots, a hat or ear warmers, and winter gloves. Fleece-lined leggings or thermals under your wedding clothes can help, as well!

Because Breckenridge is such a popular location to visit in the winter, the sooner you can book your lodging and vendors, the better.

You’ll also want to be conscious of how much water you’re drinking. Since Breckenridge is at 9,000ft+ in elevation, it’s much easier to get dehydrated than it is at sea level, even when it’s cold! You definitely don’t want to risk getting altitude sickness on your wedding day, and the best way to avoid it is by staying plenty hydrated.” [Bailey, the photographer]

Deciding to Elope & Planning

“We decided to have an elopement in addition to a micro wedding. The elopement was for just the two of us to celebrate our love in a personal and fun setting. We wanted mountain views and adventure without the stress of out-of-state family traveling and coordination. We had a beautiful adventure celebration then a few weeks later had a ‘micro-wedding’ with family and a few close friends.

We knew we wanted a snowy wonderland and there had to be adventure… ideally dog sleds. Bailey created a few options and we selected the one that most spoke to us.

We created a list of ‘absolutely want to do’, ‘would like to do’, ‘if we have time to do’ list. With this we were able to get in a snowy elopement with views for days, a brewery visit for food and drinks, and then ended our day with dog sledding through the forest. The planning process was as simple as a few emails back and forth answering survey like questions, a couple phone calls, and boom! We had our day planned.” [The couple]

Learn how to plan a micro wedding.

Estimated Cost of This Elopement

“The photography package was around ~$2000 for the day. We then paid for the dog sledding separate which was around another $1000 or so. We did book an Airbnb to stay in for the weekend since we were going to be a few hours from home, this was about $500. Our family brought along champagne and wedding soup (free!). With any trip away from home, we paid to board our animals, ~$200. My dress was off the rack for only $600 and alterations were another $300. We had our snow boots already and his suit was around ~$450. We also had cash for tips! It was money well spent just to have someone plan it and coordinate day of!” [The couple]

Learn more about elopement costs.

Memorable Moments During This Elopement

From the photographer:

“One moment that stood out to me was how palpable their joy and excitement were while they were saying their vows, and celebrating after. While it was cloudy all morning, the sun came out just as they finished their vows, which felt like a good omen!

Ending the day dogsledding was something that was so unique, and such an incredible way to explore a beautiful location as a newly married couple!”

From the couple:

“Our photographer, Bailey, made the day. She was relaxed and prepared, and it felt like a friend celebrating in the moment with us. She was able to get us comfortable in front of the camera for the vows and then it was a party from there. We loved the adventure of dog sledding for the first time. It was so fun to play with the pups and to feel the rush of sledding (very fast) through the snowy forest. We also enjoyed the brewery stop. Something about walking around town in a wedding dress makes it extra special. Many people were congratulating us and we even had strangers from the brewery sign our marriage license and buy us drinks.”

Final Words From The Couple

“We are so happy that we did the elopement before our family/friend event. It was by far one of the best days of our lives and we have the pictures throughout our home to relive it. Having that extra private celebration between the two of us meant the world. It was exactly what we wanted to do with no stress, lots of smiles, and tons of laughs. If anyone is considering eloping, do it in a way that represents who you two are, you will not regret it!” [The couple]

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