Tender Elopement at Great Sand Dunes National Park, CO | Keara & Aaron

great sand dunes national park colorado elopement wedding

Photographer Amy Bluestar truly had a front row seat to this couple’s love story. She met them the very same night Keara and Aaron met one another, and she recalls their instantaneous connection. She also had the honor of capturing their engagement when Aaron asked Keara to be his wife during one of Amy’s styled sessions. Although choosing to say “I do” was easy, the couple was initially unsure of how they wanted to be married, whether to elope or to plan a traditional wedding. Their world was irrevocably changed when tragedy struck and they suffered the loss of their son. In the midst of devastating grief, Keara and Aaron found comfort in knowing that they would be united with their son by sharing the same last name. They reached out to Amy for guidance and together they chose The Great Sand Dunes National Park and planned the most touching elopement.

Amy recounts the experience beautifully:

“The ultimate tests for soul mates, arguably, are the times of true hardship, and Keara and Aaron have experienced more than their fair share. After suffering a significant loss in their life, I witnessed a couple that was submerged in tragedy and managed to fight and come through the other side walking hand-in-hand, stronger than they were before and just as in love as the day they met… The happiness that engulfed me as I photographed their ceremony was overwhelming… the entire time the couple never stopped smiling. After weeks of heartache, it was a day filled with happy tears and so much laughter… Hard times come and go, but finding the people to help you through these tough times and love you even stronger in the end is what life is all about. I believe that some people were made for each other, and I believe that Keara and Aaron are two of these people.”

Amy captured Keara and Aaron’s elopement perfectly, the joy of their union amplified by the isolation of the vast dunes. This session marks the beginning of a beautiful new chapter!

Photography by Amy Bluestar Photography

CHOOSING TO ELOPE:

“…we had gone back and forth for a time [about] whether or not to do a traditional wedding celebration or elope… Our situation changed drastically [when] we lost our sweet baby boy, who was stillborn last May… To give us some time to grieve, [my parents gifted us] a trip to Florida… During that time, we both decided that we wanted all three of us to be united by having the same last name… It had been such an emotional and sad time for us that this, our marriage, and saying our vows to each other, with God and our sweet boy watching over us, was the BEST thing we have ever done together. It was a small moment of pure joy in a time that could have gotten completely lost in grief… Advice to other couples considering: it is so worth it! If you still want to celebrate at a later date, which we did last September, it’s a great way to go when you’re on a budget and/or just reducing the amount of stress there can be with a traditional wedding. Colorado really is one of the best places to elope in, just endless beautiful views to give you that adventurous type of place to say your vows.”

[Keara]

CHOOSING A PHOTOGRAPHER:

“We had not a clue where exactly we wanted to do this and how it was done, but Amy walked us through [the elopement process], which in the state of Colorado is very inexpensive and simple. We told her to pick three different places that she felt would fit us. We both love the beach, but we had grown to love all the adventures our mountainous territory had given us too. So what better place than the Great Sand Dunes… It was perfect … I’d like to, again, give Amy Bluestar a HUGE shout out for not only taking amazing photos of our special moment but for helping with all the little extras that were involved in planning the day… You’re a rockstar and you went above and beyond for us!”

[Keara]