When Eloping Doesn't Mean Leaving Your People Behind

Telluride Elopement with family

An intimate wedding reception at over 12,000 feet at Alpino Vino in Telluride, Colorado during winter with close family and friends on January 13.

When you hear the word elopement, you might picture two people heading off into the mountains alone.

And that can be amazing. But it doesn't have to be that way.

You can have a small, intimate wedding in Telluride or the nearby mountains and still have your parents there. Your kids. Your siblings. Your grandparents. Your closest friends.

For me, an elopement isn't necessarily about leaving everyone behind. It's about taking away some of the pressure and creating a wedding day that feels like you.

And if your people are a big part of your life, they can absolutely be a part of your elopement too.

Start With Who Matters

Instead of worrying about whether 10 or 20 people is technically an elopement, start with a much simpler question:

Who do you want standing beside you when you get married?

Maybe it's just the two of you.

Maybe you can't imagine getting married without your parents there.

Maybe you have children and want them to be part of the whole experience.

Maybe there are 15 people who have walked through life with you, and leaving them out simply doesn't feel right.

Bring them.

There really aren't rules here.

Why Telluride Works So Well for an Elopement with Family

One of the things I love about Telluride is that you can have a pretty incredible mountain experience without making everyone hike five miles to get there.

That's important when you're bringing family along and especially at elevation.

Parents, grandparents and young kids may not want—or be able—to head deep into the mountains.

That's okay.

We can find a beautiful, accessible place for your ceremony and then send the two of you off on your own adventure afterward.

You can ride the gondola. Wander through Telluride. Head into the mountains. Take a 4x4 somewhere beautiful or simply walk to some place beautiful.

Your family doesn't have to do everything you do.

San Sophia Micro Wedding

parents-intimate-wedding-telluride-colorado

At a private residence in Telluride Colorado

Have Your Family at the Ceremony. Then Go Play.

This is probably one of my favorite ways to plan a family-centered Telluride elopement.

Spend the beginning of the day together.

Let your mom help you get ready.

Have your dad walk with you.

Let your kids stand beside you during your vows.

Celebrate afterward. Hug everyone. Open champagne. Take the family photographs.

And then disappear for a while.

Just the two of you.

We'll head somewhere beautiful, slow things down and give you some space to take in the fact that you just got married.

Then you can meet everyone again for dinner.

You get the best of both worlds: time with your people and time alone together.

Or Keep Everyone Together

Maybe your idea of the perfect wedding day is simply spending the whole day together.

Do that.

Ride the gondola together.

Walk around Telluride.

Have a long lunch.

Open champagne somewhere with a mountain view.

Go back to your rental home, kick off your shoes and have a private chef make dinner.

Your wedding doesn't have to be a list of events.

Sometimes being together is the event.

And I love that.

What Could a Family-Centered Telluride Elopement Look Like?

It can actually be really simple.

Start the morning at your Telluride home with coffee and your family around.

Get ready without rushing.

Head to your ceremony and exchange vows with 10 or 15 of your favorite people standing nearby.

Afterward, celebrate. Take family photographs. Have some champagne.

Then your family can head back into town while the two of you spend a couple of hours exploring with me.

Maybe we head into the mountains.

Maybe we ride the gondola.

Maybe we walk through the aspens.

Maybe we wander around town and find some beautiful light.

It doesn't need to be complicated.

Then meet everyone again for dinner.

That's a pretty great wedding day.

October Intimate Wedding at The Observatory at Alta Lakes

Make Dinner Part of the Experience

For a small wedding, dinner can be one of the best parts of the day.

Instead of trying to fill a reception space, put everyone around one table.

For a small group, Allred's private dining room is a beautiful option after a mountain ceremony.

If you want to come back into town, 221 South Oak can feel more like an intimate dinner party than a traditional wedding reception.

For winter, Alpino Vino is such a fun Telluride experience.

For a truly tiny group, there's Tempter House.

For a list of vendors

And one of my favorite options is renting a beautiful Telluride home that allows events and hiring a private chef to cook dinner for everyone.

Candles. Wine. Good food. Your favorite people.

You really don't need much more than that.

What If Your Parents or Grandparents Can't Hike?

They don't have to.

Your Telluride elopement doesn't need to be an endurance event.

There are beautiful places here that don't require everyone to hike into the backcountry.

We can choose a ceremony location that works for your family and save the bigger adventure for the two of you afterward.

The important thing is that everyone you want there can actually enjoy being there.

And Yes, Take the Family Photograph

I love candid photographs.

The hugs. The tears. Your dad watching you when you don't know he's looking. Your kids running around. Your mom laughing at dinner.

Those photographs tell the story.

But I'm also going to ask everyone to stop for a few minutes and take the family photograph.

The one with your parents.

Your siblings.

Your kids.

Your grandparents.

It might not be the photograph you immediately put on Instagram.

But photographs change in value over time.

Years from now, that simple photograph of everyone together may be one of the most important photographs from your wedding.

So we'll take it.

And then we'll get back to having fun.

Your Elopement Doesn't Have to Be Just the Two of You

If you're dreaming about a Telluride elopement but can't imagine getting married without your family there, don't.

Bring them.

We'll make sure you have time with the people you love and time alone together.

We'll keep things simple.

We'll choose places that make sense for the people coming with you.

We'll leave room in the day for things that aren't on a timeline.

Because Telluride is going to give us a beautiful backdrop no matter what.

But your people are the story.

And years from now, I don't just want you to remember where you stood when you said your vows.

I want you to remember who was standing beside you.

San Sophia Elopement with Kiddos

Telluride Elopement With Family: Frequently Asked Questions

Can we bring our family to our Telluride elopement?

Absolutely. Your parents, kids, siblings, grandparents or closest friends can be part of your elopement. Don't get too caught up in whether your guest count technically qualifies. Invite the people you genuinely want there.

Do we have to hike for a Telluride elopement?

No. There are plenty of ways to experience the mountains around Telluride without asking your entire family to hike. We can keep your ceremony accessible and save a bigger adventure for the two of you afterward if that's something you want.

Can our kids be part of our elopement?

Of course. They can help you get ready, stand with you during the ceremony, explore with us afterward or simply join you for dinner. We'll keep the timeline flexible so it works for them too.

Can we take photographs alone after the ceremony?

Yes. This is actually one of my favorite ways to structure the day. Spend time with your family after the ceremony, take the photographs that matter, and then head off together for an hour or two before meeting everyone again for dinner.

Where can we have dinner after our Telluride elopement?

For a small group, consider Allred's private dining room, 221 South Oak, Alpino Vino, Tempter House or an event-approved luxury Telluride home with a private chef.

What's the best way to plan an elopement with older family members?

Start with accessibility. Choose the ceremony location based on what your family can comfortably do. Then build the more adventurous parts of the day around the two of you. Nobody needs to struggle up a mountain just to be part of your wedding.

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A Family-Centered Telluride Elopement