Maroon Bells Elopement
Are you planning to have a Maroon Bells elopement? Keep scrolling through this blog because you’ll learn how to reserve Maroon Bells Amphitheater, tips to have a stress-free elopement experience, and you’ll see elopement photos from a real couple!
How to elope at Maroon Bells Ampitheater
So, you’ve decided to get married at the Maroon Bells in Aspen, Colorado! Reservations are required to officially book the Maroon Bells Amphitheater (maximum guests 50).
Go to Recreation.gov, pick your date and time, and click “Book Now”. Pay the required $200 and you’re all set!
If you have any clarifying questions about your reservation, call 970-963-2266 to reach the Aspen Ranger Station.
Tips for eloping at Maroon Bells
Make sure you make your reservation. It isn’t an option to make a reservation. Rangers will come and verify that you have permission to have you ceremony at the Maroon Bells. The last thing you want on your elopement day is to be escorted out.
Carpool. The Maroon Bells parking lot is very limited. If you are bringing your favorite people along, plan ahead and carpool in order to eliminate parking stressors.
Avoid Holidays. Holidays in Colorado are hectic and crowded. In order to avoid logistical nightmares like hotel vacancies, no available rental cars, expensive travel expenses, and tourists everywhere, try to avoid holidays.
Elope on a weekday. Eloping on a weekday provides much more privacy because everyone is at work.
Be aware of winter closures. If you want to elope at Maroon Bells because of accessibility, avoid winter. When snow starts to accumulate, the road to Maroon Bells are closed for the winter, meaning the only way to get there is by snowmobile.
A little about my couple
Kristen + Max spontaneously decided to elope. COVID had postponed their wedding but they were still itching to become husband and wife. They were flying out to Colorado to visit some friends and decided it was the perfect time to elope! When Kristen reached out to me, she and Max had already decided that they wanted Colorado’s most iconic mountain range as their backdrop.
K + M’s Maroon Bells Elopement
The day of their elopement, it was dumping rain. I mean pouring…windshield wipers on max speed. When we arrived, I could tell they were both a little bummed but told them to give it 10 minutes and the rain would be done. After all, Colorado is notorious for quick afternoon thunderstorms during the summer months. 10 minutes later, Max was on his way to get in position for their first look!
The clouds parted, the sun came out, and Kristen and Max’s first look was beautiful! Shortly after, they exchanged their vows and in Kristen surprised Max with a cutout of their pup back home. The look on Max’s face was hilarious. Afterwards, they had their first dance to their song, Ben Rector’s “Forever Like That”. We were all crying and to this day, whenever I hear that song, I think of Kristen & Max.
Review from my couple
“Here’s my advice, stop looking at other photographers and go ahead and book Mikayla! I can’t even remember how I found her but I am SOO happy I did. My now husband and I booked a trip to Colorado in place of what was supposed to be our honeymoon (thanks COVID) and then just 2 weeks before we were set to leave, we decided to elope while we were in the mountains. I started reaching out to photographers to figure out if this would even be remotely possible to plan in such a short time. Mikayla was super fast to respond and so easy-going. We set up a phone call to chat about the details and she even sent over some good trails for an elopement before I had signed a contract or given her a deposit. I already loved her work, but after the phone call I knew for sure to go with her for our elopement. We met her the evening of our elopement (which I didn’t even tell her our final location choice until that morning – I mentioned how easy-going she is right?!) and of course it was pouring rain. She was super optimistic and reassured me the rain would pass (we didn’t really have a plan B). Well, she was right, it did! Our entire elopement experience was amazing and we were so thankful to have Mikayla there to capture it for us. She is so kind, funny, and energetic. My husband even said working with Mikayla was “the best service industry experience he’s ever had.” Her turnaround time for sneak peaks and the full gallery were phenomenal (under 36 hours for sneak and under 2.5 weeks for the full gallery). And of course, we loved the photos!!!” – Kristen + Max
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Looking for a Maroon Bells Elopement and Wedding Photographer?
My name is Mikayla and I photograph elopements and intimate weddings in Colorado just like this Maroon Bells elopement. I love helping couples dream up the perfect day and then capturing all of the fun moments! Check out my Aspen elopement packages, aspen wedding packages, and then contact me!