We’ve lived in Colorado our entire lives and have to say there is not a month we don’t love in this state! So, what is the best month to elope in Colorado? Whether it’s a warm summer July morning, crisp colorful September afternoon, or a fluffy snow-filled cold January day, Colorado is stunning all year round. Our recommendations to you though would change based on a few questions:

• How much cold are you comfortable with on your elopement day?
• Which locations are you considering eloping at? Some locations are great year-round, while some are inaccessible in winter!
• What type of scenery do you want to be surrounded by (snow, wildflowers or changing aspen leaves)?

This guide will walk you through the best month to elope in Colorado based on your needs.

Before we get into what each month can look like for your Colorado elopement, we have to be very honest with you about the weather here. Colorado has very unpredictable weather! One day it can be snowing, the next it can be 70 degrees and sunny. Often the weather can change quickly within the same day as well. Summers are known for afternoon thunderstorms – but, they rarely scare us because it’ll rain for 20-30 minutes and then the sun will come out. The below recommendations are based on typical weather during the month, but you need to be open for anything to happen.

Here’s the scoop on the best month to elope in Colorado!

December, January, and February Elopement in Colorado

December, January, and February are true winter months in Colorado. They are typically the coldest temperatures. Although, remember that Colorado sees 360 days of sunshine a year. Temps in the mountains can range from 0 degrees to 35 degrees. Down below in the Boulder/Denver area, you can get a mixture of sunny, 60 degree days or a snowy blizzard. Snow is pretty much guaranteed in the mountains during these months! If a snowy, winter elopement in Colorado is what you’re dreaming of and you’re willing to wear extra layers under your clothes, December, January, and February are great months to elope in Colorado. The days are also shorter during the winter months, so if you don’t want to get up as early for a sunrise elopement or you want to celebrate with some close friends and family after sunset photos, the winter months are a great time to do so. The best part of these months? The mountain trails and parks tend to be less busy because of the colder weather, so you can get so many epic locations all to yourself.

Brittany and Ray’s dogsledding elopement and Megan and Ethan’s backcountry skiing elopement are great examples of just how much fun a winter elopement can be! Andrea and Bryce’s Rocky Mountain National Park elopement has some of the fluffiest December snowflakes we’ve ever seen.

You should elope in December, January or February in Colorado if: You want to guarantee snow in the mountains, you want lots of privacy

Average Daily Temperatures in the Mountains in December, January, and February in Colorado: 30-35 degrees

Average Daily Temperatures in the Denver/Boulder area in December, January, and February in Colorado: 40-45 degrees

March Elopement in Colorado

March is the snowiest month in Colorado, but average daily temperatures rise roughly 10 degrees in March. To us, March is one of the best months to elope in Colorado because you can still guarantee snow but the temperatures are more manageable. The one difficult consideration for a March elopement in Colorado is that, because it is the snowiest month, road closures are more frequent. Colorado sees the majority of its avalanche slides in March because of the warming weather. If you are considering eloping during this month, we recommend having a backup location that is closer to the foothills in case of an unpredictable road closer. Boulder and Rocky Mountain National Park are some of our favorite March elopement locations that are easier to access.

Paige and Braden’s March Rocky Mountain National Park elopement was full of sun and snow!

You should elope in March in Colorado if: You still want to guarantee snow in the mountains but it won’t be as cold outside

Average Daily Temperatures in the Mountains in March in Colorado: 40 degrees

Average Daily Temperatures in the Denver/Boulder area in March in Colorado: 52 degrees

April and May Elopement in Colorado

April and May are considered mud-season in Colorado. Don’t let that name scare you off though! The temperatures start rising drastically, snow begins to melt and it begins to feel like spring in Colorado. April and May are off-season for Colorado, so trails tend to be less busy than summer and fall months. Out of all the months, these two are the most unpredictable in terms of weather. Up in the mountains, they often still see snow storms in April and sometimes in May. But Colorado can also often see 50-60 degree sunny days in the mountains. If you want an adventurous, up-in-the-air elopement then there are great months. Average daily temperatures increase 10-20 degrees compared to March, so you don’t have to freeze your booty off in your wedding clothes. If you are open to a chance of snow on the ground but aren’t married to it (pun intended), then April and May are great months to consider for your Colorado elopement.

Check out E’Beth and Brendan’s April waterfall elopement or Kate and Keith’s May Great Sand Dunes National Park elopement to see just how beautiful spring can be in Colorado!

You should elope in April or May in Colorado if: You want a better chance of privacy during your elopement, warmer temperatures and you are open to whatever the weather will bring (snow or sunshine)

Average Daily Temperatures in the Mountains in April and May in Colorado: 45 – 60 degrees

Average Daily Temperatures in the Denver/Boulder area in April and May in Colorado: 60 – 70 degrees

June Elopement in Colorado

June is the second most popular month for elopements in Colorado (second to September) for a reason! The temperatures warm up drastically and the landscape is green. Many mountain passes and roads that are closed for the winter (our favorite being Trail Ridge Road) begin to open in early June. This gives you a greater variety of locations to choose from (although when these roads open up can change yearly depending on the snowfall). Wildflowers just begin to show their blooms, rivers are rushing from snowmelt and there seems to be endless sunshine in June. You even can still find some snow at higher elevations in June. It’s an overall beautiful month.

Isaac + Michelle’s June Breckenridge elopement was full of waterfalls and mountain vistas! Jordan and Kellen’s rainy June elopement was absolute magic.

You should elope in June in Colorado if: You love sunshine, warmer days and want to be surrounded by lush green vegetation

Average Daily Temperatures in the Mountains in June in Colorado: 70 degrees

Average Daily Temperatures in the Denver/Boulder area in June in Colorado: 80 degrees

July and August Elopement in Colorado

We’ll be honest – we’ve both lived in this state our whole lives and July is one of our favorite months in Colorado. Many people think it is too hot, but when you are up high in the mountains at 10,000 feet, July and August offer the most perfect temperatures. If you don’t fare well in slightly colder weather, July and August are the months for you. These are the months without a doubt that we recommend heading up to Trail Ridge Road at sunset or hiking through fields of wildflowers (July is the peak season for wildflowers). Locations are endless during these months and you can access areas that are closed or very difficult to get to any other time of the year.

One of the most epic elopements we’ve ever photographed was this August Backpacking elopement in the San Juans! If you’re looking for some wildflower inspiration, be sure to check out Emilie + Jacob’s Crested Butte elopement. For some more adventurous inspiration, Kayla + Jeff’s off-roading elopement is a must-see. Finally, Sierra and Merina’s packraft elopement can’t be missed!

You should elope in July or August in Colorado if: You want to guarantee the best weather in the mountains, you love the idea of being surrounded by wildflowers or you want to access locations that you can’t get to any other time of year

Average Daily Temperatures in the Mountains in July and August in Colorado: 75 degrees

Average Daily Temperatures in the Denver/Boulder area in July and August in Colorado: 85 degrees

September Elopement in Colorado

September is the most popular month to elope in Colorado. Why? September in the mountains sees crisp, cooler, fall temperatures and the aspen leaves are changing. The aspen leaves can change at different times each year depending on how wet our spring and summer were, but typically the mountains see changing aspen leaves from mid to late September. The leaves on average begin to change color down lower starting the first week of October. The biggest downside to this month is the mountains swarm with tourists and locals trying to get in their last hikes for the season and scouting out changing colors. If you are considering eloping in Colorado during the most popular month, we 100% recommend sunrise and/or a weekday elopement.

Check out Grace + Brandon’s September Summit County elopement, Ashley + Nick’s intimate Maroon Bells wedding, or Linzey + Ivan’s fall airbnb wedding for some fall inspiration!

You should elope in September in Colorado if: You love crisp, cool, fall temperatures, don’t mind people being around and want fall colors in your pictures

Average Daily Temperatures in the Mountains in September in Colorado: 75 degrees

Average Daily Temperatures in the Denver/Boulder area in September in Colorado: 66 degrees

October Elopement in Colorado

October is another one of those in-between months in terms of what type of weather to predict. Overall, you still see crisp, cooler fall days, but the mountains begin to see their first snowfall in October. Although it’s not frequent, there is a chance that you could see some snow on your elopement day in October. The fall leaves begin to change down at lower elevations at the beginning of October.  Many mountain passes begin to close mid-October upon the first snowfalls. Our favorite thing about October is that it tends to be less busy than June – September so you can guarantee a little more privacy.

Check out Cheyenne and Florencio’s October Loveland Pass elopement, Alexa and Jason’s Rocky Mountain National Park elopement, or Kendall and Ally’s Boulder hiking elopement!

You should elope in October in Colorado if: You love crisp, cool, fall temperatures, want less busy trails than September and get excited about the chance of snow

Average Daily Temperatures in the Mountains in October in Colorado: 55 degrees

Average Daily Temperatures in the Denver/Boulder area in October in Colorado: 66 degrees

November Elopement in Colorado

In recent years, November has proven to be a more popular month to elope in Colorado than in years past. You start to see snow sticking around at higher elevations but still have slightly warmer days than the winter months. Be ready for snow starting in November. Trails and the mountains are less crowded, but avoid the week of Thanksgiving as the mountains tend to be busy with tourists. Sunrise is always a great option to avoid those crowds!

Check out Victoria and Kacey’s Boulder hiking elopement, Audrey + Melody’s November hiking elopement, and Serenity and Trey’s Silverthorne intimate wedding for some November wedding inspiration!

You should elope in November in Colorado if: You like a chance of warmer temperatures but snow at higher elevations and more privacy on your elopement day

Average Daily Temperatures in the Mountains in November in Colorado: 41 degrees

Average Daily Temperatures in the Denver/Boulder area in November in Colorado: 50 degrees

Now you know all the down-low about the best month to elope in Colorado. If you want to guarantee a winter wonderland, go with January, February or March. Don’t want to risk any snow and love wildflowers? July and early August are your best bet. No matter which month you choose to elope in Colorado, it’s going to be epically beautiful. It is Colorado after all!

Need help deciding the best month to elope in Colorado?

Meet Larissa + Bailey! As two born and raised Coloradoans who have photographed 200+ couples in 100+ locations across Colorado, we specialize in creating a different kind of wedding day that is just as adventurous as you are. We use our experience and knowledge to craft a different kind of wedding day that feels completely authentic to you. Want to hike to a high alpine lake? We can give you trail options for that! Want to canoe along the banks of a mountain lake? We can tell you the best lakes to do it on! Want to watch the sunset from the top of the world? We’ll lead you to our favorite spots for sunset! Book your Colorado elopement photographer today!

In the meantime, be sure to check out our list of Best Places to Elope in Colorado, and our guide for How to Plan a Colorado Elopement!