Did you know more than 2,500 couples got married in Denver in 2024? Many couples opt to elope to Denver for opportunities for adventure, to experience the beautiful scenery, and to create memories that will last a lifetime. If you’re considering an elopement and worried about missing out on some traditional wedding experiences, don’t fret! Over my years of experience as a photographer serving not only families but elopement couples, I’ve witnessed some memorable ceremonies with personal touches, making the event much more unique. I’ve gathered a list of unique elopement ceremony ideas for your special day, so grab your partner, and let’s plan!

Read Letters From Your Friends + Family

Perhaps you’re considering an intimate elopement ceremony with few guests in attendance. If so, consider reading letters from friends and family that couldn’t be at your ceremony. Throughout the ceremony, you’ll be able to focus on the future while remembering the people who helped you get to this point—the people who raised you and are part of your tribe. Reading letters from them before making a lifelong commitment is a unique way to include them in your special day.

Include Your Pets – Unique Elopement Ceremony Ideas

Inviting your pets is one of my favorite ways to personalize your photoshoot or elopement! Did you know Colorado allows pets to be ‘signing witnesses’ on marriage licenses? As an animal lover to our Dane and Shephard, I’ll never be able to turn down a four-legged fur baby! If your pet is a part of your love story or simply a member of the family you can’t imagine your day without, bring them along. Not only can your pets be a ‘signing witness,’ but they can also be ring bearers in your portraits or engagement photos!

Listen to Recorded Audio or Watch Recorded Videos

With technology ever-evolving and progressing, bringing a piece of home or a memory from your relationship to your ceremony is easier than ever! Maybe you have a video montage you made to watch before your ceremony, a silly voicemail, or messages from home – playing these before your ceremony adds a unique and personal flair. Bring a wireless Bluetooth speaker, play your video before reading your vows, or listen to your favorite song together. The beautiful thing about an elopement? It can be anything you want it to be.

Invite Guests to Participate

I firmly believe that our relationships and lives are only as strong as the support we have around us. If you plan a larger elopement with a few friends and family, consider inviting them to participate in your ceremony. At the beginning of the ceremony, guests could read a poem, share their favorite memories of you and your partner, or share some well-wishes. It’s a simple gesture that shows your appreciation for your guests while allowing them to be involved in your big day.

Celebrate Your Culture

Is your culture a big part of your life? Maybe you’re choosing to elope for personal reasons but want to celebrate your roots and the parts of your life that make you uniquely you. Adding a couple of unique touches that celebrate your home culture and life is a great way to make your elopement ceremony unique. A couple of ways to celebrate your culture in a simple yet meaningful way could be planning a picnic meal with food you love, listening to traditional music, or even wearing traditional clothing to your ceremony.

Walk Down the Aisle Together – Unique Elopement Ceremony Ideas

Next on my list of unique elopement ceremony ideas is walking down the ‘aisle’ together. Instead of meeting your partner at the alter with your officiant, walk to music together. I love the idea of walking hand-in-hand towards a new future and commitment to one another. Pick out a spot for your elopement ceremony and ask your officiant to wait for you at the place while you walk in together. It’s a unique way to start the ceremony together and end as a newly married couple!

Perform a ‘Unity Ceremony’

While unity ceremonies aren’t necessarily uncommon at weddings, they aren’t as common at elopements! Consider planning a unique ceremony that signifies your union during your elopement ceremony. A few ideas I had for this were to plant a tree or plant together, do a handfasting braid ceremony, or even mix up some ‘unity’ cocktails together. The idea of a unity ceremony is to do something together that, when complete, is better than it was alone.

Put Together + Seal a Wedding Time Capsule – Elopement Ceremony Ideas

Lastly, and one of my favorites, create a wedding time capsule during your elopement ceremony. You may add tokens from your vacation or elopement ceremony inside, such as a hotel key, a postcard, an engagement photo, or even a copy of your vows. Then, seal it to be opened on a specific anniversary in the future. Not only is this an exciting way to memorialize the day, but in 10 or 15 years, it’ll be a fun experience to relive. When the time comes, you can sit with your partner, drink some champagne, and celebrate achieving this milestone in your relationship.

Planning a wedding, big or small, is filled with decisions that uniquely reflect your relationship and desires for your day. You deserve to have the day of your dreams with the person you want to spend forever with. If you want more elopement planning tips, head to my blog!

Are you considering a Colorado elopement and looking for your perfect Denver elopement photographer? Drop me a line!