I married my partner in Colorado. The only witnesses were the wind and our photographer.

• My partner and I eloped with no family or friends.
• We had our photographer with us, and we got married in the Rockies.
• We spent about $3,500 on our wedding, which is way under the US average.

My longtime soulmate and I promised each other forever at a 7,000-foot overlook in the Rockies in 2024. There were no guests or officiant, just our photographer and the wind as unofficial witnesses.

In a half-hour photo session, we exchanged rings and handwritten vows from a pocket notebook, and tried to look natural for the camera — all while making sure we didn’t tumble off the edge in high winds. We picked Colorado for its unique marriage laws, allowing couples to self-solemnize independently.

What we spent that day was a fraction of the norm. The average US wedding now tops $30,000, while even “budget-friendly” elopement packages typically run $5,000 to $15,000. By planning every detail ourselves, we pulled off the entire experience for about $3,500, without sacrificing the scenery we’d always imagined as our wedding backdrop.

We wanted freedom to control our budget

When we looked into wedding packages, every option seemed to follow a one-size-fits-all template: pre-selected venues, an assigned photographer, and a timeline with little room for spontaneity. Convenience was the selling point, but to me it felt like paying a premium for a prepackaged cookie-cutter idea of romance.

We wanted the freedom to choose a trailhead instead of a chapel, a photographer whose style we loved, and the ability to invest time in making sure the day felt like ours.

The DIY route gave us personalization and control over our budget, but it also meant extra research, spreadsheets, late-night planning sessions with my fiancé, and more use of my iPhone calculator than ever before. But from the moment we laced up our boots, it was rewarding knowing every choice had been intentional. That ownership made the day feel more meaningful and personal than signing a check for a package deal.

Here’s how we spent our money

We ended up spending $3,550 on a nine-day road trip and elopement. Here’s a breakdown of how we spent the money and the considerations we made during our planning.

Photographer: $400

A 30-minute weekday session covered the self-guided ceremony and posed shots, along with a high-resolution photo gallery.

Cabin Reservation: $1,050 (four nights)

I’ll admit, we could have saved $500 on a more modest Airbnb in the area. We didn’t need a family-size cabin with entertainment space and three bedrooms, but it was nice to live large with a full house all to ourselves.

Road Trip Hotels: $636 (four nights)

We splurged here for comfort, preferring higher-quality hotels with stellar reviews. Best Western was our cheapest stay at $86. The others (Hampton/Comfort) ranged from $95 to $150 per night. Booking last-minute with Hotels in America helped us find deals.

I planned the route in Google Maps so our nightly arrival times matched up with cities or suburban areas where hotels were readily available and affordable.

Venue/permits: $0, free overlook

Marriage License and Certificate: $30

Colorado’s Gilpin County made it simple: We set up an appointment online, applied in person, and returned after the wedding to finalize the marriage license.

Officiant: $0, Colorado allows self-solemnizing

Hair and Makeup: $350

Attire: $139

My dress was $134 via Lulus; I saved $22 by using a promo code I found online. For accessories, I only had a $5 artificial bouquet. Everything else we already owned or had been passed down from family.

Travel/gas: $625

During our 3,190-mile round-trip from North Carolina and back, we burned through about 168 gallons of gas in a Ford F-150. At $3.72 per gallon (the US national average in May 2024) and with the truck’s fuel economy averaging 19 miles per gallon, our travel costs were roughly $625.

Flights for two plus a rental car in Colorado would have easily topped $1,500, including baggage fees and insurance, so the road trip saved us several hundred dollars and doubled as a built-in adventure.

Food: ~$450

Between drive-thrus, grocery runs, and a few sit-down restaurants, food came out to about $450. Breakfast-included hotels helped stretch the budget on the road, since we could forgo lunch for an early dinner.

Activities: $70

We skipped the guided tours, horseback riding, and spa days. Keeping activities light helped us stay on budget and on theme with our DIY experience. The one splurge was a historic train ride, $70 for two tickets. We spent our days in Colorado window-shopping, people-watching, hiking free trails, and exploring random towns and sites. Driving aimlessly allowed us to stumble upon backroads lined with elk, pit stops in tiny towns, and high-elevation trailheads with killer views and no climb.

Tips if you’re considering a DIY elopement

DIY elopements work best for couples who value flexibility and intimacy, and who don’t mind the extra planning. Packages are easier and less stressful, but they can lock you into someone else’s version of your day. My advice for anyone trying to do what we did is pretty straightforward.

Early in the planning process, set “book by X” deadlines to stay proactive. Having a roadmap helps. Pick one category to splurge on, and make that your motivation for finding ways to save across all other categories. We prioritized our spending on lodging, while opting for free or cheap activities. Leave space for flexibility, as weather and timing won’t always line up. Research marriage laws early. Every state is different, and Colorado even allows couples to self-solemnize with no witnesses.

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