Some wedding days are less about the big celebration and more about slowing down, being together, and choosing an adventure that feels completely true to you. Michelle and Mark’s Garden of the Gods elopement was exactly that.
Michelle and Mark traveled all the way from the UK to Colorado with their two daughters, Andy and Brooke, for a three-week family road trip through Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming, and Montana. But this wasn’t just another family vacation. They decided to kick off their adventure by getting married—and turn the rest of the trip into one pretty epic honeymoon.
Their story actually began on another adventure 17 years ago, when they met in Switzerland. Mark and Michelle fell in love while working at a ski school, then spent the next several years making long distance work between England and Ireland . They eventually built a home together and welcomed their two girls.
After all those years together, a traditional wedding had never really felt like them. They didn’t want a day centered around timelines, expectations, or being the center of attention. They wanted a marriage—and a wedding day spent doing what they love most: exploring somewhere beautiful with their girls.
So, Garden of the Gods it was.
We started their elopement along the Siamese Twins Trail, surrounded by those iconic red rock formations and views that make Colorado Springs so special. Andy and Brooke were right there for all of it, making the day feel less like a formal wedding and more like a family adventure that just happened to include their parents getting married.
Michelle and Mark exchanged their vows with their girls beside them, officially beginning this next chapter as a family of four. There was no pressure for everything to look perfectly posed or go exactly according to plan. The girls could explore, play, and be themselves while we captured all of the little moments in between—and that was exactly what Michelle and Mark had hoped for.
Afterward, we celebrated with a bottle pop and explored more of Garden of the Gods together. With the mountains stretching out behind them, we took a mix of family photos and photos of just Michelle and Mark, giving them a chance to soak in the fact that after 17 years together, they were finally married.
One of my favorite things about their elopement was how intentionally *them* the entire day felt. It wasn’t about creating a picture-perfect wedding. It was about documenting their family exactly as they are in this season: two people who fell in love on an adventure all those years ago, now setting off on another one with their two girls beside them.
And I can't think of a more fitting way for them to begin their next chapter.
WANT TO PLAN YOUR OWN GARDEN OF THE GODS ELOPEMENT?
If the idea of skipping the traditional wedding and turning your day into an adventure sounds more like you, Garden of the Gods is an incredible place to do it. From the red rock formations to the mountain views, there are so many beautiful spots to explore while still keeping your day relaxed, intimate, and completely your own.
Whether it's just the two of you or you're bringing your kiddos along for the adventure, your elopement doesn't have to look like anyone else's. Let's create a day that actually feels like you.