How to Plan a Breckenridge Elopement (Updated for 2025)
Breckenridge is one of the most popular travel and elopement destinations in Colorado, because of its close proximity to Denver and the I70 corridor. Breckenridge is in close proximity to several different resorts- Breckenridge, Keystone, Copper, A-basin, and even Vail, so if you’re a snow bunny, Breck is the spot for you. There’s skiing and other winter sports like snowshoeing and sledding in the winter, and spring the summer there’s hiking and scenic drives around town. The drive to Breckenridge is scenic and passes through old mining ghost towns like Idaho Springs and Georgetown and has access to many other little towns within close proximity. Breckenridge is definitely one of the more busy elopement locations, so keep that in mind while planning, but if you want someplace that’s easy, then this is one of the best spots in the state to find mountain views with little effort.
Table of Contents
How to get to Breckenridge
Best time of year to elope in Breckenridge
Activities in Breckenridge
Elopement locations in Breckenridge
Wedding venues in Breckenridge
Hiking trails
Locations that don’t require a hike
Accommodations in Breckenridge
Why elope in Breckenridge?
Close to Denver
Breckenridge is one of the closest mountain destinations to Denver that doesn’t at about an hour and a half from Denver by car. Unlike Vail, Breckenridge is not right on I70- it’s tucked away from the highway while still being easily accessible. You can take a shuttle to town fairly easily, but if you want to be able to explore outside of the ski resorts, renting a car is your best option- plus, you can take the long way around Loveland Pass and take in the views from there!
Many Accommodations to choose from
Breckenridge has tons of options for Airbnbs and Vrbos to choose from as well as other rentals and hotels in town. Below, I have a few of my favorite accommodations, but there’s too many to make a comprehensive list of all the different options. The neighboring towns of Dillon, Silverthorne, and Alma all have places to choose from that aren’t too far from town, too, so you have a plethora of areas to choose from.
Tons of Vendor Options
Since Breckenridge is so close to Denver, many vendors will travel there for a minimal or no fee, so your options for hair, makeup, and florals are considerably wider than if you were to elope further in the mountains. Breckenridge’s close proximity to other resort towns means there’s other luxury accommodations and vendors to choose from in those areas as well.
Close to Other Mountain Towns
Breckenridge is in an area that’s right next to several other mountain towns- Silverthorne, Dillon, Keystone, Alma, and Copper Mountian are all right nearby. Leadville, Vail, Idaho Springs, and Jefferson aren’t too far away, either, and can easily be traveled to for a day trip, hiking, or for ceremony locations.
How to get to Breckenridge?
To get to Breckenridge, you can:
Fly into DIA, and drive from the airport about 1.5 hours to town. I recommend renting a car so you have the freedom to explore the nearby areas and aren’t limited to just the resort and downtown area for exploration
Ride the airport shuttle to town. I’d only recommend this if you’re planning on staying in town and spending your time at the ski resort, but this is a more economic option if you aren’t planning on going too far from town, and the downtown area is walkable, so you don’t need a car for that.
Best time of year to elope in Breckenridge
Summer: Late June-August
Summer is my personal favorite time of year, because the weather is warm, the grass is green, hiking trails and scenic drives are open, and this is wildflower season. The weather is usually pretty predictable with sunny days and afternoon showers- if you want to avoid the possibility of rain, a sunrise ceremony might be your best bet. If you want to plan for wildflowers and the most accessibility to scenic areas, I’d recommend planning for late June at the earliest, snow takes a while to melt at high elevations!
Fall: September-early October
Fall is a lovely time to elope in Breckenridge and one of the best time to elope in Colorado. The weather is more sunny and less unpredicable in early fall, and the aspens turn into beautiful veins of gold if you catch them at the right time. If you want to catch fall colors at their peak, it’s a very short window- the last week of September and the first week of October are the best time to see the aspens turn yellow, if you come in the second week of October, the trees will already be bare.
Winter: November-March
Winter has less accessibility to scenic areas, but if you love to ski, then this is the time to elope in Breckenridge. There isn’t usually a ton of snow until January, and by March the weather is pretty unpredictable- it’s the snowiest month of the winter, but also the warmest, so you can have a blizzard or mud, not much in-between. Be sure to bundle up, because it gets COLD and WINDY in many places- wear nude colored fleece leggings, fur coats, gloves, scarves, and hand warmers to keep yourself warm when you’re out in nature during this time of year.
Spring: April-early June
To be honest, I really don’t recommend eloping in Breckenridge in spring. The resort has closed down, and so have many of the businesses, so the area is a ghost town. Many scenic areas are still inaccessible due to snow and mud, and hiking or driving in many places in prohibited so vegetation can grow back. The trees don’t get any leaves and the grass doesn’t turn green until early-mid June at the earliest. The landscape is mostly muddy due to the melting snow and the weather is really unpredictable- it regularly will snow into April and even May most years. The one upside is that accommodations are cheaper and there’s barely anyone else around, but I personally would just plan for fall if you want both of those things while still having good weather and scenery.
Activities for your Breckenridge elopement
Hiking
There’s not a ton of hiking trails that are super scenic in the are compared to other parts of Colorado, but there’s still a few with great views. If it’s winter time, you can snowshoe as well- be sure to bring crampons and micro spikes if there’s snow!
Skiing/Snowboarding
Breckenridge is best known for its ski slopes, but it’s also not the only place you can ski in the area. You can always check out Keystone, A-basin, Loveland ski area, Copper mountain, Cooper ski mountain, Vail, and Beaver Creek, because all of them are within reasonable driving distance to the Breck area. You can also find some spots to back country ski as well if you’re more into that.
Other Winter Sports
Wanna find a beautiful place in nature, but don’t want to hike to get there? You can incorporate a fun activity like snowmobiling or dog sledding! You can book these experiences with Good Times Adventures or Alpine Dog Sledding. This is a good alternative if you want a winter wonderland, but don’t want any skiing or snowshoeing involved.
Lake activities
Breckenridge is right next to Dillon Reservoir, so you can rent a boat for a couple of hours, kayak, paddle board, fly fish, or just walk around the lake or marina for some photos and explore- you can even rent a party boat if you want to party with your guests on the lake!
Where to elope in Breckenridge
My favorite Breckenridge wedding venues
If you’re having a wedding of more than 15 people, you need to reserve a wedding venue in Breckenridge. If you’d like to see a full list of various venues for elopements and micro weddings all over Colorado, check out my 100+ Small Wedding Venues in Colorado blog.
Breckenridge elopement locations
Hiking Trails
Shrine Pass
Mayflower Gulch
Sapphire Point
McCullough Gulch
Locations that don’t require hiking or a Jeep
Boreas Pass
Loveland Pass
Officer’s Gulch
Clinton Gulch
Hoosier Pass
Lake Dillon
**Note: Blue Lakes is NOT a legal ceremony site. it is on private property and is no longer open to weddings. DO NOT BOOK A PHOTOGRPAHER THAT SUGGEST BLUE LAKES AS A CEREMONY SPOT**
Elopement Accommodations In Breckenridge
Need A Photographer For Your Breckenridge elopement?
I was born and raised in Colorado and have been visiting the Breckenridge area my entire life, no one knows Colorado like I do. If you need someone who can help you plan your day, find vendors, put together a timeline, and guide you through the mountains, I’m your girl! Reach out and we can chat all about what you’re looking for and what I can do to help.
