Garden of the Gods Simple Elopement

Madeleine and Alex met at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs years ago, and have been stationed separately all over the world ever since, so they decided to meet up and get married back where they met one another in the beginning, in Garden of the Gods. Colorado is in the middle between Alex’s family on the west coast and Madeleine’s on the East, so it was the ideal halfway point for both their families to meet. Garden of the Gods is pretty crowded most days, so we decided to shoot at sunrise instead of sunset. We woke at the crack of dawn and explored the park, taking photos before and during an early sunrise, and then met up with their families at the Siamese Twins rock formation to say vows. The ceremony was so sweet and simple, it was perfect and about nearly brought me to tears. After vows and exchanging rings, we popped champagne, sipped on coffee, and cut the coffee cake. Madeleine just wore a simple little dress from Lulus, and both Madeleine and Alex wore converse sneakers and “florals” Madeleine’s mom made them last minute. My favorite thing about elopements is that they’re personal and genuine, and that there isn’t the pressure to have lavish, expensive food or attire, unlike traditional weddings. Elopements are just about spending time with the people you love the very most in a place that means something special to you, and that’s exactly what this day was about, which made it perfect.