Dillon Reservoir Colorado Elopement

by Hennessy Photo Co | COLORADO ELOPEMENT PHOTOGRAPHER

An oldie (but a goodie), this elopement took place in December of 2021 (and don’t judge, we’re finally getting around to blogging about some past very special days). When Samantha and Andrew first reached out to me about their Colorado elopement, they were specific in a few things: they wanted amazing views, they wanted a low key day, and it was extremely important that their pup was allowed to be incorporated into every aspect, so we did just that! This Dillon Reservoir Colorado Elopement day is hands-down one of my favorites.

Their Dillon Reservoir Colorado Elopement Day

We started their day at their airbnb in Silverthorne in the morning with family. While they decided to elope for very specific reasons, Samantha and Andrew did want to incorporate their favorite people into their day, and this was amazing! Don’t be afraid to include a few people in your elopement day! One of the biggest questions people ask me is, “Can we bring a few of our friends?” And the answer is always, of course! It’s important to remember that your day should be extremely intentional, and if bringing a few of your favorite people along helps to ensure this day feels perfect for you, then let’s do just that! Pro tip: keeping your group size under 15 total (including any vendors you have with you, like your photographer, officiant, and videographer) can open up a lot more options for locations and trails for your elopement day, since there’s a limit on how many people you can bring on public lands!

The couple opted for a first look and private vow reading outside of their airbnb (since we were going off-site for family photos together later). This was important to them because they wanted a private elopement, and compromised with family to bring a few along; so in this way, they were able to keep their vows private, but still hold a ceremony together with everyone! I’d encourage you to try and not keep the peace though: this is a great compromise option, but as your photographer, it’s really important to put your foot down where it makes sense for you, so that you can always look back on this day without regrets.

From here, we headed out to Dillon Reservoir in Dillon, CO for family photos and some couples photos. The couple opted after their ceremony to also head to Snake Inlet for portraits, and we adventured around with their German Shepherd and even had their dog sign their marriage license! We met back up with family later at Carboy Winery for dinner, and I headed out as soon as food was served.

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Why Dillon Reservoir for your elopement?

We chose Dillon Reservoir specifically because it was close to their ceremony location, Sapphire Point. Here’s the thing: I don’t love Sapphire Point, and if you hire me, I’ll tell you that for very specific reasons. Most couples come to me after finding this location, and decide elsewhere to have their ceremony and here’s why Sapphire Point isn’t the best location for your Colorado elopement:

• it’s a public location, meaning even after your reservation, people can still walk by or watch your ceremony! and YES, this really does happen; so much, that I don’t think I’ve shot an elopement or wedding here in the last two years where an uninvited guest hasn’t crashed the day and clapped after the first kiss.
• it’s considered “accessible”, but it’s pretty rough: if you have any family that have trouble walking or need wheelchair access, it is possible but the way down is pretty steep, and very icy in the winter, and there’s just better options!
• it can be a tough location based on lighting; you’ll see with this wedding in particular, they snagged the last spot of the day, which was also sunset; because this location requires a timeslot permit, the couple couldn’t change their time (since they booked it before they hired me, and even though I suggested moving it), so we did what we could with little light we had

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Photography: Hennessy Photo Co | Location: Dillon Reservoir, Sapphire Point, Colorado | Videography: Bri Poehler | Venue: Carboy Winery | Cake: Flick of the Whisk

Want to see their full gallery? Click here!

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