Adventure Instead - Elopement Photographer & Experience Designer, Denver, CO (2025)

10/02/2025

Vulnerable post: I made it through 3.5 years of an engineering degree with a 4.0 GPA before I realized I still had time to pivot and pursue my passions, and I’m thankful every day that I did.

There is nothing I would trade for being able to bring your wedding day to life, and that is the absolute truth.

There’s nothing wrong with being an engineer in the slightest—there’s a reason I did so much of it!—but personally I can’t imagine a different life for myself.

The joy on couples’ faces, watching them have their ceremony with absolutely no one around, getting to take them to epic locations…

I’d make the same choice every day.

(And hey, if you’re an engineer… thanks for loving that work more than I did. We need you!)

Here are some real elopements I had the honor of documenting and what exactly makes them so special that I uprooted my life to do this full-time 💚

Real Elopements:
https://adventureinstead.com/blog/ -elopements

09/30/2025

This + getting married on a glacier because it matches your husband’s eyes + bringing your 2 best friends on earth along with you to witness it.

That’s how Andy & Don did their Alaska elopement this summer. And I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. They were so playful & joyful, and it made them a total delight to photograph.

They were planning a big group celebration with everyone when they got home, but first, they wanted to do something TRULY epic, something that would feel as sweeping and beautiful and incredible as their 10-year relationship deserved.

From the second we talked about Alaska, it was a perfect fit. Andy & Don were SO excited about the idea of having their ceremony on a glacier and fly their best friends in with them to witness.

Their first stop of the day was to see waterfalls & wildflowers, a quintessential combo for any July Alaskan nature tour. There’s truly nothing like it (even coming from Colorado!).

When they got to the glacier, they started off festivities with a big picnic with their friends, stretched out on a blanket with mountains in the distance. They popped champagne, toasted, ate fruit and cheese, and settled into the day.

After they ate it was time for their ceremony. They stood in matching blue suits with microspikes on their wedding shoes and read hand-written vows to each other, pausing for lots of tears and laughter. One of their friends officiated the whole thing, which made it so personal.

They exchanged rings and then immediately jumped into two inflatable packrafts to paddle around a bright blue glacial meltwater pool with just the two of them!

Back at their rental lodge afterward, they took another paddling excursion in the form of a rowboat out on the lake. They were at a much lower altitude this time, and they were able to get a little farther away from everything and just be together.

The rest of their night included hanging out by the campfire, a first dance, and a dinner hand-crafted by a private chef.

And the best part?

That was just day 1.

Can’t wait to share more about day 2 soon!

xx Maddie Mae

This is not the first time I’ve captured an elopement on a glacier and it CERTAINLY won’t be the last. An experience capturing a couple saying vows in a place no one else has likely ever even set foot?

Count me in.

Here’s what Jennifer & Max’s wedding day on a glacier looked like!

Tap here!
https://adventureinstead.com/gallery/jennifer-maxs-july-alaskan-glacier-elopement/

09/29/2025

Macy & Gavin met on an environmental restoration crew, so for them, getting married in the middle of nature just made sense. ✨

Their happy place is out in the woods, talking for hours, passing time with just the two of them while they adventure around. So getting married in the same way was what felt most true to them—not a traditional ballroom full of people.

This day in southwestern Colorado was so perfect for them, and they included multiple unity ceremonies, including planting a tree together (in a pot!) and building a birdhouse.

One of my favorite parts of their day was a trip through a brightly colored alpine lake in a canoe, just the two of them, not a single other person in sight.

I can’t wait to share more of these two soon!

I really encourage you to protect our natural spaces on your elopement day too!

Practicing Leave No Trace Principles is an incredible way to be sure that you’re doing your part while having the best day ever!

See LNT Principles:
https://adventureinstead.com/leave-no-trace-guide-for-eloping-couples/

09/26/2025

TLDR: No matter where in Colorado you are, you’ll likely be able to find fall leaves around the end of September! 🍂

Fall in Colorado is super unique because you can usually find 3/4 seasons all happening at once! I’ve had couples have ceremonies with their feet in green grass, their heads in fall leaves, and white, snowy peaks at their back. There’s nothing like it and it feels so special every time.

I am NOT a cold weather person, despite being born and raised right here in Colorado. But the aspens turning bright gold every year and lighting up whole mountainsides makes it a little easier to swallow that my perfect warm months are coming to a close.

(And it helps when I have a great couple to photograph, of course!)

If it’s your dream to elope in the middle of the most perfect fall you’ve ever seen, reach out to me! I know exactly how to time each spot in the state so that you’re there during peak fall colors. 🍁

So if YOU want an epic fall adventure in Colorado for your elopement,

Here’s where.
Here’s how.
Here’s what permits you need.
Here’s all the info you need to make it perfect.

Tap here!
https://adventureinstead.com/colorado-elopement-guide/

09/24/2025

From the very start, Joy & Nathan told me they wanted to have their elopement during the Harvest Moon. And let me tell you, it embodied the Neil Young song and THEN some.

Joy & Nathan started their day in western Colorado with some 4X4 driving, hammock slinging, hiking, and a gorgeous golden hour ceremony. But the magic really intensified when the full moon rose.

They popped some champagne in front of the Jeep they rented while they waited for the moon to come up, and when she did, she didn’t disappoint.

The moon looked beautiful as it rose, and the sky was perfectly clear for Joy & Nathan to see it, which I was so stoked about. The stars were popping out one by one while they danced and explored in the moonlight.

There’s a lot of different things that the Harvest Moon can represent, but my favorite meaning is taking a moment to have gratitude while you reap the benefits of everything you’ve worked hard for. I feel like weddings are the perfect time for that.

Even if nothing much changes in your day-to-day life after your wedding, it’s a turning point. A moment to pause and reflect on the relationship you’ve built so far and prepare for your life together moving forward.

The Harvest moon happens at the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox, when day and night are perfectly balanced in between the seasons. And I love that Joy & Nathan’s day had both a gorgeous day portion and a brilliant night session to honor just that.

I’m not a fall or a winter person, honestly. I’m a summer gal through and through. But when I think about the Harvest Moon in those terms, I can fully see the romance there.

xx Maddie Mae

Colorado has views that are absolutely, without a shadow of a doubt, must-see locations in the fall (and I’m not even a fall or winter person).

Whether or not that is under a full harvest moon is completely up to you.

Need help finding THE place? Tap the link below

Here you go!
https://adventureinstead.com/colorado-elopement-guide/

09/22/2025

We’ve all got our weak spots… but honestly I don’t think I’d consider these weaknesses. More like features that come with being an elopement photographer. 😉

Because every one of these things that makes me feel like ME is also what makes this job such a perfect fit into my life. Most days, I’m baffled I ever almost chose anything else.

I love your wedding day. I love your adventure. I love your story, and your unique ceremony, and bringing a day to life for you that feels *right*

I’m not sure exactly what I’d be doing if I wasn’t an elopement photographer—likely I would be working in engineering with a degree I nearly completed—but I know it wouldn’t bring my soul joy like this does.

Every time you see a behind-the-scenes clip of me, just know that I’m having the absolute time of my life photographing the best moments of yours.

And anytime you need someone in your corner to advocate for doing your wedding your way, I’m your gal.

If you want to know more about me and my background as an elopement photographer, here’s some info!

Nice to meet ya 🤝
https://adventureinstead.com/about/

09/18/2025

The average cost of a wedding venue in the US is up to $12,200, but I’ve *genuinely* seen venue quotes that are $40k or more. And that honestly BOGGLES my mind. Not because you don’t deserve it… but because nature is RIGHT there.

I’ve personally never, ever met a ballroom or any other indoor venue that’s as beautiful as walking through the redwoods, wandering through wildflowers on a mountain pass, or standing on a black sand beach.

If you’re sick of being quoted insane prices just for an indoor space you’re going to have to totally decorate yourself, let me be the first to suggest…

Have you considered just getting married in the great outdoors instead? I promise it’s the one way to get married that will make your vows feel TRULY cinematic and totally epic.

I put together a map and a list of over 750 locations all over the world that would be PERFECT for a just-us wedding experience

See them here!
https://adventureinstead.com/best-places-to-elope/

09/17/2025

People throw out the word “authenticity” a lot around weddings, but what does that really look like? To me, it looks like this.

Elopements are so much more than just epic photos. They’re a truly, sincerely sacred place to say your vows with just the two of you.

Folks editing their vows out of fear of being judged and not saying *exactly* what they wanted to say to their partner was one of my least favorite things about big weddings.

Your ceremony is so, so important. It’s literally the moment that it’s all about—getting to stand up with your partner, exchange rings, and pledge yourselves to each other for life.

And it’s also the part that big traditional weddings deemphasize until it’s almost nonexistent.

But when you elope? This moment becomes freaking magic (which is not a word I use lightly). You can get totally wrapped up in it, have it all to yourself, and say exactly what’s in your heart.

You can stand there with giant redwoods as your only witnesses and promise to love each other forever.

That’s what Alina & Joe did.

Their ceremony is still one that I think about all of the time. The energy was so intense that it was practically buzzing. There was absolutely no one around, just us and sunlight peeking through the trees.

And those trees were up to a THOUSAND years old. It felt like this huge honor to have them there, honestly.

There was peace & calm… and so much true, raw, genuine emotion.

Alina & Joe brought a singing bowl and a smoke cleanse and added all of these really special, super personal touches to align themselves in the space before getting married there.

Then they read handwritten vows, kissed each other, and kissed the leaves. They brought a horseshoe and turned it rightside up to seal their ceremony with luck.

THAT is authenticity. That is doing things 100% your way and feeling every single emotion that comes up in the process.

Alina & Joe could have gotten married anywhere and still felt celebrated because it was theirs. But this was the way that was true to who they are. This is the way that actually celebrated them as people.

And that makes it perfect.

xx Maddie Mae

Alina and Joe planned a truly beautiful ceremony.

Read more about it and their elopement day below!

Alina & Joe’s elopement:
https://adventureinstead.com/gallery/alina-joes-november-coastal-redwoods-elopement/

09/16/2025

I can genuinely get pretty heated when I’m talking about big weddings. And the truth is, it’s not about big weddings as a concept. It’s about the fact that the couple is almost never happy.

Or maybe they’re happy during their ceremony but then they’re stressed out during the planning process, upset during Uncle Bob’s “funny” toast, and feeling regret at the amount of money they spent on making everyone else happy all day long.

I’ve had so many friends come to me and tell me that they wish they had just eloped, and it makes me upset for them. It shouldn’t be as normalized as it is to wish your wedding day had gone differently.

Here’s the truth: you should be happy on your wedding day.

If that looks like a big wedding, then really and genuinely, I have no objections. If that’s your truth and going to bring you JOY, then hell yes, do it!

But if you’re editing your vows because of other people, or feeling pressured to include traditions you hate, or feeling like you wish you could just ditch the whole thing…

ELOPE. Plan the day you’ve always wanted. Have a wedding you will never, ever regret.

I’ve almost never heard a couple say they’ve regretted their elopement.

The kind of words I’ve heard when looking back on an elopement sound more like this: “easy to plan”, “so exciting to look forward to”, “a day spent all about us”, “we did things we always dreamt of”, “we had no distractions”, etc.

Need more convincing?

Reasons to elope:
https://adventureinstead.com/top-reasons-to-elope/

09/10/2025

There’s a reason I photograph so many elopements in my home state of Colorado, and it’s because no matter what you’re looking for, you can find it here.

Rivers? Check
Wildflowers? Check
Lakes? Check
Fall leaves? Check
Waterfalls? Check
Glaciers? Check
Sand dunes? Check
Mountains? You already know.

And with all of those different types of scenery also comes pretty much every activity imaginable (including some that are hard to imagine, like skiijoring).

From helicopters, to paragliding, to hot air balloons, to climbing, to mountain biking, to skiing, to whitewater rafting, to 4X4 driving, and endless other options… Colorado’s got them.

You can dine at Michelin star restaurants or at a local microbrewery. You can go camping or stay at a 5-star resort. Whatever you’re craving, I promise, we have it here.

Reach out to me—your perfect wedding day is waiting for you!

I know I talk about it all the time, but for those of you who may not know, Colorado is actually my home state!

I could travel the entire world then come back to Colorado and see views just as captivating and sometimes even similar to places I’ve seen in other countries. I LOVE it here!

So if you want to set on a Colorado adventure for your elopement

Tell me here!
https://adventureinstead.com/contact/

09/09/2025

Did you know that Sheila MADE her dress and bouquet? Or that Sheila & Gary only started planning less than a month before their wedding day?

Sheila & Gary are one of the sweetest couples ever, and I still think about their wedding day all the time. I was able to put together an elopement day for them in just a couple of weeks that hit ALL the Colorado best hits

They decided to elope after being together for a long time because they felt like it was the right time and didn’t want to plan a big wedding in the middle of a time with heightened COVID restrictions.

And this was the result! An early fall day in the mountains with just the two of them.

They held hands and had their ceremony by a lake, reading handwritten vows to each other. And honestly, it’s a good thing there was no camera on me, because I was for sure crying.

Sheila & Gary rang bells and popped champagne to celebrate, and then he whipped out a ukulele and seranaded Sheila by the water.

The thing that kept striking me all day about them was just that there was so much *joy* in their elopement. They were having so much fun together and just radiating that energy of two people who just click.

They had their first dinner together on Sweetest Day, a holiday regional to where they live. Gary had never heard of it, so Sheila taught him all about it.

It’s made for sharing treats & connecting with people you care about, so she brought treats with her to his house, where they got to know each other.

Sheila & Gary told me about all the adventures they’ve been on together since then, how it felt to meld their lives together, what this was a celebration of. And honestly, I think their day was absolutely perfect.

These two are a perfect example of what it looks like to be totally comfortable within yourself and with your partner. To do things on your own timeline and no one else’s.

Their 5 year anniversary is coming up next week, and this day is still just as special to remember as it was when it was happening.

Happy Anniversary, Sheila & Gary. Hope you’re still celebrating Sweetest Day and dancing to ukulele songs.

Happy Anniversary, Sheila & Gary!

If you want to do things on a timeline that works for you and your partner like they did, I highly recommend seeing how other couples planned out their elopement day!

Timeline planning/tips:
https://adventureinstead.com/elopement-timeline-tips/

09/08/2025

We are right around the corner from this, and as much as I LOVE summer, the changing of the aspens makes it a tiny bit easier to accept that my days of endless sun are over for now.

Fall in Colorado is a super special time. It’s one of the only places I have ever been where you can get 3/4 seasons all at once. From one vista, you’ll have golden aspens, greenery around your feet, and snowcapped mountains in the distance.

It’s genuinely so special to experience and makes for a GREAT place to have a wedding ceremony.

If you’re heading out to the leaves, keep these rough dates in mind:
Northern Colorado: September 15-22
Central Colorado: September 22-29
Southern Colorado: September 29-October 6

These are estimates, so keep an eye on local Colorado news stations for updated info!

Happy leaf hunting!

When you have an entire state you can explore, where do you choose? …And what do the logistics look like?

I have charts, planning tips, locations, ALL of it in one massive elopement guide!

Tap here to check it out
👇

CO Elopement guide:
https://adventureinstead.com/colorado-elopement-guide/

Adventure Instead - Elopement Photographer & Experience Designer

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