The Journal

How to elope in Colorado, plainly explained

A plain-words guide · Anyday Weddings

Colorado is one of the easiest — maybe the easiest — place in the country to get married. Here's the whole thing, without the mystique.

The headline: you can marry yourselves

Colorado allows self-solemnization. In plain words: no officiant required, no witnesses required. The two of you can sign your own marriage license on a trail, in your kitchen, or on a courthouse lawn, and it's just as married as a 300-guest cathedral wedding.

That single law is why couples fly here from everywhere to elope. There's also no residency requirement — you don't have to live in Colorado — and no waiting period: you can pick up a license and marry the same day.

The license, step by step

1. Book an appointment at any Colorado county clerk's office. Any county works, regardless of where in the state you'll marry.
2. Both show up with IDs. The fee is modest (around $30 — check your county's current fee when you book).
3. Marry within your license window and sign it — just the two of you, if you like. Some couples have their dog "witness." The dog's signature is not legally required. We checked.
4. Return it to the clerk (in person or by mail) and order a certified copy for the name-change errands.

Rules and fees can change — always confirm details with the county clerk when you book the appointment. That's their job and they're good at it.

Where — and the permit question

Public lands are the classic Colorado elopement backdrop, and this is the part where honest guidance matters:

• Some famous spots require ceremony permits and cap how many weddings happen (national parks are the big one — permits there run a few hundred dollars, sites are limited, and popular dates genuinely sell out far ahead).
• Plenty of beautiful places require no wedding permit at all for a tiny ceremony — parts of the Front Range foothills, many open-space parks, and quite a few overlooks, subject to each land manager's rules.
• Group size, chairs, arches, and drones are usually what triggers rules — two people and a photographer walk lighter than a 30-guest setup.

If you book with us, this is included in planning: we tell you exactly what your chosen spot requires, or point you to a no-permit alternative that photographs just as beautifully — often better, because it won't have a crowd in the background.

Making it feel like a wedding (not an errand)

• Write vows and say them out loud. Self-solemnization means nobody is running the moment — so build the moment. This is where a film add-on earns its keep: your actual voices, kept.
• Pick a time for light, not convenience. Sunrise and the last two hours of daylight do half the photography work.
• Plan one indulgence. A great dinner after, a night somewhere special, a cake for two on a summit. Ritual makes it real.
• Weekdays are the cheat code — empty trailheads, available everything. (We wrote a whole guide to that.)