Some couples plan a wedding. Ashley and Ben planned a day that actually felt like them…that’s exactly what led to their 3M Curve elopement inside Rocky Mountain National Park.
If you know Ash and Ben, you know “bestie” isn’t just a pet name for them, it’s the whole relationship. They met on a Tinder bet (a story I wish I had enough space to tell you about here), spent three years living the full-time RV life together, and built a friendship so tight that “getting married” almost felt like a formality for something they’d already been living. So when it came time to actually tie the knot, a giant guest list and a stuffy reception were never on the table. What was on the table: mountains, a cozy cabin, intimate and deeply personal vows, and zero performing for anyone but each other. They said “I do” in June, when the park’s wildflower meadows are in full swing.
Getting Ready at Boulder Brook Inn
The day started slow and unrushed at their cabin at Boulder Brook, tucked right along Fall River in Estes Park. Ben got ready first, in a rust-colored Indochino suit that ended up being one of my favorite grooms’ looks all year. Ashley stepped out of her hand-embroidered “B ♡ A” patch sweater (stitched by one of her closest friends as a wedding gift) and into her Stacee’s gown, bangles stacked on her wrist, and hair and makeup by Jessica.hairandmakeup woven with fresh baby’s breath and greenery.
Ashley put together her own bouquet with flowers from Trader Joe’s, and then used the leftover blooms plus a scrap of cardboard cut from a PBR box to build Ben’s pocket boutonniere. If that’s not the most “them” detail of the whole day, I don’t know what is.
Boulder Brook’s cabins are basically made for mornings like this: exposed wood, big windows, mountain light pouring in over Fall River, and just enough privacy to let the nerves and excitement settle in before the real adventure began. Ben and Ashley did their first look right there on the deck, and the joy on both of their faces set the tone for the entire day. It was the perfect low-key start to a 3M Curve elopement built entirely around the two of them. AND in true Estes Park fashion, as we were setting up for the first look, an elk wandered right up to the riverbank outside the cabin. I always consider that a sign that it’s going to be an epic elopement day.
Their 3M Curve Elopement Ceremony
A 3M Curve elopement isn’t a “top 10 wedding venues” kind of ceremony; it’s a wildly beautiful rock outcropping tucked along Trail Ridge Road with sweeping views of the Continental Divide and the Mummy Range. It’s a spot that makes you feel small in the best way. That’s exactly why it was the right call for Ashley and Ben.
Getting married inside Rocky Mountain National Park means navigating the wedding permit process, working within the park’s regulations, and picking a ceremony spot that photographs beautifully and is actually permittable for a group your size. That’s where I came in: helping Ashley and Ben secure their RMNP wedding permit and choosing 3M Curve as their ceremony location from among the park’s many stunning ceremony sites, so all they had to think about was each other.
3M Curve doesn’t require a hike to get to, it’s roughly a 2-minute walk from the pull off parking lot. When we arrived, Ash and Ben found their place on the rocky overlook and began reading their handwritten vows to eachother. Partway through the ceremony, Ashley surprised Ben with a wedding band handmade by Luana Coonen in Paonia, CO – this was a moment that her and I planned out ahead of time. (Ashley’s own rings have just as much story behind them: a custom engagement ring designed by Village Jewelers in Boone, NC, built to complement the heirloom wedding band from her grandmother.) Tears, laughter, and then their first kiss as a married couple, with the Rockies stretched out behind them for miles.
Portraits Around Rocky Mountain National Park
After the ceremony, we didn’t just pack up and leave. The rest of their 3M Curve elopement was spent exploring more of the park together during golden hour, in the same spirit as this hike to Dream Lake from another RMNP elopement earlier this year. They had their first dance on the rock outcropping at 3M Curve with the peaks as a backdrop, then wandered into a grove of aspens to sign their marriage license – the two of them cracking up over who got to sign first. From there we crossed into an open meadow for a Fireball toast (a very on-brand way for these two to celebrate), and right on cue, as the shots were taken, a full rainbow arced over the valley behind them. You genuinely cannot plan a more perfect moment.
Sending Them Off to Celebrate
Once the light started to shift, we wrapped things up and I sent Ashley and Ben off to celebrate over dinner at Ember, just the two of them – exactly the way they wanted it.
This is the whole reason I love planning and photographing a 3M Curve elopement in Rocky Mountain National Park: there’s no script, no timeline built around 100+ guests, just two people, a permit, a gorgeous stretch of Colorado wilderness, and a day built entirely around what matters most to them.
Vendor Shoutouts:
- Getting Ready: Boulder Brook Inn
- Ceremony Location: 3M Curve, Rocky Mountain National Park
- Photography, Planning & Coordination: Danielle Tolson
- Hair & Makeup: Jessica.hairandmakeup
- Bride’s Dress: Stacee’s
- Groom’s Suit: Indochino
- Groom’s Shoes: Johnston & Murphy
- Groom’s Wedding Band: Luana Coonen (Paonia, CO)
- Bride’s Custom Engagement Ring: Village Jewelers (Boone, NC)
Dreaming of your own Rocky Mountain National Park elopement? I help couples handle the entire permit process and choose the best ceremony and portrait locations inside the park — reach out here to start planning your day.
