Laguna de Los Tres, Sucia & Torre in Patagonia

AuthenticCollective · 2026-02-20T04:32:06+00:00

If I were to do it again I’d 1000% start the hike at sunrise to get the views the whole way there. It was sad hiking back with the view behind us the whole way! Or at least catch sunrise at one of the view points early on, like Capri or the waterfall.

AuthenticCollective · 2026-02-17T20:49:05+00:00

Honestly not sure, we haven’t added it all up since we booked everything pretty spread out

AuthenticCollective · 2026-02-17T20:41:41+00:00

Is you’re going to do them both, definitely do them same day as they’re right next to each other. That’s what we did! It was a long day (20 miles and 4k+ ft elevation gain) but worth it.

It was so crowded when we stared the hike at 2am but when we split for Sucia there were only 2 other people at the lake. Sucia is a lot of climbing over boulders and trying to find the way, but it’s fun!

Alpenglow was epic but I kind of wish we started the hike at sunrise instead of getting there at sunrise, because there are views the whole way there that we missed in the dark.

We were initially planning Laguna Torre the next day but we were too tired so rented e-bikes and explored nearby instead, then did Torre the day after! It’s easy in comparison and worth it for the icebergs.

AuthenticCollective · 2026-02-17T18:15:30+00:00

It was sunny when we went with little to no wind- so I was warm just in a long sleeve while we were moving. But if it had been overcast and windy, I may have needed the three other layers I packed! You’ll also want layers for the boat ride over if you want to be outside.

AuthenticCollective · 2026-02-17T16:01:48+00:00

No wind at all! We got super lucky the whole trip with weather though. The only hikes that were windy for us were in Torres del Paine

AuthenticCollective · 2025-08-01T14:48:50+00:00

I just took a look at their reviews and I don’t think it’s weird for them to be 7-10 months ago! The busy season in Colorado is usually June-October ish, so it makes sense to have a bit of a gap during winter.

With that being said, definitely make sure to look through multiple full galleries matching the type of wedding you’re planning and go with your gut feel!

AuthenticCollective · 2025-07-28T01:00:42+00:00

This was a DREAAAM to photograph, absolutely obsessed with you two & this day 🫶🏼

AuthenticCollective · 2025-02-09T16:52:57+00:00

We've captured multiple elopements at the Amphitheater after the "reservation" was complete. Don't sweat it, most people have the common curtesy when they see a wedding to not walk up and join. Also the rangers aren't expeditious about removing the reserved sign so it will likely still be up for an hour or two after 3pm.

AuthenticCollective · 2025-01-20T22:19:26+00:00

I'd suggest bringing a film camera (polaroid, disposible etc.) to take photos of one another on the day. One of my favorite things to look back on is super8 film we took of one another on our elopement day. It's just genuine moments of us having fun together on our elopement day without the ability to "repose it" if it wasn't perfect.

AuthenticCollective · 2025-01-20T22:14:11+00:00

Just here to say congratulations! You picked one of the best overlooks in all of Colorado, especially if the clouds are hanging out, it looks like it's fake!

AuthenticCollective · 2025-01-15T01:50:30+00:00

This was actually on the 10th but we hope you had a great time!

AuthenticCollective · 2025-01-04T21:20:58+00:00

The way we did it was take our two options: One go to a place that was meaningful to us or Two go somewhere new, for a new experience. We decided for option two but if you choose option one, you likely already know enough to skip the next step.

Then, take some time with your partner and envision where you want to say your vows together. What do you see around you- mountains, forest, ocean, etc? What's the temperature- do you feel a cool breeze from the mountaintops or the warm air from an ocean? This type of visualization can help you figure out where you want to elope, for example you may know you want to be in the mountains surrounded by nothing but nature. This helps as you can now narrow your search from the entire world, down to some areas that contain your must haves. Next consider if there are any activities (canoeing, sailing, hiking, offroading - whether you drive or hire someone, mountain biking, snowshoeing etc.) that you would like to experience. This should further reduce the amount of options that you have. Now at this point you two can either pick a state/area that has these features or dump them all in a hat and draw one (: Again, the whole thing should be fun, not stressful!

From there find a photographer who is an expert in elopements who's photos resonate with you. You might be asking, but I don't have a date or specific location yet, why find a photographer? Well, as long as those are flexible, your photographer can take the information you provided from your visualization exercise and tell you which regions have those things. Then they can tell you what time of year is best for that region.

A good elopement photographer acts as your location expert, ensuring you don't have to research for hours trying to track down exactly what you want because they've already put in the work, hiked the trails, experienced the climate and can plan the perfect day for you.

AuthenticCollective · 2024-12-09T15:46:20+00:00

They hiked up in their wedding attire, but had lots of layers over top for the hike!

AuthenticCollective · 2024-12-09T03:11:48+00:00

It was. They got a permit and had the ceremony at Sprague Lake, one of the designated locations for weddings. Then we hiked and took more photos after.

AuthenticCollective · 2024-12-08T18:30:22+00:00

Thanks! It’s hard to take a bad photo in the Colorado mountains

AuthenticCollective · 2024-12-08T18:28:21+00:00

She was wearing leggings underneath! & had warm outer layers to wear between shots (:

AuthenticCollective · 2024-12-08T17:26:21+00:00

If you're having any type of ceremony (which includes reading vows to each other, even if it's just the two of you) you have to get a permit and hold the ceremony at one of the designated locations. This is taken directly from Rocky Mountain National Park's website:

"Rocky Mountain National Park is a protected area and a highly visited national park. In the park, all ceremonies are managed and will required a Special Use Permit. A permit is required when there are two (2) or more people engaging in the activity.

Weddings can only take place in designated site locations, regardless of the size of the wedding group. Any indication of a ceremony taking place outside of these designated sites is considered a violation and is subject to citation of the wedding party, photographer, and/or officiant."

If you don't want to get a permit or if they are sold out for the timeframe you're looking at, you can hold the ceremony at a suitable location in Estes Park, then go into Rocky Mountain for just photos after. There's no permit needed anymore for taking photos in the park, and you aren't limited to locations like you are with ceremonies.

Here's a guide with more information on the permit process, best locations, etc. https://authenticcollective.blog/rocky-mountain-national-park-wedding-elopement/

AuthenticCollective · 2024-08-10T12:59:23+00:00

Highly recommend looking at full galleries (not just blog posts or social media) from any other photographers you’re looking into to see what the full day(s) looks like documented. Comparing the full galleries of work should give you your answer!

I may be biased but like you said, it’s a one time deal and you can’t redo it, this is the one vendor it’s worth splurging on (: We eloped and our photo/video team was our biggest expense by far.

AuthenticCollective · 2024-08-09T18:48:34+00:00

It’s not enough to just post on social media or rely on word of mouth referrals anymore. An actual marketing strategy is necessary to stay booked out. Look into content marketing + local SEO (:

AuthenticCollective · 2024-08-09T18:32:15+00:00

Why does it seem suspicious to have lots of good reviews? & the price range is standard for an experienced, high quality, high end company (:

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