Colorado Adventure Wedding | Hiking Elopement in the Colorado Mountains | Tara + Jay’s Love Story | Justyna E Butler Photography

Another unforgettable Colorado adventure wedding is in the books. Tara and Jay’s mountain elopement was everything an adventure wedding should be — intentional, wild, emotional, and completely true to who they are as a couple.

For their wedding day, they traded a traditional venue for a sunrise hike through the Colorado mountains. With their sweet pup Gypsy as their witness and the mountains as their backdrop, they began their next chapter exactly how they wanted — together, exploring, laughing, and soaking in every moment.

But their story started long before their Colorado adventure wedding day.

Twenty years ago, Tara and Jay met as teenagers at summer recreation. Although they attended different schools, their paths continued crossing through mutual friends, concerts, and local shows. Jay was the cute guitar-playing boy in a punk rock band — and Tara couldn’t help but notice him.

Their connection was immediate, but they both played it cool. It took another six months before they finally went on their first date. Tara was 18. Jay was 17.

Their first date was on Valentine’s Day — fittingly, in protest of Valentine’s Day. Jay showed up as the thoughtful, kind-hearted gentleman he still is today. He opened doors, insisted on paying even though they were two broke teenagers, burned her a Pennywise CD, and even made her a cassette tape for her car.

That was the moment Tara knew there was something special about him.

Their teenage romance was full of adventure and young love. They were completely head over heels, but life eventually led them in different directions. They loved each other deeply, but they needed time to grow, explore, and experience life separately.

Years later, after college, road trips, adventures, and all the twists and turns life brings, fate brought them back together.

They ran into each other at a wedding in Buffalo — the first time they had seen each other in years. The spark was still there. It was undeniable. That night wasn’t the beginning yet, but it was the moment their story started again.

A few months later, Tara ran into Jay’s dad at a Fourth of July festival. She casually asked about Jay and, before leaving, gave him her number to pass along.

That was the moment everything changed.

They went on their second first date that week. Tara was nervous and excited, redoing her eyeliner three times before leaving. But none of that mattered because Jay saw her exactly as she was. They immediately fell back into each other’s lives — and they have been there ever since.

Ten years later, they celebrated their love by promising forever during their Colorado adventure wedding.

Together, they have built a life filled with incredible memories — backpacking through Thailand, jumping out of a plane, exploring new places, road-tripping across the country, and supporting each other through every season of life.

Three years before their wedding day, they took another leap of faith and moved across the country to Colorado. Since then, they have built a home, created friendships, explored mountain trails, and continued their greatest adventure together.

So when it came time to celebrate their marriage, a traditional wedding never felt like them.

They chose a Colorado hiking elopement — a day focused on connection, adventure, and the incredible landscape they now call home.

At 3:45 in the morning, Tara and Jay started their mountain hike with Gypsy, their adventure pup and official witness, and their Colorado elopement photographer, Justyna E Butler.

The morning air was cold, but they had each other to keep warm. Hiking a mountain in a wedding dress was not easy — but Tara had Jay carrying her train, picking pinecones out of her tulle, and helping her every step of the way.

Because the best adventures are never the easiest ones.

They hiked through the mountains, laughed together, explored snowy trails, and watched Gypsy happily run through the snowfields. They held hands across icy sections, supported each other through the climb, and embraced every unexpected moment.

Eventually, they found the perfect place to exchange their vows.

With the sun rising over the mountains, warmth spreading across the landscape, and an alpine lake overlooking the rocky plateau below, Tara and Jay promised forever surrounded by wildflowers, mountain air, and the beauty of Colorado.

With tears in their eyes, the wind in their hair, and Gypsy resting peacefully on Tara’s dress train, they said their vows.

It was everything they dreamed their wedding day would be — intimate, adventurous, meaningful, and completely theirs.

From the moment we met at 3:30 in the morning, Tara and Jay brought so much excitement and joy to the day. Their energy, love, and adventurous spirit were contagious.

They shared:

“I was never the girl who wanted to plan a wedding, and Jay and I were the couple who never did anything by the book. Justyna understood this and was with us every step of the way.”

“From the very first time we met with her, we loved her enthusiasm, dedication, and passion for adventuring with couples on their big day.”

A week before their elopement, their original location had to change because of avalanche conditions. Instead of stressing, we found a new adventure together. In the end, the location mattered less than the experience — they knew they simply wanted to marry each other somewhere beautiful.

And that is the magic of a Colorado adventure wedding.

It is not about following traditions. It is about creating a day that feels like you — whether that means hiking before sunrise, exchanging vows beside an alpine lake, bringing your dog along as your witness, or standing together on a mountain peak with the person you love most.

Your wedding day should be an adventure you remember forever.

Colorado Adventure Wedding Details

Couple: Tara + Jay
Location: Colorado Mountains
Wedding Style: Hiking Elopement / Adventure Wedding
Photographer: Justyna E Butler Photography
Florals + Dog Collar: Mountain Lily Studios
Adventure Wedding Dress: BHLDN
Groom’s Suit: Suit Supply Denver
Bowtie: Knotty Tie Co

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