Madi and Ethan: A Wildflower Elopement in the San Juan Mountains

One of the pieces of advice that people always give when you talk about love is that you should marry your best friend. From the moment that they reached out to me, I could tell that this is exactly what Madi and Ethan were doing. They talked to me about how they wanted their day to be about the two of them, their relationship, and the love that they share.  They wanted to make sure that their day reflected their adventurous spirits but was relaxed and full of intention. With this in mind, we started brainstorming different locations. They were originally drawn to me and my photography because of a Scottish Highlands elopement that they had seen on Pinterest so we knew that dramatic mountains were an absolute must. For a few weeks, we talked about different possibilities but, because of their desire for mountains and love of off-roading, we landed on Yankee Boy Basin. Yankee Boy is one of my absolute favorite locations in Colorado because of the sweeping views, wildflowers (if you are there at the right time of year), and, because it is a lesser known spot, ability to find some privacy and intimacy. 

Madi and Ethan are one of those couples that you just automatically want to be friends with. In the months leading up to their elopement, we had several video chats to nail down the details of their day. I got to follow along with them as they went through the adoption process for their first dog, geeked out with Madi about fantasy books, and heard all about Ethan’s backpacking trips. By the time that I showed up at their cabin in August, it was like meeting up with friends that I had been missing for years. 

They started their elopement day off by getting ready slowly, listening to music, and relaxing. I absolutely love when couples get ready for their wedding or elopement together. I think that it creates an intimacy that carries through into the rest of the day. They did everything together from Madi helping Ethan into his jacket to Ethan curling up the last few pieces of Madi’s hair. It wasn’t until it was time for Madi to step into her dress that Ethan stepped outside and waited so that he could have a ‘big reveal’ moment. After I zipped Madi into her dress, we walked down into the field that they had chosen to meet up with Ethan. Their first look happened with sweeping mountains in the background, tiny sunflowers surrounding them, and lots of tears. After their first look, we packed a cooler with snacks and a picnic for later, loaded up their truck, put the elopement day playlist that Ethan made on the radio, and started making our way to Yankee Boy.

Getting to experience Yankee Boy for the first time with Madi and Ethan was an incredible experience. It has a breathtaking juxtaposition of  rugged mountain lines and soft foliage and wildflowers blanketing the ground. At our first stop, we simply spent time exploring the mountainside. We found deer paths throughout the area so that we could explore the wildflowers and Ethan devastated both Madi and myself when he told us that plants actually scream a little bit if you step on them. (I looked this up later and it is actually true. I now mourn every plant that I accidentally step on. Thanks for that, Ethan.) For a while, we had the entire basin to ourselves (one of my favorite perks of Yankee Boy) and because of that, Ethan and Madi got to have the relaxed, quiet moments that they were really yearning for on their elopement day.

For their vows, Madi and Ethan wanted to head a little bit further up into the mountain so we hopped back into the truck and drove to our next spot. As soon as Madi saw the secluded nook hidden away in the trees, she knew that it was where they were meant to say their vows. With plenty of tears and laughter, Madi and Ethan vowed to love and support each other, adventure together, and spend the rest of their lives making each other laugh. They ended their vows by exchanging rings (they had just picked Ethan’s out earlier that day when they were exploring Ouray) and taking a few moments to soak in the promises that they had made. 

While this area is where most couples stop, Ethan and Madi were determined to make it to the top of the mountain. And, because of Ethan’s incredible off-roading skills (really, he’s very impressive) we were able to do it. It was on that last leg of the drive that the deer decided to come out and play. We finally made it to the top and Madi and Ethan took one last moment before the sun set to soak in the views and reflect on their day. My favorite part of the day was when, on the way back down, I put my camera away and we enjoyed a picnic in the bed of the truck, drank some wine, ate tiny wedding cakes that they had gotten earlier that day, geeked out of fantasy books some more, and talked until the last of the light had faded. 

Madi and Ethan’s wildflower elopement in the San Juan mountains truly was the perfect melding of adventure, intimacy, relaxation, and authenticity. It was a breathtaking reflection of who Madi and Ethan are as a couple and the fulfillment and beauty that they find in their relationship.