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A Lake Dillon elopement, sounds like a dream right? Well, before you get your heart set on having your wedding here, we’d love to educate you about the rules for having your wedding in Summit County on public property like the Lake Dillon Reservoir! 

Hey beautiful, we’re elopement photographers and guides here at Celebrate Again. But more importantly, we’re couples photography experience makers. We believe that wedding days shouldn’t be about having a ceremony, taking pictures or entertaining guests, but about your love story and your passions and desires. And since you’ve navigated here, that probably means a desire to be in jaw dropping places like Lake Dillon in Summit County, Colorado for your elopement wedding. 

How To have a Lake Dillon Elopement Wedding in Summit County?

couple hugging at Lake Dillon in their wedding clothes on their elopement day

Know the Rules

While getting married on the shore line of Lake Dillon or the Dillon marina isn’t possible due to Summit County laws, you can, however, take pictures here! Which is exactly what this sweet couple did. They were legally married in another state and had a commitment ceremony out at another of our favorite locations!

There are two public places to get married in Summit County: Sapphire Point and Windy Point Campground. For more information on how to have your Sapphire Point Wedding check out our guide! 

You can also get married at any of these other options which you can find in our Breckenridge elopement location guide!

Or you can always go private by renting an Airbnb. Check out our Airbnb wedding venues in Colorado guide!

Get your Marriage License

While you can get your marriage license in Summit County, you can also get it in Denver or whichever county you’re staying in. Check with local laws about signing it outside of the county. 

Or sign your license legally at home following your local legislation and celebrate at the location of your choice with a commitment ceremony.

Plan your elopement wedding day

couple sitting on a blanket enjoying a romantic wedding day picnic with mountains in the background

No matter how you’re celebrating, consider your full day experience to make it more magical than just saying “I do” and snapping some photos. 

Want some inspo? Check out our guide on how to make your elopement special or this elopement timeline guide.

Lake Dillon is known for allowing boats on the water, so consider setting sail for your wedding, go paddle boarding or even kayaking! Or even consider exploring the amazing mountains around with a hiking elopement, snowmobiling elopement, snowshoeing elopement, or the slopes!

 

When to have a Lake Dillon Elopement Wedding

This area is stunning during any time of year, so it really comes down to what you want your wedding experience to be like?

For a snowy adventure, have your Lake Dillon elopement wedding anytime between December – March. Keeping in mind that December and January are going to be more expensive months for travel around the Holidays. However, February and March are your best bets for hitting a good winter wonderland day.

(P.S. Check our Colorado winter elopement wedding locations guide for ideas if you’re a snow bunny!)

For play out on the water, you’ll want to head here during the summer months.

Pro Tip:  Summer in the high altitude mountains doesn’t really begin until mid June- August.

Come September – November, the weather is fall weather or early winter depending on the day. Snow can come in early September or it may be absolutely beautiful and warm. Which honestly can happen in January too. It’s a wild and unpredictable place, these mountains. 

April and May are what the locals call mud season. It’s not winter any longer, although it can still blizzard, and it’s also not quite summer. Many areas can be muddy still and some ski areas may start to close down in May. However, a lot of ski slope bargains are to be had during these months!

A Real Lake Dillon Elopement Wedding

Now here’s a real Lake Dillon elopement wedding photo session so you can see how absolutely lovely this area is! Patricia and Marielena decided to have their actual ceremony with family and friends elsewhere due to the pandemic and ever-changing regulations.

We had originally planned to catch the sunset at Lake Dillon, but due to the typical mountain weather, afternoon thunderstorms were rolling in. Knowing they didn’t want to dance in the rain, we moved their schedule up to a morning time slot which turned out absolutely stunning as you’ll see.

To begin their day, we spent the morning exploring around Lake Dillon area. Then they had a commitment ceremony exchanging their vows and rings again at another location nearby. 

We made some suggestions in our conversations beforehand for how to make this couple’s experience emotionally deep and very special to them, so they decided to bring their favorite cake from Whole Foods, sparkling water for photos, champagne to drink and their favorite games to enjoy at a romantic picnic! These simple touches made it such a magical day!

Pro Tip:  Use sparkling water instead of Champagne in public areas for fun photos. Champagne, while fun, does attract wildlife to trails which is hazardous for them and people. Also consider hiring a Leave No Trace aware photographer like us to help guide you in protecting our beautiful outdoor spaces as you celebrate.

Lake Dillon Elopement Wedding Video Slideshow

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Let's Hang Out.

We’re here to be your elopement day BFF’s and share our expertise through the entire planning process.Schedule a call with us to get this party started! 

Two Oregon elopement photographers snuggled up in the door of their RV

We believe in intention over tradition and that your wedding day should feel like you! 

Let’s craft a wedding day experience that lets you run wild. 

Learn more about hiring us as your Colorado elopement photographers.

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About the Authors

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Hey, we’re Lumalia (Emmy) and Sam, the leading voices behind Celebrate Again (Lumalia) and our sister elopement company The Dropped Pin (Sam and her husband Kyle). Here you’ll find ways to live the Celebrate Again lifestyle.

We want to help you embody life’s joy by learning to Celebrate Again in everything from practicing intentional breathing to taking on major life events. I believe your life should be full and be what you make it.

Whether you’re joining me to plan your wedding, dive deeper into your couples connection, celebrate an anniversary, adventure around the USA, stay connected to your beloved, practice yoga or whip up a plant-based recipe, I’ve got you covered, friend.

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