What to wear when you elope
The challenge
Dressing well for an elopement means balancing formality and function.
Adventure elopements are important events (no matter how chill and fun and relaxing they are) and people like to dress formally for important events. Unfortunately, dresses and suits aren’t designed for the great outdoors. Get on it, REI!
Dressing incorrectly at best can make you uncomfortable or limit what you can physically do during your session, and at worst can be dangerous in rough conditions.
Let’s jump into some tips to keep you comfortable during your elopement.
General considerations
Looking good
It’s your wedding day! Who doesn’t want to look their best? When you get married outdoors though, there’s more to consider.
Weather/Conditions
Cold temperatures are probably the biggest hurdle our couples face outdoors – it’s tough to relax and enjoy yourself when you’re freezing your ass off! Suits and dresses on their own really don’t provide much help.
Snow is another big one – in Colorado it can snow in late June, which may not align with the beautiful summer elopement you might be envisioning. Keeping your feet warm and dry, and (it seems simple) having enough traction on your shoes to walk, are all really important.
All locations become so much less explorable when your feet are slipping around, freezing, and every step in the snow makes them colder and wetter.
Duration of your session
Maybe you can tough it out!
Some folks say to hell with the elements, and decide to wear what they want, and they’ll brave it for the photos. That’s… alright, and we’ll do our best to help out. Just know that you’ll be braving it in front of two very properly-dressed, warm, dry, super-cozy, comfortable folks as you do it.
Carrying what you need
It’s a great idea to bring at least one backpack — you often need to carry more than you think!
rings
vows
marriage license
snacks
water
makeup for touch-ups
hair clips
snacks
beers
lip balm
sunscreen
sunglasses
a small umbrella or two
keys
phones
wallets
traditional items for the ceremony
traction cleats
headlamps
hats/gloves/scarves
puffy jacket
rain jacket
A few key things about Colorado specifically
Elevation – unless you live at higher elevations, you’re probably gonna have a tougher time hiking around than you’re used to on account of the thinner air. Hell, even taking the stairs in some parts of the state can be a shock if you’re coming from sea level. Taking it slow is a great idea, as is acclimating a bit with some easy-going hike(s) before your session. Altitude sickness is rare but a very real thing.
Importantly: we don’t push anyone beyond their limits and don’t judge anyone. We’ve been there, and it’s taken us years to feel confident and learn our boundaries. And we still take plenty of breaks!
Dry air – there’s a reason most Coloradoans have lip balm with them at all times! The air’s super dry out here. In some ways it’s great (No mold! Great for some folks’ hair!) But your lips are gonna chap easy, and your skin’s gonna be a bit dry. Balm and lotion.
…which also means you might need to drink water like all the time to keep from getting parched. Especially on hikes, it’s crucial.
Intense sun – no joke, the sun out here gets INTENSE. Bring plenty of sunblock (and shades).
Tips for wearing a dress
Footwear
Comfort and traction are the key here.
Some brides have brought heels for outdoor elopements… and they rarely end up putting them on during an adventure elopement.
Suggestion: pairing hiking boots with a dress is always a great look. They’re practical, make sense with the surroundings, and let you move around all sorts of terrain and have fun during your session.
Pro tip: under some wedding dresses, your shoes aren’t visible. In this case hiking shoes/boots are definitely a good call.
Bonus tip: micro spikes (and to a lesser extent, YakTrax) help A TON in icy/slippery conditions. Seriously, it can be the difference between falling on your ass every few steps, or just… walking. Total game changer.
Base layers
Getting married in cold weather? Throw on some leggings or other base layer under your dress! Wearing a dress + leggings + hiking boots completes the Adventure Bride™ look and keeps you comfortable, your feet dry/warm, and lets you move around and explore. Win-win-win!
Choosing a dress
Picking a dress can be like getting a wand in the Harry Potter world: there are a million different styles and options, there’s no one answer, and it kinda picks you. But there are some considerations that lend themselves to an outdoor elopement.
Main takeaway: Consider planning your dress around your wedding experience, not the other way around.
Length: long gowns look killer. It’s worth knowing though that outdoors they can snag shrubs, fallen trees, sticks, pine cones, collect freezing snow, and present a great opportunity to trip with every step. Could mean something that’s taking your mind away from the experience.
Suggestion: choose a dress that you can walk comfortably in. If the length reaches the ground, many of our hiking brides tie/belt them up around their waist while hiking and let them down for the ceremony. Looks just fine, works great.
A tip on fit: namely, you should be able to move your arms! You’re probably gonna want to hug your partner on your wedding day, and to not be able to because your dress is restricting would be kind of a bummer. Besides that, you could do some light scrambling while hiking, and you’ll need your arms for that too.
The only type of dress that’s pretty much a hard no for adventure elopements are mermaid dresses aka the kind that are tight past your hips. They just don’t work out.
Lots more info on hiking in a wedding dress here.
Veils
Veils look super cool! They give this great movement with the wind and add some drama. And they’re fun to incorporate in photos.
Considerations: They frequently fall out (from hugs, from the wind) and require adjustment. They’re tough to show off with any sort of layering/wrap. Long veils also get snagged on stuff.
Suggestion: if you go with a veil, keep it short! And consider taking it off if it gets annoying for you.
Wraps
There are no negatives here – they look great and help keep you warm!
Suggestion: simple shawls/big scarves are timeless.
Gloves/hat/scarf/overcoat
Not that you need to wear these during the ceremony (you can!), but they’re great to have with you before, between, and after.
Tips for wearing a suit
Footwear
Alright, we’re gonna be frank here: dress shoes suck.
They suck indoors, and they suck extra outdoors. They’re almost never comfortable to walk in, they have zero traction (they’re meant for the dance floor), and they don’t keep your feet warm. In the summer they might not be too bad(?), but in the winter you’ll be slipping around while your partner helps you not die. And they get snow in them easily. The cold goes right through them. You’ll want to move around to keep warm, but walking in them hurts your feet.
Suggestion: practical hiking boots or really any boots with traction. If you’re wearing a suit, it looks great and makes sense with where you are. Your feet will be (more) warm, you’ll be able to walk and climb onto rocks and walk through brush and shallow water, and you won’t have blisters when it’s all said and done. Thumbs up.
Often, one person in a couple will wear boots and the other dress shoes — guess who has an easier time getting around outdoors?
Bonus tip: micro spikes (and to a lesser extent, YakTrax) help A TON in icy/slippery conditions. Seriously, it can be the difference between falling on your ass every few steps or just… walking. Total game changer and we never leave home without ‘em in winter.
Base layers
Wearing a suit outdoors becomes way more practical when you throw on base layers (top and bottom) under your suit when the temps drop.
You’ll never see them, and you’ll be extra warm. That’s a win. Stick with synthetics, silk or merino wool if you can. Avoid cotton.
Suit tips
When buying a suit, the way it fits is top priority (design and durability tied for second).
Here’s a great guide for how a suit should fit: https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/good-fitted-suit-visual/
Many of our clients recommend Indochino for custom suits: https://www.indochino.com
And here’s how to tie a tie, just in case (Austin’s a half-windsor fan when he wears a tie) https://www.tie-a-tie.net/
Pocket squares: they’re simple, they’re classy. Austin always wears one with a suit. You fold ‘em up and jam them in your pocket and you’re good to go. (Austin’s a fan of simple 1/2” even flat fold)
Gloves/hat/scarf/coat
Not that you need to wear these during the ceremony (you definitely can and I would when it’s cold!), but they’re great to have with you before, between, and after.
Suggestions for elopement guests
These tips aren’t just for the couple getting married!
Whether it’s the folks you’re inviting, or for the elopement you’re attending as a guest, all of these tips are equally important!
We would hate to see anyone feel miserable (or slipping around!) because they didn’t get the memo on dressing correctly.
Bonus: you get more of a pass as a guest than the wedding couple to wear what makes you comfortable, because hey, this day isn’t about you. You can dress formally, and you can dress extra warmly.