Brainard Lake Elopement in Nederland, Colorado

Niki + Shane

Gosh these two are just the cutest. I am so happy to have been connected with Niki. When she reached out and I heard her and Shane’s story I just knew this was going to be the most amazing of days. These two are actually based in North Dallas where I am from. And it worked out perfectly that we got to meet in person when I went home earlier this year. These two decided they wanted to get married in Colorado and had me help them find the perfect location to say their vows. I absolutely love helping my couples find a beautiful spot to get married at. I suggested we do a Brainard Lake Elopement they were all for it!

When I got there, we started off popping a bottle of champagne and taking some photos around their hotel and then moved on to the lake. When we arrived at Brainard Lake we found a good spot on the lake and the two of them to read letters from their kids and then moved to another location where they said their vows. It was the most heartfelt ceremony.

Eloping at Brainard Lake Recreation Area

Brainard Lake really is a wonderful location to elope at. You can view it on my List of top places to elope in Colorado! It does not require a permit from the location in order to go perform your ceremony there. As with all outdoor public recreation areas, there are some stipulations. You absolutely cannot bring more than a few people as your witnesses. The happy number that I usually suggest people keep it below (and yes, this includes the vendors who will be present as well such as your photographer) is 10. This will keep you following LNT principles and will not impact the land very much.

Weekday early mornings or evenings are best for a group with around 5-10 people or so. And I always recommend to every couple looking to elope outside in Colorado that weekend days only be utilized if you are eloping with less than 5 people. Locations like Brainard lake tend to get extremely busy on weekends. It definitely is easier to navigate around and respect other groups of people enjoying the lake without tons of friends or family in tow. Even though your brainard lake elopement is going on, it is a public park and anyone is able to utilize the same space at the same time so keep that in mind. Weekdays are wonderful in the early morning or later evenings as there really aren’t many people there at all.

What to Expect when Having a Brainard Lake Elopement

One of the best things about this spot is that in the summer you can drive right up to the location and park and not have to walk but a few hundred feet to get to the lake. You must reserve a parking spot online (click here to reserve) but otherwise there are no additional fees. These reservations are only open during the summer hours when the summer lots are open. Once the season ends, the road leading up to the lake closes and only the winter lot remains open. So if you are considering a winter Brainard Lake Elopement please note that you will have to hike/snowshoe in to access the lake. You can find all the info on when that road is closed here.

Another thing that I love about this area is that it is so heavily populated with amazing animals. There are always some sort of wild animals like deer, moose, and foxes running around this area. While I love seeing these animals this is their home. Please DO NOT ever approach the wildlife, and do not try and feed the wildlife. And as beautiful as moose are, they can be extremely dangerous. So keep your distance the best you can and admire them from afar!