Here’s something we know: There are other companies that have teams of photographers in Colorado. We’ve worked for them. We know you get paid low wages to “build your portfolio.” We know (during COVID especially) that you're left high and dry when couples cancel or postpone.
We ain’t that. You're valued here.
We photograph the weddings and elopements you see on this site. Couples in love who want stunning backdrops here in Colorado and care about their experience. We are not low-budget and we don’t pay low wages.
Working with The Colorado Photographer Squad means you’ll never enter a wedding or elopement day blindly. You’ll talk to the actual couple before the day and know a ton of information about them and what they want. We want you to feel connected to them so they have a truly personal, customized experience.
We want you to feel valued so you make our couples feel valued. A little bit about what goes into working with us:
Signed contracts that protect us both
Retainers for reserving a date on the calendar
Flexibility on how far out you're willing to commit to a date.
We’ll pay your travel fees (no one deserves to drive on i70 without some incentive)
We include extra pay, “overtime pay” for unforeseen circumstances.
Owner
Photographer
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PHOTOGRAPHER
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
Here's what we expect from you.
Carry and provide proof of insurance
Carry or be willing to purchase the Boulder OSMP permit
Carry or be willing to purchase the RMNP permit (day use or annual)
Carry or be willing to purchase the JeffCo permit
Sound like something you’re interested in? We would love to chat with you!
If you’re interested in joining our team as an associate photographer, second photographer, social media manager or contact creator fill out the contact form below.
All of our photographers are independent contractors on a work-for-hire basis. We do not guarantee a certain number of work hours.
As early as you want! Some of our clients' book is as far as 18 months in advance before their wedding or elopement. We ask that our lead photographers sign a contract and commit no later than 90 days before a wedding or elopement date and our second photographers commit no later than 60 days before.
We reach out to photographers based on client personalities, style and preferences and the number of jobs/inquiries vary.
As soon as you sign a contract and put a couple’s date on your calendar we pay you a retainer for reserving the date on your calendar. If the client cancels or postpones for any reason you will keep the retainer.
Aside from showing up and photographing on the day of the wedding/elopement, we ask that you be available for a 30-60 minute phone call or video chat if the couple requests it.
Your photos are delivered in an online gallery where you’ll have access to download, share and print your photos. Don’t worry - you aren’t required to order prints through us! (though we might cry a little bit if you have them printed at a Walgreens)
Our team is happy to travel within Colorado! We’re experts on this state, the permits required to photograph here and all carry insurance to do so. If you’re getting married outside of Colorado we’re always happy to shout out other photographers in the industry that would be a better fit!
Yes. We require all of our independent contractors to carry liability insurance and have the appropriate permits for the locations we photograph in. The most common permits required are Boulder OSMP, Rocky Mountain National Park and JeffCo.
We allow photographers to cull their galleries (for more money, and only if requested, of course) after they have done at least 5 weddings or elopements with our team. Editing is always handled by our dedicated team of editors for quality assurance and to ensure turn around times.
We ask that our lead photographers have at least 30 weddings / elopements under their belt. Otherwise, we’re happy to start you out as a second photographer.
All of our elopement photographers are required to shoot with two full-frame / mirrorless camera bodies with dual slots. Our wedding photographers must also have gear for on or off-camera flash.
Yes! Most of our couples elope on Mon-Fri and big weddings are reserved for Friday-Sunday. If there are specific days you prefer not to work we can save those preferences.
We pay above industry standard for all of our photographer positions, but are happy to pay higher rates for people with more experience, or that have done at least 30 weddings or elopements with our team
If you don’t believe love is love, then you’re in the wrong place, friend. We are LGBTQIA+ affirming and we believe that Black Lives Matter and all are welcome here. Love knows no bounds and we will never discriminate based on gender, ability, sexual orientation, or beliefs. (We might not get along if you don’t like Chipotle, but it’s not a dealbreaker ok?)
@coloradophotographersquad
This little preview barely even scratches the surface of the whole lot of magic that happened during Ashley and Tyler’s Boulder elopement in September, but here are a few of our favorites 🥰
Photo & Video: @coloradophotographersquad
Officiant: @CeremonieswithLisa
Florist: @A_Florae
HMUA: @RaquelChaconBeauty
#boulderelopement #coloradoelopement #coloradoelopementphotographer #boulderelopementphotographer @boulderosmp @bouldercolorado
A few of our favorites from Melissa and Andrew’s elopement last summer ☀️
Location: Boulder @BoulderOSMP
Officiant: @ceremonieswithlisa
HMUA: @emberhairstream @embersalon_boulder
Florist: @sturtzandcopelandweddings
#boulderelopement #coloradoelopement #boulderelopementphotographer #coloradophotographer #elopement #elopementphotography
Instagram gave us a real treat and we’ve been upgraded to being able to share 20 slides in a carousel instead of 10. Emily and Nico’s elopement at Sunrise Amphitheater had way too many sweet moments to fit into a 10 slide post, so this upgrade couldn’t have come at a better time!
Location: Sunrise Amphitheater @boulderosmp
Officiant: Ceremonies with Lisa @ceremonieswithlisa
Florist: Belle Terre Floral @belleterrefloral
Hair/MUA: BLUSH @blushnow
Violinist: Serenade Events @serenadeevents
#boulderelopement #sunriseamphitheater #boulderwedding #coloradoelopement #boulderelopementphotographer #coloradoelopementphotographer
Reminiscing about Beverly and Devin’s August elopement is the perfect way to keep us warm on this snowy Colorado day! Here are a few of our favorites from their hiking elopement this Summer!
Location: Boulder
Officiant: Ceremonies with Lisa
Florist: Boulder Blooms
HMUA: Candelaria Beauty
#boulderelopement #coloradoelopement #rockymountainelopement #adventureelopement #hikingelopement #coloradoelopementphotographer #elopementphotographer
So much of the elopement industry has shifted towards this idea of ditching traditions and has created this new little ‘box’ of what an elopement is “supposed to look like” and we don’t love that.
We’re just here to remind you that there are no rules for your elopement OR wedding experience as long as you and your partner are doing what makes you happy.
Still want to have a first look? We love it.
Still want to have a parent walk you down the ‘aisle’ even if it’s a hiking trail? We love it.
Still want to include family/guests while you exchange your vows? We love it.
We especially love that Hana and Jonathan chose an elopement experience that included the traditions that they loved, but still got to have the intimate elopement experience they were after.
Here are a few of our favorite previews from their day!
Couple: Hana and Jonathan
Officiant: Ceremonies with Lisa
Dress: Gowns of Grace
#boulderelopement #coloradoelopementphotographer #coloradoelopement
Time really flies! We can’t believe almost a whole month has passed since Amanda and Matt had their beautiful elopement day at Sprague Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park Here are a few favorite moments from their day!
Couple: Amanda and Matt
Photographer: @coloradophotographersquad
Location: Sprague Lake @rockynps
HMUA: @KimJBeauty
#estesparkelopement #spraguelakeelopement #rmnp #estespark #spraguelakewedding
Stephanie and Eddie had the sweetest elopement experience earlier this week! They chose to start their day watching the sunrise at Lost Gulch before meeting up with their families (including their cute 14yo dog, Cody) for their ceremony at Sunrise Amphitheater!
Stephanie honored her late father with a framed photo of him in a director’s chair, which was such a special way to include him in their elopement.
Here are a few of our favorite photos from their day! So excited to share their video soon too!
Couple: Stephanie & Eddie
Photo & Video: @coloradophotographersquad
Location: Sunrise Amphitheater @boulderosmp
Officiant: @ceremonieswithlisa
HMUA: @kimjbeauty
Florist: @autumnfloraldesigns
Dress: @sorellinabridal
Suit: @menswearhouse
#coloradoelopement #boulderelopement #coloradoelopementphotographer #lostgulch #bouldercolorado #justmarried #sunriseamphitheater
Sadie and Adam knew they wanted an adventure, privacy and gorgeous views for their elopement experience so we chose one of our favorite and most epic mountain locations for their elopement! It’s always the best when couples choose and trust us with their day, especially when they’re planning from afar! These two made the trip out from Louisiana, so having postcard Colorado views to show off this beautiful state was a must!
Couple: Sadie and Adam
Photographer: Marta @coloradophotographersquad
Officiant: Lisa @ceremonieswithlisa
HMUA: @kimjbeauty
Florist: @flowerpowerwashpark
Dress: @azazieofficial
#boulderelopement #boulderelopementphotographer #bouldercolorado #coloradoelopement #coloradoelopementphotographer #hikingelopement #adventureelopement
Estes Park was the first place Hannah and Tyler went on vacation together and they knew they wanted to make it an annual tradition to come back and visit, so eloping to Rocky Mountain National Park was the perfect choice for their elopement experience! Also, how adorable is their son as the ring bearer?
Couple: Hannah and Tyler
Photographer: Kate @coloradophotographersquad
Officiant: Lisa @ceremonieswithlisa
Location: 3M Curve RMNP
#rmnpelopement #estesparkelopement #rockymountainwedding #rockymountainelopement #3mcurveelopement
Sunrise Amphitheater is one of our absolute favorite reservable spots for elopements and Erin & Bobby are our first couple in 2024 to get married there, so we were already excited, but their intimate wedding exceeded our expectations in all of the ways. It was the most perfect evening, the golden hour was the dreamiest and these two are the absolute sweetest!
Here is a little preview of photos from their elopement on Tuesday!
Couple: Erin & Bobby
Photographer: Kate @coloradophotographersquad
Officiant: @ceremonieswithlisa
Location: Sunrise Amphitheater @boulderosmp
Wedding dress: @belovedbridal
Makeup: @kimjbeauty
Florist: @sturtzandcopeland
#sunriseamphitheater #boulderelopement #coloradoelopementphotographer #coloradoelopement #boulder
Sarah and Dalton’s elopement goal was to simply enjoy each other’s presence and the beautiful scenery and GET MARRIED (of course)! Since their relationship started during the pandemic, they fell in love and grew together as individuals and as a couple, so it only made sense to keep their elopement sweet and simple with no guests!
Mother Nature decided to throw a bit of extra magic their way with a sun shower followed by a beautiful rainbow shortly after they finished up their ceremony - and it was the most perfect and unexpected thing for their elopement experience!
Here is a little preview of photos from their elopement last Friday!
Couple: Sarah and Dalton
Location: @boulderosmp
Photographer: Brooke @coloradophotographersquad
Officiant: Corin
#coloradoelopement #boulderelopement #boulderelopementphotographer #coloradoelopementphotographer
The story of their first date:
“We (like all good millennials) met online. Matt had asked Michelle out to a handful of concerts, but each time she was out of town. He persisted and finally picked a day when Michelle was free. Our first date was an afternoon at Dave and Busters, where Matt had a coupon. We played all the arcade games. Michelle rocked at connect-a four....until we switched to a basketball and hoops version. We gave all of our tickets to a pair of kids and made their day. We stuck around for an appetizer, and the waiter told Matt he must be doing a good job because Michelle was smiling a lot. And on our way back to the car, Matt told Michelle that she looked beautiful. We agreed we should definitely do that again.”
And the dates continued from there, eventually grew into traveling to National Parks together, getting engaged in Acadia National Park and then choosing to elope to Colorado to officially become husband and wife! Here is a little sneak peek from their beautiful elopement in Estes Park last Thursday!
Couple: Michelle & Matthew
Location: Estes Park
Photographer: Marta @coloradophotographersquad
Officiant: Lisa @ceremonieswithlisa
HMUA: @bellacapelliweddings
Dress: @becomingbridalnc
#estesparkelopement #estesparkwedding #coloradoelopement #coloradoelopementphotographer
Goldilocks didn’t stop until she found something juuuust right for her. And we want you to do the same!
(HINT: IT’S US. WE’RE JUST RIGHT.)
A lot of what we share on our social channels is our true to life editing style, but the beauty of working with our squad is that we offer a variety of editing styles ranging from dark and moody to light and filmy!
We love that Sara and Lindsay opted for a moody edit for their photos! Here is a little preview of our favorite moments from their elopement at Garden of the Gods last week!
Couple: Sara and Lindsay
Photographer: Alisha @coloradophotographersquad
Location: Garden of the Gods
#coloradoelopement #coloradoelopementphotographer #coloradospringswedding #gardenofthegodselopement #gotgelopement #loveislove #mrsandmrs
Even though we photograph elopements year-round, late May is typically the start of our “busy season”.
I love that Megan and Mike kicked off this exciting time of year with their beautiful elopement in Boulder last week and that they chose to include time at their Airbnb so they could document those finishing touches of getting ready and share a first look before driving up the mountain together! 🏔️
Here is a little preview of photos from their day 🥰
Couple: Megan and Mike
Photographer: Marta with @coloradophotographersquad
Location: @boulderosmp
Officiant: Corin with @CeremonieswithLisa
HMUA: @coloradobridalcompany
#boulderelopement #coloradoelopement #elopementphotographer #boulder #coloradoelopementphotographer
When Gracie and Morgan saw that one of their favorite bands was playing at red rocks and had already been talking about how they wanted a relaxed and simple elopement experience after getting engaged, eloping to Colorado from Arkansas was the perfect choice!
As a photographer, I’ve learned to ignore the forecast and flip a coin when it comes to predicting the weather out here, especially in the mountains! What did the forecast say, even just 24 hours before their elopement? Just a breeze! Reality? A blizzard, i70 closing down and a ‘winter’ wonderland… in Spring.
I was originally supposed to bring their flowers from the Boulder area and photograph their elopement, but when the storm rolled in I was so grateful to have such strong connections in the wedding community and my associate photographer, Gabrielle, stepped in to photograph their day and Maddie with Lady Sunshine was a true flower hero and crafted the most breathtaking bouquet and bout for them with only hours notice!
Through all the craziness, Gracie and Morgan remained steadfast, embraced the unexpected turn of events with smiles on their faces and had a playful, laughter filled elopement adventure in the fresh foot of snow!
Couple: Gracie & Morgan
Location: Sapphire Point
Photographer: Gabrielle
Florist: Lady Sunshine
HMUA: Breck Hair
#coloradoelopement #adventureelopement #coloradoelopementphotographer #coloradoelopementflorist #sapphirepoint #breckenrdigeelopement