It’s a New Era: How to Elope (Self-Solemnize!) on a Tuesday Morning in Colorado and Keep Your Sanity in the Process

After having planned two weddings that had to be canceled due to COVID-19, deciding to elope turned out to be the best decision my husband and I ever made! Not only was it fantastic for our budget, but it allowed us to make the day completely custom to our relationship.

I can’t recommend eloping more, honestly. And in Colorado, you can elope by self-solemnizing, which is even more fun. 

Elope vs Self-Solemnize

Self-solemnizing is a marriage where the couple is married without needing an officiant or third-party witnesses. As I briefly mentioned in my article about why you need to elope, Colorado is one of the few states two people can legally self-solemnize. To anyone seeking adventure and total freedom on your wedding day, this is the perfect option!

The process is actually quite simple. We went through the Denver County Clerk and Recorder, who did inform me that each county in Colorado may have slightly different regulations on their applications. So I do want to mention how important it is to connect with a representative from the specific county you want your license from!

How To Self-Solemnize in Colorado

1. Make an appointment with the Office of the Clerk & Recorder for a Marriage License. This appointment should be set for a date and time you’d like before your wedding day. Side note: right now, in-person services are appointment only. Their calendar only opens 28 days in advance; you should keep an eye on it leading up to the date you desire.
2. Fill out the marriage application on the same website, which is super quick and easy. All you’ll need is basic information about yourself, your significant other, and both of your parents. The whole process took me about 5 minutes. 
3. Arrive at your appointment on time to receive your application. They’ll review your application and then show you how to fill out your marriage license. The fee to receive your marriage license is $30.
4. Get married! Make sure that you’re following all regulations for the location of choice. This could be photography, parking, access fees, etc. When you elope, it’s going to be a short ceremony without having any of the usual speeches or traditions. Our ceremony lasted around 5ish minutes, and the rest of the time was capturing photos and enjoying the sunrise views from the mountaintops. This saved us quite a bit of money on photography as well, since most photographers book by the hour for an event like this.
5. Sign your marriage license within 35 days from the date your license was issued, and return it to the CCD within 63 days to avoid late fees. We returned ours in person at the Denver County Clerk and Recorder, but there is also a dropbox right out front of the building. 
6. That’s it! Now you can move on to changing your name if that’s part of your plan.