Claire & Cameron’s Sunset Ceremony at Lost Gulch in Colorado

Real Elopements,
5 min read Jul 9, 2021

Claire & Cameron met and gradually knew that they were each other’s forever person. Cameron proposed while they watched a sunset at their favorite getaway spot. The two of them knew that they wanted an intimate ceremony that would be all about their commitment. Claire especially did not want any stress connected to their elopement. So they asked Simply Eloped to plan all the details of their Lost Gulch wedding in Colorado. The two of them dressed to the nines with Cameron in black tie and Claire in a stunning gown with a full train! They celebrated their ceremony with a champagne shower while watching the sunset over the epic views of the Colorado mountain ranges. Read more about how Claire & Cameron met and their favorite moments of their special day. 

How did you meet? What was your first impression of one another?

Claire: We met through Cameron’s older brother, Britain. After Britain unexpectedly passed away, I reached out to Cameron to let him know I was there for him. Our relationship quickly grew into more than a friendship. My first impression of Cameron was that he was so thoughtful and caring.

Cameron: Claire and I met via my older brother Britain. I could always tell Claire was a strong, determined, and absolutely stunning individual.

When did you first fall in love? How did you know?

Claire: The moment we fell in love is hard to pinpoint. After we started dating, I fell in love with Cameron almost immediately. The ease of our relationship made me realize this was different.

Cameron: It would be hard to say when we first fell in love. When the right person is next to you, you know. The serenity felt when in each other’s presence established the feeling I would call love.

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How did you propose or accept the proposal?

Claire: Cam and I usually go to the beach once a year for a week or so. It’s our way of pressing the reset button. On our 10th dating anniversary, Cameron asked if I wanted to watch the sunset on the pier. Next thing you know, I look over, and he’s on one knee asking if I would marry him.

Cameron: Claire and I have always taken a yearly trip to Panama City in Florida just to relax and unwind. It was a beautiful day, so we took a walk down to one of the piers on the beach to soak in the views. Once the sun started to set, I proposed to Claire. 

What do you love about your partner?

Claire: I love how patient, kind, and understanding Cameron is in our lives. I love how he always makes everything so simple and easy in an often complicated world. He is my safe place.

Cameron: I love how strong and independent Claire is. I love how her growth leaves room for mine as well. I love how motivating Claire is, always offering comfort, guidance, and pure, unconditional love.

What is the greatest strength of your relationship?

Claire: Our relationship has always flowed so easily and has been completely organic. The trust and stability we have built together are the greatest strength of our relationship. I also value our ability to balance having our own identity and growing together at the same time.

Cameron: Our willingness to work through hard times and keep progressing through our future together. Claire is always there to guide me while also allowing each other to be ourselves.

Why did you decide to elope?

Claire: We didn’t want the stress and details of a wedding to ruin our moment. We wanted to focus on just the two of us while we were committing to a life together.

How did you find Simply Eloped?

Claire: My friend recommended Simply Eloped to me. After looking at pictures on Instagram, we were interested.

How did you know Simply Eloped was the right fit for you? 

Claire: Once I contacted Simply Eloped and saw an all-in-one package – ceremony, officiant, flowers, photography, etc. We also loved how we could customize the day to fit our needs. 

What attracted you to the venue you chose for your elopement?

Claire: The mountain views are breathtaking – SERIOUSLY! We love the mountains and forest that Lost Gulch offers for a ceremony.

What did you do before the wedding? How did you get ready? How did you feel in the moments leading up to your elopement? 

Claire: We went to Lost Gulch the day before to find the exact location of where we wanted to get married. We scoped out the place and had so much fun doing it. It was our first time there. At that moment, we knew we picked the right location for our elopement. We both felt at ease leading up to the elopement. If you have the time before, I recommend checking out your elopement location. This helped us map out the day. We also Face Timed our close family and friends! It was a way to include them on our special day and make us feel at ease. 

Tell us about your experience with Simply Eloped leading up to and on your big day! 

Claire: Wow. Simply Eloped exceeded all of our expectations. We had to reschedule three times due to the COVID 19 pandemic. All three times, they were SO helpful and made it so easy on us. I can say, as a bride, I was NEVER stressed about our day, and that was the goal. I didn’t want any stress or bad feelings around one of the most memorable days of our lives. Our coordinator, Coby, always answered our questions and explained the day of plans for flowers, photographer, officiant, etc. We were in a group chat the day before, and the photographer and officiant let us know when they would be there, where to park, etc. When we arrived, a couple was having a picnic at the exact location we had picked to get married. Our officiant, Kiran, asked if they would mind moving just for our short ceremony. She wrote the most beautiful ceremony – a tear rolled down my husband’s face literally every line she read. It was so special and sweet. Our photographer, Paige, was so much fun! She reminded us to stay in the moment and not to worry so much about posed pictures.

How did you celebrate after your elopement?

Claire: We popped champagne (which turned into a champagne shower) at Lost Gulch and enjoyed the sunset! Paige even made a GIF of us popping the champagne! After we left we went out to eat at a fancy Italian restaurant in Denver. My parents called in, bought us a bottle of champagne, and paid for the dinner – it was really sweet!

What words of encouragement do you have for those considering eloping?

Claire: Two words. DO IT! Our wedding day was so special because it was just the two of us. I truly do not think my husband and I would have been as open and vulnerable at the moment if we had a lot of people surrounding us. It made the day even more perfect. 

 

Officiation by: Kiran Herbert
Photography by: Paige Weber
Flowers by: Ruffly Rose
Planning by: Simply Eloped
Venue: Lost Gulch, Colorado

Real Elopements
Written by Janessa White

Janessa White is the co-founder of Simply Eloped and has helped thousands of couples plan elopements. As an expert in the field, she has been featured on Brides.com, Vox, and HuffPost. Janessa thinks elopements are the ultimate way to tie the knot.