I was so stoked from the moment that Haley and Seth’s email about their Washington Mt. Rainier Elopement landed in my inbox! I had never been there before and was so excited to photograph an elopement in such an incredible location.
Historically, elopements began as a way to run away and marry your loved one without the approval of your parents or family. Thankfully, now there are plenty more (and nicer) reasons couples choose to elope! If you’re debating between eloping and having a big wedding, this list will help you to decide if eloping is right for you!
If you and your partner have already decided to elope instead of hosting a traditional wedding – congrats! However, with the entire world at your fingertips it can be hard to narrow down where to elope. Fortunately, I’ve created a quiz to help you find your perfect spot!
Zion National Park is one of my favorite spots in the country – both for elopements and personal visits! Located in Southern Utah, Zion National Park is made up of desert, canyon, and deciduous forest ecosystems. Thanks to all of this gorgeous biodiversity, there are so many fantastic spots to elope throughout Zion, and it’s a great choice for couples who love the outdoors.
At its core, your elopement day is about exchanging vows and rings with your partner and making promises to each other. But it can be so much more than that! If you are eloping, especially far from home, you’ll have an entire day to fill with activities for you and your partner to celebrate the occasion. Choosing what activities to do can seem overwhelming, so I’ve created this guide to help my couples choose the perfect activities to fill up their elopement day!
This anniversary session with Jes and Chris in the Finger Lakes was so cozy and romantic! I love photographing couples at all different stages of life and seeing the love that these two have built over the past 15 years was incredible. You don’t need a special occasion to capture some beautiful memories with your partner!
Sherley and John are getting married next spring in West Chester, Pennsylvania, but when we were discussing their engagement photos I discovered that they have a passion for travel just like I do! It instantly clicked that I should photograph them discovering a new place together to celebrate their engagement. We ended up deciding to head out to one of my favorite places – Big Sur, California – to shoot this incredible adventure engagement session!
If you and your partner have decided to elope – congrats! That’s a huge step in the planning process and now you can start to imagine what your dream day looks like! You may be confused as to what exactly goes into an elopement day. At the end of the day, your elopement day can look like absolutely anything! Outside of your wedding ceremony, which can be as short or long as you want, the day is completely up to you. That’s the magic of an elopement!
I was so incredibly excited to head out to Utah to meet up with Lindsey and Michael for their adventure elopement in Moab! When I spoke to them before heading out west, I could tell that they were laid-back and full of love and that their elopement day would be the same!
This elopement in Snoqualmie Pass was absolutely dreamy. Lauren and Braden were such a fantastic couple to photograph, and I’m so glad we found such a magical spot for them to elope just an hour outside of Seattle!
Allison and Alex were a fantastic couple to work with and I’m so glad they found me. They had a specific goal in mind for their Inn at Grace Winery wedding – they wanted a photographer who would capture genuine moments instead of planning and posing the day. They wanted their photography focused on memories instead of details, and I was so excited to provide that for them!
Some couples dream of a party with all of their friends and family, but for others it’s a dream of salty air and private vows; spending time with just your partner in the most beautiful spot on earth. Hawaii is a popular elopement spot, and for good reason. With beautiful weather year round, and a variety of locations to choose from, it’s all you could want for a romantic day away from the world to commit to forever with your partner. You can through the jungles, or read private vows overlooking the coastlines and beaches, and complete the adventure with a helicopter ride through the mountains and valleys of the islands. No matter what you choose, your Hawaii elopement is going to be the adventure of a life time!
Siarah and Parker traveled from Texas to Montana in their yellow camper van for their Poleridge Montana vow renewal. They got married just a year before, but they weren’t 100% in love with their experience, so they decided to renew promises to each other that reflected their marriage now, after growing together for a year.
Adventure sessions are so much more than a photo session. You get to explore a new or old epic location with me as your guide. We’ll see the sights, experience the area, and have time to document the whole thing.
Perfect for a short vow renewal, day after wedding photos, or a couples session. Adventure sessions can be 2-4 hours depending on the location(s) and typically involve hiking, exploring, and some kind of fun adventure. It should definitely include the activities that you love, whether that’s lazing around in some hammocks, eating a board of charcuterie, or something more active like rock climbing, long boarding, or kayaking! No matter what it looks like it should feel like the best adventure yet!
Amanda and Gary were temporarily living in New York City for work when they decided to reach out about their engagement session. As an adventure-focused photographer don’t head into the city often, but I love the chance to explore any landscape! We had so much fun exploring Brooklyn on this chilly day!
“Do you have videographers to recommend that you enjoy working with?”
I get asked this question all the time by my couples, and while I do have a list of wonderful vendor referrals, I want to provide you with tips on how to find the right videographer for your wedding day even if you’re not local to me.
Valley Forge is one of my tried and true locations for engagement photos, and it was the perfect spot for Amanda and Corey! We had so much fun documenting this time in their life and their love for each other!
Angela and Alex’s intimate wedding at Promise Ridge was filled with love and emotion. If you’re looking for somewhere to host a small wedding near the Poconos, I can’t recommend this venue enough!
This stunning Poconos engagement session was extra special since it took place on Amanda and Bryan’s own property! We had such a fun day walking along the river and exploring the land that will hold their future home.
When my little sister Carly married Spencer, they knew right away that they wanted my team for wedding photography. My associate shooter Becky captured their day beautifully, and I got to enjoy the day with my family instead of being behind the camera.
"We cried when we saw the photos for the first time. The pictures are everything we were hoping for and more! The experience was so fun and we are beyond ecstatic that Cara was able to capture so many meaningful moments for us."
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