Why Elope? // How to know if it's best for YOU
Elopements are becoming a sweet, intimate alternative to the standard, traditional wedding. Yet, I think a lot of people have fears, misconceptions, or worries about eloping. Probably because the word elope technically means to run away and secretly get married, especially without parental consent. However, I think that eloping is taking a different direction in todays culture. Eloping today is simply viewed as a small, intimate wedding, with only a handful of family member or close friends, most times taking place at an adventurous destination.
When Kayla & Dustin reached out to me about photographing their wedding, they mentioned that they wanted to elope somewhere in the mountains, with only a few family members. They were very flexible with the location, so I mentioned that I’d be in Colorado in June, if they wanted to fly out and do it there. Luckily, they were already planning on honeymooning in Colorado, so it worked out perfectly!
They got married one June afternoon in Chautauqua Park in Boulder, and everything about this experience couldn’t have been more perfect. So I wanted to ask Kayla & Dustin a few questions regarding their elopement, in case any future couples are interested, curious, or possibly looking into eloping themselves.
What made you guys decide to elope?
Money was honestly a big factor. We didn't think it was logical at all to put anyone into any sort of debt over a one day wedding. We asked ourselves, “At the end of the day, what are the most important things? That we love each other and that we are married!”
Obviously, eloping isn’t for everyone, so how did you know this was the best decision for you and your fiancé?
Neither of us like to be the center of attention at all, so we knew this would be a perfect option for us. We also knew it would be a lot easier to plan, which it most definitely was!
What were the best and worst parts about eloping?
The best part…goodness there are so many things! Number one, it’s so intimate! We chose to have a very small number of family members with us and it made it so special! Another thing is you can choose to have
it anywhere you want without the worry of guests traveling. And honestly, we couldn't think of a negative thing about it! Maybe just the fact that some people were disappointed they couldn't be there too.
Any tips for future couples who are considering eloping?
Don’t procrastinate your planning. I know it seems like there’s nothing to plan, however, those small details can be big problems if you don't take care of them with enough time. And don't let anyone guilt trip you out of doing it! It’s YOUR day!
If you could go back and change anything, what would it be?
This probably sounds cheesy, but we wouldn't change a thing!! Everything turned out so perfect!!!
Are you glad you chose to elope?
Absolutely! We'd do it all over again if we could and I would encourage anyone who is considering to elope, to just do it!! They won't regret it!!
I think elopements are so special in so many ways, and since I’ve photographed a mix of huge, traditional weddings to small mountainside elopements, I figured I’d share a few of my own personal opinions. I think eloping is a great alternative because it:
allows you to focus more on what truly matters, which is getting married, not planning a wedding.
can combine your wedding and honeymoon into one.
takes away so much stress that comes with planning a large wedding
allows you to have a more carefree day, with no rushed timeline or agenda.
gives you an opportunity to get a lot of photos of you and your spouse in a beautiful location
helps save a lot of money
allows you to be fully present in the moment and not distracted by stress, a tight schedule, and hundreds of guests
Like I said, eloping isn’t for everyone. I had a huge, 300 guest wedding and loved it. Yet, looking back, I don’t remember that much of it, because it was so rushed, there were so many people to talk to and thank for coming, and we were on a tight schedule. I couldn’t be fully present in the moment because I was being pulled in every direction possible. However, the bottom line is, you have to decide what is best for you and your spouse. That might look like having a large wedding, but then doing a session the day after with your photographer, to eliminate a lot of the time it would take to do photos on your wedding day, so you have MORE time to enjoy the day and be present in the moment. Or maybe it looks like having a small backyard wedding and serving pizza and coke for dinner. Or maybe you want to be adventurous and elope in a place you’ve always dreamed of going. Every couple is different, therefore every wedding is different. There is so much freedom in deciding whats best for you and your spouse and what best fits your personalities, even if its different from what everyone else has done or is doing. If you have any questions about eloping or want to discuss personal ideas or dreams for your own wedding, reach out over on my contact page and I’d love to talk!
Mallory & Grant//Engagement
Someone asked me the other day what my favorite type of sessions were to photograph, and they are simply the ones where the couples are madly in love. The couples who don’t focus on me being there, but focus on being with their loved one. And that is exactly what it was like photographing Mallory & Grant. They started dating when they were 13 (!!!) and have been together ever since. They are getting married in November and after hanging out with them, you can definitely tell their love is 10 years deep. Its effortless, genuine, and so beautiful. They texted me right before our session and told me to get ready, because they’re very awkward in front of the camera. Yet, the love they have together absolutely overshadowed their feelings of awkwardness.
Everyone gets nervous when a camera is 5 inches from their face. Yet, I’m not looking for you to be the best model or to pose perfectly. All I want is to document your love. The two of yall together. It doesn’t have to be perfect and posed. It just has to be real and genuine. And if you’re truly in love, you’ll be the best models ever, in my opinion ;)
Mallory & Grant, Im counting down the days till y’alls wedding & can’t wait to watch you become husband and wife and spend decades more together!!! x
Jeff + Lanier//Engagement
We had planned on taking these photos in Florence before Lanier moved back to Alabama during the school year UNTIL they decided to do them in Montana during their vacation. Without hesitation, I texted Lanier & said I would be there. I woke up at 3:45am on Tuesday morning to fly out to Montana to meet them in Missoula. We swung by their Airbnb to grab their clothes & then headed off to shoot.
We started at a local coffee shop, which was only fitting, seeing that Jeff owns his own coffee roasting business called Batch Nine Coffee Company (shameless plug). Then we decided just to drive around until we found some cool spots. Lanier & I sat in the back seat of Grammy's (Jeff's grandma) little truck while Jeff drove us around, scouting out locations to shoot. We drove up a mountain until the road got too narrow to keep going (or maybe it was because Lanier was about to have a panic attack being so close to the edge of the mountain haha). So, we pulled over & shot right off the side of the road. I made them run through grassy fields, dance on the side of a mountain, sit in front of some stranger's VW bus, ride a carousel (which was fun because Lanier grew up riding that exact carousel as a kid) and eat huckleberry ice cream. They were up for ALL the adventurous, which always makes my job way more fun!!
I spent the night with them on a trundle bed in their Airbnb (which I'm SO thankful they let me do!) and it was really cool because I usually do the shoot with my couples, sometimes grab dinner afterwards, and then go home. But spending over 24hrs with Jeff & Lanier let me see a lot more of their relationship, how they love, interact, and do life with each other. I flew out the next night to head back to SC, super thankful for couples that turn into friends and all the fun adventurous my job takes me on.
