We are so honored and thrilled that you would have us join you on such an intimate and special day.
We want your elopement experience to be a memorable one and hope to help make things as easy as possible for you. So, we’ve put together this guide to help you plan and prep.
Let us know if you have questions along the way. We are always willing to help in any way that we can!
We structure our elopements around sunset. In this template we use an example timeline, so adjust accordingly to the sunset time on your day. Depending on where you are getting ready vs where you’re having your ceremony, you may need to plan extra drive time in between. We’d love to help you customize your schedule if you have any questions.
4:00-5:00 Getting Ready + Details
5:30 First Look
5:30-6 Ceremony + Vows
6:00-7:00 Portraits
SUNSET | 7:00
7:00-8:00 Dinner, Drinks, Whatever “afterparty” you have planned!
Typically we take all of the personal detail shots during your getting ready time. Gather everything you’d like photographed- dress, shoes, jewelry, rings, perfume, elopement announcement and anything else sentimental and put it in one place so that we can take these photographs in a timely manner. If these detail shots are important to you, we recommend having a coordinating silk ribbon, flowers, greenery, or something else pretty to add some texture in your detail shots. If you aren’t sure where to get something like this or need a more specific suggestion on what to purchase, just ask us! We’re always down to help.
Getting ready is such an important piece of your wedding day story. The thing about elopements is- nothing has to be traditional! You get to make allllll of the decisions. Get your makeup done or do it yourself. Get ready on your own or invite your soon-to-be husband to help you into your dress (which we LOVE). That being said, regardless of *how* you want to do things, we want to provide some tips to make sure your getting ready photos are awesome.
The most important thing is that their is ample natural light. We HIGHLY recommend that their be enough light coming through the windows that we can turn out all the lights in the room. Artificial lights create and orange/yellow/blue hue that isn’t pretty no matter how much we edit or alter it. Position yourself in front of a window before starting your makeup.
Notes or gifts can also be exchanged during this time OR some of our couples opt to exchange these during their “first look” if they are having one.
If you choose to get ready separately, we recommend seeing each other for the first time at your elopement location. The moment you two see each other is really special and one of our favorite things to document.
Many of our couples also choose to exchange gifts or notes during this time, before starting their ceremony.
Ahhh your ceremony! Whether you are having someone officiate or simply exchanging vows between the two of you- we love that for elopements, we get to help you select the perfect time and spot for your location.
Light is the most important piece. Even, soft, evening light photographs like a dream. However, if the sun is still high, we suggest either backlighting yourselves so that the sun is behind where the officiant would stand. That way, you are back lit evenly and don’t have orange sunlight and wonky shadows on one of your faces while the other one of you is in a shadow. If you have any questions or concerns about this, please ask! This one is important!
We absolutely LOVE that elopements allow us to spend so much portrait time with our couples. You likely chose to elope because killer photos are really important to you- and we LOVE that and are excited to create beautiful images with you.
If you’re eloping somewhere with lots of drive-time in between locations (like Yosemite, for example), we will scout and plan locations beforehand so that we don’t run out of sunlight trying to race to different places.
Regardless, plan on lots of walking around and hiking. Wear comfortable shoes! Many of our brides rock some cute hiking boots so that they can focus 100% on the moment and celebrating with their new spouse instead of worrying if they will trip or getting cactus in their feet. We also are totally down to let you run around barefoot too, if that’s your jam. We’d just stay away from heels 
Disclaimer: If you’re using a videographer- we *HIGHLY* recommend scheduling extra portrait time if their wanting to use a drone. We LOVE drone shots and think they will make your video totally awesome, but they really take away from the romantic vibe. The reason being is that drones have a very loud, distinctively distracting buzzing sound. In our experience, it is very difficult for couples to relax and share this intimate time without being distracted by the noise. If you have any questions about this, let’s chat! This portrait time is for you, and we want to make sure it’s an awesome experience.
Whether you’re celebrating by drinking Champagne on top of a mountain, grabbing dinner at your favorite restaurant, or meeting up with friends and family for drinks, we’re down to celebrate with you!
As always, light is the most important thing. Go crazy with candles, market lights, etc depending on where you’re celebrating.
