ADVENTURER ELOPEMENT PHOTOGRAPHER // ALL DAY ELOPEMENT PHOTOGRAPHER

Okay you’ve made the decision to elope, now the question is “Where?.” It’s a big beautiful world out there folx, which is both a blessing and a curse when it comes to choosing a location for your elopement. In hopes of bringing some relief to couples crippled by choice overload, I’ve compiled 6 questions to help you pick the perfect elopement location! As a seasoned photographer I’m no stranger to helping couples that are unsure of where they want to elope. In hopes to gather their preferences, ideas, and dreams I’ll ask them these questions. Individually they may seem rather simple, but combined they really bring the picture of your elopement into focus. 

Grab your partner, pour yourselves some wine, settle in, and let’s brainstorm together!

Are there any locations that are meaningful to you all as a couple?

This may seem like a basic and unimpressive question, but sometimes the answer really is that simple! Maybe you’d like to travel back to the city you two met, the location of your proposal, your favorite hike, somewhere you vacationed and created special memories at! This is a great opportunity to go to a location you love, even if it’s general, and amplify what it means to you both. Sometimes it’s the simplest of places that make for the most incredible days.

Who do you want to attend your elopement?

This can be a huge deciding factor for couples who want friends or family to celebrate with them. Consider the realistic proximity that group of people can travel to and their physical ability if you’re looking to venture out into the wilderness. Hopefully this isn’t your deciding factor when choosing your dream location, but it is something to consider if it’s important for certain people to attend your intimate wedding. 

Suggestions:

• National Parks are excellent if you’re looking for a jaw dropping and accessible location.
• France is a wonderful place for families with no lack of locations to choose from and things for your guests to see/do.
• Canada, our beautiful neighbor to the North, is a great option if you’re looking to travel out of the country, but not too far!

What kind of backdrop do you want for your elopement? Mountains? Beach? Urban? Desert?

Now for the fun stuff! When you picture your elopement, what is the backdrop like? Are there mountains framing you? Waves crashing in the background? A picturesque lake glimmering? The sun bouncing off sand dunes? Look at which inspo photos you’ve saved (yes, I know you have them) and take note if there’s a prominent scenery or theme. Even if you don’t have an exact name or location of a backdrop, it will certainly point you in the right direction. Plus if you’re working with me as your photographer I will do my best to find that inspo spot or beat it!

Suggestions: (get google ready!!)

Beach – The Island of Ibiza or Big Sur California 

Mountains – The Dolomites in Italy or Snoqualmie Pass in the Cascade Mountains, Washington

Urban – Barcelona, Spain or City Hall, San Francisco

Desert – The Sahara near Merzouga, Morocco or White Sands National Park in New Mexico  Unique – Rice paddies of Ubud, Bali or the Ice Castles in Dillon, Colorado (only open Dec-Feb)

Fun Ways To Choose an Elopement Location

Alright you’ve made it this far, finished your bottle of wine, and you two have found the perfect location…sss…locations. At least now you have a curated list and not the entire world atlas! Where do you go from here? For starters you can sit with the list, ruminate on it for a couple weeks, and then make a decision… OR go a spicier route. If your heart truly isn’t pulling you in one way or another then try leaving it up to chance. Bear with me, I have two fun ways for the location to PICK YOU!

Option #1 Kick it old school by pulling a location out of a hat! Compile a list of the places where you would love to elope based on your answers above. Write those down on separate pieces of paper, fold them up, and throw them into a container. Give them a shake and pull out your elopement location! This is such a special and spontaneous experience to share with your partner. I’d recommend making a whole date night out of it! After you pick a location you can start looking into specifics about the area or maybe you’ll realize your gut has actually been pulling you somewhere else; either way you’ll end the night with a location!

Option #2 If you answer all the questions above and still are no closer to making a concrete decision then ask your photographer! Photographers are a wealth of knowledge and (I can speak from experience!!) any adventure elopement photographer would jump at the chance to choose an incredible location for a couple. We have a laundry list of locations that would be a dream to shoot a couple at, we’ve been to before, or have heavily researched in hopes to take a couple there! I could certainly help you narrow down a once in a lifetime location if you provided me with answers to the questions above.

You can even start the process today by contacting me here!

This option isn’t for everyone, but it is an exceptionally fun and exciting way to approach choosing an elopement destination! After your location picks you then the planning of travel accommodations, vendors, and all that jazz will follow like usual. For the indecisive and adventurous at heart couple, this method will not disappoint and adds another layer of excitement to your elopement planning!

Finding the Perfect Elopement Location

The beautiful thing about intimate weddings is that you can tailor the day in whichever way you would like to reflect the two of you as a couple; however there are still decisions to be made. Really take your time mulling over these questions and see where the answers lead you! Just try to remember that this should be FUN! If you are feeling overwhelmed or stressed when making the decision of choosing an elopement location it’s okay to take a step back or ask for outside guidance. I’ve yet to work with a couple that regretted their location, which I hope gives you some peace of mind in this process. I’d be more than happy to help you choose a location and follow you across the world for your elopement; contact me here to get started!