OUR TOP 5 REASONS TO HAVE AN ADVENTURE ELOPEMENT
We have photographed many large weddings over the years, but have become more and more in love with elopements and the whole idea behind them. We love intimate weddings and full weddings too, but today, we are going to focus more on adventure elopements. Here are some of our thoughts on why you should have one.
YOU CAN SAVE MONEY.
In 2017, the average wedding cost in the US was $33,391 (excluding the honeymoon), according to money.cnn.com. The average cost varies depending on where you live. Couples in NYC spend the most on weddings. ($76,944). You don’t have to go into massive debt for one day.
By eloping, you can spend much less and it can be much simpler. The majority of your money would go to photography, clothing (though there are ways to save money here), travel and accommodations. A little more would be spent on food, officiant (if you need one). There are 4 locations that you can self-solemnize (marry without a 3rd party): Colorado, D.C., Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
You also might want some design elements. Flowers are still always pretty to have and you can do some fun things. Crown florals, archways, bouquets, hoop bouquets, and boutonnieres are all possibilities if you want them. You might want your hair and makeup done too. We have some amazing vendors to send your way that will help create your perfect day.
YOU CAN DO MORE.
Not everyone can hike (especially your older family members) and if you want to hike a mountain, you will have to do things a little differently.
I wish we had eloped, but many of our family members wouldn’t have been able to go. My dad actually offered us money to elope, but Jake and my mom talked me out of it. Looking back, I wish we eloped with only close family and I wish we traveled to somewhere beautiful.
We can capture you two together, getting ready, hiking, at some epic locations and get a little more intimate. It will be much more relaxed and you have more opportunity to do all the things you want on your day without having to stay to a strict timeline. We love that it feels much more REAL and less stressed.
YOU CAN FOCUS MORE ON YOU TWO AND YOUR LOVE
(and add a few of your closest friends/family if you want)
It can be all about you two. Sometimes, the bigger weddings feel like they aren’t intimate at all and feel a little stiff at times. Someone can be telling you that you have to be somewhere at a certain time with no options. We don’t like that at all and love when things are more natural.
We feel like it’s a bit more organic to have an elopement. You won’t have someone barking orders at you and you can feel more relaxed. There are times when we need to get somewhere, for say an epic sunset, but there’s no pressure to rush around. You can do what YOU want!
YOU CAN ADVENTURE SOMEWHERE YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN
(or go to your favorite spot)
You can choose WHEREVER you want to go. We can help you pick the perfect spot, or if you have one in mind, we are all for it! We love exploring new places.
We have each been to a ton of national parks (almost 50% of them between the two of us) over the years and one of our bucket list items is to visit all the national parks. We both grew up camping and adventuring and love adventuring with our couples.
We can always help with any permits if needed and can help with logistics of the day.
YOUR DAY CAN BE HASSLE FREE
It doesn’t have to be crazy stressful. You don’t have to plan it for years. It can be spontaneous and amazing. It can be relaxing and all the things you want it to be.
We are destination wedding and elopement photographers who love capturing real moments in epic locations.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR ELOPEMENT + INTIMATE WEDDING COLLECTIONS.