For Photographers
Travel Schedule

Instagram
Facebook
Pinterest

About
Portfolio
Elopement Packages & Pricing
Best places to elope
How to Elope
Blog

About
Portfolio
Elopement Packages & Pricing
Best places to elope
How to Elope
Blog

For Photographers
Travel Schedule

Instagram
Facebook
Pinterest

Search results for: “dog”

Melissa & Jonathan’s Dog-Friendly Southwest Colorado Elopement
How to Include Your Dog in Your Wedding: Dog Wedding Ideas
How-to Guide: Planning a Glacier National Park Elopement
How to Plan an Epic Isle Royale National Park Elopement
Planning an Epic Sedona Elopement
Your Guide to Planning a Taos Elopement
How to Plan the Perfect Page Wedding
Your Guide to the Perfect Moab Elopement
Your Guide to Planning an Epic Waimea Canyon Elopement

1 2 3 … 13

@adventureinstead

Every time I think about Kerra & Mike, I think abo

Every time I think about Kerra & Mike, I think about their hardy Canadian love of the cold while in the Faroe Islands.

(AKA—they were out there without coats on while I was bundled up. Yes, my Colorado pride is embarrassed lol)

But more importantly, what stood out to me immediately about these two was how real & genuine they were.

They laughed so much together. They had so much pure *fun* together. Every second, it was clear that they just really LOVED being in each other’s presence. They lit each other up.

After surviving long distance dating and a slow burn after meeting in college, they deserved a celebration that really let them be *them* and spend quality time together.

Mike apparently had always been interested in the idea of eloping instead of having a big wedding, and when he shared the idea with Kerra, they knew it was perfect for them. They told me they’re private people who wanted to, “embrace a day meant to be for us.”

So they both cried & high-fived during their first look. And cracked each other up during their vows. And had puffins decked to the nines in their little natural black & white suits as their guests. And named the ducks outside their cabin.

All on the foggy and seriously fairytale looking Faroe Islands.

These two also blended their elopement day into a longer getaway, coming in a couple of days before and leaving a couple of days after so that they got to both relax before and enjoy the setting after as a newly married couple.

I always say that eloping should feel like getting married on the best day of your honeymoon, and for these two, it was exactly that.

And the best part of all was their joy. They beamed at each other the whole day. You could feel not just the love, but the *like* too.

Kerra left this review after:

“From start to finish Maddie made the process as seamless and fun as planning a wedding could be. Choosing to elope is most certainly not an easy decision to land on, but I promise you you’ll never regret it a day in your life.”

xx Maddie Mae

#thefaroeislands #faroeislands #faroeislandselopement #destinationelopement #elopementinspiration

I’m gonna be honest—the best part of being a photo

I’m gonna be honest—the best part of being a photographer on your wedding day isn’t the images. It’s knowing that you can fully relax into your moments and soak them all up. That you can be present because you know that I’ve got your back.

Photos, always. But memories first and foremost.

#elopementphotographer #coloradoelopement #intimatewedding #coloradowedding

It’s intimidating to pick a spot when you can go a

It’s intimidating to pick a spot when you can go anywhere in the world, I get it 😉

I’ll do all the pre-research on where to elope and put together a banger list of elopement locations for you—all you have to do is say yes or no.

I’m here to guide through any & all moments of decision paralysis. ✨

#elopement #elopementphotographer #destinationwedding #coloradoelopement

Hot take: Colorado is one of THE most romantic pla

Hot take: Colorado is one of THE most romantic places in the world.

Yes. The *entire* world.

I know everyone has their own taste and their own definition of what’s romantic.

But it’s really freaking rare that I meet a couple who I *don’t* think I could make happy with an elopement day in Colorado.

Are you an adrenaline seeker or a sporty type who wants to be on a mountaintop in the morning and go skiing in the afternoon?

Do you want to move slowly and spend part of your day soaking in a natural hot spring followed up by a local beer tasting?

Are you into mountain views but not into hiking (a problem that can be solved by us having some of the best 4X4 roads anywhere)?

Through gold changing aspen leaves, and bursts of colorful summer wildflowers, and snow at many elevations most of the year…

I really think Colorado has it all.

Take a historic train, eat at Michelin star restaurants, go white water rafting, chase waterfalls (sorry TLC), horseback ride, go up in a hot air balloon, sail or paddle around a lake, stargaze, climb, mountain bike, wander through forests, hike, explore cool town after cool town…

No matter what you’re looking for, chances are high that there’s an option for it here.

Sam & Stephen’s day is such a golden example of this.

Running through wildflower fields by an alpine lake while alpenglow lights up the peaks behind you?

Is there a way to NOT make that a super romantic moment?

They managed to fit a hot spring soak, a waterfall, a 4X4 road, a field of wildflowers, a picnic, a ceremony, a sunset, and a lantern-lit canoe around an alpine lake all into their day.

And every single moment along the way felt like they were *so* tuned into each other, so in the moment, and so happy together. It transformed every space they walked into, genuinely.

So consider this my shameless plug for my home state. You should come elope in Colorado. It’s really, really cool here.

And if you need help deciding where, come tell me all your wants and I’ll show you exactly how to make it happen.

xx Maddie Mae

#colorado #coloradoelopement #coloradowedding #coloradoelopementphotographer

📍The eclectic boho disco wedding of your dreams C

📍The eclectic boho disco wedding of your dreams

Cassandra & Haleigh wanted their wedding day in Utah to look like if a styled shoot got to come to life, and I *love* their vision for the day.

It’s also thoroughly convinced me that more elopements should have disco balls, lol.

(I know the trend is to just share one, but I couldn’t pick!)

#utahelopement #aestheticwedding #pinterestaesthetic #elope

These two beautiful people just celebrated their f

These two beautiful people just celebrated their first wedding anniversary earlier this month! And if you ask me, they still have such an ultimate Colorado elopement.

Dirty martinis, playing in the alpenglow, exploring with lanterns, staying near a hot spring, canoeing on an alpine lake, driving down 4X4 roads, finding waterfalls…

These are the wedding days this state is so, so good at.

#colorado #mountainwedding #coloradoelopement #elopementphotography

When Kayce & Nick told me, “Whatever crazy idea yo

When Kayce & Nick told me, “Whatever crazy idea you throw our way, we will be ready for!”—I took them seriously.

So when they told me they really wanted remote mountains, glaciers, vast green valleys, and were thinking about Alaska or Iceland…

I said: What about Greenland and the Faroe Islands?

I had never been to Greenland—which I told them—but I had so much inspiration for their elopement day and was so excited.

And once they saw the photos, they were completely sold!

They wound up doing a two-day adventure with the first day in Greenland and the second day in the Faroe Islands.

Kayce & Nick wound up having their ceremony and saying their vows out on a sailing tour through the Ilulissat Icefjord, which has become one of my *FAVORITE* places on the entire planet.

The ice out here is unreal. There are so many shapes and colors of the ice and some of the icebergs around you are genuinely the size of apartment buildings. (Less surprising when you realize they think the iceberg that sank the Titanic came from here!)

So much of their elopement day was organized around this icefjord and watching it change and drift and move. It’s got a view different currents running through it from both the fjord and the ocean, which makes the ice move in really mesmerizing ways.

Kayce & Nick had a picnic and couldn’t stop watching it. Every time you turn around, the ice around you has changed completely again.

They found the perfect rocks by the ice to say their vows by and everything felt so cinematic and gorgeous. Kayce switched from the moody black dress she was wearing before into a white one for their ceremony, which she also agreed to lay down on the deck of the boat in so I could get some shots of them from above!

These two were so cool in so many ways. They stayed in really neat domes overlooking the ocean that I suggested to them, came with fresh matching tattoos celebrating their marriage, and had a black & white color scheme that looked so classic and beautiful against the landscapes they visited.

(Plus, Nick LOVES boats, so this was a great fit for them)

xx Maddie Mae

#greenland #greenlandwedding #iceberg #elopement

Elopements have changed a lot, and lately, I’m thi

Elopements have changed a lot, and lately, I’m thinking a lot about why I got into them in the first place.

Way back in 2015, when I first made this shift, when no one else I knew was doing it, when people in my life thought I was making a wild choice by choosing to specialize in it.

When it was just me, a couple cameras, and a couple making the brave choice to get married on a mountaintop instead of what anyone expected them to do.

If you’ve been here for a while, you may remember those days. The dirty dress contests and bouquets stuffed into hiking backpacks.

A lot has changed over the years, especially since the pandemic. More people are eloping than ever (YAY!) but through it all, there’s one thing that’s remained my favorite part:

The connection.

I love being able to give couples the gift of staying fully in that moment. Of documenting it organically, exactly as it happens.

When you’re alone, the emotion can just flow. A remote place where you can’t see or hear a single other soul lets you fully lean into the moment and say whatever you want. Feel whatever you feel.

Alina & Joe’s vows happened in the shadow of massive redwood trees—hundreds of years old and standing up as their witnesses and wedding party.

They set intentions in the space beforehand and did a sound cleansing. They handwrote their vows. They kissed the leaves.

And they let themselves cry.

None of us know how much time we have left. On this Earth or with our people.

That’s a huge reason I’m such a big advocate for leaning into these important moments and making them exactly what you want to be. For creating spaces you don’t have to hold anything back.

From the start, I’ve been explaining to folks that eloping isn’t just about the pretty photos. What it’s about, first and foremost, is *that* moment.

Saying words no one but your partner ever has to hear. Creating meaning that matters to you. Tuning out the noise so that you can’t hear anything but each other on your wedding day.

Your marriage is made up of private moments and joys that no one will ever see.

It can start that way, too.

xx Maddie Mae

#redwoods #pnwelopement #wedding #elopementphotography #elopementinspo

Explore

Home

Contact

Reviews

About Maddie Mae

Portfolio

Blog

Travel Schedule

Elopement Destinations

USA

Colorado

Alaska

Hawaii

Utah

Arizona

New Mexico

California

Florida

Washington

EUROPE

Greece

Italy

Switzerland

Iceland

Scotland

France

Spain

Greenland

Portugal

WORLDWIDE

New Zealand

Australia

Mexico

Costa Rica

Patagonia

Turks & Caicos

Canada

Morocco

Elopement Resources

Best Places to Elope

How to Elope

Elopement Packages

Elope Definition

Elopement vs. Wedding

Elopement Ideas

How to write vows

follow along:

YouTube
Instagram
Facebook

Adventure Instead is a queer-owned business and LGBTQ+ supporting forever. Who you are and who you love is always welcomed, validated, & celebrated here

Proudly Practicing
Leave No Trace Values –
the earth is worth it

read the reviews

Adventure Instead – Elopement Photographer – Maddie Mae
155 W Harvard St. Fort Collins, CO U.S.A. 719-287-6005

Back to Top

© 2019-2026 Adventure Instead® All Rights Reserved
Website Terms | Privacy | Purchase Terms