Ready to have the sought-after photography business for intentionally intimate wedding experiences?

So you want to photograph
more elopements… but you’re
not sure where to start

  • Is your dream client a couple who knows they want an intentional wedding day centered around their love & commitment—but you don’t know to reach & book them?
  • Are you exhausted from spinning your wheels with a gazillion different marketing efforts, trying to book elopements? All with little to no results?
  • Are you intimidated or overwhelmed by the logistics, planning, location scouting for elopements?
  • Are you worried that potential clients aren’t seeing what’s unique about you and your business? Or that you’re drowning in a “sea of sameness” in this competitive industry?

I feel you friend, the struggle is real. The good
news is… it doesn’t have to be that way.

Learning from Maddie Mae was the best investment I have made in my business. I felt that I was on shaky ground when it came to all the ins and outs of adventurous elopements and the instruction she provided has given me the solid footing that my business needed. She not only has an incredible breadth of knowledge about marketing, but is an impressive communicator and teaches in a way that you can actually comprehend and take action. I’m a bit of a perpetual student… so when I say that learning from Maddie Mae was by far the best learning experience I have ever had—it’s no joke. Maddie genuinely wants everyone to succeed in the industry. She’s not just spouting community over competition, she’s living it.

– Jackleen Leed

Real quick though, let’s review what “elope” really
means (because it might not be what you think!)

e·lope

/əˈlōp/ Verb

To have an intentionally intimate, authentic wedding experience
where the focus of the day is actually the couple.

So what the heck is an
“elopement photographer”?

A photographer who helps plan and photographs small and meaningful weddings for
couples that want a “just us” wedding experience.

Do elopement photographers only
capture adventure elopements in
crazy destinations?
Nope!

(Although adventure elopements are my personal favorite!)
Elopements & Intimate weddings happen everywhere & can look like…

  • 2 people exchanging vows on a secluded mountaintop
  • 5 best friends surrounding their favorite couple as they say “I do” on the California coast
  • An intimate backyard wedding with 20 close family members & friends
  • A couple have a fun big-city adventure and signing their paperwork at a courthouse

There’s no “right way” or “right place” to elope.

There’s no boundaries on where you
can be an elopement photographer.

The truth is, couples all over the world are looking for photographers that can
help them have an intimate & meaningful wedding day experience.

IMAGINE THIS
BEING YOUR JOB

  • You’re packing up your gear, and heading to one of your favorite, beautiful local spots.
  • You’ve been helping an amazing couple plan their super small & meaningful wedding for months, and today is finally the big day.
  • You show up–meeting them in-person for the first time–and it’s like connecting with long-lost friends.
  • You spend the entire day helping them create an epic experience that’s focused wholly on each other, having tons of fun, and doing activities that feel “totally them.”
  • The right moment hits and they’re standing in a beautiful spot, with 4 of their best friends there to witness their ceremony.
  • They read their handwritten, personally-crafted vows and shed so many tears (thanks to you, they feel totally free & safe to do so).
  • When it comes time to go, you don’t want to leave–the couple wants a selfie with you because you’ve been such an integral part of making their wedding day incredible.
  • With a tight hug they tell you, “I’m so glad we found you and got married this way—you helped save us from so much stress and having a big day that just wasn’t us. Thank you so much for helping us elope, we had so much fun.”

Or just watch this:

That’s what it’s like
to be an Elopement
Photographer

Sound epic? It is.

“Maddie Mae is concise and super educated—she really KNOWS what she’s talking about and how to teach it. There’s a reason why she’s super successful. I really really REALLY appreciate the strategic business standpoint she has—having a degree in business gives her a super different approach in this industry. I learned so much from her that was so refreshing—a hugely different point of view from what photographers normally are taught. I’ve been to workshops that hit just some surface topics but Maddie does an amazing job at digging down DEEP and REALLY teaching! She is so focused on service and also has all the education and business knowledge to back up her approach. As a photographer that just started to build my business I knew a lot about what I needed to do… but not HOW. Maddie gave me all the tools and more—plus a heck of a lot of resources. Learning from Maddie was worth the investment plus 5 times more. I feel like I learned my money’s worth from her in the first hour. I am SO glad I invested into myself and I can’t wait to apply what she taught me.”

Kayla Dolce


Say “Hey” to the first-ever, all-in-
one solution to building your own thriving
elopement (or intimate wedding) photography business

The Elopement Photographer Course

Build your Dream Business in 90 days

The very FIRST 100% elopement-focused comprehensive online course that teaches you how to actually get real elopement (or small wedding) bookings AND create incredible EXPERIENCES for your couples when their day comes…

Say what?! How the heck does this work?


Let me tell you a story real quick…

This is me.

Hey there,

I’M MADDIE MAE

A Colorado-based, Rangefinder-award-winning, full-time elopement photographer

with 150+ elopements under my belt, and 100 more elopement bookings on the calendar. I’ve traveled to 19 countries to help couples create their dream elopement days.

But my life as a photographer didn’t always look like this…

I started by photographing 100% big traditional weddings and barely scraping by. But after photographing my first elopement in 2015, I decided my truest passion & purpose was helping more couples be THEMSELVES on the day they got married and bringing the focus back to what truly matters—THEM, and their commitment to each other.

With some business & marketing strategy, I made the switch and within 12 months, I’d made over 6 figures from booking a season FULL of dream elopements. Since then, I’ve traveled the world, shot elopements close to home, and have truly mastered the art of marketing & booking awesome elopements.

Now our team, (me, Amber, and Tori) consistently receive 100-150 real elopement inquiries per month and make an average of over $7,000 on each elopement—all while exploring the world.

rangefinder rising star

Rangefinder

30 Rising Stars of Wedding Photography 2018 Winner

Junebug Weddings Best of the Best 2019 Logo

Junebug

The Best of the Best on Junebug Weddings

5 star rated

150+ 5-star ratings from customer reviews

121k followers

121,000+ followers on the @AdventureInstead Instagram

Here’s the bottom line:

Becoming an elopement
photographer changed
my life, and I want
the same for you

Maddie Mae… Wow. What can I say? She truly cares about YOU and I believe that she honestly wants all of us elopement photographers to be successful. She leaves nothing to wonder about and it’s clear by how much specific information she provides that she doesn’t hold anything back. She is far more transparent and open than anyone would expect a photographer at her level to be. The more I gush about her the more fake I feel like it sounds but seriously she is awesome. Learning from Maddie was the best thing I could have done for my business. She is everything I could have hoped for as a teacher and has set me on the right path. I can’t wait to grow using what she taught me!

Paige Johnson

THE ELOPEMENT
PHOTOGRAPHER COURSE
BUILD YOUR DREAM BUSINESS
IN JUST 90 DAYS

The Elopement Photographer course is like taking a
condensed college business & marketing course on how to
get elopement & intimate wedding bookings and build the
skills you need to rock your couple’s experience from A to Z.

This on-demand, online workshop is an in-depth, 4-part video series (27 videos total)
where I’ll walk you through how to build a thriving business that serves eloping &
intimate wedding couples.

We’ll cover the 4 KEY ESSENTIALS to
becoming an elopement photographer:

1

BRAND

Create an irresistible elopement brand that magnetizes your “perfect fit” couples

2

MARKET

Implement the exact marketing strategies you’ll need to get those adventurous eloping couples to find YOU

3

BOOK

Discover how to turn the elopement inquires you get into solid full-price bookings

4

CREATE

Develop the skills and knowledge required to knock your client’s experience out of the park and get rave reviews

What do these 4 elements
look like in action?

Let’s take a peek inside the course…

1

BRAND

Create an irresistible elopement brand that magnetizes your “perfect fit” couples

A guiding light to YOUR marketing strategy

  • How to discover your “why”—your unique purpose as an elopement photographer and what makes you stand out.
  • How to identify your specific slice of this exciting elopement market by precisely defining YOUR “target market.”
  • How to create a brand that communicates all your why and your specialty and magnetizes YOUR specific niche to you.
  • How your pricing is deeply intertwined with your elopement BRAND and a key foundation to your marketing.
  • How to curate your portfolio and create work that magnetizes eloping couples.

You’ll come away from this section with YOUR OWN mission statement, vision statement, values, definition of specialty, description of brand, defined marketing avatars (your target market), pricing strategy, & pricing guide template

2

MARKET

Implement the exact marketing strategies you’ll need to get perfect fit eloping couples to find YOU

A concrete PLAN of action to get elopement inquiries

  • How to brand and optimize your website so that couples actually click “contact me.”
  • How to get consistent, organic elopement inquiries from Google.
  • The best SEO & blogging practices for elopement photographers.
  • Strategies to get real elopement inquires from Instagram (no matter your follower count).
  • Pinterest opportunities and pitfalls for elopement photographers.
  • How to use Facebook advertising effectively to drive inquiries from real couples.

THE BEEFIEST section of the course!

You’ll come away from this section with YOUR OWN 90-day elopement marketing action PLAN! It covers ALL of these platforms and gives you a step-by-step blueprint of what to do each week, how much time to dedicate, and how to get elopement inquiries within 90 days.

3

BOOK

Discover how to turn the elopement inquires you get into solid full-price bookings

The sales strategies to turning “maybes” into signed contracts and paid retainers

  • How to write initial email responses to elopement inquiries that keep you from getting “ghosted.”
  • A dynamite follow-up sequence strategy that’ll get you responses.
  • Why the phone call is my “secret weapon” to booking all-day elopements.
  • How to absolutely rock phone calls to connect with couples and streamline getting them officially booked.

You’ll come away from this section with YOUR OWN initial email templates,  follow-up sequence templates, and kickass phone call script.

4

Create

Develop the skills and knowledge required to knock your client’s experience out of the park and get rave reviews

A clear process of how to exceed expectations, plus the tools and knowledge to be a rockstar for your couples

  • How to design a strategic workflow to give eloping couples a seamless and amazing experience with you from start to finish. Delight them & exceed every single one of their expectations!
  • Best practices for contracts, permits, & insurance (crucial stuff!)
  • How to scout locations and find off-the-beaten-path hidden gem spots.
  • How to design an amazing all-day elopement timeline for a couple, plus strategies to upsell more hours.
  • How to prepare your couples for their elopement day.
  • All the gear you need to give your couples a “next level” elopement experience.

You’ll come away from this section with YOUR OWN written and organized workflow plan, location list & timeline templates, client preparation guide outline, and gear checklist.

Bonus

Experience

Join me on an entire all-day
elopement in Patagonia
through real & raw behind-
the-scenes footage

A clear vision of exactly how all of this comes together in action

  • “Tag along” virtually with Maddie Mae to see what an all-day elopement actually looks like.
  • Get a clear & concrete vision for how this all comes together and what knowledge you need to successfully photograph outdoor elopements.
  • Learn how to overcome logistical challenges and be flexible with difficult weather.

Are you tired of workshops that
leave you with no concrete action
plan or any tangible deliverables?

Let’s change that, shall we?

This complete “elopement business-in-a-box” workshop also comes with these
essential tools, templates, workbook, and an action plan to actually enable you to
create your elopement business in the most efficient & strategic way possible.

90-DAY ELOPEMENT MARKETING ACTION PLAN

A step-by-step marketing action plan that shows you exactly how to go from a quiet inbox to “YES!! Another dream elopement inquiry! BOOYAH!” within 90 days.

“BUILD YOUR OWN ELOPEMENT BUSINESS” WORKBOOK

A practical 30-page workbook to follow along with each video. When completed, it will give you an entire concrete business plan plus a clear vision for where your business is going.

DOWNLOADABLE TEMPLATES, CHECKLISTS & MORE!

A practical 30-page workbook to follow along with each video. When completed, it will give you an entire concrete business plan plus a clear vision for where your business is going.

These resources will save you HUNDREDS of hours of trial and error and thousands
of dollars in missed bookings. They’ll help you eliminate the roadblocks delaying you
from reaching your dream of becoming an elopement photographer.

AND, to take your business to the
next level, you’ll get:

1-year access to my VIP online education community

  • Get ongoing support & bounce ideas off fellow photographers in our private group
  • Make friends & experience community and collaboration as you embark on your journey
  • Stuck? Ask a question & get direct feedback from me, Maddie 🙂

Exclusive Lifetime Bonus

The chance to attend invite-only future in-person workshops with Maddie Mae & Adventure Instead around the world

  • You’ll get a private invitation to attend future in-person workshops ONLY available to the attendees of THIS online workshop
  • Future workshop locations include: Washington, Asheville, Alaska, Hawaii, UK, California, and Colorado

So… Are you ready to
become an elopement
photographer?

“Maddie Mae is concise and super educated—she really KNOWS what she’s talking about and how to teach it. There’s a reason why she’s super successful. I really really REALLY appreciate the strategic business standpoint she has—having a degree in business gives her a super different approach in this industry. I learned so much from her that was so refreshing—a hugely different point of view from what photographers normally are taught. I’ve been to workshops that hit just some surface topics but Maddie does an amazing job at digging down DEEP and REALLY teaching! She is so focused on service and also has all the education and business knowledge to back up her approach. As a photographer that just started to build my business I knew a lot about what I needed to do… but not HOW. Maddie gave me all the tools and more—plus a heck of a lot of resources. Learning from Maddie was worth the investment plus 5 times more. I feel like I learned my money’s worth from her in the first hour. I am SO glad I invested into myself and I can’t wait to apply what she taught me.”

Kayla Dolce

Still sort of on the fence?

I get that you can’t just
take my word for it.

It matters who you invest your education dollars in. 
Take a listen to what other photographers like you are saying.

"absolutely incredible"

Maddie gives you actual attainable information from the group up to build an elopement photography business. I’ve been shooting Elopements for about 3.5 years and knew after about a year in that I needed a workshop in order to get to the next level with my business. I’ve seen so many “workshops” the last couple years, and there seemed to be a lack of educational objectives or information on the lead Photographer. Just because a Photographer has a large Instagram following doesn’t mean they know how to teach what they do, or be able to help others become successful. This is not a full-of-frills, how to set up to take pretty pictures in pretty places course. She makes you dig DEEP, and do the work. However, the reward in the end is absolutely incredible. I always knew I loved elopements, and the intimacy that they can provide. It wasn’t until Maddie’s workshop that I learned my “why”, and just so much more. If you’re looking for a complete Workshop, this is it!

"this course is gold"

Maddie has given me the courage to unapologetically market my business for what it is, a niche! And by doing this, I’ve already had three elopement inquiries and two bookings. Before purchasing the course I was confused, not sure of myself, didn’t think I had what it took to be an adventure elopement photographer, but now after the course (not even all the way done BTW) I have WAY more confidence in myself, in my shooting (the Permission Posing Course is gold), in the way I talk to people, the way I talk to my clients, and even my husband has commented on my confidence while on the phone now.

"grateful beyond words"

This course has helped me outline a real action plan that I am using to set up a brand new photography business with confidence, and so much more!I cannot say enough good things about Maddie and the learning environment she has created. The private course group and the more open Weddings and Wanderlust group are full of the most supportive professionals I have had the pleasure connecting to. If you are on the fence because you aren’t sure limiting your business specifically to elopements is the right direction for you, or if the value is worth the price tag, don’t hesitate to purchase this class. I have zero regrets, and am grateful beyond words for the opportunity to be a member of the first round of students to go through what I am positive will be an industry-changing program for years to come.

"amazing and very in depth"

My biggest challenge in moving toward the elopement photography industry was always on how to get more leads. I need bookings to make money and survive so that part has always stressed me out. After really getting into the course, I started seeing change in my business and more and more leads coming in. After specializing my website and my marketing efforts through SEO, Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook, I saw a 50% INCREASE in website traffic!!! There are so many good things in the course, I literally had too many lightbulb moments to name. Even doing the in-person workshop, I LOVED the online workshop even more because I am able to go back and watch certain sections. And all the resources, downloads, and the workbook were such a huge help! I’ve raised my prices again and have kept getting bookings. You can tell that Maddie put a ton of work into this course and the ideas, marketing methods, and information she shares is just great and very actionable. This course has what a lot of workshops and courses are lacking— an amazing and very in-depth look into exactly how to market yourself. The marketing methods she teaches aren’t just cookie-cutter methods, you go in-depth into how to make your marketing efforts your own and true to your brand. I’m sooo excited with the direction my business is going after The Elopement Photographer Course!

"my business foundation"

Maddie’s elopement photographer course is my business foundation. Maddie covers everything in this course, from digging deep within yourself and discovering your brand, to pricing, portfolio building, website optimization, social media marketing, business workflows and legalities like contracts, permits and SO much more! If it wasn't for Maddie's education I would not be so close to launching my business already after just a few months. She just covers everything revolving around being a successful elopement photographer and talks about things I would have never known or realize as a beginner in specializing for elopements. I cannot pick just one thing that was "useful" because every single section of this course is MAJOR USEFUL. Even after purchasing the course, emailing Maddie or asking questions on the awesome elopement course facebook group continually educates me and us, Maddie does not lay low on helping and educating you even after you purchased the course!

"the best investment"

I’ve been thrilled with the course materials and I think it just may be the best investment I’ve made in myself and my business. I don't endorse things often. I'm probably the type of client we all hate; I leave negative reviews when things go poorly and just a quick five-star without explanation if something was great. But I'm making an exception this time, because I absolutely believe in the worth of this education. First of all, I know the course isn't cheap. Let's just get that out in the open. But if you consider the hours upon hours of course material PLUS the access to nearly infinite discussions in the Facebook group with Maddie and other like-minded photographers, it's a pretty great bargain. In my first two years of business, I paid for premium listing on both The Knot and Wedding Wire, thinking that's what the pros do. Each of those spots cost more than this course, and got almost nothing to show for it.

So, Whats my investment?

The Elopement Photographer Course Videos

Check Mark
Check Mark

90-Day Elopement Marketing Action Plan

Check Mark
Check Mark

"Build Your Own Elopement Business" Workbook

Check Mark
Check Mark

Downloadable Templates & Checklists

Check Mark
Check Mark

1-Year Access to the VIP Online Community

Check Mark
Check Mark

*BONUS* How to Leave No Trace for Elopement and Wedding Photographers for FREE (normally $95)

Check Mark
Check Mark

Be a part of something

BIGGER

Need one more reason to say “yes” to your dream of becoming
an elopement photographer?

Every purchase of this course unlocks The “How to Leave No Trace for Elopement and Wedding Photographers Course” by Maddie Mae, Anni Graham, Gabi and Brandon Fox for FREE

A portion of every sale will be donated to this great earth-
loving, land-protecting organization!

Cause the earth matters, y’all.

30-day “life-changing”

Guarantee
or your
money back

Take the plunge & become an elopement photographer—RISK FREE. I GUARANTEE your business & life will never be the same.

If you watch every video within 30 days of starting the journey and decide it wasn’t helpful, email me and I’ll send you a full refund.

I just ask that you show you put in the work. Deal?

We’re in this together. I want you to have full confidence this course will help you reach your dreams and trust in YOURSELF you have what it takes to get there.

Got
Questions?

These are the most asked questions about this course, if the answer to your burning question isn’t here, ask me in my free Facebook group.

Have more questions?

How do I get access to the videos?

Once you’ve purchased the course, you will receive your log-in information via email to create an account and get instant access to the materials. Come back to this page and click “login” in the upper right hand corner to stream the videos at your own pace and re-watch whenever you want.

Once I purchase, how long can I access the course?

Once you’ve purchased the course, you will receive your log-in information via email to create an account and get instant access to the materials. Come back to this page and click “login” in the upper right hand corner to stream the videos at your own pace and re-watch whenever you want.

Do I need experience before taking this course?

Nope. This course is fully accessible to all skill levels, whether you’ve never photographed an elopement before, or been a photographer for 10 years.

I’m not a photographer, but I want to book more elopements, will this course help me?

Absolutely. If you have another business (such as videography, planning, officiating, floral design, etc) which you want to tailor to being elopement-specific, this course will teach you exactly how to do that.

I’m not from the U.S., will this still apply to me?

Absolutely. As elopements become more popular and known around the world, the marketing tools, business knowledge, and practical skills to create a business dedicated to couples who elope will be applicable to any market. Bring your own cultural context & language skills to the table and you’ve got a winning combination.

I don’t want to travel or photograph adventure elopements, will this course still apply to me?

Yes! Maybe visiting Patagonia or Iceland and Norway isn’t your thing (because you have a family, or you love your own bed—who doesn’t?). But elopements are happening everywhere in the world (just like big weddings) and this course will teach you how to book elopements closer to home.

So… Are you ready to
become an elopement
photographer?

What are you waiting for?

As photographers, we miss
100% of the shots we don’t take.

Give yourself THIS shot. Take THIS chance to live a fulfilling life of adventure
and achieve your dream of becoming an elopement photographer.

You’ve
GOT THIS