Blog | Real Elopements | Adventure Instead Photographers & Guides

Oregon ElopementsJuly 6, 2021

Getting Married in Mt Hood National Forest

Adventure ElopementsJune 10, 2021

Your Sedona Elopement Guide

Elopement PlanningMay 19, 2021

Elopement and Wedding First Looks

Colorado ElopementsMay 12, 2021

Garden of the Gods Wedding

Colorado ElopementsApril 28, 2021

10 Colorado Mountain Wedding Venues

Colorado ElopementsApril 21, 2021

Crested Butte Elopement

Colorado ElopementsApril 14, 2021

Sapphire Point Elopement

Mountain ElopementsApril 6, 2021

Grand Teton Wedding

California ElopementsMarch 25, 2021

Joshua Tree Wedding Guide

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How to use Google Flights 🛫 from a Travel Advis

How to use Google Flights 🛫 from a Travel Advisor (and it’s not how you think)!

Google Flights is a powerful tool to search availability for routes & set up alerts for when a route goes on sale 🛎️It’s great for searching for travel options for your wedding or elopement trip—but not for booking!

Here’s why 👇

1️⃣ Google Flights often doesn’t work directly with airlines to get the most up-to-date information or to process your ticket directly with the airline. Often users are sent to a third-party site when booking—meaning when you book your seat, it may not actually be still available. This increases your risk of being bumped from a flight if they are overbooked & puts you low on the list for rebooking due to cancellation or delay!

2️⃣ What if your flight gets canceled or another issue comes up? If you didn’t book directly with the airline, then that airline might not help you get on another flight—which leaves you on your own to find accommodations & booking a new flight ✈️

3️⃣ When you see cheap flights with several different airlines, this should be a red flag 🚩While some airlines officially partner for unusual routes, it doesn’t mean the ones you see on a third-party site are reliable. Which can mean that if one flight gets delayed or cancelled, the next airline isn’t responsible for getting you home (then you get to buy a new ticket). It also increases your chance for lost luggage ❌

4️⃣ If an issue comes up, you can go directly to the airline website/app & remedy many issues on your own. Airlines are currently offering AMAZING flexibility on rescheduling or canceling flights for future travel credit. If you book through a third-party site, you often don’t have that same contract 🤝

5️⃣ Even better 👉 if you work with a travel advisor, they are there to help you in case of an emergency or the need to reschedule 👩‍💻They work directly with airlines & sometimes have access to additional options that you won’t ever see on Google Flights!

So use Google for research, then go to a Travel Advisor or book on the airline website to guarantee your travels. I promise it’s worth the little extra money & effort.

xx Rebecca

There’s just something about having an epic adve

There’s just something about having an epic adventure in Alaska the day you get married 🥰

Morgan & Chris wanted a challenge for their wedding day—and they got one! We met at 5am for a sunrise hike and started on a trail that offers some of the best views in Alaska ☀️

They hiked the majority of this uphill, difficult trail in their wedding attire. Morgan’s dress quickly showed signs of being dirty & well-loved, as it should be 🙌

A couple of miles into the hike, the trail opened up to the first view of the glacier. It was incredible having an up close & personal view of this huge peak of ice and stunning blue water—and not to mention the perfect ceremony spot!

After they said their vows, they sat down and opened letters from family & friends. One of the letters contained the ashes of Morgan’s grandfather, who had passed away recently. Alaska was one of his favorite places, so this was a truly special moment for them.

Morgan also honored her late mother by having pieces of her mother’s dress cut into the shape of birds & sewn onto hers in a beautiful, meaningful tribute.

Getting married is one of the most important days in a couple’s lives, and including details like these is a beautiful way to feel the presence of loved ones on your elopement day—appreciating their support & cherishing memories of them even though they might not be physically present.

We then continued on with the hike—and at the top of the trail, they popped some champagne to celebrate their special day and literally climbing a mountain 🥂

The sun shown bright on their day, even though it had been cloudy & rainy in the days prior. It was one of the best parts of the day, letting the sunlight shining down from low-lying clouds, warm our skin.

Alaska never ceases to amaze me with its epic & stunning views. It was such a beautiful day & there were so many things that just lined up serendipitously for them—it couldn’t have been a more perfect elopement 🥰

xx Tori

P.S. 👉 Check out our blog post “Where to Elope” for the ultimate guide for best places to elope in the U.S—including Alaska! And pop over to our stories today for more BTS of Morgan & Chris’s elopement ✨

One of my favorite suggestions to give couples whe

One of my favorite suggestions to give couples when planning their day is: “you don’t have to pre-plan exactly where you want to say your vows… You can choose spontaneously the day-of, and wait until the moment just feels right.”

For Alyssa & Kevin’s elopement, they had a ton of awesome ceremony location options in their full day of adventure. We met at their camper van at the edge of a nearby lake, which is where they got ready, had such a sweet first look, and soaked in the gorgeous view…

Then we headed out to do some exploring, including a nearby canyon and then mudflats. When the sun was setting above these empathy flats, they looked at each other and just knew this was their spot.

And with the sun setting beneath mountains in the background and a sprawling desert landscape in every other direction, I definitely agree they made the right choice!

After that, they played fetch with their dog, Nova, who dressed up for the occasion in a wreath of flowers, we headed out to their private hot springs. Because they eloped at sunset, the temperature was finally cooling off, and it was the perfect time to sit there, soak, & take in the grand adventure.

We ended the day by staring at the stars through their telescope and simply gazing up at the universe above ✨ It was such a peaceful way to end Alyssa & Kevin’s intentional & incredibly laid-back elopement day!

xx Tori

P.S. Check out our stories today for more ideas on how to make your elopement ceremony completely unique to your relationship ❤️

The first time I went to Santorini, I honestly had

The first time I went to Santorini, I honestly had low expectations. I thought it would be overrated, touristy, and not really my scene—and dang, was I wrong.

But truly, being there literally felt like walking through a life-size romantic movie set. Everything from the scenery to the food to the wine and the culture—absolutely blew me away and I completely fell so completely in love. Yes there’s tourists in some areas, but there’s also plenty of peaceful corners with views like these that you can have nearly all to yourself. I seriously loved Santorini so much, I planned my honeymoon in Greece (which was sadly foiled by COVID).

It feels amazing for some borders to finally be opening again and many of the destination elopements that were planned for last year, finally happening again.

I’m headed back to this mind-blowing island in a few weeks and couldn’t be more excited.

If you’ve been dreaming of eloping in Greece (or another international destination), these type of elopements are often planned a bit longer in advance with flights, permits, visas (for certain countries), lodging, activities, vendors, etc— so reaching out earlier rather than later helps ensure all the boxes are checked & the right questions get asked—and gives you a head start on searching for travel deals & unique accommodations without feeling rushed 🎉

So if you're thinking about a destination elopement for 2022, I'd encourage you to reach out to your dream photographer ASAP!

xx Maddie Mae

How long does it take to plan an elopement? Most c

How long does it take to plan an elopement? Most couples hire us 9-12 months out from their elopement day—but that's not always the case!

It's 100% possible to plan a last-minute elopement that’s still everything you want it to be. Sheila & Gary reached out to me less than a month before their date & you can see how amazing their day turned out to be 🙌

In just a few weeks, I found a beautiful & accessible location for them that had amazing mountain views & 2 alpine lakes, and waterfalls—we even saw some mountain sheep on the trail!

Sheila MADE her wedding dress by combining 2 different dresses together and made her bouquet as well! Gary had spend a lot of time traveling around Asia in his life, so they decided to mark them officially getting married by ringing some TIbetain singing bells.

After that, he played Ukulele for her on the shoreline and they had their first dance.

A short planning time frame does not have to mean a less than amazing day—I myself planned my own international elopement in Peru in just 6 weeks!

xx Maddie Mae

P.S. Check out our stories today for more from Sheila & Gary's elopement day—featured on @WanderingWeddings!

P.P.S. We have just a handful of remaining dates less in 2021, check out our IG story highlight “2021 dates” and remember if you reach out we’ll be putting our 100% full force of planning efforts into your day (just in a shorter time frame)

Did you know you can have a snowball fight on your

Did you know you can have a snowball fight on your wedding day in the middle of July?

Yep! In mountainous regions, like Colorado, Washington, & Oregon—snow lasts well into August at higher elevations, which means you can have gorgeous snow-capped peaks, snowshoe, ski, and even glissade down a huge snowfield well into the summer.

Katie & Evan played in a huge snowfield during their summer elopement—even though the high that day was 88 degrees & they spent another part of their day surrounded by little wildflowers 🌸

If you love snow—winter isn’t your only option. And a May-July date actually may be the most ideal way to get to play in the snow, without freezing your butt off haha.

xx Maddie Mae

P.S. Seasonality is SUCH an important consideration when it comes to picking your elopement location—check out the blog post linked in today’s stories for the 7 factors to consider when choosing your elopement location & our guide to the top places to elope!

Katie Rose & Jesse eloped in the least-visited Nat

Katie Rose & Jesse eloped in the least-visited National Park in the continental US—and would you believe it is actually in the midwest?!

(Technically Isle Royale is an island only 14 miles from Canada on Lake Superior, but it’s still Michigan 😉)

Their day began on the mainland, where Katie Rose & Jesse got ready together at their hotel before we headed down to the dock to hop on a seaplane, one of the only ways to reach Isle Royale—the other option is to take a ferry.

It was raining when we took off, but once we landed 45 minutes later & floated up to the dock, we found sunshine on the island! We were also greeted by a ranger who offered us an orientation before we set off on foot—because there’s no roads or cars on Isle Royale & the only way to get around is by hiking, it felt truly wild, which was exactly what Katie Rose & Jesse had hoped for!

The spot we hiked out to for their elopement ceremony was 5 miles out, through tunnels of moss-covered trees. We walked past an eagle’s nest on the way and saw a lot of evidence of the moose & wolves that are Isle Royale’s only full-time residents, even if we didn’t meet them.

Then looking out onto the lake, we could see tiny islands everywhere—and that’s where Katie Rose & Jesse decided to say their vows. Then after a sweet ceremony overlooking the water they popped champagne, had their first dance to Tom Petty’s “Wildflowers,” & set up a picnic to watch the sunset ☀️

Katie Rose & Jesse spent some time reading letters from family—and then we headed back to the cabin that they had rented for two nights, which was tucked into the woods near where our seaplane had landed earlier that morning. My plan was to camp for two nights, which I was incredibly excited about 🙌

Back at their cabin, a fire pit was all set up for roasting marshmallows & making s’mores!

Despite being in such a secluded location, this elopement had all the sweet personal details of a traditional wedding—the getting ready photos, the sentimental details, & even a first dance! The whole day felt like a scene straight out of Wes Anderson’s “Moonrise Kingdom” ✨

Eloping couples can have it all, and all while experiencing unique places 😉

xx Amber

☀️ Ever wonder how to stay cool during summer

☀️ Ever wonder how to stay cool during summer elopements? Here’s some advice👇

Summer is definitely the most popular season for weddings—and for good reason! Almost all trails are accessible, the weather is reliable, and many of us have a bit more flexibility to take time off during the summer.

But as *ideal* as summer is for weddings, adventure elopements can often get a bit uncomfortable if it's TOO hot 😅 Thankfully we have some hot tips for staying cool during the summer—whether you're hiking, or just chilling, it's important to stay comfortable during your elopement adventure!

If you're wondering WHERE & WHEN to elope during the summer:

👉 Choose a high-altitude location—it's cooler up in the mountains 🏔

👉 Elope at sunrise or sunset since these times of day are usually when the temperature drops 🌄

👉 If you're going to be out in the middle of the day, it’s important to choose a spot that offers shade!

☀️

If you're looking for advice on the BEST summer attire for your elopement:

👉 Choose lightweight clothing material: linen, silk, tulle, & organza are great in the summer 💃

👉 Wear bike shorts under your dress to keep your thighs from rubbing while you hike—heat rash & chaffing can for sure ruin a hike 😫

👉 Chacos are the best summer wedding shoe (or any hiking sandal you find comfortable) 🥾

👉 Hats are cute & practical, and you can ask your florist to add flowers to the brim 🌸

👉 Pack layers—even if it's August, summer nights can get chilly once the sun goes down 🌌

☀️

And it's SUPER important to avoid getting dehydrated, sunburned, or eaten alive by mosquitos:

👉 Pack SUNSCREEN—choose something that is zinc-free, reef-safe, and doesn’t have a white tint (you don’t want to look like Casper 👻 in your photos!)

👉 Drink a LOT of water & make sure you're getting electrolytes

👉 Bug spray is a great idea—I personally love the bug repellant wipes to avoid spray getting everywhere, but if you do opt for a spray, look for one that is matte

My goal isn’t JUST to make sure you get epic photos from your wedding day—it’s equally important to me that you are comfortable, safe, & enjoying every moment of this experience!

xx Maddie Mae

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