Blog | Real Elopements | Adventure Instead Photographers & Guides

California ElopementsMarch 25, 2021

Joshua Tree Wedding Guide

Adventure ElopementsMarch 15, 2021

14 Non-Traditional Wedding Dresses

Adventure ElopementsMarch 1, 2021

Hawaii Elopement

Colorado ElopementsFebruary 22, 2021

Ultimate Guide to Your Maroon Bells Wedding

Oregon ElopementsFebruary 9, 2021

Portland Elopement

Oregon ElopementsFebruary 2, 2021

Oregon Coast Wedding Venues

Elopement PlanningJanuary 19, 2021

How to Plan a Post-Elopement Party

Adventure ElopementsJanuary 14, 2021

Black Wedding Dresses

Oregon ElopementsJanuary 11, 2021

Smith Rock Wedding

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Your elopement doesn’t have to be just one “we

Your elopement doesn’t have to be just one “wedding day” 👏

Two-day (or even three-day!) elopements are unforgettable because you have time to soak in every single moment & detail, without feeling rushed to squeeze every activity into a single day without having time for spontaneous exploration.

Michelle & Jeremy experienced so much into their celebratory weekend, resulting in not only gorgeous photos but also beautiful experiences and joyful moments with their loved ones to look back on.

These two set aside a whole day before their wedding to spend together—starting with witnessing an incredible meteor shower as we hiked up a mountain pass. Michelle & Jeremy sat nestled among the wildflowers (careful not to trample any!) and sipped coffee as the sun rose over the mountains.

After sunrise, they set off for an adventure through a nearby cave, which blew us all away by how massive it was inside, and then we finished out the first day at a nearby winery where they greeted their loved ones who planned to attend the next day’s ceremony ❤️

On the second day, Michelle & Jeremy got ready in their wedding attire & headed to the Grand Tetons, where they basked in the warm morning alpenglow 🌄

Their immediate family and closest friends joined Michelle & Jeremy at their ceremony location, and their heartfelt vows had us all pretty choked up—even a momma & baby moose came to see what all the fuss was about (we of course gave them lots of space to enjoy the ceremony in peace).

It was easy to tell just how much Michelle & Jeremey were reveling in every moment of their stress-free elopement 💕

I can’t help but think how incredibly special it is that they now have photos of all those precious moments with each other & their loved ones to share—an entire weekend's worth of joy & celebrating with those closest to you is pretty priceless if you ask me!

When considering what kind of coverage you want for your elopement, think of the experience as a whole without having to pick & choose which parts you want documented… because it’s not only about the ceremony & couples’ portraits 😉

What else would you want captured on your elopement day? 👋

xx Amber

Don’t skip the florals for your elopement! You c

Don’t skip the florals for your elopement! You can forego a lot of other wedding traditions, but having a beautiful bouquet or boutonnière can truly make your day feel like a wedding 🌻

Florals are a beautiful organic “detail” that ties in the natural landscape & your wedding attire in an effortless way. Flowers typically match or compliment you two while acting as a natural bridge to the scenery surrounding you. And something about flowers seriously makes your photos pop—and they can be stunning in your detail shots!

Having a bouquet (if that’s the route you decide to go!) also gives you something to do with your hands in photos 💐Having a floral piece of art to hold on to can help take the stress out of the “but what do I do with my hands?” question you might be wondering while taking portraits.

And when you’re ready to be hands-free, a bouquet is the perfect accessory for dressing up your backpack!

Although we are pro-florals, we are against stressing about them! So we’ll let you in on a secret: finding beautiful flowers for your elopement is easier than you’d think.

We’ve helped plan elopements all over the world, and there are so many talented florists worldwide… but if you can’t find a florist that works for your day, consider popping into a florist boutique to see if they have anything on-hand—or go to a local market or grocery store to get flowers to make your own bouquets!

If you know ahead of time that you’d like to make your own flower arrangements, you can also look into if any of your local florists offer workshops! You & your partner could go to a workshop for a date night—and then arrange all of your own florals on the day of your elopement to create a detail that is entirely yours ❤️  
Florals are another special detail that make it feel like your elopement isn’t just any other hike on any other day—because your wedding day adventure deserves to be truly celebrated! 🌸

👋Tell us in the comments which flowers are your favorites!

xx Maddie Mae, Amber, & Tori

Want an unforgettable elopement day experience? Tr

Want an unforgettable elopement day experience? Try a 3-mile hike with an 1,800 ft. elevation gain to get to your dream spot!

Stephanie & Sarah lucked out on their October elopement. It wasn’t your typical rainy PNW day—instead, it was unusually warm & the sun was shining. The weather was perfect for tackling the trail up to their elopement location!

This trail was 3 miles round trip, but don’t let that fool you! In the 1.5 mile trek up, we gained an elevation of 1,800 feet—and at some points it was a 60% grade 🤯 But we were prepared with extra layers, good shoes, snacks, water, and great company!

Stopping to catch our breath was a lot less painful thanks to the gorgeous scenery, and as we neared the end of the hike, we found ourselves surrounded by a sea of huckleberry bushes, a sweet surprise to reward us for all the trail put us through (don’t worry—as someone from the region, I was able to identify the berries with confidence)!

The hazy pink sky illuminated the craggy peaks around their elopement spot, and the turquoise lake below them was surrounded by red & orange foliage. It was everything Stephanie & Sara imagined & more for their wedding day.

After spending hours playing in the colorful foliage, we were tasked with hiking down. The entire descent we kept asking ourselves if we were hiking the right section, because it was SO steep. Turns out wedding day adrenaline & incredible views can really distract you from the rocks you’re scrambling up 😂

I’m not sure what took Stephanie & Sara’s breath away more—seeing one another in their dresses for the first time, the trek up to their elopement location, or the beautiful lake where they said “I do” ❤️

xx Tori

It’s starting to get cold here in CO & OR—but

It’s starting to get cold here in CO & OR—but that doesn’t mean you have to stop dreaming of being somewhere warm for your 2022 elopement! ☀️ 2022 travel updates coming at ya!

We’re still a few months out from 2022, but the Adventure Instead team is already busy planning some seriously epic beach & desert elopements for our couples wanting to elope in the first half of next year to avoid frostbite and instead seek out a sunny winter escape!

So, where in the world can you find Adventure Instead in the first 6 months of 2022?

January // Death Valley (Southern California), Joshua Tree National Park (Southern California)
February // Arizona, Mexico, Utah
March // Arizona, New Mexico, Southern California, St. Lucia, Utah
April // Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah
May // Arizona, Belize, Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado), Greece, Iceland, Oregon, Utah
June // Alaska, Europe & the Alps, Greece, Iceland, Olympic National Park (Washington), Oregon, Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado), Switzerland

Is there anywhere else you think we should go? 👇

👉 Check out our full 2022 travel schedule on our site (or in today’s stories)!

We're prepared to chase waterfalls, run down sand dunes, scramble up sandstone, & splash in the ocean to capture your wedding day—are you ready to plan an adventure with us? If so, head over to our website to contact us to see if we still have your date available!

And if you have another elopement location in mind that’s not on this list, feel free to contact us because we may still have space 🙌

We’re seriously SO stoked to see everything that next year brings—can't wait to see you out there!

xx Maddie Mae, Amber, & Tori

Your wedding photos deserve to be more than some p

Your wedding photos deserve to be more than some pixels on a screen… buried on a hard drive or in a sad little folder on your phone.

We get it—it’s become habit these days for photos to only exist digitally. Thousands of memories & screenshots stacked up in the cloud… intangible… lost in an endless digital sea.

But don’t you think that the photos of your wedding day deserve more than that? More than being in the same place as a screenshot of a funny meme and a bunch of documents on the cloud for work?

Trust us… we get it. We aren’t really into “stuff” either. But an album is more than just a book… it’s an experience.

All you have to do is hold it in your hands, and you can re-live your elopement day without distractions, without being disconnected with technology.

Your album is the final detail of your wedding day—your own personal time capsule. Your favorite photographs from your day artfully arranged in a powerful story that you can flip through with your own two hands & reminisce about how amazing your experience was.

And it's not just about re-experiencing your own story. Every time you pick it up or pull it off the shelf, your album creates new memories, with old & new friends or old & new family members for the rest of your lifetime

Your story matters. Your wedding day matters. Your memories of it matter.

Those moments can continue to be a part of your life and not just exist as 1 of 8000 photos in your camera roll (probably sandwiched between an accidental selfie & a screenshot of a recipe you’re never going to make 😂).

We’re honestly a bit sad that we didn’t realize how important albums were from the very beginning, but we’re making up for it now.

So we’re incredibly excited to officially release these hand-crafted storytelling albums—exclusively for Adventure Instead couples.

xx Maddie Mae, Amber & Tori

P.S. If you’re a couple that eloped with us and thinking about ordering albums for the holidays, don’t wait! Check your inbox soon for more details or send us a DM if you’re interested & we’ll send all the details your way!

Getting married doesn’t have to be just a one-da

Getting married doesn’t have to be just a one-day event—Alek & Justin celebrated their elopement by taking a month-long road trip!

Yes, you read that right: to celebrate, they were hitting the road for an entire month. The 4Runner we drove up to their epic elopement spot was also their home on wheels for the next month. Prepared with a bed in the back, clothes, & gear, they were ready for Moab, Idaho, & beyond. What adventurers!!

So when it came to planning their wedding day, the question wasn’t *if* they wanted to elope but *where* they wanted to elope. Alek & Justin landed on Colorado—and their first visit to this amazing state did not disappoint 🙌

We took in a golden sunrise, wandered among wildflowers (taking care not to trample them), and visited an Oregon-worthy waterfall. The alpine basin that they had chosen treated them to an unbelievable parade of colors—hopefully an indication of how beautiful the rest of their trip was going to be.

Their families also were more than happy to also make a big trip out of their Colorado elopement (not a month long one, but a trip nonetheless 😉). They took an open-air 4x4 Jeep to meet us at a gorgeous mountain overlook, where we all stood misty-eyed as Alek & Justin committed their life together.

We were also joined by another guest: Ferguson the dog, who mostly slept through their day 😂

It was beautiful to witness so many people who have a hunger for adventure come together to share that on Alek & Justin’s wedding day—and a great reminder that there are countless ways to explore the world & so many different ways that can look on your wedding day!

xx Amber

P.S. Inspired to plan your own adventurous Colorado elopement? Let us help you get started—check out the “How to Elope in Colorado” blog post linked in our bio!

Ever thought about an otherworldly desert elopemen

Ever thought about an otherworldly desert elopement? 🏜Nina & Jenn wanted colorful sands & big skies for their wedding day—and New Mexico fricken delivered!

And even better: their day was free of tourists & sweltering heats because they chose to elope in the late fall 🍂The desert is an amazing place to elope anytime but the summer (the opposite of a lot of other places). Mild & enjoyable desert weather usually starts to come around during October, so it was perfect for Nina & Jenn’s day 🙌

Nina & Jenn were able to catch the changing foliage and still have complete privacy during the intimate, peaceful moment when they exchanged their vows. As a bonus, the area is super dog-friendly, so their beloved schnauzer, Chip, got to have a front row view of the whole thing.

Eloping in the fall in the southwest also means that there are no weather-related road closures, so we were able to go from the picturesque rocks they got married at to a bridge 600 ft above a river gorge. They were such troopers and braved heights in exchange for panoramic views of painted skies & the kind of jaw-dropping sunset that you just don’t get anywhere else 🌅

They truly had it all—yellow leaves, stunning canyons & rock formations, national forests, towering river bridges, and grand sunsets!

Afterwards, Nina & Jenn headed back to their hotel, which was a collection of vintage campers overflowing with that southwest charm & character ✨Even though the weather is nice during the day, it still cools down enough at night for peak cozy fall vibes. They donned some jackets, built a fire, and ended their day with snuggling, s’mores, & stargazing. The perfect end to the sweetest day.

Not to be biased or anything, but this region—and at this time of year—is hard to top! Who’s considering eloping in the desert right now? 🌵

xx Amber

P.S. Want to find other epic Southwestern elopement locations? Then you won’t want to miss the blog linked in today’s stories!

Ashley & Morgan saw Colorado as their personal can

Ashley & Morgan saw Colorado as their personal candy store of epic experiences & didn’t have to narrow down what they wanted to do for their elopement because they had TWO days to do everything.

That’s right, they had a 2-day elopement & not a single moment went to waste!

We started off the first day by heading up a ridge at dawn, and as the sun began to rise, they exchanged their vows, sprayed champagne between laughs, & soaked in the golden view 🌄

We then hiked to a nearby alpine lake, and let me tell you that these two didn’t give a second thought to hopping onto a raft, paddling out the lake’s island, stripping down to their birthday suits, & yelling in victory at the top of their lungs.

Later in the day, we headed to the sand dunes to catch the sunset. I wouldn’t say we hiked the dunes—more so they danced, wrestled, & played among them 😂 Once it got chilly, they snuggled up to watch the stars appear in the sky one by one and debated their plans for the next day: ziplining, horseback riding, or finding some hot springs?

When the next morning arrived, they were lucky to snag same day reservations for horseback riding, and we were off! The 1.5-hour horseback trail showed off gorgeous mountains & aspen groves.

Mere hours after finishing our trail ride we were on another hike— knee deep in ice cold water, making our way through a slot canyon to a waterfall. By the time the second day was done, their sunrise vows from just the day before felt like another lifetime!

It would’ve been impossible to pack everything we did into one single day, and Ashley & Morgan made THE MOST out of their two-day elopement 👏

So if you’re having a hard time narrowing down what you would like to do & don’t want to forgo different experiences, then consider a two-day (or even three-day 💪) elopement instead!!

Having a generous timeline will be your best friend in making sure that you’re experiencing each moment to the fullest on your wedding day instead of just rushing to the next thing.

Head on over to our stories for our best tips & tricks about creating your own elopement timeline 🙌

xx Amber

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