California Elopements Archives | Adventure Instead

California ElopementsMarch 25, 2021

Joshua Tree Wedding Guide

Adventure ElopementsDecember 29, 2020

Best of 2020

Adventure ElopementsSeptember 25, 2020

Yosemite Elopement

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“We are all a little weird and life's a little w

“We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.”
- Dr. Seuss

Stop looking at Instagram or Pinterest for inspiration on how your wedding photos should look—and instead ask, “what would be the most ‘us’?” and “what would be the most fun”?

For Kasia & Dan, it was running around and seeing who could completely “eat it” on the sand dunes and then having a fake wrestling match in their matching WWE belts.

And their day was crazy fun and “them” as hell.

You don’t have to be anything other than exactly what you are.

You are awesome.

Embrace your weirdness.

Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk,

xx Maddie Mae

I don’t think I’ve ever taken photos of a coup

I don’t think I’ve ever taken photos of a couple in a location that was this adventurous (or took this many forms of transportation to get to).

Claire & PJ were the very first couple I had to reschedule last year when the pandemic hit—their Hawaii elopement was set to happen during the very week in March when the first shutdown was announced.

So when we were dreaming up some new plans that would be secluded and warm for that same date the following year—we came up with the plan to rent a houseboat on Lake Powell.

Lake Powell is 185 miles long and takes literally over a week to travel from end to end via houseboat, so when I was location scouting for them, I found quite a few incredible hidden gems.

But the clear winner was this slot canyon. I found it on one lonely blog post—zero info on google maps, AllTrails, or any other database. It required taking a boat to where the canyon gets too narrow, then paddling via a kayak or SUP through the narrow bit of the canyon until we hit dry land, and then hiking in to find the slot canyon.

I was only 90% sure this location existed and was where I thought it was, so to be sure, Amber & I rented a powerboat the day before their elopement and then paddled our SUP to the end and then hiked into the canyon to go check it out. When we hit the narrow part when it turned into a slot canyon—we both literally squealed with joy. It was absolutely stunning, and unlike most slot canyons, there wasn't another soul in sight.

For their elopement day the next day, Claire & PJ took a double kayak and their two best friends had one too. Amber & I had both sets of our camera gear and the both of us on 1 paddleboard, so we could trade off shooting and paddling.

Just before we got to the narrow part, Claire changed into her dress, and we had this entire gorgeous slot canyon to ourselves. It was so peaceful and quiet, we could only hear the faint sounds of wind through the canyon.

I love locations that not only are stunning destinations, but also an incredible story and adventure to get to—and this one is towards the top of my all-time favorites.

1000% recommend Lake Powell in March/April—join us next year!

xx Maddie Mae

Most of the elopement locations I find for couples

Most of the elopement locations I find for couples come from online research or exploring in-person, but Fiona & Seth actually chose their elopement location from a book.

Fiona had recently found a book of all the fire watch towers in Washington (there are SO many) & because they are avid hikers decided they wanted to get married at one of the places listed in the guide.

This particular lookout is no small venture—the hike is more than 8 miles with over 3000 feet of elevation gain. We trekked up almost entirely in the dark by the light of headlamps, surrounded by fog.

👉 One benefit of hiking in the dark & fog was the inability to psych ourselves out—there were no false summits to see this early in the morning, so we just kept on steadily hiking forward!

One ridgeline looked so steep & jagged, it appeared unhikable—but we could see the outline of a box perched at the top & knew that must be our destination. We made it to the top around sunrise, but the cloud inversion we had seen from below had now enveloped us in fog.

But a few minutes later, we could start to see the surrounding peaks, so Fiona & Seth changed into their wedding clothes & then climbed out onto an aggressive rock outcropping for a first look. It wasn't the sort of place I'd recommend for a couple who don't like heights—but for Fiona & Seth it was exactly what they wanted.

After their first look, they went right into reading their vows, with the background of one of the most stunning cloud inversions I’ve ever seen. Their best friend had come along for the hike & married them at what was turning into a clear view of the surrounding mountains and lake below.

Even for couples who love hiking, a trek like this on your wedding day isn’t for everyone but I’d say this one was for sure worth the early wake up call! What do you think?

👉Would you go for a long hike like this or prefer a 4x4 or helicopter to get to your elopement destination?

I personally feel like my favorite views are the ones that I work my a** off for—there’s something about putting sweat into the journey that makes it even more beautiful when you get there—but maybe I’m weird 😜

xx Amber

I had everything planned and ready to go for Julie

I had everything planned and ready to go for Julie & Mike’s intimate wedding the first week of April when suddenly the world stopped. The plans for their day quickly fell away under the weight of an unprecedented pandemic. So we all decided it would be best to reschedule for some “unknown” time in the future when we had a better grasp on things and Julie wasn’t working long tireless nights in the ICU.

July 17th 7:58 am 💌 “Mike and I have a spur of the moment question for you. We are pretty eager to get married and are ready to make this feel like a true elopement! I have a random week off next month. We were going to see if this would at all be POSSIBLE.”

I said “yes” (of course) and less than a month later, Julie & Mike & I headed to the Oregon Coast in a vintage VW van, overflowing with flowers thanks to their florist turning their original deposit into some elopement magic ✨ They said their vows, just the two of them, by the sea. Julie was barefoot the entire day, climbing cliffs and running down sand dunes. And I swear, a smile never left his face.

Their entire day was spontaneous and more *them* than even their original plan for that date back in April. They celebrated with charcuterie & champagne, watched the sunset turn the sky into a palette of pastels, and cozied up in their van to camp for the night under a sky full of stars.

As the COVID fog of the last year starts to lift, the one lesson I’ll be grateful that 2020 taught us, is what really matters—and to not let any opportunity for joy in life pass us by without seizing it.

xx Tori

Mallory & Robert's Colorado elopement was the perf

Signs & symptoms that you might want to elope👇

Signs & symptoms that you might want to elope👇

🤔 Start by asking yourself these questions:

• Does your heart start racing or do you feel nauseous when you think about reading your private vows to your partner in front of a huge crowd of people?
• Does the idea of walking down the aisle with 200+ people staring at you make your skin crawl?
• Has the idea of eloping or "just running away" become all-consuming in the face of the MOUNTAIN of planning materials you've somehow acquired for your traditional wedding?

Whether you'd consider yourself an introvert, a private person, or you simply don't ascribe to the set of wedding traditions that don't align with your values—eloping just might be the solution to turn your wedding into YOUR dream celebration (rather than a recurring nightmare).

This should be obvious, but, you should NEVER have to think, "I can't wait for this to be over" when it comes to your wedding day…

You DESERVE a day that is so much more than stress, unattainable expectations & impersonal traditions.

If the planning process is already bringing you to the brink, it's time to step back & reevaluate what you really want out of this day.

If there's nothing else you take away from following this IG account, we want it to be this 👇

Your wedding day is YOUR day & no one except you & your partner should decide what you do, how you do it, or bring you down. We support intentional, unique intimate celebrations that create a safe space for couples to be their authentic selves.

Anything short of your *dream* wedding is less than you deserve & we'll always be the loudest people in your corner encouraging you to ELOPE 🙌

xx Maddie Mae, Amber, & Tori

P.S. Head to our stories today for more resources on how to figure out if eloping is right for you!

🤔WEDDINGS VS. ELOPEMENTS // DIFFERENCE #3 WHAT

🤔WEDDINGS VS. ELOPEMENTS // DIFFERENCE #3 WHAT YOU SPEND MONEY ON

The average cost of a wedding in the US is over $33,000. That number has been rising for years, and while it sounds like a *HUGE* amount of money to spend on a wedding, it goes pretty quickly when you think about all the high-cost items that weddings traditionally include:

💸 A venue that can host 150-300 people
💸 Catering for 150-300 people
💸 Rentals: chairs, tables, etc.
💸 Accommodation & travel for multiple parties
💸 Event planner
💸 A band or DJ
💸 Hair & makeup & flowers for multiple parties
💸 An officiant
💸 Photography
💸 Videography
💸 Attire & Rings
💸 Invitations & guest favors & more...

On the other hand, while it’s actually a myth that couples choose to elope just because it’s “cheaper”—it is true that couples elope because they value experiences over things, and don’t see the point of spending money on all a bunch of pointless “stuff” 👆

While elopements certainly tend to cost less than big weddings, the bigger difference is *what* you’re actually spending your money on. With elopements, it's about QUALITY over QUANTITY:

💸 Photography & location scouting help
💸 Travel
💸 Accommodation for you & your partner
💸 Attire, Rings, & accessories
💸 Hair & makeup & flowers (optional)
💸 Officiant (optional)

The truth is, you can spend & save with both weddings & elopements—in our experience, your money goes much farther toward your *dream* experience with an elopement.

The average couple we work with now spends MORE on photography and our planning help than any couple ever used to when I photographed big weddings—however their overall budget is certainly less because they save costs in other areas.

Maybe your travel costs will be more, because you bought flights to a paradise destination across the globe, instead of a big venue in your hometown—but you'll save a ton of catering, getting a fancy dinner for two, instead of a buffet to feed over 200, etc.

Bottom line: it's about investing in experiences & things you *really* want and what matters to you 🙌

💪ELOPE!

xx Maddie Mae

P.S.Check out the link in our stories today to see a full elopement budget breakdown on our blo

🤔WEDDINGS VS. ELOPEMENTS // DIFFERENCE #2: TIME

🤔WEDDINGS VS. ELOPEMENTS // DIFFERENCE #2: TIME WITH YOUR PARTNER

✨Imagine this: You wake up the morning of your wedding day & enjoy a quiet few hours with your partner—drinking coffee or tea & reading letters of support from family & friends. Eventually, you head to separate rooms for a bit to get ready & meet back up for a special "first look" outside your Airbnb with the mountains in the background.

You hug your partner & take some moments to think about how THIS is the day you're going to get married! Eventually, when you're ready, you leave together & head toward the trailhead of a short hike up the mountain where you've enjoyed many afternoons since you met.

At the trailhead are half a dozen of your closest family & friends, ready to hike with you. The ceremony itself is short & sweet—afterward you share a picnic with your guests, who all wish you well before bidding you adieu. Now, you get to enjoy the view with just your partner as you listen to a playlist of your favorite songs from the bluetooth speaker you brought along for the hike and watch the sunset ✨

—

Doesn't that sound like the BEST day ever?! Exchange "hike" for whatever activity you enjoy the most & I'll bet this sounds kind of like the perfect stress-free wedding day. 🙌

Unfortunately on the other side… most big, traditional weddings result in couples spending hardly ANY time together! Most get just 15-20 minutes of portraits between the ceremony & reception.

We think that’s pretty ridiculous. Why plan this big elaborate celebration of your relationship and then not get to enjoy the day with your partner?! For those of us who've photographed traditional weddings in the past, it's heartbreaking to think how often the end of the day found the newlywed couple exhausted, ready to be alone & just *done.* 😭

Elopements are the total opposite—at the end of the day, after sharing the most EPIC adventure together, couples are fulfilled, excited & savoring every last second. 🥰

👇 Which day would you rather experience?

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