West Coast Archives - Adventure Instead

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Elopement IdeasJanuary 10, 2022

Waterfall Wedding Venues in Oregon – 8 Unique Options + Tips

Planning ResourcesJuly 6, 2021

Getting Married in Mt Hood National Forest

2-Person CeremoniesJanuary 4, 2021

Cannon Beach Wedding | Mitzi & Scott

Elopement IdeasFebruary 6, 2019

Why You Should Elope in the Pacific Northwest—Washington, Oregon & Idaho

2-Person CeremoniesJanuary 15, 2018

Eloping on Mt. Rainier, in Isolation, Just each other

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Have you ever considered getting married in the tr

Have you ever considered getting married in the tropics—exchanging vows in a place with year-round warm weather, surrounded by an incredible array of flora & fauna?

If so, you might want to consider eloping in these tropical destinations 🌴

🌺 Hawaii—Endless wonders & hidden gems to explore! No matter the island, Hawaii offers stunning ridges, endless greenery, postcard perfect beaches, a vibrant local culture, & so much more! AND you don’t even have to leave the United States

🇲🇽 Mexico—You can never get enough of Mexico! The Yucatan is packed full of amazing jungles, wildlife, wildflowers, & cenotes (freshwater pools) that are otherworldly—not to mention lovely beaches & one of the largest coral reefs in the world

🇨🇷 Costa Rica—This country is a nature-lover’s paradise with beaches, rainforest, volcanoes, & everything in-between. Imagine eloping at a waterfall during the day, soaking in a hot spring at night, & spending the next day ziplining through the rainforest

🇱🇨 St. Lucia—Arguably the most beautiful of the Caribbean islands, this location is home to luxury resorts elegantly blended into the jungle, Pitons (mountains), dreamy beaches, and distinctive birds, insects & flowers

🇧🇿 Belize—This English-speaking country offers a delightful blend of Caribbean and Latin American cultures. Scenery options are limitless with Cayes (island/coral reef chains), luxurious accommodations, exciting diving & snorkeling, & mind-blowing jungle escapes

WILD CARD:   
🇵🇪 Peru - One part intensely beautiful Andes, one part beachfront wonders, one part Amazon rainforest, & one part endless bucket list sites—add them together and you have a country with endless possibilities!

When you elope in the tropics, you can also:
🔆 Add an epic honeymoon to your elopement
🔆 Explore a bucket list destination

So what is your favorite tropical location? How can we make your bucket list elopement come true?

xx Rebecca

P.S. We still have tropical locations available within our schedule:
✴️ 2022—Hawaii, Costa Rica, Belize, Caribbean, St. Lucia, & more
✴️ 2023—Hawaii & more
Check our “Travel Schedule” highlight for the full details!

👋 Would you elope by a waterfall? One of the b

👋 Would you elope by a waterfall?

One of the best parts about choosing a ceremony spot near a waterfall is that your vows are kept a secret between you, your partner, and the falls as you’re surrounded by a veil of mist, the sound of cascading water, and dense vegetation.

Sounds romantic as heck, right?!

Oregon is known for its lush green forests and hundreds of waterfalls, there are so many to choose from! I’ve spent countless hours scouting out hidden gems and finding the best of the best for elopements 😉

And pro-tip: if you’re hoping to include a visit to a waterfall on your elopement day, you’ll probably want to aim to elope in the spring—the volume of water is at its peak following the rainy season and snow melt!

xx Tori

P.S. Want to learn more about amazing Oregon waterfalls or how to plan your own waterfall elopement? Check out our “Waterfall Wedding Venues in Oregon” blog post linked in today’s stories!

Ever wondered how to *pack* your wedding dress for

Ever wondered how to *pack* your wedding dress for travel or an adventure?
Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered 🙌! After photographing hundreds of hiking, jeeping, & traveling elopements—we’ve figured out foolproof methods that work!
The *secret* is finding the perfect combo of material, structure, & packing method 😉
👉 If your dress is lightweight & has *no* stiff internal structure, follow these steps:
1️⃣ Roll instead of fold. Get a sturdy packing roll and start from top-down. Fold in your skirt to lay as flat as possible at the same width as your bodice.
2️⃣ Once you’ve rolled up your dress, put it in a large waterproof bag. This will keep your attire safe from rain, spilled wine, & any other liquid tragedy!
👉 If your dress is *does* have structure (like flexible internal “boning”) or you’re flying & want it to lay flat in a suitcase, follow this method:
1️⃣ Hang your dress up high so you can work with the whole skirt and train.
2️⃣ Take the left & right sides of your gown–fold them in toward the center. This should result in your skirt laying flat at the same width as your bodice.
3️⃣ Roll up whatever excess train is longer than your garment bag. Zip up the bag carefully, making sure you don’t catch any of the fabric!
4️⃣ Fold the garment bag over as few times as possible to get it to fit in your suitcase or bag.
Follow these methods and your dress will arrive at your elopement destination as good as new! ✨Happy packing! 🧳🎒
P.S. Some dresses wrinkle more easily than others–try to choose a wrinkle-resistant fabric or pattern (lace hides wrinkles super well!). A steamer or spray bottle can help with wrinkles too!

Jess & Ryan wanted their wedding experience to be

Jess & Ryan wanted their wedding experience to be entirely theirs—so we crafted their day to be exactly that ✨

Although I had gotten to know Jess & Ryan during the planning process, I knew immediately when I met them in-person on their wedding day that their connection was something truly special.

They began their day at a lake on the Olympic Peninsula. Thanks to the moody October weather, they had privacy to create so many meaningful moments, like when Ryan turned to see Jess on the shoreside for their first look and burst into tears before burying his head into her shoulder.

They spent the morning exploring around the area—skipping rocks, taking in the scenery from the dock, and enjoying a lakeside picnic where they spread out a blanket that Jess’ grandparents had received for their 50th anniversary (seems like good luck, right?), and reading letters from loved ones.

After that, we headed into the mountains for their ceremony—clouds would swirl around us and create a whiteout before suddenly clearing to reveal sweeping views and epic cloud inversions tucked into the mountains below. It was seriously breathtaking!

Ryan started off their ceremony, and he kept kissing Jess on the cheek or hand as he read his vows to her. He wiped away her tears before she shared her vows with him—it was impossible not to get swept away by the powerful emotion of their ceremony 🖤

We took some portraits to celebrate—and the special thing about taking some individual portraits is that it provides a completely new perspective, giving each partner the opportunity to step back and really admire their new spouse and the amazing landscape they chose to get married in.

Then dusk began to settle, and we ended the day with some blue hour portraits in front of Jeep headlights and popped some champagne to celebrate 🍾

You should immerse yourself in the experience, get lost in the joy of it all, and use your wedding day to connect even more deeply with your partner, and that’s exactly what Jess & Ryan did.

It’s truly soul-fulfilling to be a part of 🖤

xx Tori

New year, new goals, & new adventures ❤️

It’s been a while since we’ve introduced ourselves here—so if you’re new, welcome! We’re so stoked you found your way to us & would love to share a bit about who makes up this incredible “Adventure Instead” team 👇

👉 Maddie Mae—the original photographer & founder of Adventure Instead! Based in Fort Collins, I’ve always been one to push against the status quo, to choose adventure over comfort & new memories over mundane routine. Elopements speak to my soul, and I love helping couples feel the same 💍 Eloped in Peru on New Years Day & Amber photographed it!

👉 Amber—photographer based in Estes Park, Colorado. I began my wedding photography journey back in high school, but found I connected way more with adventure elopements through my love of experiences in the outdoors 💍 We had a sunrise lakeside elopement in Colorado!

👉 Tori— photographer based in Bend, Oregon. My photography journey began in the fashion world while studying at SCAD, but I craved a lifestyle that gave me more time in nature. I discovered that I was most inspired photographing couples in the outdoors, which I get to do all the time now in the PNW 💍 Eloped in the snow with loved ones in Colorado

👉 Rebecca—the newest addition to the team, I am a Travel Advisor (CTA) who has turned my MFA in International Journalism and love of travel into a passion for planning elopements all over the globe! I want to make travel accessible to everyone & help them create priceless memories 💍 Dreaming of a vow renewal in Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

We always strive to be so much more than photographers or planners—we are your elopement guides, location matchmakers, vendor network, and adventure buddies… and our goal for all of our couples this year (& beyond) is to be the absolute best storytellers that we can be for your elopement day ✨

You deserve to have a true-to you wedding day where you can commit your life to your partner in a way that is authentic to your relationship—and you should have that story captured in a creative way that is true & unique to your story because your story matters more than anything ❤️

Are you in?

xx The Adventure Instead team

Where can you have an epic elopement with us in 20

Where can you have an epic elopement with us in 2022… with NO travel fees? 🙌
We are always super stoked to photograph elopements in our home states of Colorado & Oregon, where you can book us at any time with no travel fees…

But did you know that if you book within our travel schedule, you can also elope at any of the incredible places listed below with NO travel fees?

So are you ready to see where we’re headed in 2022?! Here’s a sneak peek👇

FEBRUARY
• Lake Powell (Northern Arizona & Southern Utah)
• Hawaii (Kauai)

MARCH
• Southern California
• Hawaii (Big Island & Maui)
• Arizona
• Utah
• New Mexico

APRIL
• Arizona
• Lake Powell

MAY
• Northern California
• Iceland

JUNE
• Alaska
• Switzerland
• Washington
• Italian Alps (Dolomites)
• French Alps (Chamonix)

JULY
• Alaska

AUGUST
• Washington
• Wyoming

SEPTEMBER
• Hawaii (Kauai)
• Washington
• Montana

OCTOBER
• Washington
• Northern California
• Southern California

NOVEMBER
• Hawaii (Kauai, Maui, & Big Island)
• Southern California
• Utah
• New Mexico
• Arizona

DECEMBER
• Hawaii (Kauai, Maui, & Big Island)
• Southern California
• Caribbean & Central America (Belize, Costa Rica, & Saint Lucia)

👉 Check out today’s stories for more information & specific dates that we still have available or find the full travel schedule on our site!

And if you have a different elopement location in mind, feel free to still reach out—we have some space left in our schedule for a few more amazing places!

Can’t wait to plan so many more adventures for the year ahead!

xx Maddie, Amber, & Tori

P.S. Once we release our travel schedule, dates get booked up SUPER quickly—check out our stories to find specific dates we still have available and to reach out so we can start planning your dream elopement!

Three years ago, on New Years Day… I woke up at

Three years ago, on New Years Day… I woke up at 5am, at 14,000ft to the sound of rain on my tent, and got ready by the light of a headlamp, to get married at sunrise.

I’m pretty sure I spent the entire 30 minutes I was trying to read my vows, sobbing. I had written my vows on the back of photos of our dog, Fionn, so Alistair kept turning my cards over to show me the dog, to help me stop crying so I could read again.

The clouds were swirling around us while we said our vows—completely engulfing us at one point. Cloud inversions are my favorite type of weather, and everything out this day just felt completely unreal.

And so have the last 3 years—starting a second business together, surviving a global pandemic, and gaining another wild fur child.

I feel the same way I felt on this day 3 years ago: I know that if I have you by my side, we can get through anything together.

Happy 3 of the weirdest & wildest years of marriage, Alistair. I love you ❤️

xx Maddie Mae

P.S. 3 years in & zero regrets that our elopement was just us. Just gratitude ❤️

📷: Amber of @adventureinstead 💕💕

Where does the time go?! Even though 2021 flew by

Where does the time go?!

Even though 2021 flew by so insanely quickly, we love this time of year when we can pause & truly reflect back on everything that this year has brought for our team. So what all happened this year? 👇

1️⃣ Our meaningful jobs would not be possible without couples that trust us, and we feel SO thankful to each and every one of our couples this year that did just that ❤️ This year proved that once again that our couples are resilient, spontaneous, understanding, and truly down to *adventure instead* with us!

So thank you to the 112 couples who trusted us to document their elopements & intimate weddings across 10 different states & 5 other countries—we have the best job in the world because of you.

2️⃣We are so excited that 2021 also brought about one of our goals and visions: the launch of our handcrafted storytelling photo albums, exclusively for our Adventure Instead couples so that you can relive your celebratory day all over again & hold it in your hands 🙌It has been incredible seeing so many of our past couples finally have an album telling the story of their elopement day in hand!

3️⃣We also grew our team by hiring Rebecca—elopement planner & certified travel advisor. She quickly became an integral part in helping our couples have their dream elopement days!

4️⃣Our team collectively donated $26,900 to organizations that we love and support in 2021, including to offset not only our own carbon footprint but also to neutralize the carbon impact to all of our couples traveling to and from their elopement spots as well.

Honestly, some things can’t be put into 2,200 characters in an Instagram post—and that’s certainly not enough to sum up this WILD year…

👉 But you can check out the blog linked in today’s stories to get an even deeper look into everything that happened behind the scenes at Adventure Instead and to get a glimpse into every single elopement we captured in 2021!

At Adventure Instead, we see ALL of you 💕 We are continuously blown away and humbled by the support from our couples and the amazing photography community. We cannot wait to see what adventures 2022 has in store!!

xx Maddie, Amber, Tori, & Rebecca

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