Miranda and Hayley could tell you how...
These two brides had exactly that - an absolutely perfect elopement day. No family drama. No seating charts. No venue to book or decorate. There was no order of ceremonies or obligatory conversations with guests they barely knew, and no one to please but themselves.
When they first reached out to me, they weren't sure where they wanted to elope. Maine was their first thought, but Oregon also seemed like a good fit. Miranda wrote: "We are in the very beginning stages and have no idea what we are doing. We will need all the guidance you can give!" And anyone who's met me knows that when it comes to helping with elopement planning, you dont have to ask me twice. ;)
After talking more about their preferences,Miranda and Hayley decided on the California Redwoods and Southern Oregon Coast. I helped them plan their day, and then almost a year after we first met on zoom, these two flew 2300 miles - all the way from North Carolina - to elope in the beauty of the Pacific Northwest and IT. WAS. MAGICAL.
So, here are 7 steps, along with indisputable photographic proof, of how to have a perfect wedding day.
1 - Start your morning with massive trees.
Eloping in the California redwoods.
Hiking through the redwoods on their elopement day.
2 - Have a brunch picnic with chipmunks and stellar's jays.
3 - Take off your shoes and wade in a beautiful sparkling turquoise river
4 - Search for a giant 4-leaf clover
5 - Marvel at the coastal marine layer and how it floats across the tops of the trees.
5 - Choose your favorite spot on a rocky beach and exchange personal vows in complete privacy
6 - Pop champagne and eat wedding cake (no plates necessary)
7 - Build a fire on the beach, and talk about how perfect the day was, and how you couldn't imagine getting married any other way.
Okay, obviously this isn't the recipe for a perfect wedding day for everyone. All of my couples are wonderfully different, with unique personalities and preferences. That's WHY I am an elopement photographer after spending over a decade working with big, fancy, high-profile Dallas weddings. I gave up those big weddings because the inspiration and uniqueness was so quickly overrun by wedding "trends", busy timelines and the general vibe of "this is what we are expected to do" and "this makes us look good". Eloping couples want to escape the performance and find the room to be intentional about how they get married and THAT is the kind of thing I get excited about.
Every couple I work with is beautiful and unique and that is how every elopement should be. I spend a lot of time working with each couple through planning calls, well-planned questionnaires and personalized guides - and I do this because I am NOT a formula person. So no, obviously these arent 7 things that every couple should do to guarantee their "perfect elopement day".
But there is a theme in their day that I believe should be a blueprint for everyone: Do what you love, in a location that inspires you, without feeling the pressure to perform for anyone.
So, let's start this over again:
