Best Elopement Tips for Any Destination or Location | Virginia Elopement Photographer
Just like every couple, every elopement is different! Everything from the expectations to the color scheme is unique and as a photographer, it’s my job to provide the best experience I possibly can for each couple’s legacy to live on!
Most people don’t know this, but elopements aren’t just running off and getting married anymore. Over the last couple of years, elopements and intimate weddings have become very much the same thing… a simple planned event for couples who run from stress and towards an experience, location or activity that brings them closer to each other and what they truly value.
As elopements become more popular around the world, the interest is starting to grow on the East Coast. Just like the West Coast, the Appalachian Mountains hold a lot of history and provide adventure that we East Coasters often take for granted. To help all those brides choosing simple and sentimental, here are some of the best elopement tips for any destination or location!
1. Embrace the Weather
Whether is by far our favorite detail for any elopement or wedding. Rain or shine, the weather is one of those details you won’t forget and I recommend embracing the elements and rolling with the punches! I personally got married in the rain and I’ve captured several elopements and engagements in the pouring rain and all of them were truly incredible!
Yes, your hair will most likely get wet and his suit will have rain drops all over it. The best thing though, is knowing you were in a gorgeous place like Shenandoah National Park atop the Appalachian Mountains, saying “I do” to your favorite person!
2. Talk to your photographer about a timeline!
I highly highly highly recommend you work with your elopement photographer (cough cough) on a timeline to capture the best lighting for your elopement. From details, to ceremony to the best part (the portraits), we as photographers know to avoid harsh lighting situations and will do our very best to crate a timeline that works cohesively with the weather. ALSO… every photographer has their favorite time of day to shoot at or around to help captivate their style and provide the best lighting for ceremony and portraits and this is one of the things you hire them for. Whether that’s sunrise for a morning hue or sunset for a sweet golden glow.
3. Choose an outfit you feel comfortable in!
No matter if you are eloping on a dock at Smith Mountain Lake or hiking in Shenandoah National Park, where a suit or dress you feel comfortable in. Make sure you can breathe and make sure you can move because I’ve seen it happen before… I’ve had a bride’s zipper break and groom’s pants rip (thankfully on separate occasions). BUT, it’s happened! Thankfully, they were both at elopements and we laughed at it then and we can still laugh about it now but being comfortable is crucial! If you’re hiking, bring hiking boots. If you’re on the beach, I recommend going barefoot and having sandals. The smallest of details are often the best to photograph because it’s details like these that make your elopement unique!
4. Be ready to get dirty!
While I try to avoid this when the bride mentions it, I always tell my brides getting your dress dirty is part of my elopement experience. If you go home with a clean dress, we didn’t explore enough! Some brides who choose to elope are explorers and that’s okay! Some brides want a downtown wedding while other’s want an elopement surrounded by the Appalachian Mountains. Either way, prepare yourself to get dirty. Rain, mud, flowers, bugs and more somehow magnetize to a wedding dress. The best kind of dirty dress though is one that is rimmed at the bottom from dragging along a cliff a bit muddy from hiking a trail. It’s a trend on the West Coast to have dirty dresses and I’m hoping we can bring that attitude and trend to the Shenandoah Valley and up along the East Coast.
5. Hire a professional florist for your bouquet.
There’s proof in the details. While everyone has their own creative outlet, I am 100% that person that says hire a professional florist for your elopement. They will be able to get their hands on some of the prettiest of flowers and truly know how to sculpt a masterpiece that will elevate your elopement persona. From simple to extravagant, it’s worth the additional cost to have someone make a professional bouquet.
The question of is it necessary for a small elopement comes up quite often and I always answer, YES! I recommend a bride have a bouquet but a professional one at that. Some brides dry their bouquets out, some take them home to put in a vase to enjoy a while longer and some give them to friends or family who attended. Either way, I truly believe it’s the finishing detail that pulls your outfit together.
My favorite bouquets have always been the most intricate and colorful ones that you wouldn’t dream of together until you see it with your own eyes. The realization hits and you want to know, who created that floral wonder?!
BONUS… Jump out of your comfort zone!
As a full-time photographer, I live for pushing boundaries and trying something new! What’s even better… is when it turns out like this! Night portraits are by far one of the things that pushes a lot of photographers out of their comfort zones but these moments are worth capturing just as much as the gorgeous mountain photos! Another way to jump out of your comfort zone is to try different locations. From mountains to cityscapes, barns to ballrooms… this is your time to celebrate and remember so while some say don’t jump out of your comfort zone, I say its worth considering!
