I was in your shoes too! My Elopement Story

Our Elopement Story

After an adventurous backpacking proposal in Colorado, Mike and I were bombarded with the “have you picked a wedding date yet?” “where are you going to have your wedding” and the classic “I can’t wait to come to your wedding” said by some long lost friend or family member that definitely would not be invited. Just thinking back to those first few days of our engagement makes me exhausted now. For many couples though, you’re blissfully unaware to the stress that wedding planning entails and everything is fun and exciting.

Initially, we were just like you. Happy to engage with anyone and everyone about the lovely mountainside proposal and discussing the latest trends in the wedding industry we saw on Pinterest. And so began the slippery slope to planning a traditional wedding that checked each box, except the garter toss because just no. It’s funny in retrospect how slippery that slope really is because tradition bores down on your every decision and you quickly fall into line. Mike and I had previously discussed eloping when we decided to get married. That was always the plan but feel immediately off the table when the ring came out. Tradition is a bit like gravity, it’ll pull you down.

When we began interviewing photographers, we met with a lovely local couple, Rachel + Josh. A few drinks and an amazing chat later we knew we found the perfect pair to capture our special day. We discussed how we had thought of eloping but were thinking of staying local and having the big party so many people dream of. They shared with us a bit about there private elopement and that replanted the seed for us. Looking back, I think we called them that evening and said “we don’t know where or when, but we want to elope and we want you to capture it for us!”

Planning is my jam. I freaking love the research, itinerary set up, and hours spent scouring Pinterest and Instagram for the perfect location. Mike and I had elopements planned for Morocco, Sedona, Washington, Monaco, France, and literally everywhere out west. It was so darn hard to select a location. Ultimately, we settled on the Scottish Highlands for October 2020. Well well well, as we all fondly remember the pandemic of 2020, our plans were abruptly trashed and had to start all over again. With only a few months before the big day, we selected Garden of the Gods in Colorado for a sunrise elopement followed by photographs at Great Sand Dunes National Park and camping nearby. Finding words to describe the day in its entirety would be a disservice to how romantic, beautiful, and genuine the day truly was. The last word, genuine, really sums it all up. It was exactly what we both wanted and felt comfortable.

A Favorite Moment

Having the ability to be completely spontaneous during our elopement was one of the biggest draws. After our beautiful sunrise ceremony and lunch at a local spot we traveled to BLM land near Great Sand Dunes National Park. Our original plan? Sunset photos in the dunes. Did that happen? Nope, time wasn’t necessarily on our side because of a few hiccups like the BLM road which took over an hour to navigate 3 miles 😆 BUT that flexibility allowed us to soak in one of the most unreal sunsets I’ve ever witnessed AND we headed to the dunes the next day for pictures.

That’s the beauty of elopements: flexibility. During a traditional wedding you’re racing the clock all day long, always expected to be somewhere. There is no time to breath or just enjoy a moment with your spouse. You’ll need to expect hiccups too which might mean sacrificing something that was truly magical or important to your day. I encourage you to think long and hard about what is most important to you on your wedding day, you might suprise yourself and find that you too identify with eloping!

And you’ll get hilarious shots like this ⬇️ which are way more authentic and meaningful

My Thoughts to You

Mike and I sat right where you are today. Contemplating the unconventional. Contemplating following your heart. Elopements are still considered unorthodox and taking that leap can be difficult decision. This is your sign that it’s the right decision! And know that your badass photographer has also been through it too, as a COVID elopement bride no less, I can promise you that no hiccup is too big! You’ll have the most amazing day that you’ll look back and love every moment of. How many traditional wedding couples can say that?

So there you have it. A glimpse into the wondrous day that I married my life partner. Being able to take our time, do what we wanted to do, and celebrate how we saw fit is exactly what I envision weddings should be for all couples. Booking me as your photographer not only guarantees you lovely photographs that tell your love story but also a huge pre wedding resource to assist with the planning! Think eloping might be right for the two of you? Reach out today, I’d love to connect and hear your love story!

Photography by the talented husband and wife duo
Rachel Liz Photography + A Frame Digital