What to do on your elopement day!
Zack + Andrea got married in Sedona at Cathedral Rock! Even though Cathedral Rock is one of the busiest places in Sedona to elope; we made sure that they felt like they had the whole place to themselves while they created their perfect wedding day.
FLORIST: MOELLEUX EVENTS
HAIR + MAKEUP: SUPERSTITIONS MAKEUP CO
One way we did this, is by finding small spots along the whole hike that were tucked away from the main trail. We snuck away off the trail for the ceremony, for their first dance + for the little picnic they had! We even found a “secret spot” at the top of Cathedral Rock that not many people know about! It was JUST the two of them in this epic spot!
(All while keeping with Leave No Trace principles as we went “off the trail”.)
While planning this wedding day with them, I encouraged Andrea + Zack to think about what else they’d like to do on their wedding day besides just get married! Andrea + Zack chose to have a small picnic with their favorite sandwiches and their favorite beers from Michigan. They chose to have a first dance because they loved that aspect of traditional weddings! And they went on one epic, bad ass hike!
(they had random hikers sign as their witnesses, how cool is that?)
I always encourage my couples to think of their wedding day as more than “just a ceremony and some photos”. Just because you’re eloping, doesn’t mean that your wedding day doesn’t deserve to have just as much coverage! You two have chosen to skip a traditional wedding and all the traditional activities that go with it! But that doesn’t mean that you can’t have a wedding day jam packed with activities that feel like “you”! You have the opportunity to do exactly what the two of you want on your wedding day, because you don’t have to think about anyone else when you’re eloping!
I always ask my couples these questions.
Envision your PERFECT day! What does that look like?
What have you ALWAYS wanted to do? Do that on your wedding day!
Some couples don’t even know where to start with what to do on their wedding day! So, here are some of my favorite suggestions!
- Wake up + cook breakfast together
- Do some exploring and have a morning hike together
- Pack a picnic
- Do an epic helicopter tour
- A road trip! Hit up a couple different spots you want to see!
- Visit a winery/brewery
- Roast smores by a campfire
- Go skinny dipping
- Kayaking
- Cliff jumping
- Horseback riding
- Go camping!
- Have a private, candle lit dinner made by a local chef
- Skiing/Snowboarding
- Gaze at the stars
- Take a Jeep tour
- Take a wine + painting class
- Go skydiving
And there are so many other ideas! The amazing part about eloping instead of having a traditional wedding is you can do whatever the f@#k you want to do! So, have FUN with it! Think of incorporating some of these epic activities for your elopement day! Your wedding day can be so much more than just the two of you getting married!
Make your wedding day an experience that you’ll never forget!
If you’re still trying to figure out if an elopement is right for you check out my other blog HERE! It’s a whole blog centered around breaking elopement myths so that you better understand what an elopement day looks like and what they mean. Ultimately, helping you to figure out if it’s right for you!
If you’re in search for an epic elopement photographer who will help guide you through the planning process of getting married in the great outdoors—come say hi! Click HERE to fill out my contact form and we will make your adventurous wedding day dreams come true.
Read Andrea and Zack’s review of their experience with me!
“Our experience with Rebekah has been nothing short of amazing and I am so grateful for her. From the first time I reached out to her I knew we would be making the right decision by choosing her as our elopement photographer. The reason is that she is SO much more than that.
She helped with planning locations, provided lots of vendor recommendations, and did a lot of work to try to find another option for vendors when one didn't work how we planned. She works so hard to try to make your elopement the best it could possibly be and I felt so relaxed yet excited about wedding planning once we made the decision to go with her. She helped make it feel easy.
We were unique in that when we reached out we were living in Michigan and planning to move to Arizona a few weeks before our elopement. Both her and her husband provided so much help through that process as well and overall it really feels like you have a friend in all of your planning.
On the day of the elopement it was only us and Rebekah and it felt so comfortable and was so much fun! We were able to be our quirky selves and truly just have the day we wanted. She provides you with sneak peaks soon after your elopement and when we got them my jaw dropped. Obviously I had seen her work so I knew how good it was, but she captured the day and emotions perfectly and I couldn't believe that we now had these photos that we could go back and relive our best day ever with. They're magical and I still can't stop looking at them. She also was able to provide the final gallery several weeks before the expected time and it was a wonderful surprise.
To anyone looking here to hire Rebekah as your photographer, just do it. You won't regret it.”
Arizona Sunset Bridal Shoot | Talyn and Kenny
Our bridal shoot with Talyn and Kenny was nothing short of magic. Not only are they hilarious and absolutely adorable together, we had one heck of an evening!
From meeting a cow to being gifted a Bible from a drunken stranger, this Arizona sunset bridal shoot was one to remember!
Our bridal shoot with Talyn and Kenny was nothing short of magic. Not only are they hilarious and absolutely adorable together, we had one heck of an evening!
From meeting a cow to being gifted a Bible from a drunken stranger, this Arizona sunset bridal shoot was one to remember!
My hubby Trevor came along with me for the shoot, and we met Talyn and Kenny close to sunset. They looked amazing in their suit and wedding dress, and Kenny was killing it with his GQ-style poses. There were a ton of bugs (I would say there were killing it too), but we had a blast anyway!
I love hunting for amazing locations for my couples, and I love shooting in state parks. For Talyn and Kenny’s bridal shoot, we went to a gorgeous creek. There was a lush, perfect grassy bank along a babbling brook, and the light was amazing. We were the only ones there (or so we thought!). It was so calm and serene. We then stumbled upon Milky the cow, who we later realized is a boy…(can you guess how we figured that out?!). We found his name hilarious, because he obviously doesn’t produce milk…so I said he’s more “Milk-ish”. LOL
Talyn and Kenny were loving their time together and took every opportunity to snuggle, kiss, and twirl. They were also happy to flip each other off with their ring fingers (which had us all laughing our asses off). They were pure magic together, and it was so awesome to be able to spend time with them.
That’s why I love bridal shoots and always recommend them, especially if you have a hectic timeline on your wedding day. It gives you a chance to spend some quality time together and get amazing, fun photos.
Not sure what a bridal session is? Or are you hoping to include one in your wedding package, but not sure if it’s worth it? This is why a sunset bridal shoot is a must - and why you deserve it.
We finished the shoot as the sun went down. As we were getting ready to leave, a car full of strangers pulled up to us. One guy started talking to us and it was immediately obvious that he was drunk. He was rambling and kind of freaked us out a bit, and then said to one of the other guys in the car, “yo yo yo, give me my bible!” Naturally we freaked out a little bit more!
Talyn and Kenny, still in their wedding outfits, watched with us as one of his buddies opened the trunk of the car and pulled out an ornate wooden box. Drunk Guy #1 opened the lid of the box to reveal a beautiful, white leather, gold embossed bible.
He handed it to Talyn and Kenny and said, “this is your wedding gift!” He told the four of us (as we stood there dumbfounded) about his 4 marriages, and left us with very sage (albeit very drunk) relationship advice. With that, he left with his buddies, we breathed a sigh of relief, and then we proceeded to laugh hysterically at the randomness of it all.
The setting sun was shining on the bible box, so I got one last shot of Talyn and Kenny holding their new wedding gift. We headed home, a night of randomness and hilarity coming full circle. I seriously could not have asked for a better evening, and I’m so glad that Trevor and I got to spend time with Talyn and Kenny to make (and experience) some magic.
If you loved this Arizona sunset bridal shoot, then check out this Wyoming bridal shoot in Grand Teton National Park!
You can also get more tips about planning your wedding day here on my blog!