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.”
Mountain Wedding in Colorado | Jasmine + Riley
They got ready in cabins within the ranch area, had a first look under a willow tree, and said “I do” under the warm fall sun, with a backdrop of epic mountain views. This mountain wedding was such an amazing day, and I’m so glad I got to be a part of it!
Jasmine + Riley’s Colorado wedding was such a beautiful, sun soaked day! They got married on their seventh anniversary in Westcliffe, a small town in Southern Colorado. These two are obsessed with each other, and so in love. They got ready in cabins within the ranch area, had a first look under a willow tree, and said “I do” under the warm fall sun, with a backdrop of epic mountain views. This mountain wedding was such an amazing day, and I’m so glad I got to be a part of it!
Keep scrolling to see all the joyous moments, the sparkler exit, and why sunset photos are 100% worth potentially stepping in horse p*#!
We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful fall wedding day! The sun was shining, and there was a nice breeze all day. The guys and girls got ready at cabins on site, and they were such a fun group! It’s always awesome when a bridal party is pumped up, and Riley’s groomsmen were on another level! Lol! Jasmine had two friends in her bridal party, and it was such a great way to keep the morning intimate.
Riley waited under a willow tree on the property for the first look before the ceremony. Jasmine snuck up behind him and grabbed his butt (my fave!) to signal her arrival. They both totally cried. And then I totally cried!
Having a first look before your ceremony on your wedding day is the perfect way to exchange your vows in privacy.
They shared their vows privately and quietly, the only other sound being the wind rustling softly through the willow leaves. They used handmade handkerchiefs to wipe away tears - which hilariously had the phrase “keep your sh*t together” embroidered in the centre!
We took a few bride and groom photos under the trees, and then got ready for the ceremony to start. Their dogs Trixie + Brody were the Dog of Honour and the Best Dog - which was the cutest thing ever! The dogs walked down the aisle ahead of the bride, and Jasmine was beaming as she walked toward Riley.
Literally everyone present cried during the ceremony. When Riley dipped Jasmine to the ground for their first kiss as husband and wife, it was all I could do to not yell out excitedly! While their guests listened to music and relaxed during cocktail hour, we took some photos before hitting the reception. The toasts given by family and guests throughout the evening were so great. Everyone cares so much about them, and you can tell that they just love the sh*t out of them!
If you’re on the fence about whether or not to do sunset photos on your wedding day - go for it! Take 10-15 minutes out of your evening to go enjoy each other and get some beautiful photos.
We snuck Jasmine + Riley out into the fields for sunset photos. The lighting was amazing, the breeze was warm and gorgeous, and we had a blast! Riley may or may not have stepped in horse poo - but that’s just the risk you take when running around in horse fields. LOL! The benefits far outweighed the risks, though - it was totally worth the great time and gorgeous photos!
For sunset photos at a mountain wedding -
double check with your photographer about the best time. The sun typically sets earlier in the mountains, so make sure you leave enough time (at the right time of day!) for your photos!
During the reception, Jasmine did a fully choreographed father daughter dance with her dad, which was so fun! Her and Riley had a blast cutting the cake, dancing with guests, and using one of the ATVs for photos. They ended the evening with drinks and a sparkler exit. This was such an amazing wedding, and we talked about how much fun we had the whole ride home!
What Jasmine + Riley said about de la Fontaine Photography
“I'm speechless. I've been putting off this review because I'm honestly at a loss for words trying to explain how incredible de la Fontaine Photography is. As soon as I started wedding planning I knew the most important thing for me was to get beautiful photos of our special day and my expectations were exceeded and blown out the roof! I found de la Fontaine Photography online and fell in love - I knew I had to have Rebekah as my photographer so I decided to pay the extra fee to fly her out here (to Colorado).
I was a little worried about being able to communicate enough from another state, but Rebekah suggested we FaceTime and that worked out perfectly! She always took her time and genuinely cared and wanted the best for me and my husband. Rebekah eased my anxious wedding planning mind and helped me not only plan out what photos I wanted, but helped me plan non-photography related things like my day-of timeline. Since she has seen first hand how long certain wedding events take, she was able to help me adjust my timeline. Plus we were able to plan photos for the time of day with the best lighting which made for super magical dreamy photos.
I'm also very non-traditional so I was nervous to see if Rebekah would accommodate my "quirky" ideas which she did so happily and even encouraged me, that I didnt need to follow all the wedding "rules". From the moment Rebekah showed up (early which I really appreciated) I felt comfortable with her which is good because we jumped right into some boudoir photos. I thought I would feel awkward and not know how to pose, but Rebekah had so many helpful suggestions while still hearing what I wanted.
Her husband, Trevor, was her assistant for my wedding which was so fun! They made us feel so special and we actually had a lot of fun together. Rebekah is very professional, warm and genuine, and VERY talented. We got our photos back earlier than expected and we got a ton more photos than we expected!!! It was the best surprise ever. I can't even explain how much the photos mean to me. I will cherish them my whole life. Every photo has beautiful details. Even when we were stuck with harsh, bright lighting, she was able to capture beautiful photos! I am eternally grateful for de la Fontaine Photography.
If you're thinking about hiring Rebekah, know that you would be lucky to have her and that you'd be in good hands.”
