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Sometimes, it feels like the biggest reason couples decide to adventure elope is because they’re seeking gorgeous photos of themselves in epic places on their wedding day.
Don’t get me wrong. I think this is an amazing reason to elope. If you love the outdoors, want to experience an incredible view on the most important day of your life, or seriously just love the idea of an epic day in an epic location, those are all valid reasons to want to elope.
But, for me, at the very root of it all, eloping should be about the act of marrying the love of your life. And the intention of that entire day–whether you hike or explore or 4×4 drive or whatever it might be–should all come back to that main intention.
Because the foundation of your elopement day is the choice you’re making to be intentional about this moment.
And when I think about couples who take that intention seriously, who care so deeply about their meaningful choice to get married that every other epic thing they want to do pales in comparison, I think of Katherine and Leo.
Katherine and Leo’s Moab elopement was a wild, amazing, epic-view-filled adventure elopement in every sense of the word.
But the thing that stands out about their wedding isn’t the hike to Delicate Arch. It isn’t the 4×4 road we took to an amazing canyon overlook. It isn’t the stunning two-piece gown she wore or the Airbnb they stayed in.
It wasn’t even the elopement photos I captured.
It’s their ceremony–one that I’ll never forget.
Katherine and Leo started their day, getting ready at their Airbnb with a hair and makeup team before the sun had even thought about rising. I scooped them up, and we made our way to the first trailhead of the day, a place where they’d hike and explore and adventure around to their heart’s content while they watched the desert sun come up slowly over the ancient arches.
We hiked out to the arch in the dark, taking careful steps to avoid slipping on the sandstone and rocks. They’d brought a pop-up tent so they could change in privacy (in case we ran into any other hikers). Katherine and Leo chose to get ready together, forgoing the “first look” moment–but that didn’t make it any less sentimental.
Watching Katherine help Leo into his suit jacket and buttoning the top button of his shirt was as intimate and precious as any first-look moment–it was like watching two best friends get ready for the greatest moment of their lives together.
Katherine and Leo both wanted to spend some intentional time exploring together before their ceremony. They got out, hiked a good distance to a gorgeous arch, and took in the landscape together, appreciating every moment and setting themselves up for a mindful and present wedding ceremony.
After their hike, we hopped back in the car and drove to their second location–a gorgeous overlook with canyon views.
For Katherine and Leo, the most important part of their day was about to begin.
They’d both put so much thought, time, and intention into their ceremony. For many couples, elopement ceremonies tend to be a bit of an afterthought to their wedding day in the wild. What they really want is to explore together and soak in their day through an epic adventure. And that’s 100% a perfect outlook on eloping. But there’s something so special about refocusing during your day and setting your intentions toward creating a meaningful, blissful, and out-of-this-world elopement ceremony–and that’s exactly what Katherine and Leo did.
I think it’s super important to point out that there’s no right or wrong way to have an elopement ceremony.
If you want to read handwritten vows that mean the world to you, do that. If you want someone to walk you through a traditional ceremony, that’s amazing. If you want to spend your entire ceremony telling your partner what you love about them the most, singing a song you wrote them, or just curled up sharing your deepest feelings, all of those things are perfect, too.
Above all, your elopement ceremony should be considered the moment that matters most during your elopement day. Because it’s the second you’re saying yes to the love of your life. It’s the moment you’re choosing them, growing closer, and making a huge and exciting commitment. And in my opinion, that decision should be given all the time, honor, and intention in the world.
Katherine and Leo spent a lot of time planning their elopement ceremony. And being there to watch it, seeing it all unfold as they experienced it together, was so special. They hired an officiant to help guide them through their intentional ceremony.
First, they had long, guided moments of meditation to help them center themselves on the ceremony. They popped off their shoes, sat down on blankets, and shut their eyes–taking deep breaths and clearing their minds against a stunning canyon backdrop.
Their meditation melted into a sound bath–it was so calming and so beautiful to hear the sound of their officiant using a singing bowl to bathe them in waves of tranquil noise.
Then, they had a sage smudging ceremony, something that’s meant to be a symbolic gesture to clear any negative energies and create a space of wisdom, clarity, and peace.
Their officiant, Jen, guided them through an intentional ceremony before stepping away to give them moments of solace where they could read their private vows just to each other.
The entire time, Katherine and Leo were crying, laughing, and smiling from ear to ear–they were experiencing so many emotions all at one time that it was hard for me, as the photographer, even off at a distance, not to get emotional, too.
After their vows, they did one more ceremonial act–a handfasting ceremony. This ceremony is a symbolic celebration of the binding together of two lives and a perfect ending to their incredibly intentional elopement ceremony.
Katherine and Leo knew they wanted a few moments spent together at dusk, watching the stars come out slowly in the desert landscape, but they were also exhausted and freezing after a long, emotional day. We got back in the car, intent to head back to their Airbnb, but we couldn’t help but stop when we saw a few stars light in the sky.
Right as Leo and Katherine got out to enjoy the view, the moon began to rise behind them–so slowly and so suddenly all at the same time that it took all three of us a moment to understand what was happening.
They soaked in this moment of serendipitous timing–one that felt all too magical to be real.
And if you ask me, that was the perfect ending to a day that was layered with love, meaningful intention, and a whole lot of magic.
