How to keep costs low without sacrificing your wedding experience.

It’s no secret that adventure elopements and weddings can be freaking expensive – but they don’t have to be. My biggest recommendation for any couple planning their big day is to figure out what’s at the core of your day. What are the most important details for you and your partner on one of the biggest days of your lives and how do you have a day that completely and truly reflects you without breaking the bank? The good news is that you don’t have to sacrifice the details just to save money.

So how do you have an intentional elopement without spending too much?

Well you’ve got a few options!

Check online for budget friendly dresses. Wedding dresses can cost a few thousand dollars, not everyone wants an expensive dress they’ll only wear once. Checking online shops like Azazie, ASOS, David’s Bridal, Revolve, and Lulu’s are great options for affordable and incredible dresses. Yes, the dress is an important detail of your day but no price tag makes your dress any more or less valid (and the same goes for the color of your dress, bring on the nontraditional dresses)! At the end of the day the most important thing is that YOU love your dress and you feel good in it!

Forgo the expensive and delicate florals. Now I absolutely love live florals but they can be expensive. (Not to mention places like Redwood National Park don’t allow live flowers for elopements and weddings.) Just a bridal bouquet can range anywhere from $150.00 – $600.00. If you’re planning on hiking or having an adventure elopement, live florals are also more delicate and require a bit more care during your elopement. Synthetic florals are a great cost efficient option to have the best of all worlds. Synthetic florals have a bad reputation but hear me out, nowadays you can find beautiful and realistic silk bouquets. Since Redwood National and State Parks don’t allow live or dried florals due to the risk of introducing invasive species to an ecosystem that’s home to endangered species, many of my couples opt to purchase synthetic bouquets from online retailers like Ling’s or Etsy. Another option for affordable florals is to make your own bouquet with flowers from your local grocery store (Trader Joe’s is a popular option) or flower shop. You can also go without the florals all together! Sometimes hauling a bouquet around all day can be more of a hassle than anything. There’s really no right answer when it comes to your florals, as long as it feels right to you.

Get married on public lands such as BLM land, State Parks, National Forests, and more. Are you thinking of saying “I do” outdoors surrounded by stunning landscapes like Yosemite National Park, Redwood National and State Parks, or Arches National Park? Odds are that you’ll be getting married on public land anyways! Wedding venues can cost anywhere from $5,000.00 and up, when you have your ceremony on public lands, you won’t have to spend the money on a venue. You’ll just have to pay for the permit. Depending on where you plan to say “I do” permit prices range anywhere from free to $500.00. Forgoing a traditional venue allows you to get married at the best venue possible – the great outdoors.

Hire A Location Specific Photographer

For most couples, elopement photographers are their biggest expense – and for a good reason. Since many eloping couples opt for a destination elopement, they’ve likely never been to the place they’re eloping in. Planning one of the biggest days of your life in a location you’ve never seen before can be a daunting and overwhelming task. There’s the permits and of course choosing the place where you’ll say “I do”.

When you hire a photographer who specializes in your location, you’re hiring someone who knows your park like the back of their hand. They know all of the hidden gems, local rules and regulations regarding permits (odds are they’ve been through the permit process a few times themselves), and can best recommend locations that meet your criteria so you can have a day that’s perfectly tailored to you.

The peace of mind and lack of stress that comes with not having to plan the logistics of your wedding day is priceless. It allows you to sit back, genuinely relax, and fully enjoy your wedding day. While this is often the biggest elopement expense, location specific photographers know the ins and outs of your park and has likely been through the permit process themselves. They know your chosen location by heart so they can recommend vendors, places to stay, and things to do in the area. Plus this takes all of the planning stress off of you and your partner so all you have to do is sit back, have fun, & get married! If there’s one to splurge on for your elopement, it should be your photographer.

Meet your Redwoods Elopement Photographer

As a Redwood National Park Elopement Photographer, I have tons of knowledge when it comes to planning an epic elopement. As someone who is super passionate about my job, I don’t want to just be your photographer. I want to help you with the planning process, finding locations, places to stay, vendors, and most of all help you figure out solutions when things derail. It’s your wedding day and the last thing you should be doing is stressing out. I want to ensure that my couples have the best day possible and that means being a shoulder for them to lean on when problems arise!