1. YOUR WEDDING, YOUR WAY
An Adventure Wedding is about having an experience that feels authenticly you. No need to worry about guest list drama, unnecessary opinions, traditions, who's paying for what, etc. if that's the kind of stuff that stresses you out. You get to choose which aspects of a wedding day feel right for your celebration. So if you want a big and beautiful wedding dress, do it! If you want to wear something light and flowy that you bought for $30 on Amazon, awesome! If you want it to be you and your fiance, that's amazing, and if you still want your parents and best friends to be a part of your day then they're welcomed with opened arms!
The best part is that there are no rules or templates for elopements. The day is whatever you want it to be and what reflects you and your relationship best. There's nothing wrong with big weddings if that's something that you love, but just know that Adventure Weddings are a perfectly wonderful option for you too if that's what excites you.
2. YOUR DREAM DESTINATION
It's like your wedding and honeymoon all in one! If you could go on an adventure anywhere in the world, where would that be? Did you envision a secluded tropical paradise overlooking the blue waters of the Pacific? Or in front of a lake surrounded by glacial mountains and fields of wildflowers? What about the bustling streets of a beautiful city, rich with culture, that you've fallen in love with on past travels? The possibilities are endless! Consider taking the thousands of dollars you would invest in a venue, catering, favors, centerpieces, invitations, and other one-day-use things and instead...
3. SPEND YOUR MONEY ON WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT, AND SAVE!
Consider this an investment in an amazing experience for you and your fiance. The average wedding in the U.S. in 2019 (according to Wedding Wire) was $38,700. Imagine taking half of that and investing it in the most memorable adventure of your life with your favorite person! Buy the dress of your dreams, spend your entire floral budget on the big and bold arrangement that excites you, fly first class to your destination, get the coolest Airbnb in the area, and (shameless plug) invest in a photographer who doubles as a wedding guide that's there to help you through it all while documenting your wedding day and all of the wonderful moments you'll want to remember forever.
4. STRESS LESS
I can't tell you how many couples, who are planning big weddings, meet with me before their big day and tell me that they wished they would have just eloped. There are so many decisions that people make that cause an immense amount of stress that's totally avoidable. Financial decisions, bridal party drama, who can sit by who, who's going to cause a scene with an open bar, the wedding day timeline, parents intervening and insisting on their way. So instead of being excited for a beautiful and fun day filled with love, you're having nightmares about things coming together correctly and what everyone is going to think.
Don't get me wrong - I love my traditional wedding couples, and for me, a wedding day is exciting and important no matter how big or small it is. But having to constantly reassure brides that everything is going to work out fine as they panic because things are running later than planned or because a family member is causing drama makes me sad!
Every couple deserves to have a wedding day that's filled with love and excitement with as little stress as possible. The only thing that dictates the timeline of a wedding day is the sun, so no need to worry if you have time to pee or stop and have a drink (or 3). Go ahead and get your dress a little dirty - no one is judging you! That's the beauty of an intimate wedding - it's all about what you want from the experience and what makes you happy.
5. AMAZING PICTURES
I mean, how can you have bad ones when you're having the time of your life?? I truly mean that though, because this is the adventure of a lifetime, you're going to have the best time, and you don't have to worry about taking a selfie stick to remember it. A big concern couples have is that they either feel uncomfortable in front of a camera or they don't want pictures that feel cheesy and posed. I get it - I hate posing for fake pictures too, even just pictures on friends' phones. Taking pictures can feel disingenuous and fake. Your wedding day shouldn't be a chore or make you feel uncomfortable, which is why I photograph couples true to themselves. Whether you're a romantic, intimate couple that oozes passion when you're together, or if you love being silly and sweet, I'm committed to creating genuine moments that capture the type of couple you are together in real life.
When you're planning an Adventure Wedding where there are so few people in attendance it's far more important to document the day so that not only do you get to relive the day over and over, but you also get to share the day with family and friends afterward. And how cool will it be to relive your wedding day with everyone, showing them photos of the two of you in the most beautiful place you can imagine?
Start Planning Your Wedding Adventure
If you're looking for someone to help guide you along in your elopement planning journey, visit the Elopements page to view packages, pricing, and more elopement inspiration!
Hey there! I'm Carly D'Angelo-Hall - a photographer specializing in documenting weddings and elopements across the U.S. If you love the idea of a wedding with adventure, excitement, and a little romance sprinkled in, let's talk about how I can help you create and capture the wedding day of your dreams! Visit wildnorthweddings.com to view all-inclusive wedding day and adventure session photography packages, and fill out the contact form to get connected!
Wedding & elopement photographer documenting weddings across the United States including New England, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New York, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Washington and Hawaii
