Photos from Allie + Sam’s real winter elopement in Aspen, Colorado | Read this post for tips and information on getting married in Colorado, along with information on things to do, places to stay, and important things to keep in mind!
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photos featured below second shot for Ana Karotkaya Photography
Check out this post for inspiration on planning an elopement or bridal photo shoot in Logan Canyon, located in Northern Utah.
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photos featured below second shot for Ana Karotkaya Photography
Antelope Island is a beautiful location teeming with plants and wildlife, located about 50 miles northwest of Salt Lake City, Utah. It’s an amazing place to take engagement photos or bridals. During certain times of year, I think it would be an excellent option for a small elopement ceremony! There are some key factors to know before you visit Antelope Island, whether for photos, or just to visit for a hike in the unique scenery. Below, I’ll share some photos from a recent bridals/ or pre-wedding photo session with Utah natives Jacey + Tyler. If you’re thinking about planning an engagement session here, bookmark this page for inspiration!
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After over a decade together, Morgan and Tyler decided to get married in a place they both absolutely love: beneath the ancient coastal Redwood trees of California. On our first call, Morgan told me that she dreamt of marrying Tyler in a forest location, but never thought bringing the dogs would be possible - until she came across one of my blog posts and realized it IS, in fact, possible!!! One might even say… pawsible. It was quite a journey, as the couple traveled all the way from Arizona to the Bay Area in order to make this forest wedding dream a reality! Dedicated dog parents, their day couldn’t be complete without their rescue pups, Duke, Prinn, and Frasier (a.k.a. Beans) by their side. Morgan and Tyler are both pharmacists by day but spend their spare time fostering dogs – my heart! Together, joined by just two of their friends, Morgan and Tyler exchanged heartfelt wedding vows as the sun peeked between the trees on a beautiful day in northern California.
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“Choosing where in Utah to get married can be so difficult - this beautiful state’s home to impossibly tall mountains, epic canyons made of red rocks, alpine lakes, and everything in between…. Helping Isez and Ismael find a beautiful, dog-friendly place for their elopement was so much fun + extremely rewarding.
Isez + Ismael originally had hoped to elope in Scotland. When that plan was stalled indefinitely due to the pandemic they pivoted, knowing that although they wouldn’t be able to travel like they’d intended, they could still bring a sense of adventure to an elopement here in Utah. And that’s exactly what they did! As an added bonus, they brought their super sweet 6-month-old French Bulldog, Blu!”
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On a warm weekend in October Tara and Thomas had a gorgeous, minimalist wedding ceremony at a historic Roswell park, followed by the sweetest dinner with close friends and family! We started off in a historic park near Roswell that we somehow had nearly all to ourselves. Light flittered in through tall trees and a creek in the background set the tone for such a peaceful and private ceremony. Continue reading for photos from their minimalist ceremony in the woods, details of their wedding invitations, rings, and bouquet, and from their reception in downtown Roswell.
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Ashley and Devon got married beneath ancient coastal redwood trees on their one-year anniversary in Henry Cowell State Park in Santa Cruz, California. Immediately after talking with Ashley, I knew she and Devon had something SO special and rare. It was such a beautiful day full of happy tears, and big, big laughs. See some of favorite photos from Ashley + Devon’s wedding day and learn more about the Redwoods in this post!
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Fall is a perfect time to get married in Joshua Tree. That’s just what Emily + Chris did! After ten years of dating, these two got married in a small, perfect wedding ceremony with their parents, siblings, and very close friends. Joshua Tree is one of their favorite places for weekend adventures from their home base of Los Angeles, and made the perfect backdrop for their wedding. With a few bohemian-inspired touches, it was absolutely gorgeous! The day was full of thoughtful touches and so much fun.
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If you’re dreaming of an intimate elopement wedding that takes place high in the mountains in a cozy cabin, surrounded by tall pine trees and just a handful of family members, you’re going to love Katie + Taylor’s snowy, winter Lake Tahoe cabin elopement! The couple had their first look, ceremony, and first dance at the cabin, followed by an intimate reception at the quintessential Lake Tahoe Lodge: Edgewood Tahoe.
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On a 2019 Spring Day in San Francisco, California, Texas highschool sweethearts Grace and John wed in one of the most iconic spots in the city: Sutro Baths and Sutro Heights Park! Grace + John’s wedding day was absolutely unforgettable - in part because it was their ninth anniversary together! The unique touches throughout the day made it so special - like the custom invitation suite Grace designed herself, the Rolls Royce John surprised her with to chauffeur her to the first look, and the ceremony officiated by Grace’s aunt, with readings + prayers from family members. See photos from their beautiful day + for tips on eloping in San Francisco yourself!
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As an elopement photographer, I’ve definitely seen a surge in the last few years towards intimate weddings and elopements (and not just the run-off-to-Vegas kind!) but 2020 was certainly...something else! In California, maybe more than anywhere else, elopements became extremely popular. This year I’ve worked with couples in nearly every stage of the elopement process: couples who had intended to elope already (prior to the Coronavirus outbreak), couples who had intended on having a large wedding but shifted to an elopement or intimate wedding, and couples who eloped in 2020 but are still hosting a large wedding in the future. No matter where you fall in this spectrum, I hope you’ll find this 2020 recap helpful as we move forward into 2021!
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All of your photos won’t look exactly the same- and that’s a good thing. You wouldn’t want hundreds of photos of you staring straight at the camera, glued to the exact same spot, would you? (if you do… you’re in the wrong place!) On a wedding day, there are a million different nuanced details: the way your dress lightly brushes the desert floor, the polaroids from your first date paperclipped to your handwritten vows, the way your partner looks at you when they see you for the first time. These moments are so distinctive and worth remembering! One of the most critical parts of being a photographer is walking the line between consistency and variety - creating photos that are strong enough to stand alone and cohesive enough to support each other.
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If you ask me why I chose to become a wedding photographer, I could give you a lot of answers. I chose to work for myself because I wanted to be in more creative and financial control of my life. I chose to become a photographer because I am amazed that the combination of electricity, metal, plastic and glass can seemingly stop time. But why I became a wedding photographer? That takes a little more explaining.
Yes - those first two answers are still true, but I don’t feel the same way about photographing corporate events or birthday parties as I do weddings.
TO DIVE IN A LITTLE DEEPER, I HAVE TO ASK YOU A QUESTION... DO YOU BELIEVE IN BIGFOOT?
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Las Vegas may be known for its casinos and entertainment, but it’s the couples who choose to get married here that really hit the jackpot! Between the epic desert scenery and the fun backdrop of the Las Vegas strip, this location is a truly one-of-a-kind spot to elope or get married. Bryanna and RJ’s wedding day had a sunrise first look at Seven Magic Mountains, group photos at The Flamingo Casino, Couples’ Adventure Portraits in the desert and at the Old Las Vegas Strip on Fremont Street, a Ceremony at Little Church of the West, and a Reception at Margaritaville! These are all great places to take wedding photos in Las Vegas. Keep reading for tips on planning your own Las Vegas elopement or wedding and to see more from their awesome day.
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There is something truly magical about getting married in Joshua Tree. Whether you get married or elope inside Joshua Tree National Park or in the surrounding areas, which include places like Palm Springs and Coachella Valley to the southwest, Yucca Valley and Pioneertown to the northeast, and Twentynine Palms to the north, you’re sure to be saying “I do” in a truly incredible area. My husband and I eloped in Joshua Tree in January 2018, and I’ve been in love with the area ever since! I’ve shot a few weddings in the Joshua Tree area since, at airbnbs and wedding venues (*see them here*), but I was absolutely THRILLED when Estephania and Piero reached out to me about their Joshua Tree National Park elopement! This blog goes over how to elope in Joshua Tree, Estephania + Piero’s elopement, and tips from my own elopement experience.
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