Ultimate Adventure Elopement Checklist

There’s a lot to do when you plan an adventure elopement. Of course, there aren’t quite as many logistics as with a traditional wedding, but there’s still plenty to do, particularly if it’s a destination elopement involving travel (our specialty 😛). 

But guess what buds?! We TOTALLY GOT THIS FOR YOU!! When you hire Vows with Views for your adventure elopement, you get a lot more than just a dope photographer. You're getting a super talented team of epic elopement experts, each dedicated to creating an amazing day custom-tailored to your vision. Together, we craft exactly what you're looking to experience on your wedding day. Yes! We actually walk you through and help plan every step of your elopement, then document it with our fancy cameras 🤙

We get a ton of questions about the planning process when it comes to adventure elopements. How is it different from a traditional wedding? What do we do, and what are you responsible for? Who handles details like marriage licenses, location permits, and travel accommodations? Do you have to find an ordained minister? What about witnesses?

Great news — we have answers to ALL these questions (and so many others!)! Let’s dive into all the nitty-gritty details of what exactly an adventure elopement is and why Vows With Views is so much more than an elopement photographer. 

Travel

Picking your location

Some couples have dreamt of a specific elopement destination for as long as they can remember. Others simply want to get married in the mountains or on the beach. We regularly work with both types of couples, helping them choose their dream location. 

In order to do this, we spend a great deal of time getting to know our couples and learning all about their elopement day vision. We dig into everything from the type of scenery they’re looking for to the season and weather they’re imagining. Every single elopement we shoot is one-of-a-kind and completely tailored to you as a couple. 

Once we know what you have in mind, we recommend specific locations we’ve carefully vetted. We do a ton of very literal legwork in each of the places we shoot to become EXPERTS in those areas. We hike so so so many trails at all times of day to study things like lighting, privacy, viewpoints, and to discover unique, secret, and off-the-beaten-path locations.

Transportation logistics

On top of helping you dial in your elopement destination, we also help you actually make the most of it. Something truly unique that we offer couples is our in-house experience creator, Halie. She’s our other photog who happens to be obsessive about planning and organizing…needless to say, Mal needs her to make sure your entire experience is the trip of a lifetime 🤘.

Details like which airport to fly into or what sort of vehicle is best to rent, where to stay, and whatever other local activities or vendors you should include are what she is good at. You're in good GOOD hands with Halie over here ✌️

Booking accommodations

When you’re traveling to a new area (especially for something that’s kiiiiind of a big deal!), where to stay is one of the biggest concerns. You may not know where the closest nice beach is, how far a hotel is from other areas of interest, or if a certain area is safe. But we do!

Whether you want a romantic hotel for the two of you or a large Airbnb cabin for your whole fam bam to stay in, or a sic campsite because you are staying in our Airstream, we provide detailed lists of accommodations that we’re actually familiar with. In most cases, either we or one of our couples have actually stayed there!

Legal Details

Applying for special-use permits

Becoming experts in the destinations we shoot means we learn more than just the scenery and weather. We also become super familiar with the legal ins and outs, and that often entails special location-specific permits. For example, you need a permit to elope on any beach in Kauai and every national/state  parks and forests has its own specific ceremony permit process. 

We guide you through that permit process, whether it’s determining what type of permit you need, actually walking you through the application, or getting you the information on how to pay a special site fee. 

Please note: The COST of a Special-use permit is 100% the responsibility of the couple. Vows With Views assists with the application process and actually securing the permits, but does not cover these additional fees.

Getting your marriage license

When it comes to applying for your marriage license, we know the laws and processes extremely well in all of our elopement destinations — down to quirks in certain states and differences from county to county in a given state. Although the newlyweds-to-be have to be the ones who physically apply for the marriage license, we walk you through every step leading up to that.

And if we’re shooting your elopement in an area that’s new to us, we’ll still do all the necessary legwork so you don’t have to!

Please note: Marriage license fees are 100% the responsibility of the couple. Vows With Views assists with the application process, but does not cover these costs.

Finding an ordained minister

Fun fact: Mal and Halie and Lucas are ordained! That means you don’t have to worry about finding a third-party officiant to marry you. If you truly want your elopement to be just the two of you (and your dope photog + videographer, of course!), you can have exactly that.

Something to keep in mind, however, is that Mal will be snapping away — oftentimes with a camera in each hand! Because of that, she doesn’t perform a full-blown wedding ceremony. It works best when the couple exchanges their own vows (more on that a little later!) and Mal gives the official, “You may now kiss the bride!” 

Determining witnesses

Some states require witnesses, while others — like Colorado — don’t. If your elopement will be just the two of you and you’re getting married in a state that requires witnesses, DON’T WORRY, we got you! 

We have plenty of experience (and genuinely love!) helping you find friendly witnesses on the trails. We’ve never had a problem and in fact, most people are thrilled to participate in something so special and unexpected!

Vendors 

Hiring your adventure elopement photographer

One of the first and most important things you need to do in planning your adventure elopement is lock in a photographer. We cannot emphasize enough how truly important this decision is! 

Keep in mind that even if you’re inviting some guests, you won’t have all of your family and friends in attendance. That means you are relying 100% on your photographer to capture memories of the most important day of your life — not just beautiful pictures, but all the memories. You want your elopement photos to convey your entire experience- the emotions and special little moments behind them. You want them to tell the story of your wedding day. 

So how do you go about choosing an elopement photographer? We’re glad you asked! 

Not only do you want the best of the best in terms of photography skills, but you should also choose an elopement photographer that you really vibe with. The photographer’s quality of work is of the utmost importance, but when it comes to that storytelling we just talked about, their personality and how well you mesh is equally important. 

You are very literally putting your entire elopement day in their hands, not to mention spending a LOT of time with this person — make absolutely sure your elopement photographer is someone you trust and vibe with, and who understands your vision 100%.

And guess what? Mallory is an award-winning photographer who not only has a ton of experience shooting hundreds of epic adventure elopements, but also has a true talent for connecting with couples and bringing every aspect of their vision to life. Just read our reviews🙌🙌

Hiring your elopement experience creator

Wedding planners are for well, weddings! Which is why we have experience creators for both your elopement and honeymoon. Remember Halie, the dope photog we mentioned earlier? Well, double bonus — Mal works hand-in-hand with her to plan and schedule every aspect of your elopement day. Yeah you heard it - Halie really loves planning elopements as much as she enjoys capturing them, so she’s with you to ensure your day is everything you envisioned even if she’s not the one shooting it!

We start by planning your elopement timeline around the best lighting in your destination, but that’s just the beginning. We coordinate your bridal hair and makeup, we help you make dinner reservations or set up private catering, do the research on where you should get flowers or a cake, and provide custom-tailored recommendations on experiences and adventures that align with your elopement day and honeymoon vision. We’ll touch on this more in just a minute, but examples might include hot-air ballooning over Sedona or renting a Jeep to off-road through the San Juans in Colorado.

Hiring vendors

We carefully vet vendors (such as hair and makeup artists, florists, bakeries, catering, etc.)  in each of the areas we shoot, so we’ve created an exclusive network of incredibly talented service providers. Need a bakery near Zion, a boho bouquet in the San Juans, or a private chef in Hawaii? We got you! We connect and coordinate their services for you so that you can chill and enjoy the eloping experience. 

Please note: The cost of any third-party vendors or other service providers is not covered by Vows With Views. These additional costs should be accounted for in your budget and will be added to your remaining balance with us if we are booking them for ya (of course we will approve their budget with you before booking and coordinating on your behalf).

Booking activities with adventure outfitters

Because we believe excitement is a huge element of adventure elopements, we wanted to dedicate a special section to booking excursions (think a helicopter tour over the Na Pali Coast in Kauai, rafting in Glacier National Park, or off-roading in the Arizona desert). 

These types of outfitters work a little differently than other elopement vendors. We partner with a few select companies that we’ve worked with several times and have vetted to ensure will make your elopement day even more epic. In most cases, just as the other typical vendors you might want to hire, we book these activities on your behalf and then add a customized a la carte service fee to your invoice. 

Wedding Attire and Accessories

Wedding dress

Maybe you want to go the traditional route with a long, lacy dress, or perhaps you want anything but traditional. Either way, your wedding dress is one of the most important elements of your elopement day!

We absolutely love the juxtaposition of fancy clothing in the middle of nature (that’s what makes photos so visually interesting!), but that’s really the only “rule.” Some brides prefer to buy an inexpensive dress on Etsy or Amazon, some want to “trash” their dress intentionally on the hike, and some wait until we get to their ceremony site to change from hiking clothes into their dress. We’ve seen it all and we’ll make it work however you want to do things. Remember, this is YOUR elopement and we’ll do it YOUR way!

One other thing to consider is the fit of the dress. It’s important to be able to move around comfortably, so an ultra-tight dress may not be the best choice for your adventure elopement.

Shoes

Speaking of juxtaposition, there’s something so fun and memorable about pairing hiking boots vans, tennis shoes or we’ve even seen combat boots with fancy wedding clothes. If you prefer to change into heels or other more traditional wedding shoes for your photos, that’s chill, but definitely still bring some footwear more appropriate for the hike in and out. 

Jewelry + hair accessories

Just because an adventure elopement is non-traditional, doesn’t mean you can’t incorporate some tradition! Accessories really pop in photos, so please add a few to your wedding ensemble! We love when we see brides include pieces that fulfill the old adage “something borrowed, something blue…” by wearing a relative’s piece of jewelry or a blue hair clip. Get creative and have fun with it!

Grooms’ attire

Guys, things may be a bit easier for you on your elopement day, but you’re not totally off the hook! If you want your photos to turn out epic (of course you do!), you gotta step it up a bit. Even if your elopement vibe is a bit more casual, you gotta suit up brah! Please put on a tie. A bow tie is a bonus! Most important though, is learning how to tie it before the big day! 😂 (but seriously, this is a thing that needs to be YouTubed prior to the morning of...😛)

Props + what else to bring

Props are a fantastic way to add your own special touches to your elopement day, plus they are so much fun in photos! We have a ton of great ideas in our Elopement Checklist, but here are a few of our favorites:

• A personalized “Just Eloped” sign

• Vow booklets (no phones — no matter how talented Mal, Halie, and Lucas are with a camera, photos and video of you looking down at a screen simply aren’t cute! 😂)

• A cozy blanket to wrap up in between shots or to sit on and watch the sunrise or set

• Your favorite drink to celebrate your marriage 🍻

• Matching clothing, particularly denim jackets or comfy hoodies. This is an especially good idea if you’re going on an excursion such as off-roading or a boat cruise.

• Your pup! More and more couples are bringing their pet along to share in their big day (and we freakin’ LOVE it! 😍). Not only is this meaningful, but doggos make for some really fun photos!

Ceremony

Pick out wedding rings

The ring exchange during your elopement ceremony is one of the most tender, intimate moments of the entire day. You can make this as traditional or non-traditional as you’d like. For example, we recently had a couple who brought their dog along to be their ring bearer, and they even got the pup a special collar to hold the rings securely! (it was ADORB) 😍

Write your vows

Another one of the very best things about eloping is that the ceremony gets to be entirely on your terms. A huge part of that means, of course, writing your own vows! We encourage you to spend plenty of time on this and speak from the heart. And remember, get a couple of vow booklets like these — don’t just create a memo in your phone! We can’t emphasize this enough...just trust us and don’t do it! 😂

Now that you know every.damn.thing there is to know about adventure elopements 😂, it’s time to take the next step: hire that dope photographer we talked about (that’s us 😛)! No matter what stage of the planning process you’re in, let’s chat! We’re ready and so stoked to help you plan your perfect adventure elopement! Can’t wait to meet you!