Your Elopement Checklist

 

#1: Pick Your Photographer + Videographer Team

Why do I need both a photographer and videographer? Why should I hire a team?

Photography and videography are so different. Photography freezes unseen moments in time, capturing raw emotions and forever saving memories. Videography documents moments in real time and captures not only genuine emotion, but captures motion and the sound of your laughter or the sound of your voices as you’re saying your vows. Both photos + films are extremely special and important to include on your big day.

Of course, we’re biased, but we think that hiring a team is the best option! Not only is our work cohesive, but we provide a great experience. Once you inquire, we are BOTH working with you from start to finish (and even beyond). We work together to help you build your timeline, pick your location, and discover what adventures you want to have. We even scout out locations together to help you pick the perfect location. So, not only are the memories documented and edited in a cohesive manner, but your experience will be incredible from the very beginning.

#2: Choose A Date To Elope

This is all you need to have when you inquire with us! You don’t need to know where you’re going to elope or what you’re going to do. But if you haven’t chosen a date or you have no idea when to elope, we’ve got you covered! Chat with us about what kind of weather you’re hoping for and maybe some location ideas, then we can suggest what season we think would be best! This goes for any photographer or videographer. Tell them exactly what you are looking for and trust their suggestion! That’s what we’re here for. 

Tip: If you elope in an off-season and during the week, you’re more likely to have a private elopement. 

#3: Choose An Elopement Location

When choosing a location, it’s important to consider things like: weather, accessibility, crowds, dog restrictions, nearby lodging, etc. These things all play a part in deciding where you should elope. And besides the actual day itself, the location is one of the most special parts! So, before you begin narrowing down your perfect elopement location, we recommend going over some broad locations. Sit down with your partner and envision the most important things. When you close your eyes, what scenery comes to mind? What kind of weather do you envision? Do you see it just being the two of you or do you see guests celebrating with you? All of these questions will help factor into choosing the perfect location for your special day.

Mountains – If you’re considering mountains, some great ranges include: Mount Rainier National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, and North Cascades National Park. Not only do you get epic mountain views, but you can experience snow-covered peaks, alpine lakes, and even meadows filled with wildflowers in the summer. 

Forest – For the forest, we recommend places like the Hoh Rain Forest in the Olympic National Park, Redwood Groves, or Sequoia National Park.

Ocean – If you want to experience the ocean, there is no better place than the west coast! From Washington to Oregon to California, you can explore sandy beaches, rocky coastal ranges, epic trees, and more. Check out this whole blog we created on How To Elope On The West Coast.

Desert – If you like the heat, go to the desert! You can experience lots of sunshine, epic rock formations, unique plants, and more. Some epic spots include Death Valley National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, Moab, Zion National Park, and areas in Arizona! Since there are a lot of durable surfaces in the desert, this is also a great place to explore if you want to have a more private elopement.

#4: Book Your Accommodations

Once you’ve chosen a date and a location for your elopement, you can start booking your accommodations. You might need to book a flight, rental car, and a place to stay. That’s the coolest thing about elopements, though. You get to do WHATEVER YOU WANT. If you want to elope in Yosemite, you can then drive out to Highway 101 and plan your honeymoon along the coast. You can spend a couple weeks driving down to San Diego and then back up to Washington, exploring the beach towns and maybe taking surfing lessons. Or you could elope in the Rockies and drive up from Colorado into Canada to explore the Canadian Rockies for your honeymoon. Your options are endless because guess what?! It’s your freaking day and it’s YOUR memories. So what do you want to do and remember? 

We will help you pick camp spots, hotels, or Airbnbs in the location you want to elope! We can help you find an epic treehouse or an Airstream to rent. Your options are limitless. And although some options might be more expensive, a lot of camping/Airbnb options can be super affordable, leaving the rest of your budget free to plan adventures. But again, that’s the cool thing about elopements. You get to allocate your budget to whatever excites you the most! So, if you want to find an epic Airbnb, go for it! 

#5: Apply For Any Necessary Permits

Okay, now we are getting into the nitty gritty of the planning process. So, let’s apply for any necessary Wedding and Special Use Permits. We have already done a lot of research regarding necessary permits based on location + size of your group, so we can totally help with this! However, as per our contract, it is the client’s responsibility to secure and pay for those permits. But we aren’t going to leave you hanging! We’ll help you figure out EXACTLY what permits to apply for, how long it’ll take, and we’ll help you find the necessary contacts and applications. 

#6: Reach Out To Vendors

Vendors are also very important! Eloping doesn’t mean that you don’t want or need other vendors like a Hair and Makeup Artist or a Florist.  And eloping isn’t necessarily just you two running away and saying your vows on the beach (unless that’s what you want). It can be an epic adventure with incredible florals, an awesome cake + food, epic HMU, and rentals for your reception celebration (which can include family/friends OR just be the two of you). You can hire whoever you want and make your celebration be EXACTLY what you’ve dreamed about your whole life. So, we definitely have some epic recommendations for officiants, HMUA, bakers, florists, rental companies, jewelers, calligraphers, venues (epic Airbnb spots), bridal shops, suit shops, etc. We’ve got you covered (;

#7: Apply For Your Marriage License

You’ll want to make sure that you take care of your Marriage License as well. This is an important step that you don’t want to accidentally forget! Each county is different, so we’ll make sure to go over the rules and regulations for where you’re eloping. For example, in Pierce County, you need to apply for a Marriage License at least 3 days before you want to elope, but no more than 60 days before your date. Here is more info on the application process for Pierce County!

#8: Get Your Wedding Attire Squared Away 

Next, you’ll want to make sure that you have all of your wedding attire for your big day! This means that you’ll want to have everything from your dress/suit to your shoes and any accessories! Make sure you buffer enough time for any dress/suit alterations as well. We have two whole blogs on picking wedding attire, check them out here: Picking The Perfect Elopement Suit + Picking The Perfect Elopement Dress.

#9: Let’s Build Your Timeline!

Speaking of adventures, what do you want to do on your wedding day? Do you want to take surfing lessons, rock climb, white water raft, hike an epic trail and overnight backpack, find a secluded island and kayak to it for your vows, or get in a helicopter to go to a private location?? Those all sound incredible, right? Your elopement isn’t just saying your vows. Your elopement can literally be whatever you want it to be! We’ll help you build a timeline that includes all of the things that are meaningful to you.

We think it’s important to emphasize that an elopement isn’t just for “couples who want to save money” or for people who “only want a couple hours of coverage.” No, elopements are epic and they deserve just as much time documented (if not MORE) as a big wedding. So, don’t think that you can’t have a first look, enjoy a private picnic, or star gaze after the sun sets. We’ll help you incorporate all of the important moments!

#10: Pack For Your Big Day 

Finally, you’ll want to make sure that you pack everything you need for your adventure. Even if you’re just having a day adventure, you’ll still want to make sure you pack things like snacks, water, chapstick, maybe sunscreen, etc. It’s always better to be prepared! We have a blog on Packing For Your Hiking Elopement that has a lot of ideas as well. We are in the process of accumulating gear that our couples can use for their adventures, too. We want to be able to have as many resources as possible for you! 

Things To Pack For The Heat:

• Water (water bottles that are lightweight, but insulated to keep water cold)
• Cold packs
• Things to prevent headaches (Advil, snacks, electrolytes) 
• Sun visors + thin layers 
• SPF chapstick + sunscreen 
• Bug spray 

Things To Pack For The Snow:

• Reusable hand + toe warmers
• Scarves, hats, gloves, and thick wool socks
• Layers + insulated/waterproof gear 
• Water (even if it’s cold out, you should always have water)

Other Essentials:

• Headlamps
• First Aid Kit
• LNT reusable trash bag
• Tents, sleeping bags, pads, pillows
• Easy snacks/dinners