Hi! Congrats on deciding to buck the societal pressures to have a big, expensive wedding. There is nothing wrong with having a big wedding, however, if it doesn't speak to you, don't do it! Whether you decided to elope because you want to go on an epic honeymoon, buy a house instead, or just frankly don't want to be the center of attention and the thought of having 100+ people strikes fear into your introverted heart, I hear that. Designing a wedding experience that's reflective of what you want and representative of your relationship is the most important thing, not pleasing your parents.
And while we are talking about bucking societal pressures- maybe you don't want to have an epic 8 hour hiking elopement either. Maybe you just want to have a shorter elopement in a beautiful place, with time to sit down and connect with your spouse. If that speaks to you, I would love to help guide you towards crafting your elopement experience. I have been photographing elopements of all forms for over 4 years (and big weddings for over 8 years)- from 4x4ing into a secluded water basin that maybe only a handful of people (if any) have gotten married in, to hiking up the epic Cathedral Rock in Sedona, to introducing people to my favorite underrated corners of Arizona. As an Arizona native, I love nothing more than to help people- perhaps to a pathological level. That's probably why I got a degree in psychology and love nothing more than to create truly meaningful, authentic photos of human emotion and connection. Your wedding day is not about me, I am merely a privileged witness to document your unique relationship.
