Elopements

Jessica and Ryan’s Secret Treehouse Elopement Weekend in the Ozarks, AR

Jessica and Ryan planned a secret elopement ceremony in a unique treehouse in the Ozarks. They spent the day together and exchanged vows, basking in the relaxing scenery. This Arkansas elopement is the perfect inspiration for couples who want to plan a simple elopement without an adventurous hike.

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About This Treehouse Elopement in the Ozarks

Photography by Kari Bjorn Photography

“Jessica and Ryan came over from Oklahoma and rented this amazing treehouse, tucked away in the woods right outside Fayetteville, AR for their secret elopement weekend. They did the actual elopement thing and got married without anybody knowing and planned to tell everyone around her due date as she was almost 6 months pregnant with their first child on the elopement day.” [Kari, the photographer]

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Permits and Leave No Trace For This Wedding

“There is no permit needed for an intimate two person elopement at this location, but I would inquire with the owners if you are planning something larger as I’d say the house is designed for two people. It is a treehouse Airbnb on 13 acres about 15 minutes from Fayetteville, AR. The owners have planted over 400 new trees since 2020 to further isolate this property from the ever expanding city, so it is vital that couples respect the young trees while staying there. The house collects rainwater for an outdoor shower on the deck. The property provides a regular trash bin as well as two recycling containers that couples are encouraged to use.” [Kari, the photographer]

Learn how to leave no trace during your elopement.

Top Tips From This Elopement Photographer

“My most important tip for this location for eloping couples would be to make at least a weekend out of it. In my opinion, the house is designed to disconnect from the outside world, but it is still relatively close to all the best hiking locations in the Ozark Mountains. White Rock Mountain and Devil’s Den State Park come to mind. About 30 minutes away is Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and its sister museum, The Momentary. The Buffalo River runs through this part of Northwest Arkansas which has endless spots for hiking and day trips. Not to mention there are 13 acres of woodland to explore along with Goose Creek, which runs through the property. This location is definitely ideal for couples who like the outdoors but want to keep a cozy and thoughtfully designed ‘home base’.” [Kari, the photographer]

Special Details From This Day

“They reached out about 3 months before the elopement date with a vision to keep it as simple, minimal, and intimate as possible. Again, totally my thing!

I got ordained earlier that year which ended up working out beautifully since they didn’t want to have an officiant and I signed their marriage license at the end of the night and dropped it off at the county clerk’s office on Monday morning.

This was also the first elopement I’ve captured that was a true elopement according to the traditional meaning of the word. They actually ran off from central Oklahoma without telling anybody and got married!” [Kari, the photographer]

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Memorable Moments From This Elopement

From the photographer:

“I loved shooting Jessica and Ryan’s first look. First looks are more special during elopements in my opinion, when there’s not a huge crowd of family, friends, and a full wedding party hanging nearby. A first look is supposed to be intimate and I feel they truly reach that level during elopements.

Another huge highlight was that they were almost 6 months pregnant with a little boy, who was born right before Christmas. We reserved a few minutes toward the end of the session for maternity photos for them to share later on as they wanted to wait to share their marriage announcement with everybody.”

Final Words of Advice From the Photographer

“This is your day, and you should do exactly what you want.

I know this advice is super popular but I’ll repeat it nonetheless. Especially for brides and grooms in this region — which is mostly known for being conservative and traditional when it comes to weddings. I’ve actually shot quite a few full-size weddings here where the couple wanted to elope but didn’t because of pressure from friends and family. I’ve never shot an elopement where the couple really wanted a 200-person full-day party! Just saying :)” [Kari, the photographer]