Romantic Boho Styled Elopement Session in Bismarck, ND

Photographer Quinn Oberlander had a clear vision for this styled elopement, and she went to great lengths to see it through. “There aren’t a ton of planners [or] decorators in Bismarck… so I did everything myself” she says.

After pulling the Forestbound bag from her personal wardrobe and stumbling upon a bargain for the perfect peacock chair, everything began to fall into place. Quinn tapped friend Autumn Graham to try her hand at watercolor cake design and worked with Crabapple Floral to create the dramatic botanical details. Quinn names the bag bouquet as one of the highlights of the session, revealing “…that bag was not just stuffed with flowers. It was stuffed with beautifully arranged flowers in 3-4 glass vases tucked inside the bag, making the whole thing 25 [pounds] or so.” On the day of the shoot, she borrowed a 6-foot cactus from a friend. Quinn wrapped the 70-pound succulent in a quilt, loaded it onto a dolly, hauled it down four flights of stairs, packed it into a van, and drove 30 miles out to her favorite location – the Badlands.

When it comes to turning a creative vision into a reality, Quinn’s advice is not to settle. “I am not a leader by any stretch of the imagination and this was my first stab at producing anything like this. It sounds easy in theory… I could have taken a bunch of easier roads and my life would have been less stressful… but I would also be significantly less proud of this work.” There is no question this photographer rose to the occasion beautifully and delivered an absolutely breathtaking boho dream of a session.

Photography by Quinn Oberlander