Van Gachnang Photography

Van Gachnang Photography

Based In: Washington
Business Attributes: LGBTQ+ Owned, Woman Owned
Photographer: Van Gachnang Photography

Van Gachnang Photography

Based In: Washington
Business Attributes: LGBTQ+ Owned, Woman Owned

Hey, adventurer!

What would you say if I told you that your elopement can be literally anything you want it to be?

That might include your dog, a hike to a stunning summit, drinking beer at your favorite park, or anything else you can dream up.

You’re here because you need an elopement photographer – high five to you for putting in the work and finding someone you truly click with! And double high five for choosing to elope in the first place- sometimes it’s a brave decision that took a lot of guts, and sometimes it’s the easiest thing you’ve ever decided.

What you might not know is that you probably need is someone who can alleviate the stress that may come with planning an elopement. That’s where I come in, babyyyyyyy.

Ready to ditch the tradish’ and get married your way?

Incredible. I’m Van, and I’m here to make sure that happens.

I have a cuuuuuute as hell dog named Fern, I live in Seattle, Washington, and I’m pretty damn good at taking photos of people I love. I’m an outdoorswoman when I’m not photographing people, I’m an extroverted introvert who is *all* about intrapersonal relationships and digging deep into love, and I’ve been doing this for a long time. Like, over half of my life.

Some cool shit about me:
-Certified in NOLS Wilderness First Aid
-I moved to Washington from Wisconsin in 2018 and have spent eeeeeevery extra minute exploring the PNW
-Certified Leave No Trace aware photographer

Sound like we might be friends? Imagine what it might be like to have me along on your elopement day, hyping you up and documenting the small stuff AND the big stuff. Could be pretty cool, right?

What it’s like to be my client:

Aside from delivering some truly kickass photos from your elopement, I’m here to help you with a lot more: location planning, permit assistance, timeline arranging, hike recommending, sun and weather tracking, snack providing, and general good-time-having. I’m the photographer you’ll get more than just photos out of. I’m talking inappropriate jokes, mini dance sessions when a good song comes on, and someone who will send you memes that remind me of you. Yep, I’m here to give you one incredible elopement experience from start to finish.

If you’re already thinking about being uncomfy in front of a camera, then we’re going to get along spectacularly. I spend time intentionally getting to know my couples so that when I show up to third wheel your wedding day, we already feel like old friends. And it’s much easier to be photographed by a friend, especially when she will walk you through every step. Taking away that worry is crucial to making sure you have a stellar experience, and I’m pretty damn good at my job.

Oh, and did I mention that I follow Leave No trace principles? AND I educate my clients on how to protect Mother Natch’ at their elopement? Cause I totally do because it’s important to me.

Ready to do this?

I know I’m super ready for what you have dreamed up for your elopement, so let’s grab a drink or some ice cream (or hop on a video call!), get to know each other a little, and craft an experience that you won’t want to forget.

Peek at my pricing page for more information. Let’s do this.

01 / 23
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After seeing some pictures, we had our hearts set on getting married in Olympic National Park but my wife Caitlin and I had never been out there. We had an idea of what we wanted our ceremony and elopement photos to be like but didn't really know where to begin. Fortunately the first thing we did was look for a photographer in the area and after speaking with a few Van had the best vision for our elopement and answered any questions we had about the park, planning the elopement, as well as providing various options in case certain areas didn't work out. We appreciated her knowledge and thoroughness from the very first call!

Choosing Van turned out to be the best decision. Van monitored access within the park for us and due to a fire in Hurricane Ridge visitors center, we were able to quickly come up with different options for where we would take a portion of our photos. The day of the elopement we had a schedule of the whole day planned, from getting ready, to the ceremony, to elopement photos in various spots throughout the park; we were able to do everything we had wanted to with very little stress and without feeling rushed in large part thanks to Van. Her artistic vision, ability to direct shots and capture candid moments was incredible. We never had so much fun taking pictures together!

Of course the best part was the photos of our elopement that we received from Van. They perfectly captured our vision of the day, and so much more! Van was able to send us a few photos from our elopement not long after the day and we couldn't stop looking at them! It'll be really hard for us to decide which photos to print out since they were all so amazing!

Our elopement in Olympic National Park became timeless, all thanks to Van. We are beyond grateful for her professionalism, dedication, talent and artistry, giving us a treasure trove of memories to cherish forever. If you are looking for an elopement photographer in the area, I would not hesistate to reach out to Van.

C+L

Van was more than just a photographer – she was our guide in planning our elopement too! She helped us have the most magical day we could have ever imagined. We changed our plans on her a few times, and Van worked with us the whole way. She was incredibly knowledgeable and gave us all the info we needed to make sure it went smoothly. Not only that, but she made our wedding day so much fun! My partner and I have always been uncomfortable taking photos, but Van managed to capture the true joy, beauty, and fun of the day. She was wonderful to have as part of the day and quickly getting our sneak peek photos also helped so much in breaking the news to our families as we could share the memory with them. Her excitement about the photos was infectious! Van did a fantastic job helping us plan and capture our elopement in a way that truly captured our love, while making it fun and way less stressful than it could have been. We are so grateful for the love you put into your photography!

L+B

Wow, I don’t even know where to start! Van was amazing from beginning to end 🤩 She was extremely clear with all communication, and super helpful with locations/weather/etc. Every time she emailed or texted us, she was so hyped about our session! It made me and Adam feel so dang excited to work with her and be in front of the camera! We shoot photo + video, so we had pretty high expectations going into the session (not on purpose, but just because we are creatives, too). VAN BLEW IT OUT OF THE WATER! 😍 We couldn’t be happier with our photos and the amazing GIFs she included! Our session was freezing, but she gave us so many great prompts and it felt amazing to be creative with her. If you’re wanting engagement/elopement photos, HIRE HER. You won’t regret it!

H+A

Where can we even begin with Van? My husband Vincent and I knew NOTHING about eloping when we started this journey, and even less about Washington (crazy, yes we know). From our first email exchange with Van our minds were put at ease about our decision to elope and we knew we found someone who would help us through the process. As soon as we spoke to Van over Zoom we knew she was the one for us! She was so easy to talk to, like a lifelong friend we’d never met! She was always completely transparent with pricing and expectations, and kept us moving along with a perfect timeline for our special day. Her location guide was so helpful for us - especially because we had never been to Washington - and her understanding of our vision was clear from her choice of spots. She was 100% supportive of our ideas and helped us adjust plans to make sure our timeline and locations were both realistic and EXACTLY what we wanted. AND THAT WAS ALL BEFORE WE MET IN PERSON! Our wedding day with Van is something we will treasure forever. It was like adventuring around with a friend who just so happens to be a magician with a camera, and she worked with our videographer, Sabrina, like two peas in a pod. Our pictures are more beautiful than we could have ever asked for - and the best part? We had proofs of some before we were on a plane back home! We never felt posed or forced to smile, which is something we spoke with Van about very early on in our planning. She captured the magic of our day and the love we felt in the most authentic, natural and effortlessly comfortable way, which is exactly what we wanted. Working with Van was a dream - our only complaint is that we couldn’t make our day with her last forever!

N+V

We had a lovely time with Van as our photographer! Our event was small and low-key, and Van matched that energy perfectly, giving us exactly what we were looking for. As a queer couple it felt very important to have a photographer who tried to understand who we were as people rather than trying to fit us into a hetero-normative model of what "wedding" photos should look like and Van did just that! As a bonus she took adorable and unsolicited photos of our pets during the day too :) Highly recommend for anyone interested in small outdoor gatherings, the way she captured us in our favorite national park was beyond special.

R+A

Hire Van!! I recommend Van often and enthusiastically - and I wish I could do it more. I'm someone who LOVES wedding photos, and when it was time for my own, I was thrilled to find someone who captured people stunningly as themselves.

Van was easily one of the best decisions we made for our wedding - especially in a year where everything was turned on its head several times. Van was flexible, reliable, and supportive, and ultimately captured our day beautifully.

K+P

One of the best things I did for our elopement was hire Van to be our photographer. Van was an informative, clear, and kind professional from our first meet & greet to the extremely early day-of. Before the big day, Van was communicative and provided thorough resources to ensure our elopement was nothing but an extremely special day for us. My husband and I had never taken professional photographs before so we were a bit uncertain on how the experience would be but Van made it unbelievably easy and fun. She accommodated our friends and family with grace, and captured the importance of our community so well. I remember feeling a great deal of appreciation for her ability to guide us through our time together and at the same time thoughtfully give us the time to simply enjoy. She allows you to relish the one of a kind moments while capturing stunning shots - and oh boy do I mean S-T-U-N-N-I-N-G! The way she was able to incorporate the beautiful landscapes, have them look bigger than life amazing and still have our presence as the undeniable focus, solidified our respect for Van's skill. Thank you for making our special day that much more special, Van.

If you are searching for an adventure elopement photographer, please look no further than Van! Van's work is incredible and literally jaw dropping, I am confident you will have zero regrets.

M+E
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Get ready for the adventure of a lifetime, babyyyyyy.

If you want to show off the beauty of your love AND our planet, then it's time to dive headfirst into eloping. If you also are looking for an experience filled with belly laughs and dad jokes, you just found your elopement photographer. Can I get a hell yeah?!

Wandering Since 2021
Van Gachnang Photography
Van Gachnang Photography

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