Vibrant Elopement Inspiration Session at Monahans Sandhills State Park, TX

Believe it or not, this flawless styled elopement was Heather Thompson’s first shot at an inspiration session. “I had big dreams about styling an elopement that was unique to anything else…” she says, revealing that her goal was to highlight the contrast of dark colors against the white sands of the Monahans Sandhills. For Heather, the process of organizing the shoot was the best part of the experience, and she devoted almost four weeks to networking with members of the wedding industry to secure the perfect vendors and models. “Along the way I met amazing, hard-working individuals that went out of their way to ensure this vision became reality,” she says.

Despite all of her careful planning, disaster struck the day of the shoot, and Heather was forced to abandon her plans for a beautiful golden hour session. Dark storm clouds moved in, temperatures dropped below freezing, and wind speeds picked up to 25 MPH. Heather was compelled to cancel the shoot and consider rescheduling the entire production for a later season. The crew agreed to wait one day with the hope the weather would turn overnight. “We crossed our fingers, said a prayer, and decided to see how early morning looked,” Heather recalls. Her prayers were answered when dawn brought a clear, though incredibly chilly, morning. Her models, Katelyn and Paden, boldly braved the cold and delivered an emotional experience that could not have resembled a true elopement more. The couple wrote love letters, which they exchanged aloud during their “ceremony”, moving everyone to tears.

We are truly in awe of Heather’s incredible work and this vibrant styled elopement!

Photography by Heather Thompson Photography