Fresh AF Elopement Ideas You Haven’t Seen a Million Times on Pinterest
because your love story deserves more than a hiking trail and a triangle arch. (I mean, you can have that too…)
Ok, preface? I’m all for the Pinterest poses. A gorgeous cliffside vow exchange at golden hour? Obsessed. A cozy forest elopement with lanterns and a picnic? Sign me the hell up. But if you’re the kind of couple who wants something a little different, I am right there with you. Let’s make your elopement (and elopement photos) feel like YOU, and not just a copy & paste version of someone else’s adventure. Because you’re already going against the grain, why not lean in all the way?
Here are some offbeat, underdone, and wild ideas to make your elopement feel fresh, intimate, and unforgettable:
1. Eloping in Reverse: Party First, Vows Later
Why not start your day with dancing in the woods or espresso martinis at a rooftop bar, and end it with private vows at blue hour in a secret spot? There’s no law that says vows have to come first. Reverse it. Let the celebration come before the emotion. It hits different.
2. An “After Dark” Elopement
Candles. Headlamps. Neon signs. Moonlight on your veil. Eloping at night is wildly underrated. And no, I’m not talking about a quick sparkler sendoff. I’m talking full-on nighttime magic. Let’s think vows under the stars, first dance in the headlights, a picnic with a lantern glow. Also, you won’t be sweating in the desert sun or squinting in harsh daylight. I’d call that a win.
3. Elopement by Boat, Canoe, or Floatie
Ok, this one might be popular, at least for photos, but what about saying your vows on a rowboat in a secluded alpine lake? Or float down a lazy river with your witnesses in tubes and a cooler of Topo Chicos. You can get married in a fancy dress and flip-flops.
4. A Dress Code That’s Not a Dress Code
Instead of formalwear, make your elopement outfits part of the storytelling:
• Hiking boots + idk, a cape?
• Silk slip + chunky sweater + socks in a wildflower meadow
• Custom jackets that say something other than “Bride” or “Wifey” (you’re more creative than that, right…?)
5. Roll in Like It’s a Movie Scene
Picture this: a convertible pulls up. Music is BLASTING. You step out in sunglasses and a windswept veil like a French film star. (I’m drooling thinking about this.)
Or you hike to a cliff in silence, just the wind and your breath and the sound of your boots. Make an entrance. Feel the drama. You’re the main character. I’m just here to document that ish in vogue fashion.
6. A Full Weekend Story, Not Just One Day
A lot of my couples do this, but it still isn’t the “norm”. Why limit your elopement to a single afternoon? Rent a cabin for the weekend. Swim. Make waffles together. Dance barefoot in the kitchen. Invite your people (or not). The magic happens in the in-between moments, too, and they deserve to be documented. (Check out this blog for one of my favorite multi-day elopements in Yosemite)
7. Do Something Sacred & Weird
Have your friend draw a tarot card before you walk down the “aisle.” Bring your favorite childhood book and read each other a line from it. Bury a time capsule under a tree. Get tattoos after your vows. This is your chance to make up traditions no one else has.
8. Stormy Weather Ceremony
Everyone’s scared of rain or wind or snow. But what if you leaned in? Misty forests. Hair blowing wild. Umbrellas and laughter. There’s nothing like kissing in a downpour or seeing your breath in the cold when you say “I do.” It’s drama in the best way.
9. Elope Somewhere You Always Go
Sure, that national park is beautiful. But what about the beach you walk every Sunday? The diner where you had your first kiss? The parking lot where you cried after your first fight and made up with fries and milkshakes? Ordinary places make for extraordinary stories when love is the center.
10. Zero Timeline Elopement
What if you didn’t plan the exact time for anything? No timeline. Just wake up, feel it out, and do what feels right. Let’s toss the shot list and just follow the light, the laughter, and the love. You deserve that freedom.
TL;DR: You Get to Make the Rules
You don’t have to hike five miles at sunrise or wear matching leather jackets just because everyone else does. You can elope your way: soft and sacred, chaotic and loud, fancy and weird.
And if you’re looking for someone to document the hell out of it: film, photos, tears, laughter, and all. Let’s freaking GOOOOOO.
Let’s make your elopement feel like art.
Let’s make it feel like you.
— Jules
Documentary meets editorial, with a little sprinkle of emotionally feral chaos.
Utah & Washington Elopement Photographer and Videographer