elopements
danielle v photo
your wedding photographer
I got my first camera in 2017 to capture my hike from Canada to Mexico on the Continental Divide Trail. I was hooked on Wyoming after that and have lived here seasonally almost every summer since.
The next year, I set out with a compass and a stack of maps to hike 800 miles from Arches to Zion. This route showed me places around Moab and southern Utah I never would have thought to explore, and I try to imbue my work with this sense of exploration.
My timeline living in Moab, UT and Jackson, WY is more meandering than the rivers that run through these places, but I’ve more or less lived in both places seasonally since 2018. I worked as a guide in Moab and in the national parks and shot brand photography gigs on the side. Now, I’m lucky enough to move between Utah and Wyoming, where my partner guides on the Snake River in Grand Teton National Park.
Why does this outdoor and photography experience matter? Keep scrolling.
an elopement is an intentional way to get married, where the focus is celebrating your relationship in an authentic-to-you way.
Guests, venues, and traditions take a back seat, often in favor of solo time and outdoor adventure.
Heather
“We were booking an elopement event from across the country, everything site unseen. With Danielle's help, we had the perfect wedding celebration. She guided us through making reservations/ filling out forms for the national parks and answered all of our questions in a timely manor. Her local vendor reference lists were super helpful and her insight is unmatched! She catered to all of our wants and needs and was flawless throughout this whole planning and elopement process. I can't recommend her enough!
She also has experience with the national parks and was the perfect guide - she knew all of the best spots to get great photos! Can't say enough wonderful things about her!”
Every Package Includes
2. Photo Location Recommendations
Where in the National Parks do you go to get the absolute best photos for your first look and couples photos? What time of day do you choose, and what activities do you even do in an elopement?
That’s where I come in. I literally live in Grand Teton National Park now, and I used to work as a hiking guide in Moab and lived there for years. I’ve seen all of the spots at all of the times of day, how to get to them, and know how we can work them into your timeline…
1. more than a photographer
With elopements, you need to hire more than a photographer, and I cannot stress enough how handy a local photographer’s insight will be. Your photographer is also your sounding board, your logistics coordinator, your lighting expert, your hair fixer, and so much more. As a local adventure photographer, I'm here to guide you through creating an unforgettable experience from the moment you book me (remember: I actually worked as a hiking guide!). My goal is for us to feel like friends by your wedding day. I'm here for it all.
3. Elopement Timeline Assistance
Your elopement timeline is a comprehensive roadmap for your entire wedding day. This strategic plan is will help your coordinate vendors, travel time, locations, and overall ensure a smooth, stress-free celebration.
Timelines are not as straightforward as they may seem because there’s a lot that goes into them. Travel logistics, lighting, natural landscape features, vendors, and personal preferences should be taken into consideration and honestly this is where a local photographer comes in handy.
4. Local expertise
Choosing a photographer who lives (or has lived) in your destination has so many benefits. Frankly, you’re paying a lot of money to deliver bangers and any old photographer from Park City or Michigan is just not going to know enough about these particular landscapes to do that. A local:
Understands the different land management agencies and their permit requirements
Knows the best places and times to avoid the crowds
Knows how to work with sudden shifts in the weather
Knows all of the best viewpoints and their lighting
5. 65-pages of
Moab + GTNP
planning info
Your high-resolution gallery is more than a folder full of images with a preset slapped on them - it’s a carefully curated story of one of your most important days and all of the moments-in-between.
6. carefully curated gallery
How far in advance should we book?
Clients usually book 1 year to a few months in advance. As long as you’re within the 30-day permit window, though, we can figure something out!
How many images do you deliver?
It totally varies based on each individual timeline and activity. I conservatively say 30-40 images per hour.
do you do custom packages?
Yes, but they will still be subject to my starting price as I only book one wedding a day.
Do you reschedule for weather?
The wedding permits are inflexible in Moab and Grand Teton so rescheduling is generally not an option. I prefer to come up with a plan b to account for things like wildfire smoke or inclement weather.
What is your editing style
Film-inspired with slightly muted tones.
how do you keep our images safe?
I shoot on two cameras in case of failure and store your images on two different drives. Clients often forget to download their entire gallery and I do believe that is the clients’ responsibility, so to prompt this I only publish galleries for 90 days.
Sneak peaks
This is a contentious thing among wedding photographers and I get it, no one likes waiting weeks for their galleries. Most of the time I’ll be so excited over some of the photos that I’ll send you previews, but I don’t guarantee this or advertise it as a service.
There are plenty of other Moab photographers who do offer sneak peaks but I know for a fact that they outsource their editing, and that just lacks the intentionality that I like to put into my galleries.
So instead of sneak peeks, I provide a physical Instax photo + mini frame. Chances are you’ll get both, but just in case, I want you to have something beyond an iPhone photo to get you through until your gallery arrives.
How to book an elopement
-
Fill out my contact form for my pricing sheet. We can set up a call if you’d like, but I’m also happy to answer any questions you have over email.
-
To book, I require a 40% retainer to hold your date and a signed contract. After that, I’ll send you my client planning guide and folder that’s packed full of info, plus a survey that gets into your vision and details for the day.
-
From here we can start planning! This means choosing locations, deciding on activities, submitting permits, creating the timeline, recommending vendors, and more.
Luckily my client planning guide and local expertise will make this a breeze.
-
Get ready to have an incredibly day!
Packages
Packages
Wedding packages start at $5,200 for 6 hours. Inquire below for my pricing information and availability :)