There’s nothing that says Wild West quite like an area called “Dead Horse Point”. Andrew + Tenille planned for their ceremony there, on a band of sheer cliffs set hundreds of feet above the Colorado River overlooking the snaking canyons below. Smoke leftover from a faraway wildfire left the skies hazy and warm. We hiked a short distance with their families to a little nook in the cliffside for their ceremony. Surrounded on one side by sandstone steps and boulders, and on the other by a vast network of canyons below, Andrew + Tenille said their vows.

We walked out amongst the Joshua Trees, and they said their vows in the shade of peculiar formations of boulders in mid-afternoon. We spent the rest of the evening drinking cheap beer together, hiking up to some of the tallest views in the park, getting whipped by the desert winds and marveling at Southern California’s notoriously golden light at sunset.

Majo + Chris had an adventurous elopement in the California desert at Joshua Tree National Park at sunset. She had a handmade dress that flowed beautifully in the wind, and they said private vows surrounded by boulders, Joshua trees, and cactus.

We hiked a mile or so into the forest to a perfectly framed opening in the trail with giant redwood trees all around. Kelly + Jacy shared vows, each so intimately written and intentionally spoken that we were all in tears by the end. It’s difficult to not get emotional in a landscape like that one, with giant redwoods towering far above your head and the sweet smell of eucalyptus in the air.

We met Christie & Corey for drinks at a little cafe outside of Joshua Tree National Park before their engagement session. We made our way into the park with mostly clear skies and good temperatures. As we hiked around the boulders, the clouds darkened in some spots while the sun still shone on the horizon. We continued our hike, admiring the spring bloom in Joshua Tree (which is a spectacle to see), taking photos and making jokes as we made our way through the desert landscape. At one point I turned around away from the sun and saw one of the most saturated and clear rainbows I’ve ever seen. We all started shrieking audibly at how cool it was. Christie & Corey danced in the middle of the desert, holding hands and running and laughing, while Nate and I climbed up boulders taking photos.

I am so excited to finally share about a special project we were part of earlier this year. Well before the pandemic hit, we were blissfully running through the sand dunes of the Sahara Desert in Morocco, taking photos of gorgeous, handmade wedding dresses, watching sunset and traveling, unaware of what would come in the months ahead. But let’s rewind a few months before that even, and go back to the start of the idea for these amazing gowns.

I’ve never seen such a vast display of wildflowers in my life.

Colorado had an exceptionally wet and late winter last year, which pushed all the seasons back by about a month. When we planned for Sam and Gabe’s elopement in the mountains of Colorado, I was expecting that by late August the wildflowers would have peaked and begun to die off and hints of Fall would be on the horizon. I was wrong. The wildflowers were more widespread than I have ever seen. Queen Anne’s Lace up to our heads, Columbines in troves, bright purple Lupines dotting the landscape, Larkspur absolutely everywhere—there was more diversity and color in this year’s wildflower display than I’ve ever seen. They couldn’t have picked a more perfect time to adventure up into the high backcountry and elope.

Most of the weddings that we're part of don't happen at traditional venues. Typically we're photographing couples getting married in National Parks, on public land, at vacation rentals, and in their friend's backyard. You don't have to have a wedding at a multi-thousand dollar venue to have an inspiring wedding day, and in fact, I think the more stunning places tend to be the ones that are free of buildings and rules and a wait staff. 

Christine & Fernando…I could say so much about these two—they are the epitome of the kinds of couples we love working with for real elopements. Present, spiritually aware, open, playful…I think the two of them being so open with us left the students with more inspiration than the photos or the shoot itself ever could. It was a fantastic evening going through how we would treat a real elopement from getting ready, to first look, to hiking, to ceremony, to portraits.

Inside Kelsey and Jordan’s room in their Moroccan riad was a bed draped in a linen canopy, tall windows facing the courtyard, and stunning turquoise zellige tiles in the bathroom. We had tea on the roof of the riad before retiring into their room. We spent the afternoon taking photos and swapping travel stories. Kelsey and Jordan and their sweet baby Norah — doing their normal life, just in a new space.

This adventurous couples session took us deep into the remote desert landscape of Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument in Southern Utah. We backpacked overnight and woke up to watch the sunrise and capture this couple doing what they do best -- exploring nature.