If you’ve decided to have a destination elopement — first of all, congrats, that’s genuinely exciting — the next question is usually okay but where do I even start? There’s a lot of advice out there that basically just translates traditional wedding planning into elopement terms, and honestly? It doesn’t really apply. So here’s how I actually walk couples through it.
Pick Your Vibe
Before you book anything, you need a general sense of the feeling you’re going for. Mountains? Beach? A cool city backdrop? Deep in the woods somewhere? This matters more than the specific location at first, because your vibe is going to narrow down your options pretty naturally. A couple who wants moody, dramatic cliffs is going to end up somewhere very different than a couple who wants golden hour in a wildflower meadow — and both of those are amazing, they just require totally different planning.
Don’t stress about having the perfect answer here. Even just knowing “we want to feel small and surrounded by nature” or “we want something that feels alive and urban” gives us a solid starting point.
Pick Your Date Range
Notice I said range, not date. Unless you have a specific date that really matters to you, it helps to stay flexible — especially for destination elopements where weather, permits, and vendor availability all come into play. Think about the season you want, whether you care about weekday vs. weekend, and any blackout dates you need to work around. Having a window of a few weeks to work with makes everything else a lot easier to coordinate.
Book Your Photographer — Yes, Before the Venue
I know this sounds backwards, but hear me out. For elopements especially, your photographer is often the vendor who’s most involved in actually making the day happen — we help you find locations, navigate permits, figure out timing for light, and sometimes double as your witness. We also fill up faster than you’d expect, particularly for popular seasons and destinations.
If you find a photographer you love and wait to book until everything else is sorted, there’s a real chance they won’t be available. Book the photographer, then let the rest of the logistics follow.
Secure Permits & Figure Out Logistics
This is the part nobody talks about enough. A lot of the most stunning elopement locations — national parks, state forests, certain beaches — require permits, and some of them have lead times of weeks or even months. Some locations cap the number of permits issued per day. Some require you to apply through a lottery system.
Your photographer should be able to help you navigate this, or at least point you in the right direction. But don’t assume a beautiful outdoor location is automatically available — this step matters.
Find Your Officiant
Officiants can be surprisingly easy to find once you know where to look. Lots of elopement-friendly officiants are used to working in non-traditional settings, keeping it short and sweet, and making it feel personal without making it feel like a production. If you have a friend or family member who wants to get ordained, that works in most states too — just double-check the legal requirements for wherever you’re getting married.
And here’s something a little different about working with me specifically — I’m actually an ordained officiant in addition to being a photographer. So if you really want to keep things intimate and streamlined, I can do both. Just the two of you, me, and that’s it. No coordinating between vendors, no extra people to work around — just a really quiet, personal moment. It’s honestly one of my favorite ways to do this.
Tell Whoever You Want to Tell (or Don’t)
This one’s entirely up to you. Some couples share the news before they go, some wait until they’re back with photos in hand, and some keep it between the two of them indefinitely. There’s no wrong answer. The whole point of an elopement is that it’s your day, structured around what actually matters to you — not around managing other people’s expectations or feelings.
Do what feels right.
Want to talk through your plans? I love those early conversations — no pressure, no pitch, just figuring out what you’re envisioning and whether I might be a good fit to help you capture it. Get in touch here.
Hiiiii, I’m the imaginative force behind Cooper’s Mill Photography—capturing your unique and magical moments with a touch of enchantment.
