Your wedding style is… Adventure wedding!

Your lifestyle is just as unique as you ARE, friend!

You march to the beat of your own drum and don't let opinions or negativity stand in your way... or you try not to let them, at least. You love being around the people you love (everyone else, not so much 🤷🏻‍♀️). You have a small circle of chosen family and you can't imagine your wedding day without them present.

For you, the most important thing is being true to yourself. Traditions aren't your thing and the thought of foregoing a big wedding is exciting. To you, the ideal way to celebrate your relationship involves spending the day with your partner, and having a handful of your favorite people present for the biggest moments.

You are truly your own person, and you prefer to do things your way, which might upset people sometimes— but remember that there is absolutely nothing wrong with living your truth.

You've been around long enough to know that people who defy tradition and expectations usually encounter naysayers and doubters along the way... and despite the fact that that's scary to confront, you're still driven to do your wedding in a way that really feels true to *you*. That isn't easy, and it's something you should be proud of!

When planning your adventure wedding, the first thing you and your partner should do is sit down and figure out what we like to call your "Wedding Why". Why do you want to have a non-traditional wedding? (more on this below). There are so many moving pieces involved in wedding planning so it's easy to get confused by it all, which is totally understandable! But once you've figured out the "why" for your adventure wedding, keep it at the front of your minds and use it as a guiding principle in the rest of your wedding planning decisions.

Tips to help you overcome wedding planning fatigue? Read on…

If the thought of planning your wedding causes a whirlpool of stress and self-doubt, you’re not alone, friend. The decisions you make about your wedding are a big investment and commitment.

At this point you might be worrying…

What if I don't feel excited about the thought of a traditional wedding?

What if I don't want to do all the traditional wedding stuff everyone expects me to do?

What if the idea of a big wedding guest list stresses me out, and I just want to spend my wedding day with my partner and a few of my closest loved ones?

What if I tell people that we're having an adventure wedding instead of a traditional wedding, and they get upset with me?

Talk about tough questions. And on top of that, you’ve got a sea of websites, blogs, videos, podcasts, books, and influencers to sort through. No wonder planning your wedding feels a little overwhelming.

But luckily there are steps you can take to make it a whole lot easier. The first being...

1. Find Your "Wedding Why"

As we mentioned above, you should begin your wedding planning process by finding your "Wedding Why". When planning your wedding, the first thing you and your partner should do is sit down and figure out what we like to call your "Wedding Why". Why do you want to have a non-traditional wedding? Think about things that guide you (individually and as a couple). What brings you happiness? Where do you find peace? What do you do when you need a break? Why are those places or things meaningful to you?

Keep in mind that you and your partner probably won't know the answers to these questions the first time you go through them. We suggest reading the prompts together and then thinking about them for a week. Once a week has passed, sit down with each other and have a discussion about your thoughts and any conclusions you may have made. This also helps to ensure you two are on the same page about why you're doing this and what you want from the elopement.

Use your "Wedding Why" as a guiding compass to help you navigate the maze of choices you'll need to make.

2. Narrow Down the "Where"

You don't have to figure out an exact location yet. In fact, most couples who have adventure weddings don't know exactly where they want to get married before booking their photographer (the next step).

We suggest figuring out a general area or type of landscape that you want to get married in before you start looking for a photographer. Think about what kind of activities you two like to do together (or activities you'd like to try), your favorite places to spend time outside, and your dream travel locations.

Many adventure wedding photographers travel, however not all do, so having a general area in mind will help you not be so overwhelmed by options when you start looking. There are great adventure wedding photographers all around the world, so instead of saying "we want to have our adventure wedding somewhere in the US", narrowing it down to something like "we want to have our adventure wedding in Utah" will make it SO much easier to find a photographer!

3. Find Your Photographer

For couples having adventure weddings, your photographer should be the first vendor you book! The most important thing is to make sure you find one that has experience both photographing AND planning adventure weddings.

There are many photographers who take beautiful pictures, but if you have an adventure wedding you need a photographer who understands things like permitting systems, Leave No Trace principles, and logistical planning. Finding an experienced adventure wedding photographer who also does planning will be invaluable to you, because they will be able to guide you through the entire process in ways that an inexperienced/traditional photographer or wedding planner can't.

Hey friend! Thanks for joining us.

We work with couples to help them have the unique wedding experience that their story deserves.

With three years of experience specifically in the adventure wedding & elopement industry and six years of experience in the wedding industry, we're well-suited to provide guidance on your wedding planning. We want to point you down the path towards the wedding of your dreams, that is a perfect celebration of the love you and your partner share.

Looking for a little extra guidance? Check out these resources...

1. Download our e-book for extensive pro tips on how to plan an adventure wedding or elopement. We provide knowledge we've gained from our years of experience, so you're sure to find something useful even if you've read other blogs or watched videos on the subject.

2. Read this blog post where we go over more about what the process of having an adventure wedding or elopement looks like.

3. Book a consultation call with yours truly. We’ll get to the bottom of whatever concerns might be holding you back from the adventure wedding of your dreams.

P.S. Don’t forget to check your email! We’ll be in there with more planning tips.

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