your go-to guide for all of the best tips for planning a fun, relaxed, and beautiful elopement
ELOPEMENT Guide
MICHELLE Jones Photography
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I absolutely LOVE capturing small, intimate weddings and elopements. There is something so incredible about being a front-row witness to your love story while documenting all of the emotions and excitement of your day.
There can be a lot to think about when it comes to planning your elopement, and it can be overwhelming. I encourage you both to spend some time to think about how you want to spend your day, and what's important to you as a couple. The wonderful thing about elopements is that you two are fully in charge of how you want the day to look and feel. Truly anything goes! You have the chance to design an authentic and memorable celebration of your love, without worrying about accommodating anyone else.
This guide is meant to share some tips and things to consider as you're planning your dream day. I am always a resource for you during this time, so please feel free to reach out if I can do anything to help make this process more fun and easy for you!
A NOTE ABOUT THIS GUIDE
Welcome
Choosing an incredible location is perhaps the greatest perk of a small, intimate elopement!! You could never ask 75 guests to hike to a fun location, but with a smaller guest list, it is suddenly possible!
You might choose a location with sentimental value to you as a couple, or an isolated spot with beautiful scenery. Want to hike to the top of a mountain? Find a nestled spot in the woods? Visit your favorite winery? It's your day, just about anything goes. I am always up for an adventure and happy to go anywhere you like!
Whether we're traveling somewhere or remaining in the DC area, there are so many amazing location ideas to choose from. I will be happy to help you narrow down or select a location that feels "you". Past couples have chosen their own backyard, a beautiful garden, the DC monuments, or a historic estate.
where to celebrate your love
Location
The best locations are often meaningful places to my couples. Think about your love story - what place come to mind? This can be a great way to start thinking about places and generating a list.
Note that some areas, especially in DC, require a photography permit. Please keep this in mind when selecting a location, as these costs are not included in your photography investment.
OFFICIANT
ATTIRE
CAKES
J. Tan Artistry
Kristen C Artistry
Makeup by Kiley Smith
Vow by Alondria
Sue Minsky
Amie Decker
UpDos for I Dos
HAIR & MAKEUP
ViDEOGRAPHY
She Loves Me DC
Cedar and Lime Co.
Springvale Floral
Petals Edge DC
House of Jeanne Flowers
Sweet Root Village
The Enchanted Florist
FLORAL DESIGNERS
High-quality vendors play a critical role in creating a stress-free elopement day.
Assembling an expert team means you can relax and enjoy your day living in the moment, knowing your team will handle the rest.
I've worked with many of the vendors below and or I have seen their exceptional service, and highly recommend them! This is not a paid list - I chose these vendors for both the quality of their work as well as their professionalism on the actual elopement day.
WHO WILL MAKE YOUR DAY INCREDIBLE
Vendors
- "Coordinate” rather than “match.” For example, if one of you decides to wear a long, flowy soft blue dress, the other might want to incorporate that blue color into a patterned shirt or tie.
- Consider your footwear. I recommend dressier shoes for the ceremony, formal photos, etc. but feel free to bring more comfortable shoes for other parts of the day, especially if we're planning a lot of walking!
- Clothing with "movement" - like a long flowy dress - make for truly stunning photos!
- Don't forget to accessorize! Jewelry, watches, etc. all help pull an outfit together.
I recommend you choose clothing that feels like you, and is special enough to celebrate the day. Here are a few general tips when selecting outfits - I'm happy to provide further guidance or input as you'd like!
- Suits and dresses always look classic and photograph well!
- Neutral colors look great together. Softer, pastel colors, earth tones, and jewel tones tend to photograph better than bright, vibrant colors - especially since bright colors can reflect on your skin leaving color casts.
what to wear on your big day
Dress to impress
I encourage couples to consider "primping" a little extra for their big day!
Consider a manicure/pedicure, fresh haircut, professional shave, and professional hair & make-up. If you feel your best, this is evident in your photos. You are absolutely worth the "splurge" to invest in yourselves. Plus, it helps relieve a little stress the day-of to know that you'll be looking amazing!
If either of you wear make-up, I encourage a professional make-up application! Professional make-up lasts longer than doing it yourself, and typically photographs more flawlessly, since make-up artists know the techniques for applying make-up for camera.
getting
ready
Some beauty stores (like Sephora, Blue Mercury) will sometimes offer free make-up applications with the purchase of products. If you are choosing to apply your own make-up, aim to apply a little heavier than usual so that the camera is able to pick it up accurately and you don't look washed out. Be sure to bring extra lip color because it may need a touch-up!
I'm also always happy to photograph some of your getting ready time. These can be simple portraits of you two putting on accessories, reading letters from each other, or anything else that captures this "preparation" part of your day. These moments tell a beautiful story of your day. Let me know if you would like to build this into your coverage.
1. All I need to create natural light portraits on a rainy elopement day is one porch or covering of some kind! Just one! It's amazing how much variety can be captured in one location when you're in a pinch.
2. Let me worry about the pictures. You have enough to think about. If there is a chance of rain, I’ll be sure to do some extra scouting to find a covered location or two for us to use for your portraits! Many times on a rainy wedding day, we will adjust the timeline on the fly to make time for portraits when the radar shows a break in the drizzle! And I even have a set of clear umbrellas I'll bring along to use for outdoor portraits.
3. Don't try to handle everything yourself. Definitely have a rain plan for your venue, but then let your vendors do the work of handling the rest of the day if rain is in the forecast.
One of the most frequently asked questions that I receive during wedding season is, “Soooo, what do you do if it rains?!”
I want to reassure you that even if it rains, you will still have beautiful portraits and BRIGHT colors in your images! Overcast skies mean vibrant colors! I know that rain isn’t ideal, and you're likely not wishing for rain on your elopement day, but if it happens, it happens...and it’s going to be JUST fine!! Some of my best elopements have been on rainy days! Here are a few things to remember:
Rain Tips
I absolutely love photographing elopement details! Details are a beautiful way to capture your elopement aesthetic, and to remember all of the small parts of the day that you spent so long planning! Depending on how many detail items you have, styling and photographing details generally takes about 15-30 minutes during an elopement.
Be sure to tell me on your questionnaire what you'll be bringing with you, so I can make a plan to photograph those details when it makes the most sense in your coverage plan.
Details
elopement
Invitation suite (2+ full copies with envelopes, stamps, seals, etc)
Vow books
Wedding and engagement rings for both
Ring boxes
Heirloom items
Jewelry, watch, cufflinks, tie bar, other accessories
Hair pieces, veil
Attire items (dress, suit/tux, shoes for both, tie/bowtie, belt, etc)
Bouquet, Boutonnière
Perfume & Cologne
Any other sentimental keepsakes you would like to include
Lose florals (Keep in mind, these often aren't complimentary and should be included in your floral order.)
print this checklist
These items are suggestions based on popular detail items. Please select items that you want photographed and feel free to bring other items than those included below!
DETAILS CHECKLIST
What I
provide
I have a fully curated styling kit available. While it does not work for me to bring it to every elopement (it's quite large!), if full detail styling is important to you, we can make a plan to incorporate this into your coverage. My kit includes carefully curated items to match your wedding color palette and design, including hand-painted styling backdrops, ring boxes in linen and velvet, antique trays and dishes, silk ribbon, vintage stamps, and items to enhance your wedding details. I welcome you to share information about your color palette and design elements for coordinated detail styling.
Your rings are an incredibly important part of your elopement details, and one that I love to photograph! If possible, try to have your engagement ring cleaned or clean it yourself.
To clean at home, soak your ring in warm water with dishwashing soap for 20 to 40 minutes. Then gently brush the stone with a soft toothbrush, rinse and repeat if needed.
The Rings
Here are a few ideas for making your elopement all about YOU!
WRITE YOUR OWN VOWS: If it's allowed by your officiant, write your own vows, and keep them in beautiful vow books as a special sentimental keepsake. If you can't personalize your vows, you can always write letters to each other to exchange, or exchange your personalized vows at a another point in your day.
INCORPORATE FLORALS: They elevate the occasion and add beauty and color to your celebration. I personally think this is the time to splurge on something beautiful! There are also several companies that can ship bouquets or other florals, or you can hire a local florist. I'm happy to provide suggestions!
TELL THE FULL STORY: Make time for getting ready pictures. Consider arriving to your venue without having put on your accessories. You can "get ready" with me present so I can capture you putting on jewelry, spraying perfume or cologne, inserting cufflinks, all of which help to tell the story of your day.
making your day unique to your love
Personalization
I get it, your pup is a part of the family. So, it’s understandable to want to include your dogs in your big day!
If you're including your fur baby in your elopement I highly recommend hiring a service to handle them. These companies not only bring your pup to and from the venue, but also make sure that they get plenty of water and stay nice and comfortable. Pawfect for You is a great wedding and event pet care company serving the Northern VA and Washington DC area that I highly recommend!
Including your pets
I encourage you to think about what you want your full day to look like. After your ceremony, perhaps it's out to a fancy restaurant to celebrate. Or a celebratory picnic in a park. Or getting take-out from your favorite spot to enjoy in your PJs. Or maybe you will whisk away to a nice hotel for a little staycation. Whatever it is, plan it out, so you have a nice way to enjoy the full day together.
elopement
activities
The Heirloom Bouquet is a modern and timeless way to preserve your
wedding bouquet or florals. I’ll create for you a custom-designed fine art piece using Heirloom Bouquet’s signature styling that you can display in your home and cherish for generations.
After your elopement, I'll take your bouquet (or other florals) home with me, and will deconstruct and style your bouquet. The Heirloom Bouquet will add hand-drawn calligraphy to the image, and we'll print, mat, and frame the image to your specifications. You'll love displaying this gorgeous image with your wedding photos!
This is an add-on offering - reach out if you'd like to purchase!
preparing for your
HEIRLOOM BOUQUET
Is this a trick question? There is no "typical' because this is about you!! I do think capturing some "getting ready" photos, a first look (if desired), the ceremony, and portraits afterward (which can include guests and/or just the two of you) gives you the big highlights of your day. If you're choosing to do something fun after the ceremony, I would love to capture all or some of that, too!
A:
What does a typical elopement timeline look like?
q:
Of course! Remember, this is YOUR day, and you can do whatever you like. And I will say that hey make for some wonderful portraits! I do recommend if we're hiking or doing something more adventurous, wait to put on the veil until we arrive!
A:
Can I wear a veil?
q:
This depends entirely on your vision for your day. For those choosing a "courthouse ceremony" and looking for simple portraits afterward at the same location, two hours of coverage will be sufficient. If you prefer a storytelling approach to your day, we can craft a customized timeline that truly features the events of the day, or somewhere in between! If we are hiking, changing locations, etc. I will help you decide the best number of hours.
A:
How long should we hire you for?
q:
Absolutely. I like meeting couples beforehand, because it gives you a chance to get to know me before your elopement, and you get a feel for what it's like to be in front of the camera. If you chose not to do an engagement session, we can still connect in advance. Anything to help you feel at ease when your wedding day comes.
A:
do you offer engagement sessions?
q:
Frequently
asked
Questions
I'm happy to document your day, regardless of the time! From a photography perspective, earlier morning and before sunset (these two periods are called "golden hour" have the most dreamy light, and offer the most beautiful photographs. If you have flexibility, planning for one of these times is ideal. If not, we can still get beautiful portraits but may have a little less flexibility with the light.
A:
Does the time of day matter?
q:
Yes and yes! My coverage is fully customizable to you and how you want your day to look. We can chat about different timeline options to be sure we capture all of your treasured memories.
A:
Can we do a first look? What about getting ready photos?
q:
This will depend on our itinerary and what details you want me to photograph. I do recommend that all couples bring an extra bag to carry things like phones, wallets, etc. since we don't want these in your pockets for photos!
A:
Is there anything we should bring?
q:
I offer a selection of gorgeous print products - including individual fine art prints, heirloom albums, canvases, keepsake photo boxes, and more - to help you preserve these memories in the way that feels best to you. My package comes with a print release so you can print your digital images anywhere you like.
A:
How can we print our photos?
q:
I'm a big believer that images aren’t meant to solely exist in a digital space. One day, most likely, Instagram will be gone, your phone will be replaced and images that you can physically hold in your hand will be the best way to remember those precious moments we captured.
Think about this fact: twenty years ago, if I had delivered you digital images, they would have been on a floppy disk. With the fast updates to technology, you would have no way to access those images today. Even the online galleries I deliver will eventually fade away.
One of the best ways to make your wedding memories last is by ordering an album. These high quality professionally designed albums come in a variety of linen & leather colors. These aren’t the same albums your parents' wedding photos came in. They’re modern, lay perfectly flat and look incredible on a coffee table. You'll find yourself flipping through every chance you get!
THE PERFECT WAY TO REMEMBER YOUR WEDDING DAY
Handcrafted Albums
After I deliver your gallery, I'll work with you to design an album that will become an heirloom for your family.
There are ENDLESS customization options, so I'll work with you to design the perfect fit for you.
Heirloom albums start at $650 with beautiful and timless customization options to create your dream keepsake.
Your Client Portal includes everything related to your session experience with Michelle, including your invoices & receipts, pre-session questionnaires, your gallery, and the opportunity to purchase print products.
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CLIENT PORTAL
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My goal is to help your dream elopement day unfold in a way that allows you to be present, relaxed, and happy. I believe these conditions create the most beautiful photographs, and I look forward to creating elopement day magic with you!
If you have any questions or would just like to chat, I'm here for you.
Email me at hello@michellejonesphoto.com with questions big or small!