PLANNING AN ADVENTURE ELOPEMENT: What You Need to Know!

Adventure elopements are on the rise all around the world, especially here in Colorado. More couples are coming to terms with the fact that a traditional wedding may not be for them and want to kick off their marriage with an adventure. If that's you, definitely check this video out as I'll be talking through how to begin planning the adventure elopement of your dreams. From the beginning stages of planning all the way through booking your vendors, hopefully this video will provide some value for you :)

First off, let me introduce myself:
My name is Roo Smith and I'm an outdoor adventure elopement photographer and videographer based out of Colorado. I came at elopements from the adventure and documentary space so I’m well-accustomed to telling stories in the beautiful outdoors. Even before that I even worked as a guide leading trips for people in the outdoors so planning trips is what I was made to do. Funnily enough, planning an adventure elopement and planning a backpacking trip is remarkably similar so I have some tips today that will help you out in planning the adventure elopement of your dreams!

FOLLOW YOUR PASSION
So, this step is where I like to start people off that book with me and want to begin planning their elopement. I always recommend couples to choose an experience or a passion or a hobby that they love to do and incorporate that into their elopement somehow. This can take the form of any sort of experience (rock climbing, yoga, surfing, hiking, camping, etc.) but you can really start to narrow down your location this way. If you’re thinking “our passion as a couple is rock climbing” then you may be better suited to find an elopement spot near the mountains. This is a pretty abstract stage of the process but important nonetheless. If your passion isn’t as adventurous as summiting huge mountains, don’t worry because you can still carry this into any other part of your day. If you’re passionate about food, have your favorite restaurant or meal as a picnic before your ceremony! There’s something in this step for everybody so take the time to figure that out and we can make it happen :) It will create a more interesting and engaging experience for the both of you.

WHERE COMFORT MEETS CONFIDENCE
I get a lot of questions from couples about what to wear for your elopement day and I also say where comfort meets confidence is their best bet. Let me explain, comfort is super important when it comes to elopement wedding attire. Unlike a traditional wedding, you may be hiking multiple miles in your wedding dress or suit so making sure you have something that you feel comfortable enough and allows for some movement is fantastic! But you’re maybe thinking, “Roo! Hiking pants are also comfortable and good for hiking, but I don’t want to wear that on my elopement day!” I would respond that’s where the confidence piece comes in. If you feel confident in your wedding dress and feel like it’ll allow you to move in the way you want, then you’re jamming! For dresses, having a train that can bustle or going train-less may be your best bet. For suits, breathable fabric is a total game changer too. Tuxedo’s definitely look super fly but you will probably sweat through it by the time comes to recite those vows so having something a little lighter could be a good piece of clothing to look into. Alos, breathable suits can be repurposed for future formal gatherings too, which is a bonus :)
One last piece of advice for elopement attire is making sure you feel comfortable getting it dirty. When we’re kids we were so fine trashing clothes in mud but seemed to grow out of that when we grow up. Make it playful and don’t worry if your dress or suit gets a little dirt on it, that’s part of the experience (which I think is totally awesome)

CHOOSING LOCATION + BOOKING LOCAL VENDORS
The reason I put location and vendors together is often your vendors can help find your location with you. So, as an elopement photographer and videographer and just general outdoors lover here in Colorado, I know dozens and dozens of elopement spots here. If you're coming from out of state and don't know their region very well, a local vendor such as myself can definitely help bring you to where you want to be. Circling back to that “Follow Your Passion” section, the activities you want to do around your elopement can help pick your location and help narrow down specific spots. If picking your location all seems very overwhelming, don’t worry. I have an elopement map that you get access to after booking that allows you to shop around for specific locations that make it as easy as shopping for hotels in town