So, you decided that the big traditional wedding is not what you want for your wedding day, and you are going to elope.  Congratulations! One of the best things about your decision is that it leaves you wide open to making your special day customized to fit you and your fiancé perfectly.  No worrying about what anyone else wants or thinks.  You just do what fits your style and taste, and what says more about that than the location?  This means step one, and possibly the most important step is to figure out where you are going to elope.  If you are not sure, here are a few suggestions.  For even more advice, it is always a good idea to consult a professional photographer, they will be able to guide you to the right place at the right time of year to get the most out of your wedding day.

Life’s a Beach

If you are all about sand in your toes, sun on your face, and fresh ocean air filling your lungs, then it’s off to the beach for your wedding.  This is one of the most popular styles of non-traditional weddings and there are several places to choose from in the US.  All up and down the west and east coasts there are beautiful beaches, but none live up to one of the top elopement destinations in the world, not just the United States, Maui.  This paradise island is known for some of the best beaches on the planet.  You can plan a small ceremony at a resort right on the beach or find one of the dozens of small, secluded beaches to tie the knot.  This island will give you memories for a lifetime.  Not to mention that you may just stay there for your honeymoon.

Enchanted Forest

If being out in the scent of tall pines, bird song, and enjoying all that nature has to offer entices you, a forest wedding sounds like your kind of day.  Again, this nation of ours offers forests aplenty, but if you want the best, there is only one place. The National Redwood Park is breathtaking in beauty, size, and scale.  You can make this wedding into a simple, barefoot forest wedding, or with minimal lighting and the right decorations, you can turn your day into an enchanted fairy forest wedding.  The giant redwoods will not disappoint no matter what you come up with.

Majestic Mountains, Take a Hike

If the mountains, hiking, and wide-open lakes are more to your liking, you have a tough choice to make.  Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado and Glacier National Park in Montana are both equally spectacular.  Towering peaks, deep scenic valleys, miles of hiking trails, and big glassy lakes leave you wide open to making your wedding day full of fresh air and epic pictures.

Southern Bell

Maybe you are a sucker for those southern-style dresses, bow ties, Panama hats, massive weeping willows, moss-covered oaks, and stone bridges.  The most picturesque place in the south to elope is City Park, New Orleans.  You will feel like you have gone back in time when you explore this destination.

Wild West

If the wide-open spaces, red rocks, rugged terrain, and deserts of the southwest have your heart, you have plenty to choose from.  Big Bend National Park in southwest Texas is the raw southwest desert at its best.  With an entire mountain range to explore and the Rio Grande carving through the Santa Elena Canyon, there are numerous places to choose for your special day.  Zion National Park in Utah offers miles of hiking trails, waterfalls, and amazing red rock formations at every turn.  You can take one car with your fiancé, photographer, and official, pull off the road at dozens of locations, and have one of the most unique weddings ever.  You can’t talk about the southwest without bringing up the Grand Canyon.  Most people visit the south rim, but we suggest putting in the extra time and going to the north rim.  There are far fewer people and the most epic views you can imagine.

City Slicker

Not the outdoors type?  Or maybe you like nature but just don’t like to be too far from the comforts of a big city.  Only one place for you, New York City.  While there are so many great cities across America, we all know the first one that comes to mind when someone says “big city”.  Not only can you plan your wedding and pictures all over one of the most popular cities in the world, but you can also enjoy some of that nature stuff at Central Park.  What better memory to hang on the wall than you on your wedding day surrounded by trees and having the NY skyline in the background?

Vintage Vegas Baby

The choice for a vintage elopement is clearly Las Vegas, Nevada.  The one place that comes to mind when someone brings up eloping is Vegas.  Instead of doing the typical quick vows, and heading to the casino, be more creative.  Go back to the beginning of the traditional Vegas elopement, put on your best 50’s or 70’s attire, tie the knot and then go get some classic once-in-a-lifetime pictures all up and down the strip.

No Wrong Choice

These are just ten of our favorite elopement destinations in the US.  There are thousands of other great spots to choose from.  One of the best resources to help you decide is your professional elopement photographer.  Not only will they know the best locations but also the best times of the year and even the time of day or night to make the most of your special wedding day.  Please contact us with any questions. We look forward to helping you plan this adventure