
Elopement Intro + Planning Guide
Elopement Intro & Planning Guide
Hello!
I wanted to create a guide for those looking into elopement or Photographers that are looking to expand their sessions.
This guide is to welcome you to your photography experience with Beauty In The Moments Photography and to help understand and form your timeline on what to expect. There are so many ways to create a timeline and I am totally here to help.
Elopements are so much more intimate and private surrounded by the closest people to you both. Honestly, Elopements have really started becoming popular since 2020!
Beauty In The Moments curates the best Elopement package for you From 2 Hours to 4 hours!
To Book us email beautyinthemomentsphotography@gmail.com and we can get a free consultation set up! We are ecstatic your considering us.
For vendor referrals, keep scrolling to the bottom of this page for all the details!
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Alright, you ready to go? Let’s do this!
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Let’s Talk About Portraits
THE FIRST LOOK
For those you haven’t heard of a ‘first look’ before, this is when I coordinate a set up and make
sure your fiancé doesn’t see you before turning around, seeing you all dressed up, and I catch
the pure and beautiful first look moment reaction. Bride has control of groom of when she’s
ready for him to turn around.
So for Elopements, I usually recommend having a little first look before the ceremony so you
two can have an intimate moment together and then after your ceremony, you can just enjoy
the family and close friends who came to see you get married. Having your first look down the aisle is also optional and totally do-able, as long as you’re open to doing all your bridal portraits and family portraits after the ceremony.
*Please note your sunset time! For example, if your ceremony is at 5pm but sunset is at 6pm (like in late fall or winter weddings), I really insist on a first look. If we run out of natural light before we are done with your portraits, that’s a huge problem! Then we have to do them inside and set up flash and honestly that’s not very pretty or interesting visually at all.
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FAMILY PORTRAITS
So this tends to be one of the most stressful parts of the day- but I’m here to help de-stress it all!
I highly recommend making a shot list of all possible immediate family formal portraits
you’d want before or after the ceremony. You can always have a separate requests
for a shot with extended family during the reception, but try to keep it to immediate so we
don’t take hours photographing every possible combination.Depending on how many
combinations of immediate family members you’d like, usually family photos take
about 15-20 minuets if everyone is ready to go. Sometimes it takes a while to either find someone, rangle everyone, but no worries, we’ll get it all throughout the night! Elopements usually have fewer family combinations so we can get through those quickly. I also love to capture not only those ‘mom shots’, more traditional posed shots, but also those photos where you can look at each other, enjoy each others company, and just be together.
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BRIDAL PORTRAITS / GOLDEN HOUR PHOTO
So if youre planning on a first look, I count those as couple photos, too, because right after your first look, I like to take some of just you two while you’re got the first look tingles. It’s fun! So I usually allow about 10-15 minutes after the first look, and then about 20 minutes for Golden Hour Photos That’s when I can steal you two away from the reception, give you two a break to relax and breathe, and then chase that PNW light!! We’ll get some more bridal portraits that are covered with the golden hour light. SO good!
At your Elopement, we could do some first look photos, then some bridals, and if we’re still shooting while the sun is setting, we can sneak away for a few more golden hour photos.
How to Prepare for Your Wedding Photos
FAMILY SHOT LIST
I always ask my couples to make a family formal portrait shot list. That’s all the possible combinations you can think of for immediate family members that you want there before or after the ceremony for some nice formal shots. This shot list makes this family portrait time (which is one of the most stressful parts of the day) go by a LOT faster and helps run it all smoothly.
Example of a shot list: (Bride, Groom, Brides Parents) (Bride, Groom, Bride’s Siblings) (Groom with Groom’s Parents) (Bride and Groom with both sides of parents) (Bride with Sister) (Bride with each parent etc.)
If you need help putting together a shot list, just let me know and I’m more than happy to help! We also have a Wedding day questionnaire that you can use as a templet as well as a printable PDF for your wedding day that you can use for EVERYTHING you can request at no extra cost as one of our clients with Beauty In The Moments Photography!
DETAILS
When you’re thinking about what kind of details you want photographed, I highly recommend having all your wedding accessories together in a bag or separate storage box so they are ready to go for me when I arrive to start shooting.
If you want detailed shots of your wedding rings, grandma’s old broach, veil and shoes, etc, please have all of them together and ready to go.
Something I love to do is style your accessories. I take your wedding jewelry, shoes, bouquet, wedding dress, etc., and make fun images that best represent your wedding style.
Make sure to also have your wedding stationery on hand for me to photograph that as well if you’d like.
Vendor Recommendations!
If you’re still needing some recommendations for Oregon vendors see below!
FLORALS
TOP RECOMMENDATION: Lady Bug Flower & Gifts, Redmond OR
Lady Bug has been my favorite go to for Floral. They have a 4.6 star rating on Google.
Highly, highly recommend.
FLORALS FROM SAFEWAY
I highly recommend checking out Safeway! They are seriously the best well-kept secret for wedding flowers. So adorable, can DIY your centerpieces yourself, and they do seriously amazing job at bridal bouquets. Best kept secret in the wedding industry.
BAKERIES/ CAKES
Fancy Like That by Debbie Van Vliet
Based in Bend, OR but really amazing cupcakes, cakes, and other delicious baked goods. Always a pleasure to talk to and work with!
CATERERS
Redbeard Barbecue
Red beard Barbecue is a great country taste of meat. Owner Zack creates an amazing plan for catering your wedding no matter the size.
Badger’s Kitchen
Deb Badger cooks in her kitchen beautiful homemade meals for any event from company parties to large weddings.
RENTALS: TABLES + CHAIRS (OR BENCHES!)
Events by Design
Events by design has done two events for us and have been amazing! They delivered our wedding chairs and followed our mapped out lay out perfectly. They Returned later on after our event and cleaned up the chairs. Highly Recommend.
VIDEOGRAPHERS
Cascade voyage
Cascade Voyage offers Videography based in Central Oregon.
HAIR & MAKEUP
LizMakeup
Lizabeth Reynoso does a beautiful job on Make up from wedding all the way to sweet 16! She is bilingual!
Bombshell Beauty
Bombshell Beauty is based out of Redmond, OR does a beautiful job! Highly recommend. Jessica lynn is the sweetest and stays with you until you go down the isle! I even had Jessica for my wedding!
Hailey Fast Hair
Hailey is a creative and amazing hairstylist. Very inspired by her instagram and even the hairstylist i had for my wedding complimented her work.
PRINTING SERVICES
We offer printing services straight from your pic-time gallery so all you have to do is select the photos, size and order in one place! And we give you a variety of printing agencies to compare exclusively from Beauty In The Moments!
I am so excited for your big day! Can’t wait to chat and make your dreams a reality.
