Why I Became an Adventure Elopement Photographer
I’ve never really been into big weddings.
The long ceremony. The fancy venues. The over-the-top production. I have no hate toward them, it was just not something I ever enjoyed. When we would go to relatives’ weddings, I would despise having to chitchat with people I knew I would never see again, or who only pretended to care about my life. Even as a kid, the only thing that was enjoyable at the wedding was the dancing, and well, we can dance anywhere.
The only wedding I remember with any sort of interest was a wedding in Banff. We had never been to Banff before, although we had been to the mountains several times, but the idea that you could get married somewhere so spectacular to me was phenomenal. Beautiful scenery, quaint mountain town, an adventure in itself… It was so much better than the big parties in our home town, so much more special to me, and I wasn’t even the bride.
My parents eloped in the little town of Jasper in the early 1990’s. I guess that just kind of set the belief that eloping was a completely normal, plausible thing to do, however, back then, it was very uncommon. I remember my mom telling me how much backlash she received from her family for going the untraditional route, how many of her extended family was so distraught that she didn’t follow tradition and have a big wedding that they didn’t talk to her for years. However, for my parents, it was an amazing memory, and something they don’t regret.
Elopements have gained so much popularity over the years, and are much more accepted in general, but to me, they have always been a normal thing. I grew up knowing it was okay to celebrate your day however you wanted to, without fear of judgement from friends or family. My dad and mom set the perfect example.
It wasn’t until I was working in the corporate rat race, hating my job and many of the people who I was surrounded in the industry, that I decided to take a hobby I loved and turn it into a job of passion. Capturing couples and their love stories, stories that made them ridiculously happy, that in turn would make my heart soar when they seen their photos. No longer was I doing something to only make money, I was doing something to make happiness. That is why I do what I do.
The elopement part is just a small part of it, but the adventure photographer part… It’s because I believe adventures make a person’s life full. Without adventures, even the little ones, we have no stories to share, no memories made. Adventuring is what makes laughs, smiles, and tears. And the biggest adventures are bound to make the biggest memories, that’s why I believe its important to include them on your wedding day.
So know that as your adventure elopement photographer, I am not here to just photograph your wedding day because I think it’s cool. It’s because I honestly believe its my calling, to help other people remember their happiness and their love, and there is zero judgement from me whatever you decide to do. Whether you invite 1 person or 300, as long as it makes your day exactly what you want it to be, I believe it’s the perfect day for you.
