K + A got married at the courthouse in Flagstaff, Arizona before heading north to Grand Canyon National Park to commemorate their day with elopement portraits, yurt camping under the stars, taco bell dinner, and Mario Kart racing on their Nintendo Switch. This was truly THEIR day and exactly how they wanted it.

They helped each other get ready in their Airbnb yurt outside of the National Park, and got their florals ready from Sedona Flowers. From there we drove together to the Grand Canyon and captured some lovely portraits for them.

Their beautiful florals curated by Sedona Flowers perfectly complimented the cotton candy post-sunset skies we got. I had them exchange rings again, and share some extra vows to commemorate their time here at the Grand Canyon.

As the sun went down, their minds ached for celebration and stomachs ready to feast. We headed back to their yurt, where we would soon learn of all the fun yet to be had for their special day. The first thing they were excited to dive into was their beautiful succulent cake made by Sedona Cake Couture.

And oh no, they did not stop there. Next up they pulled out a bag of their favorite goodies: Taco Bell and endless snacks from the convenience store. Now this is where they thought of themselves and what THEY wanted for THEIR day. When I asked during their early consult meeting, “What do you both love to do together?”, they both replied with exactly what you’re seeing here. They love playing games, munching on their favorite snacks while cozied up on their couch together. What’s better than comfort food and some Mario Kart competition after your elopement day?!

During their consult meeting, this is everything we went over and talked about: How do you want your day to look? What do you hope to feel and see in your final photo gallery? Timing wise, are you looking for an epic sunrise? sunset? starry night? All of my elopement packages come equipped with this in mind. They wanted something that felt them, not out of the ordinary—except for the Grand Canyon of course. They immediately mentioned sunset at the Grand Canyon and that they were beyond excited booking a yurt—so starry night photos were a “yes please!”

These kinds of questions I asked when designing their elopement, ultimately helped them to enjoy their day and it not feel like a timed and rigid photo shoot. It’s more about experiencing and being present. After-all, this is their elopement day they traveled thousand of miles for, it should be enjoyed! This allows their final gallery outcome to tell the full story, and again, not just be a timed photo shoot.

The next day we met back up in the morning at the Grand Canyon South Rim to take advantage of capturing more Grand Canyon view points, and they also FaceTimed their family and friends to share the news—they eloped!

If you’re looking to capture your Grand Canyon elopement, look no further than Earth Below Photo. As an experienced destination elopement and wedding photographer, I specialize in capturing the raw beauty and intimate moments of couples against the awe-inspiring backdrop of the Grand Canyon, all while being able to help you plan out your perfect day. Inquire here. I can’t wait to join you on your next adventure!

An elopement not only in the desert, but at Horseshoe Bend in Page, Arizona is truly magical. Especially with these two, they made this adventurous photographer so inspired. This canyon view has become one of most iconic travel spots in the southwest. Being able to see the natural horseshoe curve of the Colorado River and its accessibility is truly why so many crowd this destination.

Regardless of influx of crowds over the past 7 years, this place still remains a special place to me. I work hard to make couples’ sessions, elopements, and weddings as intimate as possible. That’s due to the endless amount of time I have spent and photographed in this location.

We started the day before their elopement. I offer an extra adventure session in my Dream collection of photography packages. This gives me the opportunity to either photograph the couple before their day—I really get to know them during this time and how they like to be photographed—or after if they want more adventures to celebrate afterwards. Now this gives the couple the opportunity to explore places in the area they also want photos of in their elopement attire or just to be casual—without elopement attire—purely for the adventure and to document it. So really, if you want ideal sunset lighting in multiple locations this is the perfect option! We traveled off to other mars-like rock formations the evening before. It was a great opportunity for all of us to get to know each other in person, and I got to hear more about their story together. Magical again with a cotton candy sunset on the cliffs.

The morning of their elopement, S + C got their hair done in the Flagstaff area and headed up north to the city of Page. We met up at a spot along Lake Powell to adventure and capture some portraits before the sunset ceremony at Horseshoe Bend. I like this spot because you’re closer to the water and get insane wave-like rock formations. From here you can actually go down to the water with small sandy spots to relax and jump in. We decided to stay up amongst the rocks.

As you can see I really enjoy those wide, wide open landscapes shots where the subjects look small, and you can really feel how expansive our world is. After all, that’s why these clients pick these places. You WANT to see these epic backdrops in your photos—not only closeups.

From there, we headed over to Horseshoe Bend with our proper permit and met up with their officiant, Jen from Life Passages. Quick little rant: I absolutely love working with Jen who really is such a positive and fun person to work with. The detailedness and personable ceremonies Jen provides are beautiful. Hire Jen for your Arizona wedding!

S + C set up their phone on a tripod and started a Zoom video chat so family could join their elopement. It was a complete surprise to them that day. We timed it perfectly for the sun to be setting on the cliff of Horseshoe Bend as they were giving their vows and we really got such great changes in light and the sky. Plus, we had the perfect amount of time to take portraits afterwards with the golden light!

Let me start off by telling you this was a dream come true for me; flying out to Dubai, being this couple’s elopement photographer, and riding camels on the beach. With major Middle Eastern roots in me, I was crying and dancing on the phone with the couple when I was asked to be their Dubai photographer.  

Keep on scrolling to read and SEE why R +N decided to throw their big wedding plans away and elope…

They DITCHED all of their big wedding plans. The bride had been dreaming of their wedding their whole life and how they put it, “Within 2 short months, I had my venue, florist, photographer, dress, hair and makeup, photobooth, llamas, ALL my decor, and more. I mean it was going to be out of this world awesome…” Soon they realized how less of it became about the two of them and their story, and more about what everyone else wanted for them. They had the help of a wedding planner which relieved tasks off their plate, but still found that they would not be in pure wedding day bliss.

During all of the wedding planning, their family announced they would be vacationing in Dubai that summer. They made the suggestion that they should elope while they were there and with slight hesitation they said, “Que the, ‘Wow that’s not a bad idea, I’ll consider it. The thought of losing all of my deposits were gut wrenching, however, the overall cost of the wedding was going to be more than losing all the deposits plus our trip.”  Suddenly this did not seem like a bad idea whatsoever, especially when the groom was completely on board and said, “Yes!! This will be so much better for us.” 

I had originally taken their portraits on a snowy day in downtown Chicago. It was a challenging session due to the fact there was a blizzard that morning, but we had the best time ever and created some amazing photos (check them out here). I will never forget that day, especially since they secretly bought her engagement ring together. I surely did not expect 5 months later to be on the phone planning a Dubai itinerary with them.

From there they decided to elope and have a court house wedding where they live in Texas! Two weeks later, Dubai would be the perfect setting for their professional post-elopement portraits, all while still getting the camel-filled wedding they bride had always dreamed of. This is where I (Amanda) come into the picture as their photographer. I got to capture their adventures from a beach session for the bride’s bachelorette festivities under the Burj Al Arab, to a pool side session of the couple at Jumeirah Emirates hotel, and of course to see the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa.

When July rolled by, we hopped on a 16-hour flight together and I sat in excitement for the unknown. I had always wanted to be somewhere I could not only practice my Arabic language skills, but also feel connected to my family’s culture. No, my family is not from Dubai specifically, but it was a connection one way or another. 

One morning, we got up super early for their styled elopement day, did their first look, and headed to the beach to see the famous “camel guy” and alas his beaut camels. The bride explains the excitement of that morning so well,

 “As soon as the camels were in sight we all started running to them. Everyone was smiling ear to ear, we rode the camels to our photo spot... yes in my dress! It was the most incredible experience. I felt like I was in a wonderland, and I was the queen or something which is so goofy and funny, but seriously I was riding a camel with my husband, in Dubai, while my family is walking next to us, and a photographer is following behind taking photos. The photo shoot flew by, but I soaked in every moment.” 

It might have been consistently 110 degrees that whole morning, but we had a spectacular time creating beautiful moments, ART, and memories we’ll never forget. You could just feel this was THEIR day for THEM…it was so perfectly and imperfectly tailored for them. It was personal and I think that’s what your wedding should be all about. You shouldn’t rely on photos to tell you what happened on your wedding day, instead they should compliment the memories you hold from that day. It is hard to keep ahold of memories of a wedding day that from the get-go was not about you, but about pleasing others. This is why eloping is SO WORTH IT.

I love the bride’s words here: 

“Under different circumstances I am sure I would have gone through with my original plan of a big wedding, but I do not regret doing what I did. It was completely different than I would’ve ever imagined my wedding, but it was perfect for me, my husband, and our situation. If any of you are contemplating an elopement, or small wedding vs. a big wedding, make your pros and cons list. That was a big help in making my decision. Also, only talk to non-biased people, and your partner; everyone has opinions but for this day, you and your fiancé are the only ones that matter. Once your mind is made, run with your decision and never look back. I wish all you brides out there a happy, stress free, exciting time planning your wedding.”

This elopement was a dream come true; adventurous and an amazing landscape. Flagstaff, Arizona is where a lot of my inspiration comes from. If you look at my logo, the pine tree is a ponderosa pine, and Flagstaff is known for the largest population of them. I had a few moments of tearing up, since I went to college there, and being able to finally capture this totally-in-love couple in it, was like I said…a dream come true. Flagstaff inspires me, it helped create Earth Below Photo, and it continues to inspire Earth Below Photo. I am so thankful for these two and allowing me to capture these moments. Congrats you two!!