Intimate wedding or elopement – what does that mean?

There’s a new surge in ‘elopements’. You see gorgeous photographs in epic locations. People on the edge of cliffs, in sand dunes, or snowy mountains. They’re amazing, and create gorgeous imagery. But what if you want to have a tiny wedding, in a beautiful, meaningful location for you that doesn’t mean hiking overnight and getting up at sunrise? Do it! For me, eloping simply means this: a nontraditional wedding with under 20 of your closest friends and family at your side. So no church, no wedding venue, no entrances, lots of emotion, fun, laid back attitude and of course, attention to the details of celebrating the adventures the two of you are going to have from this day forward, starting NOW.

For Casey and Juli, eloping or having an intimate wedding meant getting married at City Hall with their family at their sides. Dave Jones of Empire West Photo and I teamed up for this wedding, which was an absolute joy!

After this lovely little ceremony, we headed to one of their favorite spots in Rochester: Highland Park. There we took family photographs and then the four of us wandered off to allow Casey and Juli to talk about their day, and create gorgeous photographs for them to look back on for the rest of their lives.

Continuing on from Highland Park, we went to High Falls. It was so fun going to these locations Casey and Juli! Prior to their wedding they spent some quality time together exploring Rochester, finding locations they loved. That meant that each spot we went to was special to them.

We ended our day with them, sending them off to an amazing dinner with their family at Lento. A perfect ending to a lovely, stress free day. Your wedding day should be a reflection of the two of you, who you are, and what’s important to the two of you as a couple. By having an intimate wedding with their son and their closest family at their sides, Casey and Juli were able to do exactly that. Focusing on time together and gorgeous photographs was perfect for the two of them.

What’s your perfect wedding day? What are the most important elements for your day? See mine on my Ciao Bella Studios facebook post. Interested in eloping or having an intimate wedding? Contact me! I’d love to talk to you! I’m available wherever your heart takes you!