I am so excited to tell you about Cathy and Kevin’s Snow Canyon State Park elopement! Their elopement was the exact type of day that I live to photograph; full of adventure, meaning, and of course love.
The morning of their elopement we met at 6 am to start our hike to their ceremony spot. A hike in the dark isn’t for everyone, but it’s so worth it when you make it to the top! The ceremony spot was a perfect space to hold their closest friends and showed off the gorgeous scenery of the state park behind them. It was incredibly intimate, which is exactly what they were going for. They held the ceremony while the sun was rising and the magic of that moment makes the early morning hikes in the dark all worth it.
After their ceremony, we explored the park more for their bridal portraits. The two locations that we spent time in were the Petrified Sand Dunes trail and Jenny’s Canyon trail. One of my favorite reasons to have an elopement in a State or National Park is the scenery that your photos will take place in. It feels otherworldly, massive, and huge to have photos in some of the most beautiful spots in the world. It may sound cheesy, but that’s how I think love should be celebrated. It’s big and beautiful and capturing your love in these areas is something that I don’t think anyone will ever regret.
I think one of the most special aspects of Cathy and Kevin’s elopement, is that they eloped on their 9th anniversary and celebrated that day by creating a new meaningful anniversary! They were able to get married on a day that meant something to them, surrounded by friends, and one of the best parts is that it was stress-free! You guys already know that I am an advocate for eloping and for a number of reasons at that. But one of the biggest reasons is that eloping typically means that my couples get to be stress-free on their wedding days.
CATHY & KEVIN’S ELOPEMENT
I wrote an entire blog focused on my top 5 reasons to elope and one of my reasons was to avoid stress! If the idea of picking out a menu, figuring out bridesmaids, and looking at seating charts is the furthest thing from your idea of a good time, then eloping may be for you. It can be incredibly freeing to let go of that stress and instead focus on the parts of wedding planning that DO make you happy, like picking out your wedding dress and bridal bouquet or planning where you’ll spend your honeymoon.
As a photographer who specializes in elopements, I am always here for my couples as they plan them. I am able to help you figure out if the location you are wanting to elope at requires a permit and can help you get the permit. For example, Cathy and Kevin did have to have a permit for their elopement! I also am an experienced hiker and can help you navigate sunrise ceremonies and nighttime hikes. It’s so important to make sure that whether you are eloping or having a traditional wedding day, you find a photographer who matches what you’re looking for. So if you’re looking for an adventure and a photographer who can double as an adventure guide, I am your girl! I’m happy to talk to you about picking an elopement spot that is right to you, figuring out the timeline of your day, and planning the best spots for your bridal portraits.
Feel free to reach out to me on my contact page and let’s start planning your elopement!
Warmly,
Hilary Kao
