10 Things to Consider Before Hiring a Destination Elopement Photographer

Finding the Perfect Elopement Photographer

Here at ​​Flytographer we easily connect people with trusted photographers for fun photo shoots and have captured over three million memories worldwide. 🌎 Today, we dive into some important questions to ask yourself before you hire an elopement photographer. We can’t wait to capture your best day with your best friend, even if it’s not a typical “big wedding.” We love elopements and can’t wait to talk more about your elopement day, and how we can help!

Photo: Belinda and Tony in Las Vegas for Flytographer. Jeremy and partner capture their honeymoon together in Las Vegas with a couple photoshoot. 

1. Do you want a low-key, intimate elopement?

Every love story is different, just like every wedding day! 💍 Your special day should honor you and your partner’s relationship in a way that feels unique to you as a couple. Creating your dream elopement often means enjoying an intimate wedding ceremony, opting to leave behind big wedding extravaganzas and over-the-top celebratory showpieces. If a low-key, intimate celebration is more your thing, read on! 👍

Photo: Claudia in Cancun for Flytographer. Hannah and partner capture a fun day together in Cancun with a couple photoshoot.

2. Will you have an officiant present?

If you want to capture your wedding day ceremony with an officiant present, you need to hire a wedding photographer! ✔ Here at Flytographer, we are not able to capture official ceremonies and traditional weddings, but we absolutely can capture the special moments before and/or after! For your perfect day to feel perfect, hiring an elopement photographer is a no-brainer for a stress-free experience.

Photo: Sarah in Jackson Hole for Flytographer. Erik and partner capture their pre-wedding in Jackson Hole with a couple photoshoot.

3. What are your expectations for your online gallery?

At Flytographer, we specialize in outdoor, casual vacation photography. While we would be more than happy to capture the moments before or after the elopement, we are not set up to capture ceremonies (no matter how small!) at this time.

Compared with traditional wedding photography, the cost of a Flytographer shoot is a fraction of the price. 🥳 Our professional photographers are located throughout the world and are experts at capturing, culling, and sending the best photos from your day, immortalizing your most special of moments.

If you are interested in capturing moments before/after your elopement with Flytographer, here are a few things to note:

• We are unable to capture the elopement or wedding ceremony itself, no matter how small.
• Our packages have a guaranteed number of photos per package which may be fewer than a traditional wedding photography package. You can see them here: flytographer.com/book.
• Unlike traditional wedding photographers, who have you choose your images, our photographers expertly select which photos end up in the final gallery. We only include the “best of the best” from your session. If you require any “must-have” shots, we would be more than happy to prioritize these for you in your online gallery—just let us know! Promptly after your photo shoot and before your online gallery arrives, you’ll receive a “sneak-peek” shot—perfect to share with family or friends on social media so everyone is in the loop, no matter their physical location.
• Our style is typically candid and natural with outdoor lighting. Photographers will provide only basic editing such as colour balance and cropping; photoshopping or extensive editing are not included in our packages.
• You will be working with our Concierge Team to plan your shoot every step of the way, but you will not have the opportunity to directly correspond with your photographer until shortly before your shoot.

Photo: Lauren in Maui for Flytographer. Erika and partner capture their honeymoon together in Maui with a couple photoshoot.

4. Where do you want your elopement to take place?

Ok, you’ve concluded an elopement is the way to go for you—congrats! So now what? Here are a few things to help you narrow down your elopement location list:

• Consider the seasons and weather when choosing your date. 📅
• Do you want your elopement to take place close to home or in a land far, far away? ✈️
• Is there a special place for you both? Would it be particularly sentimental to consider this as your elopement destination? 💓
• Are you looking to be surrounded by natural beauty? A concrete jungle? Lush landscapes? Rocky peaks? Sandy shores? Whether it’s waterfalls in Iceland, a national park in Northern California, the romantic streets of Europe, or another location entirely, choose a destination that speaks to you as a couple. 🧳

Photo: Belinda and Tony in Las Vegas for Flytographer. Brad and partner capture a pre-wedding trip in Las Vegas with a couple photoshoot.

5. What time of day do you want to capture memories?

When it comes to choosing the time of day for your elopement, be sure to consider the time of year, geography, and local circumstances such as terrain, crowds, traffic, etc. ⏰ Since elopements don’t take a whole day, looking at specific segments of time and how they photograph will help you choose a time that will give you a head start on landing the lighting you prefer for photos. Oftentimes, the middle of the day isn’t ideal as the sun is harsh and shadows can be intense. 🌞 Photos during “golden hour”—the times just after sunrise and just before sunset—are beautiful, and often preferred by couples.

Photo: Ellie in Florence for Flytographer. Natalie and partner capture their engagement in Florence with a proposal photoshoot.

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6. What is your ideal budget for your elopement?

When it comes to budgeting for your elopement photography, we tend to have a leg up on a lot of our competition! The most popular of our vacation photoshoot packages lasts for 90 minutes and is priced at $535 USD. 💸 We can also capture moments before the ceremony for engagement or pre-wedding pictures, or after the ceremony for honeymoon photos.

Photo: Tati in Cancun for Flytographer. Amanda and partner celebrate their honeymoon in Cancun with a couple photoshoot.

7. Are you planning your elopement yourself?

Whether you are planning your elopement yourself or through a planner, Flytographer is here to make capturing memories easy. With Flytographer, the photoshoot planning process is smooth—all you need to do is select your destination and photographer then we take care of the rest! 😎

Your local photographer will make recommendations on details such as the best shoot location and time of day according to your vision, and our Concierge Team will be with you every step of the way to help answer any questions during the planning process leading up to your shoot. 📲

Photo: Olga in Paris for Flytographer. Jessica and partner capture their honeymoon in Paris with a couple photoshoot.

8. Do you want to have a unique elopement experience?

One of the most exciting parts of eloping is truly celebrating your lifestyle and personalities through your elopement experience! 🥰 If, as a couple, you’re game for an epic adventure, an adventurous, wholly unique wedding experience that honors this part of your relationship can be an adventure in and of itself! Choosing an adventure elopement photographer is fun, easy, and just a message or phone call away with Flytographer.

Photo: Darine in Banff for Flytographer. Kelcie and partner celebrate their honeymoon in Banff with a couple photoshoot.

9. What should I wear for elopement photos?

The options are plentiful when dressing for an elopement photo shoot! Whether you want elevated photos in your wedding dress or formal attire, or just intend on looking “full glam”, taking the chance to dress up can make the photos feel as special as this momentous occasion. 👰🏻‍♀️ Are you more of a low-key couple? You can always keep it casual. If your elopement photo shoot is during a honeymoon, maybe less is more when it comes to fancy attire. The sky’s the limit! Hot tip: be sure to check out some of our best dressing tips in this style guide! 👗

Photo: Claudia in Cancun for Flytographer. Jasleen and partner capture their pre-wedding together in Cancun with a couple photoshoot.

10. Do you want a pre-wedding or honeymoon photoshoot?

Pre-wedding photos are a nice option if you want to capture your immaculate dress before the big day. Dressing up in advance of your big day can help pre-game the joy that you typically only feel on your wedding day and lets you take advantage of that wedding attire while it’s still pristine! ✨

One perk to having a destination wedding or elopement is that you are immediately on vacation after you get hitched. 🗺 What a dream! Honeymoon photos can be relaxed, easy, and include, or not include a wedding dress. If you want to be more adventurous, take advantage of your wedding dress post-ceremony and let loose in the water or run around on the ground or in the sand stress-free!

The biggest perk to photos pre-wedding or on your honeymoon is that you can capture all the fun in your special destination! 📸 Changing up backgrounds and enjoying multiple locations in the same general area is both exciting and sentimental.

Photo: Flytographer in Santorini. Eleonor and partner capture their engagement in Santorini with a proposal photoshoot.

Capturing elopement memories

We can’t wait to help celebrate and capture part of your love story on or around your big day. Whether you’re a fan of traditional weddings, adventure weddings, or anything and everything in between, we’re here for you.

Sending you all our kind words, we wish you a dream elopement and can’t wait to see you soon! 🥂