When I started photographing weddings eight years ago, I suggested engagement sessions out in nature purely because I thought it would be pretty. Every couple I talked to loved the idea, which resulted in traveling to wonderful nature and amazing national parks like Grand Canyon, Yosemite National Park, Zion, Antelope Canyon, etc. I suggested an engagement session because I didn’t know if people could or would get married out in nature. When I finally learned the concept of adventure elopement for the first time, I also learned that the general concept of elopement was to have a quick wedding and save money. In this blog post, I want to discuss briefly why couples choose adventure elopement over traditional weddings and something many couples want to know: is elopement actually cheaper?

One of the reasons this was weird to me is that elopement as a whole could be cheaper, but there’s no reason photography should be cheaper. Even though I love every process of adventure weddings, it is more work and definitely not for every photographer. It is a type of work only skilled people with certain personalities can do. Let me explain.

Eugene Kim Photography offers a type of adventure wedding photography we call full-day hybrid coverage adventure wedding with planning help.
Our work begins when you inquire with us. We set up a date for a consultation call during which you both could be present. This is often done in person or via Zoom (any online meeting).
During the consultation call, we chat about everything, from where you live to how you two met to what is the ideal adventure wedding location and when. Then, I will suggest a couple of photography packages that I think will suit you the most.
Once you sign the contract and pay the retainer, we send more questionnaires to get to know you better and fine-tune your big day. This thorough planning ensures we are fully prepared to capture every special moment of your adventure wedding.
From there, we communicate back and forth to discuss details couples often miss and any helpful insights for better photos. For example, the couples and I usually decide on accommodation or an Airbnb if the getting ready photos would look good in this space (or if it’s somewhere I have been before, I will have a list of recommendations). Many couples choose to have vow books, save a date card (even if they don’t have guests), and an info card, and we select a press company together that can design a beautiful press that matches the vibe the couple is going for in the environment they are in. Here are some vendors I have worked with (links to press IG). Finally, a couple wants input on the after-wedding adventure activities. Couples could go big by hiring a helicopter ride for a couple of hours, off-roading adventure, or hiring a private chef or something a little more mellow by having a picnic near where they eloped a campfire on the beach or stargazing.

I am not a wedding planner, but I would love to help plan as much as possible so that your wedding day goes as smoothly as possible and we don’t miss crucial time for the most beautiful sunset elopement on the cliff of Yosemite.

On your big day, I show up nice and early to follow the plan we have put together. Usually, I start by taking getting-ready photos, detailed shots of the wedding dress and flat lay, and the first look, and then we leave for the elopement location.
I am often by myself or with a second photographer. There are no guests, so if we don’t get the shot, no one else will, so the responsibility is higher than at traditional weddings.

At this point, are you wondering why someone would choose to be an adventure wedding photographer rather than a traditional wedding photographer? This is a question I often hear from other traditional wedding photographers. All I can say is that everyone enjoys different things because we are different. I love how my thoughts and your ideas come to life on your big day. When I have this much discussion with you, I will know you a little more; I know what you like and what is important on your big day. Having that connection with a couple really is priceless.

So, when it comes to pricing for photography and videography, it should be at least about the same as traditional weddings, if not more. This is true with many adventure elopement photographers. The more established ones charge upwards of $10,000, and someone fairly new will charge less than $3000. The average package purchase price for Eugene Kim Photography’s full-day adventure wedding hybrid coverage is around $8,000.

Suppose the photography and videography package is about the same or more expensive than traditional wedding photography and videography. Why do people say Adventure Elopements are cheaper than Traditional Weddings?
The simple answer would be more guests, which means a more expensive wedding.
Usually, the biggest costs at weddings are food, alcohol, decorations, and venue.
If you want a 100-guest wedding versus a 300-guest wedding, the photography cost shouldn’t change too much. Photographers may recommend couples hire a second photographer because it is a bigger wedding, and more coverage may be necessary. At Eugene Kim Photography, this is $1500 for a 9-hour wedding. But imagine the increase in food costs and alcohol consumption. The couple would have to book a bigger wedding venue, and if the couple wants decorations such as flowers at the ceremony and on tables at the reception, the cost would jump very quickly.

The average wedding cost in the U.S. in 2023 was just under $50,000, a huge increase from the high of $20,000 just before the pandemic. Because of how expensive weddings have gotten, couples have become extra selective with guests. Along with the growing trend of more people enjoying nature, the increase in the wedding cost and how couples limit guests probably led more couples to opt for adventure weddings.

Let me give you a couple of examples. These two couples chose an adventure wedding after trying to plan traditional weddings for at least a couple of months. The figures here are not super accurate, but they are an industry average.

Example 1. Yosemite Couple
A Background story:

• Currently live in upstate New York.
• Both the bride and the groom are currently in a doctorate program.
• The groom is from China, and the Bride is from Korea, where both cultures celebrate much bigger weddings than traditional weddings here.
• They started planning a wedding in Korea with about 150 guests. Planning weddings while in the U.S. was difficult and lacked control. The bride’s mom decided on many things, and the guest list increased to 500. At the same time, the groom’s parents wanted a separate wedding in China with all of their friends and families, too.
• Because of their studies, it was difficult for them to have the time off to travel to both Korea and China and have two separate weddings. They would be spending a lot of money without knowing so many people. Both parents told them they would help a little, but realistically, they were looking at over $70,000 and hopefully get about $30,000 back from gifts.
  Choosing Adventure Wedding:
• This is when the bride saw my blog post and loved the idea.
• She could imagine herself in Yosemite with her fiance and not needing to worry about anything. And the travel time would be much less than going to Asian countries.
• We started planning six months before for the May Adventure Wedding in Yosemite.
• Our initial plan was to have the ceremony at Taft Point, but due to heavy snow a month prior, the National Park didn’t open the road up to Taft Point, so we chose to hold it in the meadows.
  This is what they had to spend financially:
• Photography, Videography, Film Permit & Officiant $6500
• Special Wedding Permit to Yosemite $150
• Marriage License + Two copies of Marriage Certificate in Mariposa County $88
• Return flight from Syracuse, NY, to Fresno, CA $1000 for two people.
• Rental Car $360
• Picnic Food $180
• Airbnb $400
• Total $8,678
  Conclusion
• Compared to what they would have spent, over $40,000, and what they paid, which was $8,678, was over $30k cheaper.
• The couple’s parents told them that when they visit Korea and China, they will pay for the wedding reception, and there will be less than 60 people at each event.
• Overall, their elopement was cheaper than their traditional wedding, even though photography and videography were more expensive than they would have paid in Korea and China combined.

Example 2. Dolomite Couple
A Background Story:

• Currently live in the Bay Area.
• Both work in tech
• They have been to the weddings of their colleagues and friends, and though they were pretty and nice, they wanted something different. Something a little more intimate.
• So they looked for various small wedding venues in the Bay Area, including the Napa wineries. Again, there were many good options, but they didn’t love spending money on their guests to come and have fun when they could spend that money on their travels, such as their honeymoons.
• Also, they couldn’t quite decide how strict they wanted to be when narrowing guest counts. Do you invite a colleague who’s been in the company for a year, so you’ve had some conversations but never met them outside the office?
• Many Venues had a food and beverage minimum of about $25,000, and the venue they particularly liked looked good with lots of flower decorations, which they would have wanted to do if they had chosen that particular venue, which would have cost about $10,000 more. Wedding photographer/videographer, cake, and invitation printing costs added up to over $57,000 and much more headache.
  Choosing Adventure Wedding:
• One of their friends suggested they consider an adventure or a destination wedding, so they researched what a destination wedding and an adventure wedding were.
• They stumbled upon my website, and we started chatting. I suggested they choose one place to travel to domestically or internationally. They came up with a few answers, mostly international destinations. I asked where they would like to go for their honeymoon. They both wanted Europe and narrowed it down to Italy.
• So I suggested, why not elope at your honeymoon destination? Have an adventure wedding on the first day; it will be your honeymoon for the rest of your time there.
• They loved this idea. Right there and then, within about 20 minutes, we decided on location and dates.
  This is what they had to spend financially:
• Photography & Videography of two days shooting $11,200
• Return business class flight from SFO, CA, to Venice, Italy, costs $8,000 for two people.
• Rental Car $220
• Helicopter Tour $2000 for three people
• Hotel $1800
• Total $23,220
  Conclusion
• Compared to what they would have spent, over $57,000, and what they paid, which was $23,220, was over $30k cheaper.
• In addition to an adventure destination wedding, they got to fly business class to Europe, stay in a beautiful hotel in the Italian Alps, take a helicopter to a secluded location in the Dolomites, and enjoy some amazing food while paying much less than what they would have paid for their wedding.
• Overall, their elopement was cheaper than their traditional wedding, even though photography and videography were more expensive than they would have paid the Bay Area.