Hannah + Jason | Yosemite Adventure Session | Winnipeg Wedding Photographer
I get so many messages from people wanting to elope in Canmore or Banff, so last month I headed down to Yosemite National Park in California to learn from two of the industry’s leading adventure wedding photographers! Maddie Mae and The Hearnes photograph weddings and elopement for couples who value experiences over things, wish to spend their wedding day exploring in nature, and who’s dream wedding day is intimate and authentic. I spent the week learning how to build an adventure wedding timeline and choose a ceremony location, what to pack in my bag incase of emergencies, how to fit a wedding dress + bouquet into a backpack and most importantly how to find amaaaaaazing deals on flights all over the world (very important if you know me at all!). To be honest, I’ve always felt most at home in nature, constantly wandering and collecting memories from the islands of Indonesia to mountain top hot springs in Bolivia. When I found Abbi + Maddie’s work, I just couldn’t stop scrolling! They were empowering couples all over the world to plan a wedding day that fit their lifestyle instead of what society told them their wedding day should look like! As dorky as it sounds, their work truly spoke to me and I booked my ticket to the Adventurer’s Workshop within hours of it being announced.
It goes without saying, that obviously an adventure wedding or elopement is not for everyone! Buuuuuut, just because you feel like a traditional ‘normal’ wedding isn’t your style, doesn’t mean that you have to run off to Vegas! You can still invite your closest friends and family to your mountain ceremony, we’ll find a gorrrrgeous, easily accessible location and transport to get them there! You can still wear the dress of your dreams, but maybe we’ll pair it with hiking books instead of stilettos! You can choose as many or as few traditional elements to incorporate into your day, but the focus should always be to plan a day that focuses on your marriage, not just your wedding. If you’re like me, an adventurer that feels most comfortable outdoors, then it 110% makes sense to plan a wedding day that embraces it! (and yes, I will help you with every single one of these aspects, from location to timing to what to wear!)
Want the best of both worlds? Adventure sessions can be done before or after your wedding and give you a chance to either put your wedding clothes on again, or to run around in something a bit more casual! Goodbye to traditional engagement sessions with stiff poses and awkward smiles. I’ve always been about planning a shoot that shows my couples’ at their most comfortable, from skating along the river in the dead of winter to planning a date night at Across the Board Cafe. But now more than ever I urge you to really think about where you are most comfortable, and I know a good chunk of you will say ‘adventuring with my best friend’. We’ve got the amazing Rocky Mountains right in our back yard and I’ve spent the last couple of years scouting and exploring any chance I get so I can offer the most amazing shoot locations to my couples!
Hannah and Jason call San Fransisco home, but hit the road every chance they get with their pup, Jack! Their adventure session in Yosemite National Park was full of meadow frolicking, games of tag, cuddles with Jack and some serious waterfall chasin’. Sorry, TLC. Their smiles could not be more authentic, they are truly at home with each other, no matter where their #vanlife takes them! Keep scrolling and if photos like these, surrounded by jaw-dropping views and full of genuine emotion, hit home with you, please don’t hesitate to reach out!
