If you’ve looked around my website at all or if you follow me on Instagram, I’m sure you’ve heard me talk (a lot) about intimate weddings and elopements. You might be wondering what the difference is between those two terms, since they seem pretty interchangeable. In today’s blog post I will be breaking down my definitions for each of them and also sharing with you my wedding and elopement pricing guide.
Intimate Wedding vs. Elopement
After looking at several wedding photographers’ websites (and even elopement photographers’ websites), you’ll quickly be able to tell that everyone has their own definition of what an elopement is. For me nothing feels more like an elopement than just the two of you committing your lives to each other on a day that was designed just for you. Intimate weddings are just as intentionally planned, but are designed to include the people in your life who are nearest and dearest to your heart.
Wedding Pricing Guide
Below I have listed a short description of each of my wedding photography packages, with Birch being an elopement package, Willow and Dogwood being intimate wedding packages, and Juniper being a more traditional wedding package.
Juniper Package | starting at $3700
50+ guests, starting with 8 hours of coverage
Dogwood Package | starting at $3000
up to 50 guests, starting with 8 hours of coverage
Willow Package | starting at $2300
up to 20 guests, starting with 8 hours of coverage
Birch Package | starting at $1500
just you + your partner, starting with 6 hours of coverage
I base my wedding package pricing on two things – hours of coverage and number of guests. Generally speaking, the more guests that are at a wedding, the tighter the timeline is and the longer it takes me to edit your gallery. The more expensive packages have sessions included like boudoir or engagement, and my top package, Juniper, also includes a second shooter.
Every package includes complementary pre- and post-booking video consultation calls; planning assistance with styling, location, permits, fees, etc. with an emphasis on sustainability; custom timeline planning; access to my digital resources like session, intimate wedding, and/or elopement guides; professionally edited high resolution photos delivered via online gallery; and a photo release for unlimited printing rights.
Because I want to provide you with the most customized, tailored to you pricing where you’re paying for exactly what you need, I also offer several add ons, including additional day(s) of coverage, additional hour(s) of coverage, second shooter (if not included), boudoir and/or engagement sessions (if not already included), luxury photo album(s), and photo prints. I do not include albums or prints in any of my packages, because those aren’t a priority for everyone. I want you to spend your money on what is most important to you (this goes along with my focus on sustainability).
All of the photos I deliver to you are in digital format, and included in your contract is a print release so that you can print your photos wherever you want. However, if you’re interested in ordering high quality prints or a luxury album, I have an incredible print shop that I order prints and albums from. This can be added to your package upon booking, or you can always order one after your gallery is delivered. For albums, I also do the layout design myself, so it’s completely customizable.
Sometimes couples inquire for four hours (or less) of coverage, but you may have noticed that my elopement package starts at six hours. The reason for this is that I know firsthand how hectic things can get on your wedding day – even with a small wedding or elopement, and the very last thing I want you to worry about on your wedding day is having enough time to take pictures. That’s why even for simple elopements I don’t book anything shorter than six hours of coverage.
As far as travel fees go, I am based in Northwest Arkansas and only charge travel fees if the location is more than a two hour drive from Siloam Springs. Anything further than that will be subject to travel fees depending on the circumstances. Luckily, I have learned how to travel very inexpensively and that helps to keep my travel fees low. I also have a few bucket list locations that travel fees will be waived for. Check out these locations to see if you qualify!
If you’re newly engaged and planning your wedding, the best advice I can give you is to take advantage of all of the free resources I offer (this blog, my monthly newsletter, and – if you haven’t already hired a photographer – my complimentary pre-booking consultation call). A few of my recent blog posts that will be so helpful to you as you start to plan your wedding are “I Just Got Engaged, Now What?”, “How to Choose Elopement Vendors”, and “How to Have A Sustainable Wedding Gift Registry”. I hope this blog post has been helpful to you, and I’d love to continue this conversation in the comments! If you have any questions for me feel free to drop them below and I’ll be sure to get back to you. Happy planning!
*All my blog posts contain a selection of images that I’ve taken. If you are interested in booking a wedding or session with me, I am more than happy to send you a full gallery upon request!
I’m a wife, a dog mom, a foodie, a wanderer, a registered nurse, and a couples/intimate wedding/elopement photographer … and this blog will cover it all! If you enjoyed this post, first of all thank you, and second of all please follow me on Instagram + Facebook and sign up for my monthly newsletter to get exclusive wedding planning advice and all my new (and old) freebies! If you have any questions about elopement photography, my journey from nursing to photography, or my time spent as a full-time RVer, drop a comment and I just might write a blog post answering your question (but I definitely will)!
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