“Pancakes, Fall, + Cider Styled Elopement With Real Life Moments I believe that eloping should include the things the bride and groom love most, but too often I see brides and grooms who don’t know how to incorporate these moments into their special day. My hope with this styled elopement was to inspire the viewer that eloping can include the things dearest to your heart, be full of fun, and truly whatever you want it to be. To achieve this effect, I decided that I wanted to create a session that was unique to anything I had ever seen and pulled in the warm feelings that fall gives my soul. So after some brainstorming, I landed on the idea of incorporating pancakes, apple cider, and fall in the Rocky Mountains (because what doesn’t sound cozier than that?!). The first step in fulfilling my vision was to find a real life couple. When Madison and Brett reached out to me in response to a model call, I knew that they were perfect for my vision. Madison and Brett recently got married and are some of the most joy filled couples that I have ever met. When I shared my full vision with them, I was ecstatic to hear that not only do they both enjoy pancakes and the fall season, apple cider is hands down Madison’s favorite drink. So the joy on her face when we pulled out the cider at the session was perfectly authentic. But before I get ahead of myself, let me set the setting of this special session. It was the perfect fall day on Guanella Pass as the sun had just set beneath the autumn sky. We threw on our jackets and grabbed the pancake mix and cider before setting off into the wooded forest where the aspens had just dropped all their leaves. We found the perfect spot to set up a small table and begin making a little breakfast for dinner. While the pan heated up, Brett and Madison sipped on some warm cider and giggled in conversation as we soaked in the last bits of daylight. Once the pan was warm, Brett and Madison took part in splitting the duties on pancake making. Brett even showed off his pancake flipping skills. Soon the lantern was turned on and the last few pancakes were made under its glow. They then garnished their beautiful pancake stack with fallen leaves and maple syrup before sharing in a little pancake smash that left us all in laughter. Once the pancakes were eaten, we headed back to their car where they wrote love letters to each other as though they were writing their vows. The lantern light glistened with the truck’s headlights as they wrote sweet words and enjoyed their last few sips of cider. Then just as the stars were beginning to appear they shared their sweet notes with each other and finished the session with the perfect dip and kiss to end the night. While this may not have been a real elopement, the moments in this session were nothing short of authentic. Brett and Madison’s love was evident in their every action down to the genuine love notes they wrote to each other. It felt as though they really were saying their I-do’s, even though they already had. It made for such beautiful moments filled with authentic joy and laughter. Because of their amazing hearts for each other, my vision was brought to life and I know that their love for fall, pancakes, and apple cider will provide inspiration for my future couples to think about how they want to incorporate the things they love most into their special day no matter how small.”
– Destination Elopement Photographer, Westward Up
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