Alright, so you’ve decided you want to go on an epic adventure for your elopement (heck ya!) Now you’re starting to plan out what you want to do and, almost as importantly, what you need to pack. Being prepared for your adventure elopement will help the day go smoothly and give you peace of mind. Not sure what to pack? That’s why I’m here! Below, you’ll find a checklist on what to pack for your adventure elopement, with a few extra tips from an experienced adventure elopement photographer!
How To Plan Your Adventure Elopement
Before getting into the nitty gritty details of what to pack for your adventure elopement, let’s back up and talk a bit about how to plan for an adventure elopement. First off, be prepared for anything and keep an open mind! Mother Nature is always in control and will sometimes surprise you. Don’t fret if it rains on your day, you packed your rain jacket. All that matters is you are celebrating with your love (and you feel prepared after reading this blog post to conquer the day!)
An adventure elopement at the coast is a bit different than an adventure elopement summiting a mountain, so packing will vary slightly depending on your location. Also, while I always say pack for any kind of weather, the time of year will also make your packing list slightly varied. A few things to consider when planning your adventure elopement:
- Time of year: Depending on the time of year, some places may have road closures, may be by permit-only, may still have packed snow, etc etc. Do some research to find out what the desired time of year is to visit the location (or, just ask me if you hire me as your photographer!) and what accessibility is like. If it does require a permit, make sure you apply ahead of time and get that squared away before anything else!
- Extra activities: Plan out any extra activities you want to do during your elopement so you know what to pack. This includes things like kayaking, fishing, hiking, sparklers, champagne pops, jumping in an alpine lake, having a campfire and roasting s’mores, etc etc. Dream big!
What To Pack For Your Adventure Elopement
Below is a checklist of what I tell my couples to pack for every adventure elopement.
- Outfits
- Outfit pop up changing area if you want
- Change of shoes
- Raincoat/Umbrella
- Florals
- Toiletries: Sunscreen, bug spray, white chalk or stain pen, touch up makeup and hair supplies, chapstick, toilet paper, deodorant, hand sanitizer, aspirin, allergy meds
- Accessories: Maps, ring boxes, just eloped or just married signs, vow books
- First-aid kit
- Marriage license and nice pen
- Permit
- Snacks
- Headlamps
- Lighter and a fire starter of your choosing (newspaper, fire starter stick, etc) if you’re able to have a campfire
- Water and water filtration system if you’re going to be out near water
- Speaker
- Dessert, eating utensils, and plates
- Portable phone charger and chord
Fur baby checklist
- Water
- Dog bowl
- Food or snacks
- Leash
- Dog poop bags
- Dog first-aid (hydrogen peroxide, oral syringe, gauze wrap)
Pro-tip: Having quality backpacks is always nice for adventure elopements. They usually have multiple compartments so you can organize your items, they are aesthetically pleasing, and comfortable! Some of my favorite brands are Osprey, Marmot, The North Face, or REI.
Tips On How To Pack Your Elopement Backpack
Now, fitting all of this stuff into a backpack or two seems a little daunting. Don’t worry! I will let you in on a little secret on how to pack your backpack for your adventure elopement. If you pack with the timeline in mind, and you have a decent backpack, you won’t end up having to rummage through everything.
We will start with the backpack. As stated above, having not only an aesthetically pleasing backpack for photos but also having a backpack that fits everything and is easily organized is a must. Having a backpack with multiple pockets or dividers will help with breaking up your day into chunks, instead of shoving everything into one big pocket.
Spread out everything you want to pack in chronological order, if you can. Things like toiletries, make up, and snacks should be at the ready, so those will either go at/near the top or in an easy-to-access side pocket. Items like a speaker and sparklers will only be used later in the day for dances and blue hour, so those can go near the bottom.
For outfits: If you plan on changing into your elopement attire before the adventure begins, then no need to worry about packing it. But, if you plan on wearing hiking attire and changing into your elopement attire, here’s my tip: Put everything on a hanger or two and into a garment bag. Then, fold the bottom loop over the top of the hangers, and hang it on the top hook of your backpack. It will lay over the top of your backpack and won’t get wrinkled!
Another tip regarding weather: Backpacking backpacks usually come with a rain cover, which you should always have on-hand in case of bad weather! If you plan on using a regular daypack, try to grab a rain cover that will fit your bag just in case.
Bringing Just Married or Just Eloped signs and hanging them off your backpacks is always a fun photo op!
Psst… want to see more of this waterfall elopement gallery? Click here!
What I Bring As Your Elopement Photographer
Now, as your photographer, I always bring my own backpack–and it’s just not just full of photography gear! While I always tell my couples to bring their own headlamps, I will usually carry a few just in case. Also, I also bring two lanterns that look amazing at blue hour if my couple wants to stay out past sunset. I usually bring a mini first aid kit, some snacks, and some attire mishap items like a tide pen, bobby pins, safety pins, etc etc for those outfit emergencies. I got you!
I’ve been photographing couples in love for nearly a decade and have tons of knowledge on how to prepare for an adventure elopement! While this list is packed full of tips, I still have so much info on how to pack for your elopement. With me as your photographer, you can rest assured we will have the smoothest, most epic adventure yet! And I can’t wait to help you plan and shoot all the gorgeous photos for you both to look back on and reminisce.
Ready to chat? Inquire here!
