It’s my job to tell your story and capture your love in its truest form. It doesn’t matter if you're a model or are super shy in front of a camera, I’m here to make you feel comfortable throughout the process. I’ll provide as much guidance as necessary to capture those raw and authentic photos that you’ve always dreamed of!

I'm a Moab-based wedding and elopement photographer with a passion for the outdoors and this industry. I love the entire process! From my first call with the couple to hearing their reactions after delivering a final gallery. Every day I feel grateful that I get to do this for a living.

Hey, I'm Matt

Elopement Wedding Package–Adding the Best Parts to Your Day

Elopement Tips

There’s a not-so-secret “secret” that I love sharing with couples who I know are the right fit. Planning a wedding doesn’t mean that you have to skip doing a Moab adventure. The trick is you can add any elopement elements to your day while still sticking to a more traditional wedding day plan. These couples are great examples of taking advantage of a combined elopement wedding package for the best of both worlds.

couple kiss on red rock at Moab elopement

An Elopement Wedding Package: How to Elope in Moab **Without Actually Eloping**

The fact that a couple selects Moab as their wedding destination tells me that they are my kind of people. This means they value adventure, the outdoors, and are looking for a wedding experience that includes quality time with their people.

couple walks along path at Moab elopement

Most photographers (myself included) include a bridals photo shoot in their standard wedding photography package. This is part of or in addition to the wedding day coverage (depending upon how you split it) that allows us to also go on an adventure! The session can be done on the day or as a completely separate excursion.

couple embraces at sunset Moab elopement

Those who opt for an isolated adventure usually take advantage of this session either a few days before or after the wedding. This is when you and your partner put your wedding gear back on (and possibly hire hair and make up). Then you go out with your Moab photographer for a 90-minute session to get those Moab bangers!

Elopement Wedding Package Options – Building the Right Mix

There are so many options available to those who want the elopement experience but choose not to elope directly in the Moab desert. A lot of my clients throughout the years have gotten married in their home state with all their friends and family. But, the couple wanted epic wedding portraits to print and hang around their house.

couple stands on edge of cliff at Moab elopement

With that in mind, these elopement wedding package options usually take one of the following shapes:

Wedding bridals on the day
Day-before or day-after adventure session
First look with private vows
Honeymoon photo session

Here are some examples of the best ways to take advantage of these sessions!

CASE STUDY #1 Wedding Day Adventure

couple kisses at The Red Earth Venue wedding

dog walks down aisle at The Red Earth Venue wedding

couple holds hands at The Red Earth Venue wedding

Emmaline and Max’s wedding was supposed to happen two years prior. They had to postpone due to a medical issue and their original Moab wedding photographer couldn’t transfer the date. That’s when their wedding coordinator recommended me to them because she knew we would be a great fit!

couple walks at Dead Horse Point State Park elopement

Without any extra days in Moab for their elopement wedding package shoot, we decided to capture it on the day of their Red Earth Venue wedding. After the ceremony and during cocktail hour, we drove a short distance to Dead Horse Point State Park for their romantic wedding portraits. The couple hired fire dancers to entertain the guests while we were gone! They also got ready and stayed at the local Moab Under Canvas to add more of an adventurous feel to their overall experience.

Under Canvas Moab wedding tent with dress

bride has hair and makeup done on wedding day

dad holds son dressing him for wedding day

Traveling for these two is more than just a pastime. As they explained, “It is a cornerstone of our love and our love for adventure. Each time we travel, we mark it as a timestamp of different stages in our lives. We keep it sacred although it looks a little different now after becoming parents. We are keeping it a key part of our life to show our children just how important traveling and experiencing new adventures is.”

couple exchanges vows at The Red Earth Venue wedding

What they wanted most from the day was to fully experience their Moab wedding location, their love story, and the people around them. The couple shared how they felt after so many unexpected changes to their plans and vendors. Landing at Red Earth allowed them to “be close to the environment we love so much, accommodate our guests, and ultimately feel the vibe that everyone is working together to make your day special.”

Moab was an adventure that had to happen because they had visited separately throughout their lives and also taken desert camping trips together in their own home state of Colorado. As the couple summarized, “Now we get to start our marriage there, along with taking our son here for the first time too. We love Moab.”

Dead Horse Point State Park sunset elopement

CASE STUDY #2 Day-Before Wedding Adventure

Robin and Todd are from Wisconsin and this was their inaugural Moab visit. Both are into the outdoors, and love the red rocks so they were excited to explore the area!

These two enjoyed a Canyonlands adventure shoot two days before their wedding at The Red Earth Venue. Even though Todd wasn’t originally interested in sunset photos, we were also able to talk him into including these in their elopement wedding package. Once the gallery was delivered, these were some of his favorite photos!

couple holds hands at Canyonlands elopement

couple holds hands at Moab sunset elopement

Other elopement elements included a quick, intimate ceremony (where they saw each other for the first time), a food truck for the reception, and skipping a wedding party. Instead, joining them on the day was their two-year-old Golden Retriever named Freya.

bride walks down aisle at The Red Earth Venue wedding

Their wedding priorities were not feeling rushed or stressed, and being present to spend time with their people. This done while also enjoying the food and drinks! The bride also enjoyed hitting the dance floor super hard!

CASE STUDY #3 Barefoot National Park Adventure

couple walks barefoot at Arches National Park elopement

couple stands barefoot at Arches National Park elopement

Sophie and Ryan caught some pretty badass shots at Arches National Park. These two are surfers from California and were barefoot for their entire Moab Utah national park session. Their ceremony at Red Earth also started with a one-minute sound bath meditation led by the officiant.

CASE STUDY #4 Pre-Wedding Private First Look

Aimee and Jackson got ready at the Castle Valley Inn. There they did a private first look at a secluded spot on the property. It was important to the two of them to have a moment alone before the wedding started. A similar option is doing private vows during your first look before your public vows during the wedding ceremony.

wedding details and wedding accessories flat lay

If you do go with an elopement wedding package that includes a later bridal photography session, we can even use this session for a honeymoon or vow renewal. I have found that vow renewals are very common with my couples!

I’ve encountered so many different circumstances such as a couple that wasn’t happy with their original wedding photos. Others have shared that they both just think it’s time to reclaim their love for one another. You and your partner take a trip and recite new vows followed by a couples adventure session!