When Taylor and Steven shared their desire to include their nine-month-old in their zero-guest elopement, I was a little worried. From my seven years of experience working at a portrait photography studio, I knew how photographing children can be a total wild card. These two wanted a short hike and the inclusion of their daughter in their Grand Canyon elopement and this is how we made it happen!
Big Plans for a Little Grand Canyon Elopement Day
The couple wanted a small and intimate affair without anyone else present but their own baby girl. Taylor and Steven shared how they are pretty private about their relationship. They wanted to simply “share vows with each other without making a huge thing out of it like a traditional wedding.”
I know from experience that the nine-month old would not last the entire time. I turned to Sarah Kay, my wedding day Mary Poppins, who made a better plan also serving as the officiant for the elopement.
We wanted these two to have the wedding of their dreams without cutting it short due to an unhappy baby. Sarah Kay found a caretaker who would be available to hold Acadia during the elopement ceremony and the couple’s wedding portraits. Originally, the two wanted to hold Acadia during the ceremony. However, she was a little fussy at that point so Laurel provided kid-wrangling while staying nearby.
The second most important element to their Grand Canyon elopement was going on a hike. These two travel and hike regularly. It is an important part of their relationship that they wanted represented on their day. They cited how their first date involved a hike and they now go at least once a month.
Though not as long as originally planned, we settled on a beautiful walk along the South Rim. Steven carried Acadia in a baby carrier backpack which came naturally to them as a hiking family cultural tradition.
Another special moment was Steven’s unique wedding gift to Taylor. It was a beautiful book he made about covering their adventures together. It used notes they had saved over time describing their experiences along with photos from these trips. The gift stole Taylor’s heart and was a true surprise!
The Perfect Spot for a Family Elopement: Lipan Point
The chosen elopement location is one of my favorites because it offers the best sunset year-round. Capturing sunsets (even rainy ones) is one of the couple’s favorite things to do at every national park they visit. Lipan Point is right at the bend which allows the best views of the Colorado River below. The point sticks out so far you can even get the sun setting over the rim which is rare in other parts of the canyon.
This Grand Canyon location also has the best opportunities for short little hikes that allow for photos below the rim. Grand Canyon photography can also be captured from a distance with the two of you looking small standing on the edge of such vastness.
The Grand Canyon elopement destination also has a larger footprint. This provides ample space to spread out while remaining in one area. Even with a small group, there is a nice amount of land available for a ceremony mostly hidden from the general public.
The primary con to a Lipan Point sunset elopement is the increase in crowds due to its popularity. It becomes extremely crowded at sunset without much parking available (or bathrooms close by). Everyone has a right to their own Grand Canyon experience so even when doing a session, I can’t ask anyone to move out of the way. That’s when we get creative!
Capturing Grand Canyon Elopement Photos Naturally With an Infant
It’s times like these that I try to allow for more natural shots instead of posing which generally isn’t as plausible with kids. We focused on capturing the elopement timeline moments as they unfolded: changing into the dress, first look, gift exchange, and little hike.
I really loved having Acadia with us, even though it seemed initially like it would be a bit of a challenge. She really lit up the room for everybody. Each time I caught her cute little smile it was pure joy. There really is a different energy that you feel when kids are involved. It’s irreplaceable and unique for a Grand Canyon elopement.
Despite their many travels to national parks together, this was Taylor and Steven’s first trip to Grand Canyon National Park. The couple plans on taking Acadia to many more national parks in the future, especially to her own namesake (Acadia National Park)! Simply being in a national park setting incorporated their personality and adventure style into their wedding dream.
Tying a bow on all of these moments was the text “Our Next Great Adventure” placed on the little t-shirt worn by Acadia. Nothing could have summarized the day better!
Wedding Vendors
Destination | Grand Canyon National Park
Photographer | Terri Attridge Photography
Hair | Cessified Studio
Dress | KissProm Dresses
Wedding Officiant | Sarah Kay
Bride’s Rings | James Allen
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