Tips for Filming Elopements

• Set Clear Expectations

  With a lot of couples moving to intimate weddings and smaller weddings, it’s really important to get a clear picture from them about what their wedding will look like and to clarify the term “elopement.” While you may imagine the ceremony being just your couple, your couple may not have the same expectations. Take time to talk with your couple about those expectations—ask them how many guests they plan to have and how that will impact their celebration. Based on those answers, it may change your flexibility or it might mean capturing alternative things that you hadn’t expected.

• Take Time to Connect with your Couple

  It’s likely that you will spend hours, if not days, with your couple around their elopement. Trust and quality time can make a huge difference in how your couple showcases their comfort. Take the time before you arrive on location to ask them questions, FaceTime, or chat on the phone. Building a bond with them can help you get a really unique chance to be allowed into sacred spaces and document moments with them that they would only share with a true friend or someone they trust—and that is a really amazing gift to be able to offer them.

• Pack Smart

  Whether your couple elopes in your hometown, or across the world, packing smart is key. Things move quickly with elopements. Your couple will say and do things, without even realizing it, that you will want to capture. Knowing your gear, having your audio connected early, and being able to navigate quickly between lenses (or choosing specific lenses) will help you capture things that you normally might not have noticed or that would have happened with more prompting at a more traditional wedding.

• Arrive Early, but Trust your Gut

  For one wedding we were shooting in Italy a few years ago, we arrived on location days before the wedding. We drove down winding roads, through towns, and across all kind of forests to find the perfect locations, but nothing felt right. Finally, as soon as we arrived at the venue, we knew we would have everything we needed. We planned ahead for every opportunity, but the real opportunities were right in front of us. We didn’t leave the venue grounds all day during the day of the wedding and everything could not have been more perfect.

  It’s important to trust your gut. If you have time, and you aren’t feeling a location, make sure you give yourself the time you need to scout and prepare, especially if you’re in an unfamiliar location. You never know what may surprise you, but it helps to be prepared.