How to choose a wedding dress for your Adventure Elopement
The short answer:
Whatever you want!
But let's make a plan...
As much as I love a windswept dress on a mountain top, what I care about even more is the way your wedding day feels. I want your experience to be amazing, and I’m not exaggerating when I tell you I’ve spent a full 10 hours with many brides who were insanely uncomfortable because their dress was too tight, too hot, too heavy, or the straps were digging into their skin!
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Here are a few things to consider when choosing your dress:
- How much does it weigh? I’ve hung enough wedding dresses to know that there is a HUGE difference in the weight between dresses. Besides just general comfort, heavy dresses are usually really hot and can make the straps really uncomfortable.
- How long is the train? You can totally rock a train on your adventure elopement, but you might not want a super long one. On the other hand, it’s not a big deal to throw a train over your arm if it’s not too long.
- How does it fit? You may be walking or moving a lot on your elopement day (although there are lots of easy no-hike locations I can take you to) or you may be seated in the car for a bit. Don’t let an uncomfortable dress put a damper on your day. Make sure you can sit easily. Many brides have told me they shouldn't sit down on their wedding day and that’s just crazy.
- Can you pee in it? I'm not joking! Some dresses have such a fitted layer over the legs that the whole dress has to come off for the bathroom. If it doesn't need to come off, can you handle the bathroom alone? At my big weddings I've had whole teams of bridesmaids dedicated to bathroom duty, not kidding. It's not glamorous, but a few of my brides have worn the dress buddy under their dress the entire day. Is this a necessity? Absolutely not! But if would make you feel more comfortable peeing in the woods, it can't hurt.
- Can you pack it in? If you’re doing a long hike, your dress might be getting stuffed into a backpack. Make sure it’s not so huge it doesn’t fit. Same goes for fitting in your adventure vehicle. A full skirt can take up the entire inside of a car!
- Remember layers, especially in high elevations, even in the summer. One of the best things to have is nude, fleece lined leggings. No one will even know you’re wearing them and they will make you so much warmer! They’re perfect for those sunrise temps too. If the temps drop, pack a jacket that you feel good about being photographed in as a part of your bridal style.
- Can you hike it in? If you're doing a shorter hike, like the one to Taft Point, Yosemite, you can easily do this in a comfortable dress. But you don't have to! Do you want to hike in your dress?
- Consider the straps, or in other words, does it stay on? Since you'll be out enjoying nature, you don't want to be tugging your dress up with every step you take. Strapless dress have a tendency to slide down, and that's probably not something you want to deal with.
- If you’re chasing those big views, this is just a photographer’s perspective, but there’s something extra special about a dress catching a breeze, or warm sunlight lighting up the layers of tulle. And if you want to keep it super simple and portable in the dress department, you can also add a long veil, or my new favorite, a tulle shoulder cape. These are beautiful with sunlight streaming through and blowing in the wind.
- Outfit change? If you’ve ever had the itch to wear more than one dress, do it. One for sunrise, one for sunset. And this should go without saying, but you absolutely do not need to wear white. On that note, maybe your second dress will be black, and maybe your second dress won’t be a dress at all...?
- Pack an extra set of undergarments. Trust me on this one, it’s not glamorous, but if you’re getting married in the summer we can have high temps even in the mountains. Sweaty undergarments equal discomfort.
- To veil or not to veil? 100% personal preference on this one, but if you’re on the fence, bring it. Wear it until you’re not feeling it anymore, or don’t wear it at all.
- Let nature happen. You’re going to pick up some twigs and leaves, some dust and maybe mud, and that’s all ok. We're fans of "forest ombre" in this neck of the woods. It’s all a part of the adventure and I promise that when you see your dress in your pictures what will stand out is the amazing time you’re having!
Yosemite, it’s one of the most visited National Parks in the world, and for good reason. It’s incredibly captivating, the views cannot be beat, and the diversity of the region and amazing photo spots make it an elopement or small wedding location dream. When you're considering it for your small wedding day or elopement, there's a few factors to consider to make sure getting married in Yosemite is the right choice for you.
I’m Joleen the photographer at Love Wildly. I’ve been a wedding photographer for about 14 years. I’ve seen some truly wonderful moments, but I’ve also seen everything behind the scenes that you don’t see in the glossy finished photos and videos. Believe it or not, there is an incredible amount of pressure that comes with hosting a big wedding day. It’s definitely not for everyone! After many years of being behind the curtain on close to 500 weddings, I have seen and heard A LOT. I can say with certainty that none of what you are about to read is speculation. All of this information is based on first-hand experience. A quick note - I’m in no way knocking big weddings! Many couples love the attention, pace, and excitement of a big wedding day. But on the flip side, I have seen many a bride or groom realize while in the midst of their big wedding day, they may have preferred something smaller, slower, with a little less attention on them. Beginning with pre-wedding review about a month out, it is not uncommon for me to hear: The most common things I hear are … “I just want to skip the wedding and go straight to the honeymoon.” “I want this to be over so I can go back to regular life.” “You know when you study for a test and then forget it all as soon as it’s over? That’s what I’m going to do with this wedding!” It’s not that these couples didn’t want to get married or have a wedding! Big weddings tend to take on a life of their own and can get out of control, fast. Let’s get into the nitty-gritty of planning and the pros and cons. Here's what we'll cover: How many hair and makeup artists will you need to hire and how long will it take? How this will affect cost. Where will you get ready? And how your numbers and ceremony location impact the day. How the needs of your bridesmaids will affect your morning (especially in a place unfamiliar to them). You may unintentionally play the role of wedding planner (even if you have one) Last-minute details creep up during moments that should be quiet. Is a big wedding day environmentally friendly? A feeling of obligation to include people in parts of your day that you would rather have in privacy. First look or no first look (and why compromising on this can make me sad for you). Including activities that are special to you, and that you wouldn’t get to do at a big wedding. The pace and timeline of a big wedding day Choosing a location based on numbers and the convenience of your guests (not to mention the cost). Can you include your dogs? Saying vows in front of an audience, and the feeling of putting on a show. What happens immediately following the ceremony (after that surreal walk back down the aisle). What will your photos look like? What will the picture-taking process “feel” like? The amount of time it takes to have a “meaningful conversation with all your guests” in real numbers. One final thought to consider - the clean-up.
Makena & Colby's elopement experience was a few days. We starting our wedding day In Twain Harte, where I got ready at my parents house, and Colby got ready at our home. We had a champagne toast and first look with family, then headed up Sonora Pass, to venture to one of our favorite camping spots. We then said our vows at sunset at a gorgeous outlook on the pass, then headed to Mammoth. The following day was Colby's birthday, which we kicked off with an amazing sunrise photo session. The following days were spent hiking, relaxing, enjoying Eastern CA's beautiful fall colors, and enjoying good eats and brews.
Kelsey & Matt traveled to Mammoth Lakes for their adventurous and low key multi day elopement celebration. Together we explored the Crowley Columns by way of 4wd, the top of the Minarets and ended at a local park with family, followed by dinner and bowling.
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I am so proud of you for planning a winter elopement adventure! I'm going to state the obvious, winter might come with a few extra "challenges" but if you're prepared, you will have a beautiful, adventurous, and comfortable experience. And as a bonus, there will be often be less crowds at some of the world's most iconic locations. How amazing would it be to have Yosemite Valley all to yourselves?!
For couples hosting a wedding in or near Yosemite National Park.
The Yosemite wedding experience doesn't need to fit into one day. When you take a few days to enjoy the park AND the wedding day festivities, you walk away with a wedding week experience that feels like you didn't miss out on anything. The whole goal is to keep you present, not stressed and not rushed!
This post is about getting the most out of the entire wedding week experience, and enjoy Yosemite.
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