Eloping in the Mountains of the Blue Ridge Was the Perfect Choice for Heather + Jade on their Elopement Day

This Northern Virginia couple chose the most beautiful Virginia elopement location last winter in the Shenandoah Valley! Eloping with their closest friends and family, Heather + Jade celebrated their wedding day after an unexpected snowstorm. As their elopement photographer, it definitely made the elopement so unique and fun and created the most amazing photos for these two to remember and look back on for years to come! 

If eloping in the mountains has been an option for you and your partner on your wedding day – you’re gonna want to stick around here because I’ve got some serious tips for YOU to plan an elopement day just like these two did last January 🙂

Eloping in the mountains was like spending the day with a familiar friend for these two lovebirds

As two outdoor enthusiasts and police officers in Hampton Roads, Heather and Jade knew that the Blue Ridge HAD to be the place they got married at. They spend so much time in the Virginia mountains with their close family (and their super-cute dog, Zelda, loves to hike as well), it really was just an obvious choice for the two of them to celebrate this new chapter in their lives with the humans (and furballs) they adore!

H + J’s vendors that made eloping in the mountains possible for these cuties

Mount Ida Winery in Charlottesville has quickly become one of the favorite places to photograph elopements and weddings in Virginia! This Virginia wedding venue is HUGE and can accommodate weddings of all sizes – even Heather and Jade’s 10-person elopement looked perfect on the hill around the back of the venue. The entire reserve sits on 5,000 acres of rolling countryside and has tons of the cutest cottages to stay at after your elopement! Want more information about having your intimate wedding or elopement here? Head over to their website and contact page to reach out and see this beautiful winery in person!

The Cranky Fairy Confectionary made their delicious wedding cake – I am seriously obsessed with the fresh fruit and TRUST me, it was literally so yummy. Just because I’m the elopement photographer doesn’t mean I can’t have a slice of cake with your guests, right? LOL 

The best parts about eloping in the mountains of Virginia

Overall, Virginia is honestly such an underrated place to elope in. Sometimes, a lot of couples overlook the beauty that is sitting here right in their home state to travel west – but if traveling isn’t in your budget on your wedding day, you’re definitely not sacrificing beautiful photos by eloping here.

Diverse and beautiful 

From the mountains of Shenandoah National Park to the busy city streets of Richmond to the crashing of the waves in Virginia Beach, you really have unlimited options when it comes to eloping in Virginia. No matter what kind of scenery or landscape you’re looking for – I’m 99% certain you can find it here in VA! 

Intimate wedding venues for micro weddings and smaller gatherings

If you’re not a huge outdoorsy-couple (which is TOTALLY okay, let’s normalize eloping at a gorgeous Virginia wedding venue like Heather and Jade did) – VA has tons of intimate wedding venues that are literally PERFECT for holding your elopement or microwedding! 

Some of my favorites include:

• Bold Rock Cidery in Nellysford, VA
• The Mill at Fine Creek in Powhatan, VA
• The Villa in Virginia Beach, VA (Checkout this beautiful venue more in depth here on my blog! I photographed a bridal salon there this past fall and it was seriously stunning)
• The Loft in Richmond, VA
• House Mountain Inn in Lexington, VA

So many options for post-elopement activities in Richmond and Northern Virginia 

Not only is Virginia GORGEOUS, but the bustling cities of Richmond and northern Virginia have so many fun excursions and experiences to enjoy before, during or after your elopement in the mountains! Stop by a northern Virginia winery for a wine tasting, go white-water rafting along Belle Isle in Richmond, or snuggle up in a cozy Airbnb in the mountains for a romantic escape with your favorite human. You can do whatever you want – it’s your day, after all! 

You can elope here, too! A checklist for planning to elope in Virginia

I just know you’ve got to be itching to get your butts to Virginia to elope in the mountains, how could you not be?! I promise, Virginia is seriously one of the easiest states to plan an elopement in, and who better to teach you how to than a local herself? 

Step 1: Choose your location

There are a LOT of factors to consider when planning your elopement, but figuring out where you’re going to actually elope at is definitely one of the most important parts. 

Your location should just feel right for you and your partner — it should be somewhere you feel alive, overjoyed and a place that you and your partner can totally just focus on each other and truly be in the moment of your elopement day!

When choosing your elopement location – here are a few convo-sparking questions to ask yourselves when you first sit down with your partner to discuss it:

• What type of scenery do we feel connected to? 
• What landscapes or views fill you with a sense of happiness, inspiration, and peace?
• Consider the season you’ve chosen to elope – what types of scenery are best at that time of year?
• How accessible do you want your spot to be?
• How many people you would be comfortable having around or how much privacy you would be willing to give up for a Instagram-trending view? You can also find great seclusion at “hidden gem” locations that are just as gorgeous as the Instagram trendy spots — just less well known. Eloping at sunrise is another way to get more privacy at a typically busy spot.
• Do you want your location to have sentimental meaning to you and your partner? 
• Do you want others to be involved in your elopement or just you and your partner? If you do opt to invite guests, be intentional with how many people you invite, aware of any accessibility or travel needs, and decide on how much of the day they will be involved in!

Step 2: Choose your vendors

Elopements aren’t like larger, more traditional weddings in the sense that they don’t really focus on the crazy details – so having a ton of vendors isn’t a huge must if you want to have a beautiful, meaningful celebration with your partner. However, having vendors that you connect with and who prioritize your experience over everything are crucial to making sure you two have the best day of your lives! 

A lot of couples eloping will choose vendors like florists, videographers, private chefs and/or bakers, officiants, and of course, their elopement photographer! I might be a bit biased, but truly, making sure that you and your elopement photographer connect and vibe well together is going to revolutionize your experience on your wedding day. 

I make sure that all of my couples get on a Zoom call with me during the inquiry process to ensure that I’m the best possible fit for them on their day. That truly matters more to me than gaining another booking! I do not take photographing elopements and love stories lightly by any means; it is the biggest honor to capture someone on such an important day, so it’s my main priority is making sure you find the best elopement photographer for your unique story!

If you’re digging me and my work so far, I just know that I’m going to love connecting with you! I’d love to help you plan your elopement and create a meaningful experience for you and your partner. Reach out to inquire about your elopement date here! 

Step 3: Craft an elopement that is authentic and unique to you 

When you first start planning your elopement—the best mindset you and your partner can have is one with no boundaries. This part of the process has nothing to do with limits, so forget for a moment about what’s “feasible” and just let yourself dream.

I whole-heartedly believe that no single elopement or intimate wedding is exactly like another – just like there’s no couple out there that’s exactly the same. So don’t limit yourself to what you’ve seen on blogs, social media, from friends and family, or even from me. Your wedding day is about creating a day that’s going to make you feel the most alive, happy, relaxed, and in-love.

This part of the planning process is all about letting your imagination go wild and envisioning the most enjoyable day for the two of you, that would celebrate your relationship in the most authentic way. Forget about any restrictions for a moment and just dream big—that’s where you’ll find what speaks most to you. You’ll have time to figure out the details later 😉

Your Virginia Elopement Photographer 

Photographing elopements in Virginia and around the U.S. has been the highlight of my life for the last three years, and I would love to tell your story. My couples are truly the most important part of this entire career to me and just the fact that you’ve landed on my little slice of the internet means so much. I’d love to help you two create a day that makes you feel aligned, alive, and so so in-love that you can’t wait to start the rest of your lives together. And if that looks like eloping in Virginia, I’m so down. Reach out to me here so we can meet up and start dreaming! 

Mountain Elopement Packages 

All of my elopement photography packages are all-inclusive, always. With me, you’re getting a whole heck of a lot more than just a photographer! I’m here to help you intentionally craft a day that is authentic to you and your partner, but mostly, I just wanna be friends! 

All of my packages for elopements, regardless of the location, are always inclusive of travel fees and are custom-designed to fit the specific needs of your elopement day! No two elopements are ever built the same, so it’s my goal to make sure your wedding photography package is perfectly suited for the both of you! 

I can’t wait to meet you both. Let’s do this thing!!