Dallas Elopement Photography FAQ

An elopement is an intentionally small, intimate wedding where the day is built around the two of you, not a guest list. For me, that means just the couple, your officiant, and up to 2 additional people. Anything beyond that starts to become a micro wedding (which I also offer, just under different collections).

The number isn't arbitrary, it's the line where the day stops feeling like "your wedding" and starts feeling like "everyone else's wedding, scaled down." Eloping isn't running away or doing it on the cheap. It's choosing to spend your wedding day actually present in your wedding day.

Size, mostly. An elopement is just the two of you plus your officiant and up to 2 additional people. A micro wedding is anywhere from a small handful of guests up to about 30, usually with a bit more structure (a real ceremony setup, sometimes a small reception).

Both are intimate, both are intentional. The difference is whether you want the day to feel like "just us" or "us, plus our closest people." I offer both, just under different collections. If you're not sure which one fits, ask me and we'll figure it out together.

My wedding collections are built for full traditional weddings, anywhere from 30 to 300+ guests, with all the moving parts that come with it (getting ready coverage with a wedding party, ceremony, reception, dancing, the works). My elopement collections are built for couples who want the opposite. Smaller scope, different pace, the day designed entirely around you instead of a schedule.

The biggest difference beyond size is that Collections I through III are built around an experience designed for your dreams, not an hourly timeline. Travel for me and a +1 is built in, and the current details for what that covers live on the investment page.

Absolutely not. This is one of the biggest myths about elopements. You can get jaw-dropping locations 100 feet from a parking lot, or never leave a downtown loft, or have a quiet courthouse ceremony followed by champagne in a hotel suite.

My couples include serious hikers, but also people who just want to wear a beautiful dress and stand somewhere pretty for an hour. The point of eloping isn't adventure for its own sake. It's designing a day that actually feels like you. If "you" is a hiking trail in Big Bend at sunrise, we'll do that. If "you" is a downtown loft and a great dinner downtown, we'll do that. Both are valid and both make incredible photos.

Yes please. Bring the dog. Bring the cat (if your cat is the kind of cat who tolerates that, which most aren't, but I respect the ambition). I've photographed dogs in tuxedos, dogs in flower collars, dogs as ring bearers, and dogs who mostly just slept through the ceremony. They are always welcome.

This is honestly the question I get asked most, and it almost never makes it onto photographers' FAQ pages. So here's the real answer: there's no version of this conversation that everyone is thrilled about, and that's okay.

The couples who handle it best usually do three things. One, they tell their closest people in person or on a call, not in a group text. Two, they frame it as a decision they've already made together, not an idea they're floating for input. Three, they offer a way for family to still be included afterward, whether that's a dinner, a backyard party, or a slideshow viewing of the gallery.

Most family pushback comes from feeling left out, not from disagreeing with the choice. When you give people a way to celebrate with you (even after the fact), the temperature drops fast. You're not the first couple to navigate this, and you won't be the last.

My elopement collections are designed for the two of you, your officiant, and up to 2 additional people (think a parent, a sibling, a best friend acting as a witness). If you're imagining 10 of your closest people, 20 of your family, or a small backyard celebration, that's micro wedding or full wedding territory, and it's gorgeous in its own way, just a different offering. Take a look at my wedding collections and we'll figure out what fits.

Texas keeps it pretty simple. Here's the short version:

• Both of you apply in person at any Texas county clerk's office (you don't have to be Texas residents)
• Bring valid government-issued photo ID (driver's license, passport, or military ID) and your Social Security numbers
• Pay the license fee, usually $70-90 depending on the county. It drops significantly (to about $20 in most counties) if you complete the free Twogether in Texas premarital course online
• There's a 72-hour waiting period between getting the license and the ceremony. Active duty military, a judge's waiver, or a Twogether in Texas certificate all skip the wait
• The license is valid for 90 days
• You'll need an officiant (Texas does not allow self-solemnization, more on that below)
• After the ceremony, your officiant signs the license and returns it to the issuing county clerk's office within 30 days

Always double-check with your specific county clerk before you go. Hours, payment methods, and small requirements vary by county.

Yes, three ways:

1. Get a Texas marriage license, get married elsewhere. A Texas license works anywhere in the world as long as you follow Texas requirements. More from the Texas State Law Library →
2. Get legally married abroad or out of state. Texas recognizes it as long as it was legal where it took place.
3. Skip the paperwork on your day, file a Declaration of Informal Marriage later. Texas lets you file a declaration at any county clerk's office (around $37) to legally recognize your marriage after the fact, no officiant needed. More on informal marriage from the Texas Attorney General →

Texas law doesn't require witnesses to sign the marriage license, only your officiant. So if you want a truly just-the-two-of-you ceremony, you can have it.

If you do want witnesses for the meaning of it rather than the legality, your officiant and I can both sign as moral support, even though it's not required. Other states and countries vary on this, so if you're getting married outside Texas, we'll look up the local requirements together.

Yes. Collections I and II are built for travel, both within the continental US and worldwide. The only added layer with international elopements is local law. Some countries require a work permit or visa for foreign photographers to shoot a paid wedding, others don't. Every country is different. We'll talk all of that through before you finalize your booking so there are no surprises.

For Collections I, II, and III, I design a full elopement experience for you to take as-is or use as a jumping-off point. That includes location ideas matched to your vision, vendor recommendations (officiants, florists, HMUA, lodging), a suggested timeline, and weather contingency thinking.

It's a head start, not a replacement for a planner. My scope of work under contract is photography, so if you want someone tracking every vendor, managing contracts, and running point on the day-of logistics, that's what a planner is for. I'm happy to recommend a few I love working with.

Most of my elopement couples book 6-12 months out, especially if you're eyeing a peak season (April-May or September-November in Texas, summer for destinations). For Collections I and II (continental US and worldwide), 9-12 months is ideal because of travel logistics and securing the right lodging. For Collection IV (the local 50-mile tier), I can sometimes accommodate as little as 1-2 weeks out, though Texas's 72-hour license waiting period needs to be factored in.

Reach out as soon as you know you want to do this. Even if your date isn't set yet.

A signed contract and a $1,000 non-refundable booking fee. To be clear, this isn't a deposit. It's a booking fee that reserves your date and means I stop responding to other inquiries for it. Your date isn't held until both the contract and the booking fee are in.

Yes. My standard structure is the $1,000 booking fee up front, then the remaining balance split into two: a midway payment, and a final payment due no later than 30 days before your elopement. If you need a different breakdown, just ask. I'm happy to build a plan that fits your needs.

This is one of the things I plan for from day one. Every elopement timeline I build has at least one backup location and a weather contingency baked in. I watch the forecast obsessively the week of, and we'll adjust timing or pivot locations together as needed.

For destination elopements, I always scout backup options in the planning phase so we're not scrambling on the day. Texas weather can be dramatic. I've shot in 105-degree summers, freak ice storms, and surprise downpours. We will be fine.

One note about my studio: it's primarily a boudoir space, so it's not really set up for a full elopement portrait shoot. That said, if you want more editorial portraits on a solid backdrop, I'm happy to invite you in. You can also get ready here if that fits your vibe. Just depends on what you're going for.

Yes, and a lot of my couples do exactly this. They elope just the two of them somewhere meaningful, then host a bigger celebration weeks or months later for family and friends. It's the best of both worlds. You get the intentional, intimate wedding day you actually want, and your loved ones still get to celebrate with you. I can photograph the post-elopement party as a separate session or reception coverage if you'd like, just ask and we'll work it into your collection.

That's actually the most common starting point. Most of my elopement couples reach out with a feeling, not a plan. "We want it to be just us." "We want mountains, maybe?" "We want to skip the big wedding." That's enough.

From there, we get on a call, I ask questions, and we start building your day from your answers. Locations, timing, vendors, logistics, all of it. You don't need a Pinterest board or a date or a destination locked in to inquire. You just need to know you want to do this differently. Tell me that, and we'll figure out the rest together.