Coverage & Time

Elopements tend to be quick and intimate - think 1-2 hours of "I do" magic - whereas weddings are a full-on party (6-8 hours or more) that need me from hair and makeup through the dance floor.

Why time = money...simply put, I'm not sitting back during any moment of the time spent during wedding days or elopements. I'm working the whole time - whether it's figuring out the next poses, switching out lenses or batteries, or helping fluff a dress or adjust a tie. Even though both events are spent capturing irreplaceable moments, one is stricter to a schedule and time consuming while the other has less time and details to worry about.

Planning & Coordination

With elopements, we basically show up, say your vows, grab a few killer portraits, and call it a day.

Weddings? Oh buddy, you get my full "timeline wrangler" treatment: vendor chats, shot lists, candid captures, video calls, and making sure we try our best to stick to the timeline that you want to keep vendors and guests happy.

I help with the planning of both (if my input is welcome) however I will make sure there is enough set aside for photos in a full wedding day. There are more people to capture and oversee during a wedding day vs an elopement, not to mention coordinating with other vendors and potentially being there for rehearsals. Both are equally important days to capture, one just has more of a high-stress, boom-boom-boom one-event-after-the-other feel!

Post-Production

After the confetti settles, I dive into editing; 50-100 images for an elopement. It's quicker, still paying to detail, but with elopements sneak peeks are available within 48 hours. Full digital galleries are delivered within 14 days. Not as long of a process, not as many images.

I deliver hundreds of shots for a full wedding because of deeper culling and making sure each location has consistent coloring/matching edits. Wedding sneak peeks are available also within 48 hours, sometimes sooner! The full digital wedding galleries are delivered within 6 weeks.

14 days < 42 days

More time is spent in post-production for weddings. More time = more money.

Equipment & Staffing

Elopements roll solo: me + backup gear. Think a regular hour session with me but on steroids! I may have some flashes in my bag and an extra light strapped on, but it's mainly me, my camera, and my Brevite camera bag (shoutout!).

Weddings sometimes need a sidekick (second shooter), plus lighting kits, extra memory cards, and maybe a sherpa for that mountain pass if you're really adventurous. Also potential travel to multiple locations, if you have getting ready at one location, first look at another, ceremony at yet another location, and reception somewhere else - that's a lot of travel and gathering and transporting gear - and I'm happy to do it!

Why Pricing Isn't Linear

Being transparent about what goes on behind the scenes will help you understand why packages are priced the way they are. It's not being racked up because of the "wedding" title, you could call your wedding an elopement because you wanted 400 guests and downsized to 100 - it doesn't necessarily make it an elopement. How the day is laid out, how many people are there, and what you want captured is what makes the difference and helps me decide what to prepare for!

So let's break down pricing.

Flat-rate packages mean zero surprise fees - but behind the scenes you've got insurance, gallery-hosting, software subscriptions, gear maintenance, and my undying devotion to perfection. Those hidden costs add up!

Per month, I pay subscriptions to Adobe, Squarespace, and Pixieset for my behind-the-scenes work.

Adobe Suite has all my editing needs.

Squarespace holds my website domain.

Pixieset hosts my galleries, website, and blog (that you're reading right now).

$92

I also register my LLC and pay an annual fee to keep my business above board.

$50

I have a lifetime subscription to Unscripted - a posing app that also keeps track of my sessions and clients, contracts, invoices, and questionnaires.

$350

So far we have $492 in fees just to keep the business going. And that's without including gear, insurance, and cost for the time spent at the event and post-production editing. Gear alone is between $5,000-$10,000. I'm not trying to break the bank for you! I'm just trying to make the business make sense and be able to keep doing what I love while also having it provide for my family.

Next Steps

If you read through all this, I hope you have more of an understanding behind why I offer what I do. And I get it - for those wanting a wedding package, you don't want to feel like you're being price-gouged, and for those looking to decide between the full wedding or an elopement, you may be settling on an elopement because it's the cheaper option. As long as you know the difference between the two and why they are priced differently, go ahead and go for that elopement if that's the experience for you! I'd LOVE to be part of your day, no matter how intimate or structured.

Click the links below to head back to the FAQ's or to look at the Investment Page!