Washington Elopement
Photographer
From Rainier to the Cascades, I’ll find the exact spot your elopement was meant to happen.
picture yourself here, saying your vows
Bring your vibe.
That’s more than enough to get started.
Not sure how to start planning your elopement?
Two reads that answer 90% of the questions you’re about to Google:
Go ahead.
Fall down the rabbit hole.
I'll be here when you come up for air.
So… you’re not vibing with the idea of a big wedding?
Eloping is probably more your speed if…
…planning a whole day around everyone else’s expectations sounds exhausting (because it is)
…you want to say your vows to each other, not perform them for a crowd
…your dream wedding involves a view and fresh air with zero seating charts
…you’d rather put the budget towards an incredible trip than a dinner for your parents’ coworkers
A location picked out.
Any amount of hiking experience.
A curated Pinterest board.
Honestly, you don’t even need a plan.
Most couples come to me with a feeling and a season, and that’s plenty! Figuring out where you’re allowed to say your vows and take photos, which permits you need, what’s realistic in October, and which trailhead has a real bathroom?
That’s my job.
What you don’t need:
“Our minds were put at ease about our decision to elope.”
“It felt like adventuring around with a friend who just happened to be a magician with a camera.”
-N + V
HI! I’m Van.
My goals with every single couple are simple: you love every part of your wedding day, you’re still talking about the adventure years later, and you walk away with photos that feel like you and show off how stinkin’ fun your day actually was.
When I’m not in photographer mode, you’ll find me on a hike with my dog Fern, planning a backpacking trip to unnamed lakes, or trying to squeeze in one more paddleboarding sesh before it gets dark.
18+ years photographing people in love
(100+ elopements and counting!) 💛Woman and queer-owned business 🏳️🌈
Leave No Trace aware photographer
and steward of Mother Nature 🌎
(It’s pronounced like minivan or the shoes.)
I’m a Washington adventure elopement photographer based in Seattle, and I’m an officiant too, so I can marry you and photograph it. Whether you’re looking for reassurance that eloping is right for you or you’re already sold and just need help with the details, I’m your adventure buddy👋🏻
(It’s pronounced like minivan or the shoes.)
I’m a Washington adventure elopement photographer based in Seattle, and I’m an officiant too, so I can marry you and photograph it. Whether you’re looking for reassurance that eloping is right for you or you’re already sold and just need help with the details, I’m your adventure buddy👋🏻
HI! I’m Van.
My goals with every single couple are simple: you love every part of your wedding day, you’re still talking about the adventure years later, and you walk away with photos that feel like you and show off how stinkin’ fun your day actually was.
When I’m not in photographer mode, you’ll find me on a hike with my dog Fern, planning a backpacking trip to unnamed lakes, or trying to squeeze in one more paddleboarding sesh before it gets dark.
18+ years photographing people in love (100+ elopements and counting!) 💛
Woman and queer-owned business 🏳️🌈
Leave No Trace aware photographer and steward of Mother Nature 🌎
Things I give a shit about:
The outdoors are for everyone. Every body, every identity, every kind of couple. You don’t have to meet some made up standard of “outdoorsperson” to roll with me. If you want to get married outdoors, you deserve to get married outdoors. LET’S GO.
Taking care of the planet wherever I can. That means following Leave No Trace ethics and showing you what that looks like on your wedding day. Mother Natch’ is a real treasure, so let’s take care of her together. Deal?
Your wedding day should look like you, not like some checklist or somebody else’s wedding day. Keep the traditions you love, ditch the ones you don’t, and make up a few of your own. Bring the dog, the inside jokes, the top tier trail snacks.
This whole thing is about you and your boo, nothing more, nothing less.
a few places I photograph
Elopements:
…and how to get
MARRIED
at all of them!
Past Client Lovin’
“Choosing Van and having her hold our hands through every step of the journey felt like a weight lifted off our shoulders.”
-B + C
“Our minds were put at ease about our decision to elope.”
-R + C
“We wish we had another event coming up so we could work with Van again.”
-S + E
“BOOK WITH VAN ASAP!!! Seriously I’m already asking my husband if we could book Van when we renew our vows.”
-S + N
Got a vibe?
That’s all you need to start.
Tell me what you’re picturing, even if it’s just “mountains, and probably the dog” and I’ll take it from there!
Wildflowers are Washington’s hidden advantage for elopement photos. But timing and location matter, and so does protecting the meadows you’ll be enjoying. Here’s exactly where to elope for wildflowers across Washington, when each region peaks, and how we’ll capture those dreamy shots without trampling the very thing that makes them magic.