Just because you want a last-minute elopement doesn’t mean you need to have a courthouse wedding (unless you want to!). You get to celebrate your perfect day any way you want! Let’s write the most epic story you’ll still be raving about 50 years from now. To get started, here is everything you need to know to start planning!
The First Thing You Need to Do for Your Last Minute Elopement
Your first step of elopement planning is hire an elopement photographer! Not a wedding photographer who offers elopements, but an elopement photographer who specializes in planning and photographing elopements. There will be a difference in your experience depending on your type of photographer!
Why You Should Book With an Elopement Photographer
If you want a photographer who can be really involved in the elopement planning process, then you need an elopement photographer like me. The majority of us elopement photographers offer planning assistance for all-day elopement experiences! A wedding photographer might have a 2-hour elopement package to capture parts of your elopement day, but you’ll likely have to do all of the elopement research and planning yourself.
Elopement photographers specialize in planning assistance and guiding you through the elopement process in addition to photography. They will likely be priced higher than a wedding photographer’s elopement packages because of this incredible value! Plus, elopement photographers are usually well-versed in the outdoors. We know how to guide couples to the best locations and are proactive to Leave No Trace. You can learn more about my elopement offerings here!
How to Plan a Last-Minute Elopement
Step 1: Choose a date or be flexible based on vendors/location availability.
Step 2: Hire an elopement photographer who can help you hit the ground running. They’ll know the area really well and best free locations on how to get permits quickly. They also can help with vendor recommendations.
Step 3: Hire other vendors you need to (officiant, hair, & makeup) or determine what you’ll DIY. Faux flowers are a good alternative to real flowers OR picking up a bouquet from Trader Joe’s or Costco.
Step 4: Plan everything with your elopement photographer and enjoy your wedding day!
Important Tip: Research if Your Venue Requires a Permit
While you start elopement planning, know that certain locations require permits months in advance. Certain National Parks or DC elopement venues might have a minimum time frame to submit permit applications. If you have a dream location in mind, please do research so you can plan accordingly! Nothing would be worse than to plan a last-minute elopement and your photographer has to tell you that you can’t do that dream location due to permit requirements.
Vonya & Jahkeal’s Elopement in Washington DC
Vonya & Jahkeal reached out to me 2 weeks before their elopement day. They originally were going to do courthouse wedding, but when they found me on Google, they knew they wanted to do something more! They just needed help to figure out the logistics.
When we talked on the phone, they were excited to adventure around DC, especially the art museums and having their intimate wedding ceremony at the DC War Memorial. If you’re also thinking about having a DC War Memorial elopement ceremony, check out the blog post How to Plan a DC War Memorial Wedding to start elopement planning asap!
Getting Ready Wedding Photos
Vonya & Jahkeal’s elopement day started at Hotel Zena, a great modern and chic hotel in DC. As their elopement photographer, I began photographing a few details and getting ready photos of each of them as they prepared for their elopement. When Vonya & Jahkeal were ready, they did a sweet first look on the hotel rooftop before heading to the National Gallery of Art!
Exploring the National Gallery of Art
For wedding couple photos, Vonya & Jahkeal enjoyed visiting the National Gallery of Art. There are so many incredible backdrops at this art museum for wedding photos! Plus, they had a family member come to help carry bags and fluff Vonya’s dress and veil which was SUPER helpful! Not a bad idea to have a friend come along and be an extra set of hands. But if it’s just the two of you, don’t worry, I got you!
Reminder: Real flowers are not allowed in the art museums, so be aware of that if you want wedding photos in the museums. Vonya had faux flowers, so we were good!
Elopement Ceremony at the DC War Memorial
After exploring the National Gallery of Art, we headed to the DC War Memorial for their elopement ceremony. They chose to self-officiate while their families witnessed them share vows and their first kiss as a married couple! If you also want to self-officiate your wedding ceremony, this blog post will show you exactly how to do it!
Kennedy Center Wedding Couple Photos
After family photos, Vonya & Jahkeal did a few more newlywed photos around the DC War Memorial and the Reflecting Pool with the Lincoln Memorial in the background. It was hot in May, so these photos were quick. Then, we ordered an Uber to take us to the Kennedy Center for rooftop wedding photos!
The Kennedy Center is one of my favorite elopement locations! It’s open to the public and no permit is required for engagement photos, a small elopement ceremony, or a surprise proposal. The rooftop at the Kennedy Center has wonderful views of DC. You can see the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, and over the Potomac to Georgetown!
A Wedding Celebration at Lyle’s Restaurant & Bar
A taxi took Vonya & Jahkeal back to their hotel for a half-hour break/freshen up for dinner. Then, everyone got into Ubers to head to dinner at Lyle’s Restaurant & Bar. This is where they rented a private room for dinner!
It was so sweet to see them all at dinner and relax and soak in that just married feeling. They ordered drinks for a cheers moment and Vonya & Jahkeal used their specialty ordered champagne glasses. I then left them to enjoy the rest of their elopement day with their family.
What The Wedding Couple Says
“Working with Juliana was an absolute dream come true. When we initially reached out to Juliana, we weren’t exactly sure about how we wanted the day to be, all we knew was that we wanted to make a whole day out of going around the city taking beautiful photos.
After talking with her, she was able to help us create the perfect day, including narrowing down timelines, finding amazing photo opps in the city, and securing necessary permits. From the first conversation with her, we couldn’t help but to be filled with excitement of what was to come.
On the actual day of our elopement, it didn’t feel like we just had a “photographer” following us around. From the moment she arrived, she jumped right in and was hands-on with helping us every step along the way, like she was literally there helping me get dressed.
Juju (my nickname instantly given to her) was such a vibe, and it felt like she was apart of the family! Not only did she make us feel extremely comfortable in front of the camera, but her creative eye was able to capture angles/moments that made us fall in love all over again! Our entire day was nothing but amazing and that was largely attributed to Juliana.
We were still floating on cloud 9 when we received our “sneak peaks” as there were so many beautiful images that she was able to provide within a short amount of time! We recently received our full album, again in an impressive amount of time, and I love that we’re now able to cherish a TON of absolutely stunning photos that will allow us to relive that day for the rest of our lives.
If you have the opportunity to work with Juliana, my advice is to jump at the chance with no hesitation as she is an absolute gem, and we’re forever thankful that we were able to experience her on one of the most wonderful days of our lives.” – Vonya & Jahkeal
Want to Book Your Last-Minute Elopement in DC?
You deserve to have an extraordinary elopement experience! I would love to help you plan your last-minute elopement and capture your special day.
This is all that I need from you to book with me: a general location and vision of what you want for your elopement or intimate wedding and a date. After you’re officially booked, we can dive deep into the planning to narrow down exact details, get permits if needed, and create your timeline! I can’t wait to connect with you!
To inquire to work with me, fill out this form and schedule a FREE phone call.
Vonya & Jahkeal’s Washington DC Elopement Vendors
Hair Stylist: K’LUVAIRE by Kimberley Reynolds // IG: kluvaire
Makeup Artist: Makki Araya // IG: blushbymakki
Ceremony Venue: DC War Memorial
Reception: Lyle’s Restaurant & Bar
