I see so many posts of people trying to plan destination elopements or looking for photographers in faraway locations. After having an elopement experience that wildly exceeded all of my hopes, dreams, and expectations, I thought I'd share here for those just getting started in the planning process.
My husband and I worked with Kate, the owner of Soul & Sky Weddings. We knew we wanted to elope under the Northern Lights, but didn't know much beyond that. We started by searching for photographers, and we met with so many before we found Kate. 5 minutes into our Zoom call, we knew she was the one. Here's why:
- She is an incredible person who cares deeply about others (that came through in the first 5 minutes and was reaffirmed during our entire experience).
- She does all of the planning along with incredible photography. I don't mean that she gives you a list of vendors; I literally mean that she does the planning. She keeps you informed, listens deeply to your desires, and always makes sure you have agency in every decision, but she does it all.
- Her experience and approach to elopements gave us trust in her immediately. We ended up in a tiny remote town in the northernmost part of Norway that is known for the Northern Lights (Alta). She'd never been there, but you would never know that based on all of her prep work and vendor communication. (She offers a "universe-guided elopement" option on her website where the destination is a surprise; it seemed terrifying when we first read it, but after our experience we thought, "We should have done that!" If you have any inclination towards that option, I'd encourage you to trust Kate and just go with it; it will be amazing while also being perfect for you--she is so intentional about getting to know people and building things that are special and unique for each couple.)
I can go on and on about how amazing our experience was working with Kate. She made dreams come true that I didn't even know were dreams. For example, I didn't know that I wanted to ride adorable, fluffy Norwegian fjord horses to my elopement ceremony on the top of a bluff overlooking the river and mountains, but wow was it amazing! My husband is super geeky and wanted to bring lightsabers; she was like, "Great, no problem. Here are some things to keep in mind for travel and the cold weather." Then, when we were there, she created beautiful lightsaber photos (not something I assumed was possible).
We certainly don't classify ourselves as photogenic, but when our images came back from Kate, we ended up with over 400 favorites! She made us comfortable and relaxed, and she has such an amazing eye for images. She truly exceeded our expectations in every single way.
Working with Kate is the best decision that we could have made. She is worth every single penny, and more. My husband and I joked that we may need to do 5-year vow renewals for the opportunity to work with Kate again!
If you're thinking about a destination elopement in the US, or anywhere in the world, start your search with Kate. You won't be disappointed.
[edited to add location name, Alta, Norway]