Find Out How Your Favorite Color Palette Helps You Determine Where To Elope

Swell & Stone | Adventure Wedding & Elopement Photographer | United States & Beyond

Ever wonder where the best elopement location is for you? Take this short quiz to find out, and then read below to learn more about the best places to elope based on your favorite landscape and color palette.

I have what some people might call a “strong aesthetic taste”. My favorite color is blue and various forms of blue-green and dark teals. If I were to get married again, I would elope in the desert because I love the way the orange rock looks against the bright blue sky, and how the tan of the sand and the soft green of white sage play in harmony together. My house has exposed brick, which I feel mimics the red rock desert, and I have a teal couch next to a light brown leather couch complete with a southwest style rug. I’m just drawn to that color scheme, and I think part of the reason I love the desert so much is because I get to walk through living art. I keep returning to walk amongst the towers and night skies like an art connoisseur would return to the MoMA.

If you’re considering getting married outside, you might want to think about the color scheme of the location you are interested in. The beauty of elopements is that you don’t have to spend hours weighing decor options, deciding which tablecloths to rent, and picking out how all the pieces of the puzzle will work together. When you choose a wildly different wedding experience like eloping outside, the wilderness is your decor! So, take some time and sit down with your partner, because everything from the location you decide on to the time of day you get married will affect your wedding color scheme. You may decide to go somewhere you’ve never been before, or you may decide that a place you return to over and over is the location for you. Whatever you decide, work with your photographer to make that vision a reality.

Read below to look through a few options, but keep in mind that you can find a huge variety of color schemes and palettes in the same location. This is simply a guide to get you and your partner thinking about what aesthetic you are drawn to. Just because you aren’t mulling over what color your tablecloths are going to be, doesn’t mean you can’t have your favorite colors be a part of your day!

Desert Color Palette

The desert is one of those places that has a huge variety of color palette options. There are minimalist options in places like White Sands National Monument in New Mexico, or bold contrasting colors in the red rock desert of southern Utah and Northern Arizona. In some locations you can get some really monotone, gorgeous looks. If you drive a few hours you will get bold colors, and vibrant shots. The thing is, sometimes you can get both in the same place depending on the time of day. Work with your photographer to get an idea of how the changing light will affect your images. Although every photographer is different, all the photographers I know LOVE shooting at sunrise and sunset. Some hate shooting in the middle of the day. I think it really depends on the location, and in some spots, I love shooting in the middle of the day just as much as at dawn and dusk. Also, the desert is a great place to wait until it gets dark and shoot the night sky. I love photographing when the stars come out, and in the desert that is almost every night.

Mountain Color Palette

The high alpine is one of the most enchanting places to be and photograph. Mountain blues and grays are some of the most lovely colors, but depending on the season you can see some orange, red, yellow, and green in the mix as well. Often there are water elements and chances for reflections, too. The season for eloping in the mountains is short…unless you’re willing to dress warmly and get some wildly different shots- winter wedding style!

Forest Color Palette

Foggy forests bring out some ridiculously rich colors and dreamlike landscapes. I always say, “don’t be afraid of rain on your wedding day, because interesting weather makes for the most interesting photos!” I had a client once say to me that she was going for a “woodland nymph vibe”, and I knew exactly what she meant and we scheduled her elopement for the fall in Vermont. The forest is a truly magical place to be, especially in the off seasons.

Ocean Color Palette

If you’re a water person, one of the most beautiful places to elope is to a coastal location. But keep in mind, not all coastal locations are tropical. There are gorgeous spots on the coast of Maine, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire. Of course, Baja California, and the entire California Coast are unreal for clear, blue waters. Then there are places where the forest meets the ocean, like the Northern California coast, Oregon, and the San Juan Islands in Washington. Keep all of these things in mind, and maybe one of those locations has everything you love all in one place!

Sunrise & Sunset Color Palette

I’ve talked a little bit about shooting at dawn and dusk because those times are what photographers call the “golden hour” and with that comes a different, gorgeous color scheme. If you go to a place that has a primarily blue, green, or neutral color scheme, the golden hour can be the perfect time to add warm colors to those landscapes.

I hope I’ve given you some ideas and things to think about visually as you choose your wedding or elopement location. Not only should it be a place you love or a place you’ve longed to go to, but it’s also important to think about the color scheme of the place because that will affect your photos! If you are searching for an adventure wedding or elopement photographer who can help you work through those things I would love to help. Contact me here or use the button below and let’s start planning your wildly different wedding experience!