Alternative Wedding Dress Options

Non-Traditional Wedding Gowns For Outdoor Weddings

SWELL & STONE / OUTDOOR WEDDING & ELOPEMENT PHOTOGRAPHER / UNITED STATES & BEYOND

Just because white is the traditional color of weddings in North America, and a long gown is the traditional attire doesn’t mean you need to conform to those ideals. Look, we only wear white wedding dresses because Queen Victoria did a long, long time ago. And it was thought of as a symbol of purity, and being rich, and blah blah blah. Clutching to tradition in many norms of life has done an incredible disservice to large groups of people. I’m not saying all tradition is bad, I’m just saying, in all reality, what is the point? What do we gain by holding on dearly to these constructs? Just some food for thought while you peruse these amazing alternative options. So if you desire bursts of color or a colorful dress that represents your culture, feel free to express yourself in whatever way you’d like.

Couples choosing to elope or have a small outdoor wedding are already bucking the norm, so some may want to push the envelope even further and choose an alternative wedding dress, like a jumpsuit, colorful dress, or just put their own spin on a traditional white dress. Your dress is one of the ways you show your style and express yourself the most, so it should be exactly what you want it to be. My mom wore someone else’s dress for her wedding, and it has sort of bothered her ever since. This is your chance to create the exact day and experience you want, don’t like it stop with what you choose to wear. Here are some alternative wedding gown options to consider beyond the traditional, white dress.

Pick a Color! Or all the color!

The bride in the rainbow dress above LOVES color. She had a gorgeous white gown (Galatea by the Watters) that she wore for the first half of her elopement day, including the ceremony. Then she surprised her new husband by changing into this dress (Hutton rainbow wedding gown also by the Watters), which she felt was truly her, and represented them as a couple. When David first reached out to A.J. he was drawn to how colorful she was. She had colorful hair, a colorful wardrobe, and a colorful personality. When she finally agreed to a date, he told her to get ready for a colorful time and took her to a graffiti park in Austin, TX where they added their own graffiti using a custom stencil David had made. As they spray-painted it together it was like coloring their bond in permanent ink.

The key here is to make sure your dress reflects who you are as a person and bride. Be colorful if you love color! Because why not? It’s YOUR WEDDING DAY!

Jumpsuit

I truly love a good jumpsuit, and I considered wearing one for my own wedding but ended up going with a dress in the end. Choosing a jumpsuit as your wedding clothing of choice ensures you will be comfortable and able to walk and move with a little bit more ease all day. So if you’re getting married outside and hiking around much of the day, this might be a great alternative to a traditional wedding gown. A lot of people also choose this as their second outfit, that way they can have the best of both worlds.

Black Wedding Dress

Ooooooohhhhh, black pops in so many environments, just like white does. But I love it against the mountains and green/blue locations in the photos above, but it also looks amazing against the red rock desert. If you’ve never been the type of person to wear white then why start on your wedding day? Some people just look better in black. So if you’re one of those people, just go with what you know and rock the goth chic vibes on your wedding day.

The bride in the bottom photo, Kavita, had three different and equally amazing dresses over the course of her two-day outdoor wedding. Each of them was two pieces and gorgeously detailed with beads and sparkles. But I fell in love with her final dress, this show-stopping grey and black number that sparkled like a disco ball!

Make Your Own by Choosing Two Separate Pieces

I love when brides mix and match and create something entirely their own. Add a jacket, find a skirt you love to match your favorite crop top, and if you’re getting married in a warm or beach environment add a sheer element or even pieces of a chic swimsuit you love. Comfort is key on your wedding day, and I don’t buy that you need to be uncomfortable to look good. You can look fine as hell and be able to move all day. Especially now, there are nice fabrics that stretch and still look luxurious while hugging the body in all the right places.

Stick with White, but Make it Less Wedding-y

Some brides may love a white, minimalist look, but don’t want to deal with all the lace, beads, and general fanciness and detail that comes with most wedding dresses. You can still wear white, but keep it simple. Honestly, I would guess that about 75 percent of brides I photograph choose simple dresses that look stunning on them. There is nothing wrong with a princess gown, or lots of beads and lace, but if you’re eloping or getting married outside you likely want to be able to move without lugging a heavy train around. Just look at how gorgeous the two brides above look while keeping it simple.

Go Short

This one may fall in line with keeping things simple and classy as well. A good short dress is just as stunning as a long one. And if you’re getting married in a hot or humid climate, it just might be the saving grace of your wedding day as well. If you plan on moving around, doing activities and socializing as much as possible on your day, maybe a short wedding dress is right for you. Another thing to keep in mind is that if you plan to walk along the beach for some or a lot of your big day, you might not want to drag sand and saltwater around with you all day. So keep it simple and practical if you want, it doesn’t mean you can’t still feel like a million bucks.

Choose something That Feels Like You

Again, the most important thing to keep in mind on your wedding day, especially if you’re eloping or having a small outdoor wedding is that you choose a wedding dress alternative that truly reflects your personality and style. Your best friends can help you decide and often know you as well as you know yourself, so take some along, don’t be afraid to buck tradition (you haven’t been with anything else in your life so far) and go for it! Choose a dress, jumpsuit, pantsuit, sweatsuit, whatever makes you feel like a freaking badass.

I hope this has helped to lay out some of the options available for brides looking for non-traditional wedding gowns. It can feel overwhelming to begin planning your big day, but just take it one step at a time and make decisions that are true to the two of you as a couple, without worrying what others may think. Just remember, you’ll want to wear something on your wedding day that you look back on and think- that was AWESOME! So if that means classic and traditional- that’s great. And if it means a little wild and stylish, that’s amazing too. ‘You do you’ is the only rule here.

If you’re looking for a photographer who specializes in elopements and small outdoor weddings, reach out and I’d be happy to help you get the planning process started. I help couples choose the perfect locations at the most picturesque times of day, find vendors that help fulfill their wedding daydreams, and take photos that tell the story of their day that will last a lifetime. Get in touch today if that sounds like what you’re looking for!

Sunset Adventure Session at Dead Horse Point | Utah Wedding Photographer

Janessa & Brandon Explore Dead Horse Point State Park in Celebration of One Year Anniversary

SWELL & STONE / Adventure Elopement Photographer / Utah & Beyond

I met Janessa and Brandon on a secluded dirt road somewhere outside of Moab. I wanted to pack in the views during their adventure session, and the dirt road had stunning views of the La Sal mountain range as a backdrop. They were approaching their one year anniversary of marriage, and Janessa had told me she was excited to get some great nature photos with her dress, because on their actual wedding day she was more nervous about tearing it up. But now, a full year after their wedding she was excited to drag it through the desert dirt and spin freely on the hiking trails.

She also brought along an amazing white jumpsuit, so she started out wearing that, which allowed her to be playful and be mobile. So naturally running down the dirt road was a must, and we enjoyed the incredible mountain views for a while.

Janessa and Brandon met on a dating app and as Janessa explains it, “Our first date was for lunch at a pho restaurant. What was supposed to be a casual date ended up being way longer than either of us planned because we were having so much fun. We were laughing and telling stories and I probably overshared but everything felt so natural. Brandon told me about breaking his foot wake boarding, I told him about prepping to hike the PCT. He drove me back to my apartment and I knew I had to see him again. We still go back to that restaurant frequently, we even have our orders memorized and sometimes they'll seat us at that same table.”

Janessa fell in love with Brandon quickly and said, “I was on the phone talking to a friend, telling them about Brandon and they said, ‘So what, do you think you're gonna marry this guy?’ And I was like, ‘You know, I might.’ That was almost two months after we started dating. I knew really soon that I could never be bored with Brandon in my life.”

And in Janessa, Brandon knew it felt right from the start as well. “My family always complained that I never went out with a girl more than twice. When I met Janessa, I broke the rules I had set for myself about length of dates, texting, and everything else. It felt right from the start, and we saw each other almost every day after maybe our third date. I kept looking for red flags, but green means go!”

They share a mutual love for adventure activities which brought them closer together and really crystalized the special bond they share when they were dating long distance. “We lived several hours apart but made special trips to see each other on the weekends. When Janessa came to Utah Brandon would plan our adventure, and when he came to Idaho Janessa would plan it. We hiked in the Tetons, went to hot springs and did our very first canyoneering trip together. I think it showed both of us how far the other was willing to go in order to see something new with someone we loved. It feels like that's been the theme of our whole relationship. We are always looking for the next adventure, location or activity to do together. Someday maybe we'll get a dog or adventure cat or bird or something. Janessa wants something small to love.”

Next we drove just a few miles down the road to Dead Horse Point State Park. It was their first time in the park and for a while they just took in the view and gasped at how amazing it was. The cool thing about Dead Horse Point is that you have two fairly different views on each side of the park, and it’s up on a thin plateau, so you can walk from one side to the other quickly. We started looking down at the Potash Evaporation Ponds- bright blue sections of water at the base of tall orange mesas. It’s a strange sight for sure, but really cool to see from above. There is an info plaque in the park with more info on why this exists, but the short explanation is that a company is mining salt, and the way they do that is by pumping water into the rock, dissolving the salt, and pumping it back out into the ponds. They dye the water various shades of blue so that it evaporates more quickly, and then a machine gathers it.

On the other side you look down to see the classic Dead Horse Point view. We hike along the rim for a while, and it’s truly best to take in this view from absolutely every possible direction. As the sun sank a little lower, Janessa changed into her wedding gown, and Brandon into his suit. It was the first time they’d seen each other in their wedding clothes since their wedding, and they were so cute when they saw one another again. We moved to a different section of the park and Brandon in particular had no problem standing close to the edge of some overhanging cliffs.

We watched the sun go down, and Brandon’s playfulness came out when he picked up Janessa and threw her over his shoulder. When I was going through the images I could see the full range of emotions play out on Janessa’s face. From surprise, to shock, a little bit of fear, to full on laughter. It was a great way to end the session after witnessing an incredible sunset in one of the most beautiful places on earth. Through it all their love for each shone bright, and I walked away so happy to have had the opportunity to spend an afternoon with these wonderful humans.

“Kat is awesome! We took anniversary photos and she was so helpful with giving us ideas for poses, keeping the mood light and capturing our love for the outdoors and each other. She was awesome with communication and answered our questions quickly. Also, she’s super cool! I’d book her again just to keep talking with her.
”

— Janessa & Brandon

Top 11 Reasons Why Couples Elope in the Great Outdoors

Top 11 Reasons Couples decide to have an adventure elopement

SWELL & STONE / ADVENTURE Wedding & ELOPEMENT PHOTOGRAPHER / United States AND BEYOND

Not everyone is made for big, traditional weddings. In fact, some people dread the thought of them. And instead of asking “why do couples elope?” they find themselves wondering why everyone wouldn’t elope! There are a lot of reasons why couples decide to elope, including not getting along with family, or just being shy and not wanting to be the center of attention all day. Eloping isn’t just about running off to the courthouse when you turn 18 anymore. Some couples want to save money, and other couples just want to spend their money more intentionally. Eloping is about creating your big day in an intentional way that is true to you and your partner. It’s about creating an experience that you will remember for a lifetime, rather than spending a ton of cash on a big party for everyone else. So if you’re the outdoorsy type who would love to make your wedding day about experiences instead of things, then maybe an adventure elopement is right for you. Here’s a list of a few of the reasons some couples choose to elope.

1. We hate being the center of attention and would rather spend the day doing things we love with just each other or a few special people.

   If one or both of you are introverted it makes perfect sense that you’d rather have a more secluded location with a minimal guest list. Wedding days can be overwhelming, and even more so if people are heaping love, praise, and attention on you and then turning around and judging your centerpieces. A lot of people already wish they would never again have to make small talk with their 2nd cousin or stand in a ballroom with 100 people staring at them, so some couples choose to avoid putting themselves in that position, to begin with.

2. We don’t have the money to spend on a giant wedding.

   Maybe neither of your families have the means to pitch in, and you are busy working hard to build a career in a field you love. Traditional weddings can set you back big time, and make it harder to reach other goals in life that ultimately may be more important to you than spending a fortune on one day. The average wedding in the United States now costs over $33,000. That’s a lot of money that could go toward school, or a house, or building your future life with your partner. So instead of choosing to blow a huge wad of cash in a single day, many couples are choosing to hold onto it and use it for the things they deem truly important in life. You can easily plan an incredible and memorable elopement for under $10,000. So if you decide to save some money and still get married in a way that feels right to you, more power to you!

3. We have the money but would rather spend it on something else.

   Maybe your parents are willing to pitch in or you are both in a great place career-wise. Even then couples are choosing to spend their money with intention and to plan a day that reflects their values and lifestyle. And the truth is many people getting married today value experiences over things. They want to watch the sunset over the Grand Canyon while saying vows, or they want to spend their special day on a mountaintop with only their partner. Think about it- with the $33,000 an average couple spends on a traditional wedding, you could fly to an incredible locations, book a ridiculously nice AirBnB, get the most gorgeous dress of your dreams, hire a photographer who takes epic photos, take a helicopter tour to your secluded ceremony site, say your vows to the love of your life, and see sights and views that blow your mind, all while having an experience you’ll remember for a lifetime. And that still might be less expensive than a traditional wedding! Making decisions that create a more intimate day just feels more special to a lot of people, and many definitely find the experience much more enjoyable than stressing out about last minute decor decisions.

4. We want to avoid the family drama altogether.

   Aunt Jo doesn’t get along with your mom, or brother Chris always gets too drunk. Tense family situations are real and more and more couples are choosing to opt-out of being put in a situation that could cause greater tension in their family. Many couples find that eloping is so much easier and more closely reflects who they are as people. They choose to spend their wedding day outside and make it about their real and true love for their partner. Your wedding day should NOT be difficult or stressful due to familial tension. So just cut out the possibility of trouble and elope to a beautiful destination of your choice. It will likely be cheaper and a lot less stressful.

5. We wanted to do something unique and important to us.

   Let’s face it, every summer we get invited to a handful of weddings, and we go, and we eat, drink, and are merry. But at the end of the summer, can you remember what was so great about each wedding or does it all just blur together in a mix of eating, drinking, dancing, and the like? Now more couples are seeking to do something that sticks out in their own memory as spectacular and incredible. And it makes sense, in 30 years you absolutely will not remember what the silverware looked like or what style of monogram you chose for the place settings, but you will remember committing yourself to the person you built a life with. So why not do it in a stunning and scenic way? There are a ton of incredible locations to choose from, so you can go back to a place you already know you love, or you can make new memories and explore somewhere new. Either way, you will be choosing to make your wedding day align with the values you hold dear.

6. We don’t want our wedding to be about pleasing guests. We want it to be about us.

   Some people will never be pleased even if you choose the right caterer and the best cake and DJ imaginable. And who cares about those people anyway? Honestly, you getting married has nothing to do with them and you don’t need that negativity in your life. It’s time we all start caring about living our best life more than we care about what people think about our lives. So please yourself on your wedding day. If you have always wanted to go to Alaska, but it seems too far away. Go! Get married there and make it the vacation of your dreams. At the end of our lives, I bet we won’t be laying on our deathbeds saying “I really wish I would have please Aunt Karen more.” No, we will be saying- damn, we lived it right.

7. We are outdoorsy and love traveling. We decided to incorporate adventure and experiences into our big day.

   If the great outdoors is the place you feel most alive, most free, and most in awe of nature and the world- then dang it, eloping in the great outdoors is for you. I’ve heard from so many couples say that they had never even thought of their wedding or what it might look like, and then they saw photos like mine- photos of couples dedicating their lives to each other in epically beautiful places, and all of the sudden they were psyched on getting married and what their wedding might look like. It’s not that they didn’t want to commit their life to the person they loved, it’s that the production and show of weddings seemed horrible and overwhelming and unnecessary to them. Once you realize that it’s your day and it can absolutely be whatever you want it to be a whole new world opens up and it’s almost like you can taste the freedom and feel the wind in your hair.

8. We don’t like big, traditional weddings.

   It’s pretty simple, for a bunch of different reasons and on this list and otherwise, some people just really don’t like big, traditional weddings. They don’t like going to them, they don’t look forward to them, they may actively avoid them. So when it comes time to plan your big day and you feel like this, just know- you don’t have to have a big, traditional wedding. You absolutely do not have to spend a lot of time making decisions about things you could care less about. In truth, we should all spend more time making decisions about things we sincerely care about. There are so many other options out there and I’m sure you can find something that looks more up your alley. While you’re at it you may as well buck all kinds of trends and get married outside in the dead of winter!

9. We wanted to combine our wedding with our honeymoon in an epic travel destination.

   If you love traveling and find your self planning the honeymoon before you even start to think about the wedding, maybe doing both at the same time is right for you! Think about it, you were so excited to go somewhere awesome, you skipped over that part where you actually get married and went straight to the fun stuff. Clearly, you’re not that stoked about planning something big, so maybe just keep that excitement for the honeymoon going and plan your wedding in the same place! Why not kill two birds with one stone? It’s efficient and it gets the job done, all while being really fun. It sounds like a win-win to me. Plus so many epic travel destinations, like National Parks or National Forest lands, are free or inexpensive to get married on.

10. Nature is our church.

    I totally get this one. I feel so much more in awe of our world, and therefore spiritual when I am outside in an epic location. Like when I saw the sunset over the Baja California coast for the first time, or when I saw a lightning storm approaching Zion National Park or the first time I experienced autumn in New England- these experiences help wipe away all the negative and help me see the world with a clean slate. If you feel like you can relate, and that your most enlightening experiences happen when you’re outside, then eloping in the great outdoors is certainly for you.

11. We didn’t expect our families to support our marriage decision.

    This is a super sad truth, but some families do not support their loved one’s decision to marry under certain circumstances or a specific person. Whether faith and religion or race prejudice play a role, it’s an unfortunate occurrence. Of course, if you’ve met and fallen in love with your forever person only to find an unsupportive family it makes sense that you would feel free to be you with them there on your day. Many couples in this position choose to elope and to do it in a way that feels right to them. This way they only have positive and happy memories from the day they married the love of their life.

If you’re thinking of eloping in the great outdoors and would love someone with a ton of know-how and experience to photograph the story of your day, I would love to help! Make sure to reach out and tell me a little about you two and what you are considering for your small wedding or elopement. I help plan your entire day from beginning to end if that’s what you need. My specialty is finding gorgeous, off-the-beaten-path locations for couples to enjoy a secluded ceremony. If you need recommendations for an officiant, florist, cake maker, or anything else I’m here to help you make your day as true to you as possible.

How to Choose An Elopement Spot

How to Choose an Elopement Location- It’s Easier Than You Think

SWELL & STONE / ADVENTURE ELOPEMENT PHOTOGRAPHER / UNITED STATES AND BEYOND

When it comes time to think about choosing an elopement location there are a number of factors to consider. In this case it really pays to hire your photographer first if you’re unsure about a location and they can help you pick a spot that meets your desires and makes for great photos. Keep reading for some other things to think about when picking an elopement location of your dreams!

Choose a Place That is Meaningful to Your Relationship

My husband and I met in between years of college working on Lake Powell in Northern Arizona / Southern Utah. We had an amazing summer exploring the lake and the magnificent red rock canyons of the desert southwest. Eight summers later Craig proposed to me while we were back flipping off Lone Rock in Lake Powell. We've laughed and cried at Lake Powell, gotten stuck in the mud, had customers get angry with us when we worked in the restaurant as teenagers. We have so many memories there, and we still return often to explore a place we know so well. Do you have a place like this?

It can be in your backyard or across the country. You don't have to have spent a lot of time in the place. Perhaps you've made some of your best memories there, or maybe it's a place you have both always dreamed of visiting. There is still time, and there are great memories to be made!

Talk to your partner and about whether you want to soak in old memories in a place that means a lot to you, like your hometown State Park, or if you’d like to make new memories and discover a new place that neither of you have been to before.

Let Your Favorite Activity Guide You

Whether you're an avid hiker or climbing rock walls is your style, let what you love doing be your guide. Maybe your adventure session or elopement should take place at the top of your favorite mountain, or perhaps in your favorite backcountry meadow. If you love canyons, we can find a gorgeous, secluded canyon to say your vows. Maybe you prefer an epic overlook while the sun is setting? The possibilities are endless for where your dream wedding could take place!

Sometimes couples come to me with a plan already hatched, but if you want to hike to a certain spot, rappel to a cliff and say your vows with only a waterfall as your backdrop, or get deep into a canyon, let me know and we can make that dream a reality. I will also suggest weather dependent alternatives, so no matter the weather on your wedding day you will have the experience of a lifetime. Being prepared for anything is most of that battle.

Ask Your Photographer

After a decade as an outdoor adventure photographer, I've been a few places and know about some back roads with unbelievable and un-crowded views at the end of them. I love helping couples find the perfect spot to create their dream intimate wedding, elopement, or adventure engagement or anniversary session.

I was recently contacted by clients who thought they wanted to elope to the Grand Canyon... or maybe to the Great Smoky Mountains. They weren’t quite sure, but they were sure about how they wanted their day to feel. We worked together and after going over a few locations, they decided on Vermont- a place neither of them had been to before! Now they get to explore a new place together and make incredible memories on their elopement day.

Consult Google

And then there is the age-old Google consultation. But seriously, I've found some of my favorite locations of all time by Google Image searching, or typing in "waterfalls near me." Or if you know the general are you'd like to go, but want to get off the beaten path a little bit further, Google Earth is your best friend. You can see drop offs and drainages you never knew existed before, and you might even spot a 4x4 road that will help you get there.

Most of my adventures now are off the beaten path or at 6 AM, and that’s just because it’s a great way to be the crowds and have great photo light. Doing your research before is the best way to make the most out of your day- especially if you’re eloping in a place neither partner has been to before. Having a detailed timeline created with the help of your photographer is key.

Know Yourself

Not everyone needs to summit a mountain on their wedding day, and that is more than okay. Decide what is best for you and your partner and what will be the most fun. If that means paddling your favorite river and stopping along the way, great! If it means walking a half-mile loop to a scenic overlook so your whole family can come too, that’s awesome. Some people want to pack as much as possible into their day, and others want to relish each moment and sit in it for a while. Determine which style of adventure you and your partner like the most and work with your photographer to make it happen!

It’s important to know what’s most important to you. The word “adventure” means something different to everyone, and it’s just as okay if you want to walk down a beach as it is if your idea of fun is summiting a mountain.

Decide What Time of Year is Best for Your Chosen Location

Some locations really shine in certain times of year more than others. For instance, I love going to the desert in the winter and spring, but don’t enjoy it as much in the summer and part of the fall. The Pacific Northwest is amazing in the summer and fall, and you might think that it wouldn’t be as great in the winter. However, I recently photographed a couple there in the winter, and although it was cold, they chose a location they could drive to and shoot in multiple different spots. So they would get out and shoot for 10 minutes and then warm up in the car for 10 minutes. The result was stunning photos of ice falls and gently falling snowflakes. The couple was blown away at the range of images we were able to get in a short amount of time because there were absolutely no crowds anywhere!

While there are so many things you can’t control or plan for your elopement, your location is something you can. Make sure to do your research, hire an expert photographer with prior knowledge and experience shooting at your desired location, and be prepared for weather based on seasonal conditions- This way you’ll be ready for anything that comes your way on your big day.