Top 7 Reasons to Get Married Outside in the Off Season

Couples Eloping During the Off-Season End Up with Adventurous Wedding Stories

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

It’s easy to think only about the downsides when it comes to planning your outdoor adventure wedding, like- what if it snows and the roads become impassable? But there’s a flip side to every coin, like- what if it snows and we have the magical winter wonderland elopement of our dreams?! Sometimes all that’s needed is a mindset shift, a little change of perspective, and before you know it your wedding day will be better than you ever thought possible.

Something to keep in mind is that “off-season” means different things in different locations. For instance, in the desert Southwest (Utah, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, and Southern California) this is generally both the winter and summer months. In the winter, temps can be nice during the day, but frigid when the sun goes down. In my opinion, the winter is the best off season time to plan an elopement in the desert because of the nice weather during the day. In the summer, the weather can be unbearably hot all day and night. However, there are some high desert locations that are really nice in the summer, like Flagstaff, AZ. If you’d like more help pinning down when are where might be the best time and place for you to elope- contact me!

In other locations like New England and the Pacific Northwest, the off-season is mostly the winter, but it can last all the way into the late spring months, depending on the location. In mountain locations the snow often doesn’t melt until well into June, so you can often plan snow hiking elopements in April and May, while still having nice temperatures during the day. Curious about how to stay warm during a winter hiking elopement? Check out this article that has tons of tips and tricks!

Here are, in my view, the top seven benefits that await when you plan the off-season elopement of your dreams.

1. Fewer Crowds

This is one of the most obvious benefits to getting married in the off-season. There’s just no one around. Views and overlooks that might be crowded with people during peak tourist season can often be found deserted, enabling you to have easy access to five-star views without all the crowds.

2. Cost Effectiveness

Often wedding vendors are more willing to give discounts in the off-season. If it’s slow season they might be looking to add to their portfolio and offer more than they would for less money than during their busy season. Another perk is that they aren’t as busy so they can give your cake, bouquet, or dress alterations more time and attention.

3. Unique Images

Let’s be honest, there are millions of images of couple celebrating in the summer when the weather is nice and the sun is out. Those are amazing, but they are not exactly unique. Getting married in the off-season gives you the opportunity for more visual interest. Imagine snow kissed desert towers in the background of your elopement location. Seriously, nothing shouts adventure more than a windy summit photo with snow capped peaks in the distance.

One elopement I photographed in February in southern Utah ended up being incredibly special. I drove up from Phoenix the day before, and it was raining the entire length of the state of Arizona. It never rains the entire length of the state of Arizona! It cleared up the next day, but we had planned to drive many hours back on 4x4 roads only to find ourselves faced with giant, frozen puddles in the middle of the dirt road needed to get to the ceremony site. We decided to go for it and made it to our destination without a hitch. The reward for taking the chance was large reflecting pools of water dotting the desert floor, a rare sight in the area, which made for truly unique and special adventure wedding photos.

4. Fewer Restrictions

Many locations have strict regulations in place for peak tourism season. If you plan an elopement outside those times, the regulations may become less stringent or disappear altogether. Sometimes those regulations are in place to control crowds in high traffic areas, and if the crowds won’t be a problem, officials often drop the regulations.

5. Easy Parking

This goes hand in hand with fewer crowds. Planning an elopement in the off-season means that the wedding party will have fewer crowd related obstacles to contend with, and of course, one of those is parking. Because the weather is often more extreme in the off-season couples tend to want to have ceremony sites that guests can drive to, while still having a five-star view. The good news is that this is possible in the off-season. Drive up spots with plenty of parking and great views are often deserted in the off-season months, making them feel like secluded far flung locations. Just make sure that the roads needed to reach those spots are still open if there is snow on the ground.

6. Guest Are Generally More Available

We all know a ton of people who schedule their entire summers around all the weddings they need to attend. Perhaps you are even one of those people! Dare to be wildly different on your wedding day and plan your elopement during a time of year when others are not attending several other weddings as well. Maybe it’s important to you that immediate family attend, or perhaps just a few good friends as witnesses. Regardless of your guest preferences, they are more likely to be able to fit your elopement into their busy schedule if you plan it in an off-season.

7. Ability to Add Interest with Fun Accessories

Most brides love to accessorize, and the benefit of planning an elopement in the off-season is that less than perfect weather gives couples the option to use fun accessories. This could mean clear umbrellas in rainy weather, warm leggings or a beautiful shawl or coat in cold weather, or your favorite hiking boots in any weather! Remember, just like when weekend adventuring the saying holds- there is no bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.

Inclement weather doesn’t mean your adventure wedding day won’t be great! Just plan to be comfortable in any weather and not only will you have an amazing adventure elopement day, but you’ll have unique images unlike anything you’ve seen before.

There you have it! The top seven reasons to get married outside in the off-season. Any time of year is a great time to get married, as long as you bring the right mindset and the right person!

If you need a photographer to help make those dream off-season adventure wedding images come true, get in touch today.

Stunning Winter Adventure Wedding in the North Cascades

Hannah & Collins Dreamy Winter Adventure Elopement in the Pacific Northwest Mountains

Swell & Stone / Pacific Northwest Elopement Photographer

When Hannah first contacted me about photographing her and Collins’ wedding in Washington I was so excited...except it was going to be in the dead of winter, in the North Cascades. But I truly had nothing to worry about, they are the super adventurous, and tough as nails. Their ceremony was actually on Saturday in Seattle. After listening to their family and friends tell stories about taking on challenging outdoor endeavors with them I knew they would be troopers for our adventure shoot the next day.
We headed out in clear weather Sunday morning. I had found a webcam online that show beautiful sunny skies in the mountains, so even though they had a whirlwind wedding the day before Hannah and Collins were down to push up the timeline a little and get to the mountains. They chatted on the way there about how nice it was to be escaping to the mountains, if only for the day. When we drove in the weather was still nice, but cold. And the clouds where moving in, an indication of a storm building for the afternoon.
Hannah and I had exchanged quite a few emails regarding road closures in the North Cascades in the winter. We were able to park at Diablo Lake. We saw so many beautiful landscapes that day, from the mountains with a storm moving in, to ice waterfalls, to whirlwinds of snow on the dam. We explored the varied landscapes, and then warmed up in the car when it got too cold.
The laughed and explored together easily, even in freezing temps. To be honest everything with Hannah and Collins seemed easy- their love for each other and their family and friends' love for them.
The last place we stopped was the first place they ever camped together. They reminisced about that trip, and where they are now, and they walked down the road with Hannah's gown gathering an array of pine cones and needles in the train. It was an absolutely perfect way to end their weekend of celebration, and to continue their life together.

“Kat shot our wedding and we are sooo happy with the photos and she was really fun and easy to work with. She trekked all the way up to the North Cascades with us to get some spectacular shots in the dead of winter! She was super professional and had lots of good ideas for creative and adventurous shots that really captured our love story and our passion for the outdoors. I would highly recommend her if you want unique wedding photos and you have an adventurous spirit.
”

— Hannah & Collins

Winter Elopements: The Definitive Guide to Getting Married Comfortably Outside in the Winter

Adventurous Couples Brave Winter Weather and Get Unique, Jaw-Dropping Photos as a Result

Swell & Stone / Adventure Wedding & Elopement Photographer / United States and Beyond

When it comes to getting married in the winter the vast majority of people assume it will have to be indoors. But if you’re the adventurous type and plan on eloping with just your partner and maybe a friend or family member or two then you don’t have to worry if grandpa is going to freeze standing outside. Winter landscapes provide an almost otherworldly backdrop, and talk about a memorable experience. So if you’re look for a wildly different wedding experience, consider getting married outside…in the WINTER! Here are a few important factors to keep in mind.

Footwear

Keeping your feet warm is one of the keys to staying comfortable in frigid temps. Luckily most wedding dresses are long so women can easily wear wool socks and comfortable hiking boots with their dress. Choose something you will be able to walk around in for hours if need be. Depending on your chosen location for your ceremony you may need to hike in them for a little while. These boots are some of my favorites and they happen to look stylish under a wedding dress too. This is not one of those times to skimp on comfort. In fact, comfort is of the utmost importance here, because if you’re suffering, it will be difficult to want to continue. Danner makes a classic and beautiful boot that looks great under dresses.

Long Underwear

Men can wear just about anything, thin, warm, and wooly underneath their suits, but classic long underwear is a good place to start. Women, on the other hand, need something warm but also not obvious, and for that I love nude fleece lined leggings. If the bride’s leg peaks out from under the dress while walking you can’t even tell she’s wearing leggings in the photos. Women can also opt for a long sleeve gown to make their top layer a bit warmer. However, I also recommend having a jacket you don’t mind being photographed in. Which brings me to my next point…

Stylish Jacket

It doesn’t hurt to have a nice jacket you don't mind being photographed in. You can take it on and off as needed, but you might as well be warm while walking around. For a lot of brides it's a white down jacket or some other kind of white jacket. For men, it's often a black down jacket. But it doesn’t have to fall in line with the standard wedding color scheme, the beauty of it all is you get to be yourself and wear whatever you like, not what other people expect you to wear. So break norms and traditions, after all you are eloping outside in the winter- if that’s not already breaking traditions I’m not sure what is.

Foot, Hand, & Body Warmers

These things are pretty much the best ever. They are thin, warm, and last for hours, and they just might be your key to getting married outside in the winter even if you thought that was something you could never do. They come in different types- foot, hand, and body, and yes, it makes sense to get all the types because the hand warmers do not fit in your shoes comfortably the way the foot warmers do. The body warmers are larger and cover more surface area, so if you are really worried about being cold, pick up some of these and you might be sweating before you can say “I do!”

Blankets

If you have family or friends in attendance, offer them the above advice for sure, but also maybe have a couple of extra blankets in the truck of your car if someone comes a little unprepared. They can be national park themed or just pretty blankets, but whatever you choose, make sure it’s warm and you don’t mind having them in your photos.

Hot Drinks

It does not hurt to have a thermos full of something hot to take along with you. Whether it’s hot chocolate, tea, coffee, or spiced rum- pick your favorite warm drink and carry it along in a backpack to help keep you hydrated and warm. Here’s a recipe for a delicious special occasion drink that will definitely keep you warm, even on the coldest of days.

Have a Car Nearby to Warm Up In

Finally, there is no shame in driving to a beautiful location and getting out for 10-15 minutes at a time. Most ceremonies only last about 15 minutes, so use all the above suggestions to stay warm during that time and then jump back in the car with the heat cranked up full blast! When shooting winter adventure weddings and elopements this is a common strategy, the couple gets to have the ceremony where they want, but also check out several other locations for photos. If you have guests, host the reception at a cozy, scenic lodge. This can be easy to do in the winter because there are usually fewer crowds, unless you’re at a ski resort, of course. An important thing to work out with your photographer beforehand are any potential road closures. You don’t want to plan to drive to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, for instance, between December (or the first big snow) and mid-May.

I hope this info was helpful and gave you a different perspective on getting married outside in the winter. As an adventure elopement photographer, winter weddings have been some of my favorite to photograph. Crowds aren’t an issue and there is something so quiet and peaceful about being outside in the winter that translates to a wildly different wedding experience for couples. If you’re looking for a photographer for your wildly different wedding experience get in touch with me ASAP! You can do that HERE- or by hitting the button below.