For your handcrafted elopement & small wedding
Big, traditional weddings have a LOT of moving parts. It’s easy to get distracted, experience your day in a blur, create material waste, and get caught up in expectations that are not your own.
When you elope, you boil all the details down to what matters most to you. You make room in your day for the details, and activities that you actually care about, and none of the ones you don’t care about.
And with that extra space in your day, you can live it out with intention. You can give yourself the room to rest so that you can fully open yourself up to your authentic self, our beautiful earth, and your deep connection with your love.
and
Stressed
Distracted
Wasteful
Connected
Present
Sustainable
It’s easy to think of an elopement as a quick, two-hour event with bare-minimum photos along the way just to say you “did the thing!”
In fact, it’s a common misconception that elopements can only provide this kind of experience below:
4PM - Ceremony
4:30PM - Family Photos
5PM - Couples Photos
6PM - Photographer leaves
I want to bust the two-hour elopement myth because...
So, what can you really do for your elopement day?
You didn’t rush or minimize your love story. You took your time together, and rested in your relationship.
Your elopement deserves the same time and intention because it’s an outward representation of that love story.
You might be thinking, “I agree, Kayla, but what the heck can I do for an all-day elopement!? We’re introverted and we don’t want this to turn into an all-day photoshoot!”
An all-day elopement might sound complicated, and maybe even a little overwhelming, but when you’re focusing less on a to-do list, and more on an experience all about the two of you, a positive shift happens.
Your day shifts from accepting and compromising to connecting and living.
Your wedding day can be your greatest adventure yet.
I’m not posing you for eight hours in spots that I find picturesque. I’m there to serve you, and to be your fly-on-the-wall for whatever you two decide to do with your day. It’s not the hours of coverage that count, it’s what you decide to DO with those hours of coverage that counts.
You can...
+ Hike to a mountaintop,
+ Watch the sunrise or sunset,
+ Explore a new place together
+ Have a picnic or prepare a charcuterie board
+ Dance by moonlight or campfire
+ Splurge on a celebratory meal prepped by a private chef
+ Go rock climbing or kayaking
+ Meditate by a river or waterfall
+ Read letters written by your family
Does this sound like you?
2PM - Meet at Airbnb; Have brunch, cuddle in bed, dance to favorite music.
3PM - Get ready together
4PM - Drive to trailhead.
5PM - Arrive at trailhead; Begin hiking to mountaintop
6:00PM - Freshen up/find a perfect spot to say vows
6:30PM - Ceremony/vow reading
7:00PM - Sparkling water pop (LNT friendly)
7:10PM - Have a celebratory picnic
8PM - Adventure around for couples photos
8:33PM - Sunset
9PM - Take some headlamp/star photos
9:30PM - Start hiking back down
10PM - Arrive at car; coverage wraps up & Kayla leaves
Choosing activities that you love doing together helps make your elopement day an experience all about your love story. Here’s an example timeline of how some of the activities listed above can play out on your elopement day:
You’ll get amazing photos. You deserve that. But, you also deserve an unforgettable wedding day centered on the two of you.
I changed my entire business around so that I can guide couples like you to a more intentional wedding experience. But, I didn’t just get here.
So many of the choices I’ve made throughout my life—conscious or not—brought me closer to serving you in the best way possible.
“Kayla is a phenomenal planner, photographer, & person.
Kayla is experienced, and she has a talent for making you feel comfortable. She was in constant communication with us, through email, phone calls, and Zoom calls, and we could really feel the dedication she has to making elopements personal and as stress-free as possible.
Kayla crafted an itinerary for us that hit all the important notes we wanted. She helped us scope out an absolutely gorgeous spot for our sunrise elopement. And since we had requested a spot in North Carolina (we live in Georgia), Kayla even had recommendations for an excellent officiant. We felt completely taken care of in Kayla’s hands."
- Lizbeth & Conner; Sunrise Hiking Elopement
Ranging from 4 hours of photography coverage to 14 hours of coverage, I'm there with you every step of the way. You deserve to have those precious moments from your elopement day immortalized forever.
There are no hidden fees in any of my packages. All my basic travel is included, and my bags are packed and ready for wherever your adventure takes you!
You deserve ALL of your elopement photos. Each of my elopement packages come with beautiful elopement galleries that are easily accessed online and include downloading & printing options. All edited images in your inbox within 6-8 weeks.
I love scouting locations, and crafting a tailored-to-you location idea list to help make finding the perfect elopement location easy and stress-free. I often call this location list your own personal "All-Trails" because I include TONS of helpful info/photos. No matter where you elope, I can find your perfect hidden gem location!
I send some hand-picked photos your way 2 days after your adventure so you can relive those special moments quickly and share with family or loved-ones.
I show you how to Leave No Trace while eloping in nature so that you can visit your elopement location again and again for years to come.
Believe it or not, I’m ordained! YEP! I can’t photograph your elopement AND officiate at the same time, but I can “say the words” at the end, and do any necessary signing on your marriage license to keep your elopement private, and simple!
Permits can often-times be confusing and stressful! I'm no stranger to navigating the world of permits, and I'm happy to assist you with any special-use permits if your elopement location(s) call for them.
Once you get the location, vendors, and details of your day in place, I send out a final questionnaire, and craft a tailored-to-you timeline of your day (or multiple day) adventure! It’s easy to get so excited about your day, and have clarity once you can see all the details of your elopement laid out! See the example all-day elopement timeline above!
The elopement vendors that I suggest are not strangers to me. I only recommend vendors that I thoroughly vet or work with often. They'll take care of you just like I'll take care of you.
This guide is a work of love, and is jam packed with amazing and helpful information that I wish I knew before my partner and I eloped! I’ll send it to you right after you book with me so you can get a good chunk of how-to tips before you start planning your big day! This guide is exclusively for Wentzek Photo couples!
- You're Eloping! How to Tell Friends & Family
- How to Include Friends & Family on Your Elopement
- Activity Ideas for Your Elopement
- Tips for Picking the Best Wedding Attire for Adventure
& So Much More
Seriously! Zilch. It was a little overwhelming and stressful at times, and I felt alone in the process. I don’t want that for you.
Instead, I want you to have all the tools in your toolbox to have an incredible day.
And, I know what tools you need because not only have I helped plan tons of weddings and elopements throughout my career as a photographer, I’m a fellow eloper myself; so I know how to help you!
Each love story is different. I don’t claim to know what you value most, and I want you to have options. None of my packages are the all-inclusive, one-size-fits-all kind of packages. They’re completely customizable and hand-crafted for your intentional day!
Read about what's included above!
+ Starting at 6 hours of coverage
+ Travel included
+ All of your photos, all of the time.
+ Online gallery & print release
+ Sneak peek of adventure 1 week after the session
Read more about what's included above!
+ Starting at 4 hours of coverage
+ Travel included
+ All of your photos, all of the time.
+ Online gallery & print release
+ Sneak peek of adventure 1 week after the session
If you’re not seeing what you’re looking for, please reach out to me! I’m always happy to make a custom package for you, and handcraft it for your deep love story!
+ Up to 2 hours of coverage
+ Travel included
+ All of your photos, all of the time.
+ Online gallery & print release
+ Sneak peek of adventure 1 week after the session
Kayla is the absolute best! She is so considerate and helpful and knowledgeable. She went out of her way to make sure we had the best day— she double checked our location and provided a backup when we needed it, built our fire when our fire starter didn’t work, and ran back and forth to our cars when we forgot things. She’s a joy to work with, easy to talk to, and worth every penny. Not to mention our photos are INCREDIBLE. Love love love. 10/10.
Kayla is an incredible photographer and an even more incredible person! Kayla surpassed our expectations as far as getting to know us, her expert-level knowledge about the areas we were interested in visiting/taking photos, and her kindness every step of the way. She placed special emphasis on making sure the day was authentic to us as a couple, and her energy on our special day was super peaceful and made us feel comfortable as we took photos throughout the day (she was with us for 8 hours)! We would 1000% recommend Kayla to anyone seeking a photographer who really cares what your wedding day is about - and that's love. Thank you Kayla!
Words cannot express how amazing Kayla is as a person and a photographer. She put so much time and effort into our elopement and it made the day more perfect than I could have ever imagined. She immediately started scouting hikes and locations that would accommodate Ryan’s grandmothers for the ceremony and us for our private hike. I’m a naturally stressed person all the time over schedules and details and I have never stressed from start to finish with her. With Kayla, there was never a reason to worry. She had itineraries, back up plans, back up plans to the back up plans. She packed everything we would have possibly needed in her hiking pack to ensure our day was perfect. Thank you so much for such a perfect wedding!!
In Georgia, you need an officiant to legally carry out a ceremony. However, I’m actually an ordained officiant, and can “say the words” for your ceremony! A lot of my couples end up hiring a close friend or family member to officiate their ceremony, but I’m happy to offer up complimentary officiant services to keep your ceremony as private or as simple as you want! I can’t take photos and officiate at the same time, but I can say the necessary words and sign for you!
Big, traditional weddings have HUNDREDS of pounds of material waste. There’s also a huge carbon footprint with all of your guests traveling to your wedding either by plane or car. Elopements get rid of all the fluff, and simplify your day! You’re not focusing as much on material goods, but more on what you both want to DO for your day. Managing the waste of the two of you (and maybe a couple of loved-ones) is much more feasible than managing the waste of 100+ guests for a big wedding!
Yes, I do! Permits can be confusing and stressful, but I can help with that! I reach out to park rangers, search the web, and do research for you to find out if permits are needed for locations you’re interested in for your elopement! Permits can definitely seem like a downer, but it’s so important to make sure we’re getting permits so that we’re preserving the finite land we do have and respecting the rules and regulations of state/national parks so we can continue to elope in beautiful places!
Yes, 100%! Just because your wedding day may look different than a bigger, more traditional wedding doesn’t mean you can’t involve your loved-ones! Your day can be anything you make it, and if involving family speaks to your love story, do it! Elopements allow you the freedom to do anything you want, and to bring as much intention as possible into your day. That's why elopements are so powerful! Many couples want their loved-ones to be a part of how they're celebrating their day, and couldn't imagine them apart from that!
It’s such a vulnerable spot to be in front of the camera, and I empathize with that uncomfortable head space you might find yourself in during the photo-taking process. My approach is to be your fly-on-the-wall. I pose minimally, and aim to get the two of you interacting with each other more than you’re interacting with me and my camera. I may get the two of you to hug tightly or look at the beautiful scenery so that you can connect with each other and the beautiful surroundings! Mostly though, I want to tell you that you already know how to pose. No one knows how to hold your partner's hand or hug them like you do, and that's worthy and important.
Regardless of how simple or complex you envision your elopement, elopement planning is a HUGE part of the experience that I give couples, and one that I’ve inherently done for a long time! I care about your experience, and want you to have all the tools in your toolbox to have a day that completely embodies the two of you as a couple! The planning also goes hand-in-hand with the photos. The more planning and prepping we can do together, the better light we’ll have for your photos, the less crowds we’ll have taking them, and the more comfortable you’ll feel.