The gorgeous mountains of the Adirondacks provide a breathtaking backdrop for today’s elopement styled shoot photographed by Shaw Photography Co.

Here’s what the photographer had to say about this stunning shoot:

Hannah and Sam are a real couple who got married shortly after the styled shoot. The styled shoot’s curated story was based on their relationship and how their unfolded after they met in the mountains of the Adirondacks.

Two dresses were used for the styled shoot. Dreamy and whimsical Coachella separates from L’eto Bridal were used on the private island for the ceremony, while the Orleans dress by Sarah Seven from Lovely Bride Rochester was used for the more modern reception at Lake Placid Lodge. A loose chignon updo for the bride and top knot for the groom by the Luminous Bride completed the complimentary look.

Lacy Geary styling brought all of the pieces of this magical day together with a minimal mountain tablescape surrounded by water and mountains and a beautiful sunset.

Vendors:

Hair and Makeup Artist: Jules Waldkoetter from Luminous Bride

Invitation Designer:Paper Birch Designs

Event Designer: Lacy Geary

Floral Designer:Fern Croft Floral

Reception Venue: Lake Placid Lodge

Photographer: Shaw Photography Co.

Dresses: L’eto Bridal and Lovely Bride Rochester

Venue: Lake Placid Lodge

Real talk: You really shouldn’t start your journey together as a married couple in a mountain of wedding-related debt. Wedding expenses can quickly get out of hand, between the venue, catering and wall-to-wall luxe decor. Sure, a $1,000 flower wall may look good in wedding photos, but it’s not a detail that will truly matter in the long run.

How do you keep your wedding budget-friendly, yet still incredibly special? Keep the guest list small. These ten couples opted for intimate weddings, and kept their wedding costs to just $10,000:

Jacqueline & Mike’s Modern Minimalist Eiffel Tower Elopement:

Location: Paris, France

Number of Guests: 0

Wedding Ceremony Location: Eiffel Tower in Paris

Wedding Reception Location: No reception

The Details:

Jacqueline and Mike wanted to avoid the stress (and cost!) that comes with a large wedding, so they opted for a Paris elopement. The couple tied the knot just steps away from the Eiffel Tower with only their photographer and an officiant present. The couple then headed France to Italy for their dream honeymoon, spending their first days as a married couple lounging on the beach and indulging in fine Italian cuisine.

Photography: Paris Photographer Pierre

Lynne and Mark’s Austin Chapel Wedding: 

Jessica and Aaron’s Washington Winery Wedding:

Location: Cle Elum, WA.

Number of Guests: 15

Wedding Ceremony & Reception Location: Swiftwater Cellars

The Details:

Jessica and Aaron wanted their wedding to focus on what truly mattered: their commitment to one another. Surrounded by 15 of their closest friends and family members, the couple exchanged vows that they had written together. After the ceremony, they celebrated with a family dinner-style reception and a late night bonfire with s’mores.

Photography: RebeccaAnne Photography

Mishelle and Joe’s Intimate Michigan Wedding:

Location: Dexter, Michigan

Number of Guests: 20

Wedding Ceremony & Reception Location: Zingerman’s Cornman Farms

The Details:

Mishelle and Joe’s intimate wedding was an especially heartfelt affair- Mishelle lost her first husband to a heart attack when he was only 45. She reunited with Joe, who was her high school sweetheart, after 25 years of not seeing each other. During their walk down the aisle, a live musician played A Thousand Years- the lyrics were especially fitting for their love story.

Their little wedding was a celebration within a celebration; they tied the knot on the 4th of July.  Their menu, which included grass fed burgers sous vide, corn on the cob with herbed butter, smashed potato salad, homemade blueberry popsicles and s’mores was a nod to the fun, laid-back holiday. 

Photography: Lola Grace Photography 

Elizabeth and Ross’ Intimate San Diego Wedding:

Location: San Diego, CA

Number of Guests: 15

Wedding Ceremony Location: Alcazar Garden, Balboa Park

Wedding Reception Location(s): Cocktail Hour: Couple’s home; Dinner: Buona Forchetta; After party: Kindred

The Details:

Elizabeth and Ross tied the knot right across the street from their house at the Alcazar Garden in Balboa Park with the bride’s sister as the officiant. After the ceremony, the couple visited three destinations. First, they stopped at their house for French champagne and homemade herb and citrus cakes, then the wedding party went to the couple’s favorite neighborhood, Buona Forchetta, for dinner, wine and more dessert. They finished off the night at Kindred, a vegan death metal craft cocktail bar.

Photography: Let’s Frolic Together

Philippa and Daniel’s Brooklyn Elopement:

Location: NYC

Number of Guests: 6

Wedding Ceremony Location: Cop Cot, Central Park

Wedding Reception Location: STK

The Details:

Philippa and Daniel spent part of their big day wandering the picturesque streets of Brooklyn, making for some epic wedding photos. They tied the knot in the Central Park’s quiet, peaceful and romantic Cop Cot, a majestic wooden structure in the heart of the Big Apple. The couple celebrated with a reception at STK’s rooftop bar, watching the sun set over NYC surrounded by their nearest and dearest. 

Photography: Danila Mednikov 

Bryan and Hong’s Hygge Winter Wedding in Michigan:

Location: Petoskey, Michigan

Number of Guests: 52

Wedding Ceremony & Reception Location: Stafford’s Perry Hotel

The Details:

A snow covered lake, cozy plaid blankets, a hot chocolate bar, a heated tent and a guest list that only included only their nearest and dearest made this wedding truly hygge. Hong and Bryan chose to say their ‘I do’s’ at the charming Stafford’s Perry Hotel in a heated pavilion surrounded by a winter wonderland.

Photography: Nicole Jansma Photography

Hannah and Rocky’s Intimate Redwoods Wedding:

Location: Ben Lomand, CA

Number of Guests: 33

Wedding Ceremony Location: Henry Cowell State Park

Wedding Reception Location: Casa Nostra

The Details: 

Hannah and Rocky’s wedding was filled with majestic redwood trees, beautiful florals, heartfelt moments, and best of all… donuts! The couple exchanged personal vows surrounded absolute beauty of the redwoods, then celebrate surrounded by family and friends at Casa Nostra.

Photography: Paige Nelson Photography

Chelsea and Ross’ Intimate Hawaii Wedding:

Location:  Haiku, HI

Number of Guests: 10

Wedding Cost: $10,000 (all inclusive: dress/suit/accessories/alterations/wedding bands/minister/flowers/cake/appetizers/champagne/venue rental/videographer/photographer/wedding planner)

Wedding Ceremony Location: Haiku Mill

Wedding Reception Location: The Wooden Crate at Lumeria Maui

The Details:

A destination wedding on a budget… Is that even possible? Absolutely! Chelsea’s family had already planned a family vacation to Hawaii, so the couple opted to tie the knot while on vacay, saving them some serious $$$.

The couple was awestruck by the majestic setting of Haiku Mill. The venue made the ceremony especially magical, with its old-world architecture, enchanting gardens and whimsical lighting. Due to their small guest list, the couple paid for the elopement package at the venue, which cut down on the venue wedding cost significantly. 

Photography: Chris J. Evans

Melissa and Dan’s Little Wedding in the Woods:

Location: Hendersonville, NC

Number of Guests: 10

Wedding Ceremony & Reception Location: Little Willow Falls

The Details:

Melissa and Dan chose to have an intimate wedding with only their immediate families in Asheville, North Carolina. The wedding was highly personalized, with every detail infused with meaning – from the wedding dress, to the pearls around Melissa’s neck.

Melissa walked towards her groom to the bluegrass music of Thomas Cassell. The ceremony began with a reading that quoted Johnny Cash- It was a letter Johnny had written about June Carter on her 65th birthday. After the ceremony, the couple sat down to a family-style dinner together.

Photography: Leslie West Photography

If you’ve never traveled to Bermuda, this wedding might just be the thing that has you packing your bags!

Ayumi and Vijay love their heritage (she’s Asian and he’s Indian) and wanted to honor their families with traditional ceremonies. But at the same time, they always dreamed of an American style wedding. The solution? Tie the knot in Bermuda with their nearest and dearest!

With 25 of their closest friends and family by their side, the couple chose the breathtaking Bermuda shoreline as the place to say their vows. Keeping it intimate allowed the couple to truly soak in all the special moments of their big day.

Thanks to A.J. Dunlap Photography for the fantastic photos of this destination wedding!

Ayumi, 32 & Vijay, 38

Location: Bermuda

Wedding Date: April 7, 2018

Number of Guests: 25

Wedding Ceremony Location: Stonehole Bay, Bermuda

Wedding Reception Location: Newstead Belmont Hills Golf Resort and Spa

Why did you have an intimate wedding?

We both enjoy the company of our close family and friends and prefer small crowds and get togethers, so an intimate wedding was a no-brainer for us. Because we had decided on a smaller number of guests, we had the flexibility of choosing to have a destination wedding. It was Vijay’s idea for us to get married on the beach, and we were trying to narrow down the places we could go. My family had been to Bermuda twice before when my sister and I were very young, and my parents really loved the island. Vijay and his family had never been to Bermuda, so it seemed like the perfect place to have a wedding. At the end of the day, we saw our wedding not just as a celebration of us being together but also a chance for us to say thanks to our parents.

What are some the challenges that you faced planning an intimate wedding?

More than the challenges of an intimate wedding, one of the concerns we had was that we hadn’t visited our venue prior to arriving in Bermuda. We had done a lot of research on potential venues on the island by looking at photos online. As soon as we saw images of Jobson’s Cove and Stonehole Bay, though, we knew we wanted to have our wedding there. We actually didn’t see Stonehole Bay until the day before the wedding (which turned out to be gorgeous), but we knew that we couldn’t go wrong with any of the beaches on the beautiful island of Bermuda!

Was it difficult to pare down the guest list?

We were sad that some of our guests couldn’t make it to our wedding, but we had a small guest list to start with, so it was easy to tailor our wedding details to accommodate the final number of people who came to our wedding.

Did you have any ‘issues’ with the small guest list from friends and family? If so, how did you address them?

Not really! Like mentioned above, having a small guest list made everything easier to plan and coordinate.

What were the highlights of the ceremony?

Getting married in front of our closest family and friends while facing the crystal clear blue waters of Bermuda. Who can beat that?! April was also a perfect time for us to visit Bermuda to get married, since the waters are still cool, there aren’t as many tourists visiting the island and we essentially had the entire beach to ourselves during the ceremony.

What were the highlights of the reception?

After our wedding on the beach, we all headed back to our hotel for cocktail hour with hors d’oeuvres and drinks while overlooking the Hamilton Harbor during sunset. It was amazing. Dinner was fantastic as well. Vijay and I are both huge fans of puzzles and board games, so while the guests waited for their dinners, we had them play several wedding games. It was entertaining to see how competitive some of our guests were! Also, because we had just 25 guests, we were all able to sit at one long rectangular table, which made talking to one another much easier, and it just felt like one big family.

What was the best thing about having an intimate wedding?

The amount of time we got to spend with our loved ones before and after the wedding. We still wish we could have spent even more time with each of our guests, but our time together over dinners and brunches and hanging out at the hotel’s infinity pool was gold. Also, our photographer, AJ Dunlap, came with us to Bermuda and was such a delight to work with. She took the time to help us create an itinerary for the wedding, and she was so kind to take lots of pictures of us at different nearby beaches for our engagement and wedding photos.

What advice do you have for couples who are considering an intimate wedding?

As difficult as it is to plan both a wedding and vacation, definitely try to create time to hang out with your guests. Our family made a vacation out of our trip to Bermuda, and we were able to go whale watching, visit different beaches, and explore underground caves. I’ll never forget how the two people on our trip who were the most excited about whale watching were our dads. We can’t wait to visit the island again soon.

Venue:

Ceremony Venue: Stonehole Bay Beach

Reception Venue: Newstead Belmont Hills Golf Resort and Spa

Photographer: A.J. Dunlap Photography

Coordinator: Bermuda Bride

Florist: Demco

Cake Artist: Cake Boutique Celebrations

Rentals:Demco

Bridal Gown Designer: Olia Zavozina

Bridal Shoes: BHLDN

Bridesmaids Gown Designer: Donna Morgan

Wedding Stationery Designer: Minted

Musicians: Stephen Crawford, guitarist

Transportation: Island Express Bermuda

Joshua Tree in Southern Cali is one of our favorite places on the planet, so naturally we fell in love with this styled boho elopement shot in the area at a retreat center called Tumbleweed Sanctuary.

The California desert light is magical, as you can see by these gorgeous photos! This shoot makes us want to book our next adventure in Joshua Tree.

Here’s what photographer Trudy Moylan from Trudy Moylan Photography had to say about the shoot:

We all fell in love with Tumbleweed Sanctuary. It is the perfect desert oasis for any event. They offer many unique spaces that you can customize to your own vision.

Rust, green, navy, orange, and tan are the wedding color inspirations. Roses mixed with more wild flowers & dried orange slices create whimsical centerpieces. Baby succulents & cactus are part of the decor for tables and sitting areas; they also serve as wedding favors for guests to take home … Agate name places become the perfect keepsake for guests, and a macrame curtain and rustic decor showcase a gorgeous naked cake.

The California desert light is magical, as you can see by these gorgeous photos! This shoot makes us want to book our next adventure in Joshua Tree.

Vendors:

Photographer: Trudy Moylan Photography

Event Designer: Styled Shoots Across America

Favors and Gifts: Suspend It

Floral Designer: Kristin Smith Floral Concepts

Caterer: The Natural Sisters Cafe

Design and Decor: Touched by Time Vintage Rentals

Cake Designer: Mirandas Sweet Treats

Invitation Designer: Sam Allen Creates

Design and Decor: Macramama

Ring Designer: Rings By Bethany Crandell

Dress Store: BHLDN

Tuxedo and Mens Attire: Friar Tux Shop

Professional: Jessica Schmuckle Photography and Events

Location: Tumbleweed Sanctuary, Garden & Labyrinth

Not one to follow tradition? Read on!

Bohemian weddings are a perfect option for non-conformist couples who prefer a romantic, laid-back vibe. Featuring all things ethereal, earthly and eclectic, this collection of boho bridal pieces from Etsy is a must-see for the modern boho bride.

Create a fairy tale-worthy bridal hairstyle with this pretty floral hair garland from MagaelaAccessories.

Yes brides, you can bedazzled on a budget. This stunning crystal hair vine from IZaccessories starts at $14 (price depends on length).

Boho beauty meets timeless glamour with this lovely hair vine from WeddingwreathByNata.

We must say, this bridal hair vine from AnnaHandwelleryAccs is divine.

A little bit funky and a whole lot fabulous, these geometric rose gold earrings from MelodyGDesign are a must-have.

These beautiful hoop earrings from Atrio will be worn time and time again after your wedding.

It’s crystal clear that this stunning gemstone necklace from friedasophie will be a lovely addition to your bridal look.

This navy, champagne, mint, ivory and white bouquet from Mlleartsy is completed with a macrame handle wrap, making it a boho bride’s dream bouquet. 

Add a touch of tradition to your bridal look with this romantic lace bridal capelet from MarisolAparicio.

Holy swoon! This dress from KurajeWeddingDresses is a beautiful choice for a boho bride.

Stray from tradition with this boho floral hoop bouquet from innocentchaoscouk.

Hesitant about ordering a wedding dress online? This backless beauty from DreamersandLovers is made to order, ensuring a perfect fit.

We’re positively starry-eyed over this celestial gown from BoomBlush.

One bride shares “This is the most breath taking dress that I have ever seen. It looks even better in person than in the photos!”

Strut in style without sacrificing comfort with these wedding shoes from ForeverSoles.

These elegant (and comfortable!) low heel wedding shoes from ForeverSoles will become a closet staple after your wedding.

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