Ope! 7 Best Places to Elope in the Midwest - Sleeping Bear Dunes, Michigan Elopement

Lake Michigan Elopement at Ludington State Park // Michigan Elopement Photographer

The end of summer sunlight warmed our goosebumps as we met Mae and Jess at the beach for their Lake Michigan elopement. We headed out in the early morning to grab a paddleboard and spent the morning paddleboarding around Lake Michigan, splashing and laughing as sand found it’s way into our bags.

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A dreamy autumn Upper Peninsula Elopement

A layer of thick fog hovered over the copper treeline as we made our way to Black Rocks, for an epic Upper Peninsula elopement in Michigan. We carefully picked our way over the volcanic rocks, while the wind hissed in our ears. It was cold, but not enough to hurt.

Upper Peninsula Elopement // Presque Isle

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Magical Manistee Forest Elopement // Michigan Elopement Photographer

Sun rays cut through the pines as we made our way down a skinny dirt road for this magical Manistee Forest elopement. We met Amy and Ted in the parking lot by the trailhead and got to work shooting the prettiest details. From there we set up the cutest picnic, complete with mini champagne grapes, gouda, and sparkling peach wine! (Shoutout to Trader Joes for having the best picnic foods)

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The sweetest first look at this Indiana summer wedding

nd a lovely forecast of showers. But a little wind couldn’t damper their spirits. We braved the wind and they had the sweetest intimate first look, and then read heartfelt letters to each other *cue the photographer tears.*

Indiana Summer Wedding // Hannah & Corbin // Indiana Wedding Photographer

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Bergstaff Place Spring Wedding // Natalie & Cody // Fort Wayne Wedding Photographer

It was a year later than they were expecting as Natalie and Cody stood hand in hand under the string lights of Bergstaff Place. It wasn’t what they had originally planned, after rescheduling due to COVID, their love still strengthened through all of the trials 2020 threw their way.

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Eloping gives you the freedom to do whatever you want and create your dream day. After all, this is the start of your marriage, so of course it should be all about you two! Often couples will ask, “can we do XYZ?” and the answer is always of course! The best part of elopements is that there are no rules!

Elopement Activities for a Unique Experience

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A golden hour Sedona Elopement near Thunder Mountain

Sunset Sedona Elopement

It was the most perfect afternoon for a Sedona elopement. The wind playfully tickled our necks and the sun smiled down as we made our way through the red rock trails. After a sweet first look these two shared vows overlooking Sedona and the iconic Bell Rock. After shooting for a while we headed to a different trailhead near Thunder Mountain.

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It was a brisk 40 degrees when I met Celine and Jonah at Indiana Dunes for this elopement style shoot, but the sun was still shining in all her brilliance. We bundled up and made our way along the beach braving the wind that blew hard enough to offend, but not enough to hurt. In the comfort of the golden sunlight they ran and danced along the sandy trails of Indiana Dunes, with the seagrass tickling our ankles.

Indiana Dunes Elopement

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Elopements vs. Weddings: 6 Major Differences

Elopements and traditional weddings are vastly different, with most people thinking eloping means just running off to the courthouse to get legally married. But elopements in today’s age have evolved rapidly and are steadily gaining popularity and favor over traditional weddings. So what are the biggest differences? We’ll tell you six of ’em.

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It was a perfect October evening for this Muncie fall engagement session with Michaela and Jay. I met them at a trailhead near their house, and we were blessed with the most incredible golden hour. Amid the chaos of COVID and the state of the world, it was wonderful for these two to spend an evening laughing and snuggling with each other and take a step back from everything else.

Muncie Fall Engagement Session // Michaela & Jay // Indiana Wedding Photographer

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