Elopement Timeline Tips:
How many hours do
you need?

How many hours should you hire your elopement photographer for?

The most popular package that my couples book is 8-10 hours of coverage! Now that might seem like a long time, but when you factor in a hike, ceremony, other unique aspects to your day that are unique to you time goes by pretty quickly!

There is so much more that can be done on your elopement day that deserves photography coverage than you might initially think! When you choose to elope you are choosing to have an authentic to you day that may have no guests or only a handful, either way you deserve to have photos of your entire day so you can look back on the day and relieve it through photos and share it with your family and friends.

So many couples ask “what would we even do during 8+ hours of photography?!” It definitely seems like a lot, but if you are dreaming of having an adventurous day that includes hiking, helicopter ride, boat ride, various locations then time adds up pretty quick when you are having this much fun!

To spend a full day on your elopement actually is not that uncommon. If you consider the average big wedding coverage normally spans 10-12 hours and most of the time they don’t even leave their venue! That covers getting ready for each person, first look, portraits, ceremony, family photos, the reception and more. It tell’s the couples entire story and you deserve the same!

Why would you need all day coverage?

Your day deserves to be documented fully. Just because you elope does not mean your entire story shouldn’t be told. When choosing to elope you are removing some of the aspects of a traditional wedding but you should not short yourself on having the memories captured.

Your story begins sometimes with writing your vows over breakfast or watching the sunrise on a dock and then getting dressed and making your way to your first look or ceremony. Your adventure whether done via hiking, boat, helicopter or how ever you choose to adventure often comes next and this is often where the heart of your story and memories are formed.

“We only need ceremony coverage and a few photos”

This is something I often hear, but when I ask each person to describe your ideal elopement day where there is no limit and how you envision the best day ever together that timeline often looks very different than just a few hours. A full day elopement also does not mean it is a fully day photoshoot. It is a full day of adventure where I document the big moments, the little moments and all the in between when you don’t know someone is looking. I’m often in the background documenting the two of you on your grand adventure getting those epic candid photos you will love and not posing you for hours on ending making you feel uncomfortable.

Trust me when I say I know the value of having the fully story documented. My elopement was 13 hours long and I wish it could have lasted longer! You deserve to have your entire story told!

So why hire an elopement photographer for a full day elopement?

Below are some Elopement Timeline examples for you to see the timeline and some of their photos alongside the day to get a better understanding of why having your full story documented can be so important.

Kaitlin + Talon – Full Day Elopement
in the Yukon

Kaitlin and Talon went on their first trip together to the Yukon and that is where they decided to elope! They had their best friends and family travel from all across Canada to witness their ceremony and celebrate in their special day, but at the same time Kaitlin and Talon valued adventured and wanted to ensure their day mainly focused on exploring in the remote parts of the Yukon Territority. For them it included a Helicopter Ride into Tombstone Territorial Park and sunset photos under the midnight sun in Dawson City and along the Top of the World Highway. There coverage for the elopement day was 14 hours long!

Helicopter Elopement in the Yukon

9:00am – Kaitlin Gets Ready with best friends in one of Dawson City’s unique gold rush era themed hotel rooms
9:45am – Nicole heads to Midnight Dome ceremony location to capture Talon Getting Ready
10:00am – Talon Getting Ready at the top of the Midnight Dome with his best friend and mom to help. The couple got ready separately because they wanted to have a first look!
10:20am – First Look, because you can have a first look on your elopement day too! (You can do anything you want on your elopement day!)
10:45am – All friends & family arrive for Ceremony. (We had pre-picked out their ceremony spot the day before in a space that felt perfect for the couple and would accomodate all their guests*)
11:00am – Ceremony
11:30am – Celebrate with Friends & Family & Enjoy some lunch because making sure you are fed on your elopement day is so important
12:00pm – Head to Helicopter Location to start their epic adventure!
12:30pm – 4:00pm Adventurous Helicopter Tour into Tombstone Territorial Park where Kaitlin and Talon would do their private vows with their pup, go on a hike to a glacier alpine lake and go for a swim and enjoy spending time adventurous around the breathtaking Ogilvie Mountain range
4:00pm – Return to Dawson City to take part in the Sour Toe Cocktail Shot – The Sour Toe Cocktail shot is one of the top things to do in Dawson City and they wanted to ensure it was captured as a part of their day.
5:00pm Head to the restaurant they had booked out for the evening to meet up with their group and take some family and friends photos
8:00pm – 10:30pm Midnight Sun Portraits exploring around Dawson City & Top of the World Highway
10:30pm Arrive to Diamond Tooth Gerties for the Show to capture heading into Canada’s Oldest Casino and one of the iconic buildings in the Yukon

Shea + Brennan – All Day Backcountry Canoe & Hike in Algonquin Provincial Park

Shea and Brennan wanted an adventurous elopement day in Algonquin Provincial Park! Their love for backcountry canoing and hiking was something they wanted to incorporate to the day as well as the beauty of Algonquin. We spent a ton of time planning and choosing the perfect canoe route and location to have their ceremony and do their personal vows + some portraits and then where we would end the night hiking and watch the sunset.

Their day was done in 8 hours! As you can see by the timeline below they wanted action packed and lots of adventure throughout the duration of their entire day which was so much fun!

Backcountry Canoing Elopement Timeline in Algonquin Provincial Park:

11:30am – Meet at Canoe Launch Site, Pack Canoes and Prepare to Launch by 12pm
12:00pm – 1:00pm Paddle to Canoe Site (We always give a bit more time than needed when planning, hikes / paddles to allow for stops, photos, delays etc)
1:00pm – 1:30pm Arrive to Site, Unpack and Begin Getting Dressed! (Shay and Brennan got dressed near but with each other so they could still do a first look!)
1:30pm First Look
1:45pm – 2:15pm – Ceremony (yes the officiant even canoed out with us!) and private vows
2:15pm – 3:00pm – Explore, Hike & Portraits throughout the forest and shoreline
3:00pm – 3:15pm Pack up Canoe and get ready to head back to launch site (We always include time to pack up so that this allows for everything to be fully scheduled into the timeline so that no one ends up behind due to forgetting things that can take up some time such as this)
3:15pm – 4:15pm – Canoe Back
4:15pm – 4:45pm – Head to Hiking Location
4:45pm – 5:30pm – Hike up to summit for sunset (Again we over plan for how long it takes to hike to allow for bad weather, photos on the trail, stopping for snacks / washroom, etc)
5:30pm – 6:00pm – Cool Off + Change back into Wedding Attire
6:00pm – 7:30pm First Dance (because you can still do a first dance even if you elope!), Explore, Portraits and enjoy sunset
7:30pm Hike down after sun has set

Key things to consider when building your Elopement Timeline:

Buffer Time – things like weather, traffic, something running behind / someone is late can really impact your day if you pack your day too tight. There is a huge different in sometimes having an additional hour spread out throughout the day for buffer and not feeling stressed because there is room to breathe vs having your timeline packed so tight there is no room for error (because thats when things happen!)
Travel Time / Transitions – Things like driving to different locations can sometimes take longer than Google Maps plans (like road closures, accidents, traffic, etc.) all which are out of your control and you don’t want to feel stressed knowing that it is eating into your limited time for adventuring if you haven’t planned for it
Consider what is most important to you and allow yourself enough time to spend quality time at each of those locations / spaces. You don’t want to feel like you just rushed around to various spots and didn’t get a chance to enjoy it
Leave room for spontaneity! Want to stop and get ice cream? Is there a cool lookout on the side of the road you hadn’t planned on seeing? Make sure there is time in there for things like that so you don’t feel disappointed you couldn’t add things to the day.