Acadia Elopement Photographer // Ricarda & Bill

Ricarda & Bill emailed me about photography just two weeks before their proposed elopement in Acadia last September, but it worked out perfectly! Getting married in the middle of the week helps a little, but I think what made their day come together so well (by which I mean - we were able to find parking) was the overcast, foggy weather that drives most tourists away. I was available since they chose a Wednesday, and we were able to find parking at popular spots like Sand Beach, Jordan Pond, and the Blue Hill Overlook easily. We also visited the Otter Cliff area at the end of Ocean Path and began their time with a “first look” atop Cadillac Mountain. We fit a lot into their four hours!

They had their hearts set on saying their vows on the Blue Hill Overlook with hopes of majestic views in the background, which didn’t pan out exactly as planned... Their elopement is a great example of how foggy it can be here in Acadia, but I think it was still beautiful in its own way. I actually prefer these conditions! Right after their ceremony, the fog broke just long enough to get a few photos with some scenery in the background. See if you can spot those images below. It’s a wildcard getting married in Acadia, always a true adventure!

I’ve done this dozens of times over the years, never in any “official” capacity (aka you won’t find info about this on my website), but they asked me to create a video of their day to share with their family and friends, so I did. Now in 2021, I do technically offer that option, as an add-on to photography, so feel free to email me if you’re interested in a fun little video.

Ricarda and Bill were so low-key, simple, fun and easy to work with. They did a couple things that I thought were neat - Ricarda wasn’t afraid to go barefoot part of the day, and Bill changed out of his military uniform partway through their time with me. Most couples book me for the last few hours of the day, so we can end our time at sunset. My time with Ricarda & Bill began at noon, which on a sunny day is a tough time to shoot because the light can be so harsh. Not on their day though! Fog can be a blessing sometimes for sure.

Enjoy looking through the story of these two easy-going loves. The fog lent such a dramatic and romantic touch to their day and is a great example of why couples shouldn’t fear the unpredictability of the weather. When you’re going to Acadia National Park for you elopement or wedding, your photography will be beautiful no matter what.

Maine Elopement Photographer // Elura & Chris in Acadia

October will forever be the best time to get married (or, dare I say, do anything?) in New England, and Acadia National Park elopements in autumn are truly hard to top. Elura & Christopher drove up from MA with some of their closest family & friends to get married last October, and they could not have had a more beautifully sunny & pleasant fall day. I’m happy to share the beauty with other humans until it gets in the way of my precious couples’ experience! The one glitch on Elura & Chris’ day was that too many people seemed to have the same idea that weekend - heading up to Acadia to enjoy the foliage and gorgeous weather, resulting in us getting stuck in a traffic jam at Jordan Pond for a while. We never were able to park there and get the photos they’d wanted - yikes! I admit I was a bit panicked at that point, although not totally surprised, and thankfully the rest of the park did not disappoint.

By the end of every wedding season, I seem to develop a love/hate relationship with Acadia. In 2020 people were so anxious to get outside that it’s no wonder the park was the busiest I’d ever seen it even in October. I get it and totally support people enjoying Acadia, but this wedding was a good reminder to stick to the lesser-known spots on weekends!

Elura & Chris were so fun and low-key and truly excited to be getting married that day that they rolled with the stress of crowds and parking disasters, and we still had a wonderful time together. I was still recovering from that stress (lol) when I sent their sneak peek photos the next day, and they responded with praise about how much fun they’d had and how easy the whole photography process was.

These two decided to brave the crowds and have a tiny wedding in Acadia because of the park’s unbeatable natural beauty. And I do admit that despite the setbacks, it was totally worth it overall. I mean, look at the joy exuding from these photos. Look at that perfectly sunny sky and the views we enjoyed on Cadillac! It was a magical day. They had an amazing time and were just beaming with joy throughout our 4 hours together. Their goal had been to document as much of the Acadia scenery in their wedding photos as possible, and I think we did a good job, despite not being able to visit one of their requested spots.

We met around noon at Sieur de Monts (there were tons of people there too!), then went to my secret spot at the Blue Hill Overlook on Cadillac Mountain (nobody in our way over there!), and ended at a spot I like on the Ocean Path near Otter Cliff. There we met up with their guests and ended our time together with their sweet, simple ceremony, officiated by Chris’ brother and surrounded by their closest family and friends. 

These sunshiney, perfectly pleasant days in Acadia are a bit rare in my photo work, but this one was perfectly suited to Elura & Chris’ sunny personalities and ability to soak up the beauty of their wedding day. I am forever grateful for couples like this who compel me to keep on keeping on when, by October every year, I am inevitably ready to never shoot in Acadia again. But each couple, like each October, is always so fresh and unique and full of potential. And well, here I am again, drawn back into the always intriguing, incomparably beautiful, and sometimes infuriating wonder that is my life as a Maine (which usually means Acadia) wedding and elopement photographer. I really cannot complain.

Enjoy these highlights from Elura & Chris’ day!

Wild, wonderful bouquet by Floret.

Acadia Elopement Photography // Vanessa & Matthew

Elopements in Maine don’t get much more special or epic than this. Vanessa and Matthew, two absolutely darling soul mates who describe themselves as a bit “extra”, hired me for the entire day to document everything from their early morning in an Airbnb to their first look & vows in the woods at Bass Harbor Lighthouse, lunch in Bar Harbor, more exploring throughout Acadia National Park, and finally watching the sun set from Cadillac Mountain. This may be my longest blog post ever, but it’s totally worth it to scroll all the way through for a glimpse at how incredible their elopement was!

Acadia National Park Wedding // Styled Shoot

This styled elopement shoot at Acadia National Park was created by wedding planner & designer Carianne Gunn, and I was happy to help her vision come to life. Huge thanks to all the vendors who participated, and especially to our models Ashlee and Slade who froze their butts off for us on this cold, rainy day!

Planning & Design - Events by Carianne

Stationary - Little Ivy Paper Goods

Linens - BBJ Linen

Hair - Abode Beauty Bar

Makeup - Aura Lash & Beauty

Flowers - Bad Rabbit Flowers

Jewelry - E. Scott Originals

Dress - Lyra Vega Bridal

Cake - Bear Brook Bakery

Models - Ashlee & Slade

Rocky coast bride rainy day Acadia National Park wedding

Acadia National Park Elopement // Heather & Jackson

Each year since moving to Maine, I’ve had the opportunity to photograph more elopements in Acadia National Park than the last. I am so excited that in 2019 the majority of my work will be in Acadia! Last weekend kicked of this wedding season with the most amazing couple who traveled up from Kentucky to get married on Otter Cliffs, with stunning views of Maine’s rocky coastline. We were even lucky enough to catch a sunset on Cadillac Mountain! Heather and Jackson’s Acadia adventure set the bar really high for a year full of dreamy, romantic adventures with the sweetest couples. I am endlessly grateful I get to tag along and document moments like these.

And just a note - there are a ton of photos of just Heather here, partly because I had extra time with her while Jackson hiked back to meet the officiant, and partly because, well, women in pretty dresses are just more fun to photograph! Her dress was from BHLDN, jewelry from all sorts of special people and grandmas, and bouquet from Queen Anne’s Flower Shop in Bar Harbor.

Acadia National Park Elopement // Nastassja & Patrick

Nastassja and Patrick were such a fun and lighthearted couple to document for their elopement in Acadia National Park, and it definitely shows in these images. They seemed to be overflowing with happiness on this day last fall!

We explored Sand Beach together first, found a quiet spot down the Gorham Mountain Trail for their ceremony, and then ended on Cadillac Mountain just as a storm was brewing.

I love when couples bring along or wear special handmade details, and Nastassja knit their matching green cape and bowtie!

Acadia National Park Elopement // Britney & Evan

If you’ve been following my work for a while, you know I have a very soft spot for brides in green dresses and the partners who recognize the special magic in these women. It is no surprise then that Britney and Evan’s elopement is one my favorites ever. Because I’m the kind of wildish person who will notice a single strand of coyote hair clinging to moss as I walk through the wood, or see the glint of a broken damselfly wing as it flickers on the leaves, I feel an instant connection with folks who care about the details and feel the spirit in certain carefully crafted objects.

Britney and Evan are two shy, darling souls who met in art school, fell in love, and decided to travel from Ohio to Acadia National Park to get married in a tiny ceremony with just their closest family. They chose an intimate spot to say their vows away from the crowds of tourists, and then we explored the park some more, going slowly, noticing the small things (a cute snake! an inchworm! tiny mushrooms!) and enjoying each other’s company.

As artists they were extra thoughtful about the details of their day. Links to those special items are at the bottom of this post.

I really couldn’t have imagined a more perfect, sweet, intimate, nature-filled October elopement than this.

Flowers - Chickadee Hill

Britney’s Ring - Kate Cardner

Evan’s Ring - Nate Casavir

Britney’s Headpiece - Amy Boulle, Tryst Studios

Porcupine Quill Necklace - Kelli Fisher, Lynne and Lucille

Leather Ring Pouch - Baquette

Vow book - handmade by Britney

Acadia National Park Wedding // Jamie & Steve

It’s not often I get to photograph a gorgeously sunny day in Acadia National Park, and most of the time I prefer not to - overcast days are easier to shoot! Jamie & Steve’s wedding was an incredible exception though. They got married at midday in the bright, warm sun, and it was so perfectly fitting for their warm, sunny personalities, their bright smiles, and the fun they had together exploring the park. While many of my elopements exude a darker, misty romance, this day was all smiles and sunshine. It was an honor to witness Jamie and Steve get married in Acadia surrounded by their closest family and friends.

Stunning florals by Chickadee Hill.

Ceremony was at Little Hunter’s Beach. We also visited the Cadillac Mountain summit and Blue Hill Overlook and the Jesup Path.

Acadia National Park Elopement // Bridget & Jeremey

Bridget and Jeremey traveled to Maine to share their vows in the forest of Acadia National Park. They saw a deer, had a picnic on a quiet beach, and affirmed (like all adventurous, eloping couples do) that I have the best job ever. 

Looking forward to photographing many more elopements in Acadia, especially if it's anything like capturing these two!

Acadia National Park Elopement // Hannah & Kael

Hannah and Kael were blessed with a beautifully foggy, romantically rainy day in Acadia recently, and I was so fortunate to tag along and photograph it for them. The afternoon began with their ceremony at Sand Beach, and then we drove along the coast, hopping out here and there to take photos at spots that caught our eyes, and ending at the lovely Jordan Pond. 

There really is nothing so magical as an elopement in Acadia National Park! 

Acadia National Park Elopement // Ellie & Colin

If I could shoot elopements in Acadia National Park every weekend, I would. Couples deciding to get married in Acadia's wild landscape are definitely my kinda people, and these two are no exception!

Ellie and Colin fell in love during art school and now live in Detroit with their three pups. All five of them drove out to Maine to tie the knot and explore somewhere they'd never been. And I was lucky enough to tag along.