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Here at Wilder West Elopements we are big supporters of having the wedding experience of YOUR dreams! That looks different for every couple, especially when there may be a kiddo or multiple kids involved! As fellow parents we totally get wanting to involve your child in your wedding experience- we were “crazy” enough to include our 6 month old son in our 5 year vow renewal in Iceland! After that experience, having almost three years of adventure experience with our own kid, and photographing multiple elopements with kids ranging in all ages over the past seven years, I thought it was about time I made a guide to help YOU plan an elopement day involving your child(ten)!
Every family dynamic is different and at the end of the day, YOU know you and your family best! Take these ideas and recommendations and customize them to fit your unique needs! If you choose to hire us as your elopement team we will work together to build an elopement experience that will fit your family and your dreams!
Here’s a comprehensive guide to planning an elopement with kids and ideas for eloping with kids!
Pick A General Elopement Location that is Family-Friendly
The term “family-friendly” means something different for EVERY family! I mean we had to off-road to our vow renewal location in Iceland and that is definitely not everyone’s idea of family friendly! Consider your favorite kind of adventures with your family as a good starting point. Does your family prefer road-tripping over flying? Vice versa? Consider your travel time and how much or little you want to commit! Are you more of the hotel type or do Airbnbs cater more for your family? If your family has certain hobbies like hiking, water sports, or anything else, consider those when picking!
Elopement Pro Tip: National and State Parks can be great options for eloping with kids as most have a range of trail accessibility! You can find wheel chair accessible (aka stroller accessible) trails at the majority of parks!
Find an Elopement Photographer Who is Family-Friendly
Kids aren’t for everyone, and that’s okay! But it is incredibly important that you find an elopement photographer who will not just *deal* with your child(ren). Finding a photographer who is just as stoked as you are about bringing your kiddo is imperative as it will make your day flow so much easier. While searching and interviewing photographers ask about their experience with eloping with kids and how they navigate it! It’s a bonus if they have lots of previous experience and ideas to give you!
Consider a Child-Wrangler!
This will entirely depend on your child, their needs, their age, as well as YOUR wants for your day! A lot of couples choose to bring an adult who is entirely responsible for taking care of your kiddo on your elopement day so you can be more present! That means THEY have the backpack with the snacks, entertainment, and change of clothes. I highly recommend this to a lot of couples to help them be more present on their day. As a parent I know it’s impossible to completely turn your brain off from parent-mode but I promise that having someone you fully trust in charge of your child makes a big difference for your elopement experience!
Make a Flexible Timeline
We are big supporters of no two elopements looking exactly the same so we work with our couples to build custom timelines for their elopement day. This is especially important when including kids as you can have one plan for the day but the reality is that things happen and things change! It’s important to have a plan b and even a plan c! Consider adding in breaks for the day, always include time for snacks, and consider what your typical day to day schedules look like at home and take some aspects of it into consideration like nap time and dinner time!
One of my favorite suggestions for couples who choose to include their child on their elopement day is to take time for themselves! You can spend part of your day with your kiddo and then leave time to adventure with just the two of you. This can be as little or as much time as you would like. Here at Wilder West we make completely custom elopement timelines to create an experience that looks exactly how you want it to. That means we ask about your preferences for spending time alone versus with your loved ones when creating the timeline.
Are you considering a full day adventure for yourselves? That’s an amazing idea too! We have had couples choose to do two day elopements where they spend time with their favorite people on one day- this could look like getting ready photos, ceremony, family portraits, and a dinner celebration. The next day we meet back up just for YOUR adventure! This may look like doing a couple of hikes, some off-roading, a sunset helicopter ride, or whatever else you can dream of.
Prepare, Prepare, Prepare
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned while being a parent and a photographer of kids is that preparation is KEY for everyone! Start prepping your child for what the day is going to look and feel like! Talk to them about what they are going to wear, what the trail is going to be like, what your expectations are for them during your ceremony, etc. Show them elopement galleries and photos of your lodging prior to the trip so they can envision what it’s going to be like. Another key piece to preparing for the day is a little backpack for your kiddo! Consider bringing snacks, some of their favorite toys, water, and a change of clothes. Think you have enough snacks? Pack more!
Consider How You Want to Include Them in Your Elopement
As I mentioned earlier, you can include your child as much or as little on your elopement day. Think about some of the special moments that you may want captured with them- does that include during the getting ready process? Do you want them to have a special role during the ceremony? Some of my favorite ideas include having them be the ring bearer or flower kiddo, having special vows just for them, letting them pronounce you married, etc. Think about any quirky things that you and your family does and how you can include this during your elopement day! If you love to do a specific kind of adventure with your kid then we can do that on your day!
The Most Important- Go Into it With an Open Mind!
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about kids is that no matter how much you prep and plan, you can never FULLY know what to expect! They are their own humans after all! Your attitude about their behavior and how the day goes will make the world of a difference! Don’t be surprised by extra big feelings happening on the day of- it can be a lot for kids to experience!! This is why it’s key to have vendors who *get it*- I can promise you that my team has been there and done that, haha! Embrace the great moments with your child and take the adventure for what it is! It’s going to be the best day ever even if your kid has a tantrum at some point!
Meet Caitlyn and Chad, your dream Sedona Elopement Photographer, Videographer & Guide Team
Hello!! We are the Wilder West Team! We are a husband and wife photo video team based in sunny Sedona, Arizona. Caitlyn is the lead photographer and your personal elopement guide aka elopement wizard, question-answerer, location scouter, and designated hype woman. Chad is the lead videographer who you can expect to supply all the dad jokes, carrier of the Mary Poppins backpack, and mountain goat to get all the rad shots! We’ve been lucky enough to call this place our home for the past 5 years, going on 100+ adventures with couples from all over the world.
We’d love to show you around our home & help you plan your dream Sedona elopement experience.
We believe that all couples deserve to have an adventurous and meaningful wedding experience that reflects them and their love. Let’s work together to design your “best day” from start to finish. We can’t wait to hear all about what you are dreaming for your elopement experience so we can work together to make it happen seamlessly and care free.
Learn More About Us
Want some inspiration for your Sedona elopement experience? We’ve been a part of over 200 adventures in the red rock and would love to show some of our favorite adventures (but seriously, we can’t actually pick favorites so here’s a few from this season!).
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