It's a gorgeous 55 degrees in January, which always reminds me that spring is quickly approaching. With Engagement season right behind us, maybe you're thinking about doing that dang thing in your favorite outdoor space. Getting married outdoors is a surefire way to make your wedding day memorable and enjoyable. So long as you practice the very simple leave no trace principles during your day. ( and always)

We are 100% on board with the Leave No Trace Principles, and here's why you should be, too. 

Weddings, elopements, and photo sessions can have a big cumulative impact on the environment—and without following Leave No Trace, this is what could happen:

• Locations currently available for weddings, & elopements could become off-limits for special events and professional photography—meaning it could become impossible to return to a location for a vow renewal or anniversary session in 5 years.
• The spot where you said your vows could get so badly damaged, destroyed, or trashed that it needs to be closed for restoration and won't look the same when you want to come back in the future.
• The prevalence and costs of special event permits could spike, making it more difficult to enjoy public lands.

We've already seen it happen a few times where someone thought it was romantic to spray paint hearts and names on rocks and benches by the river, where people thought beer cans burned up in a bonfire, or times we see someone's discarded cigarette butts all over the ground. (They're not fun to edit out of photos or pick up) The absolute worst is when someone can't behave themselves in nature and feels the need to mark their territory with spray paint, claiming their devotion to their new lover. No one really finds that to be romantic, do they? 

You don't have to limit your celebration to reduce your impact, but you do have to use a little common sense and planning. Calling ahead and making plans with the park you're dreaming of is essential. In Missouri, we have the extreme privilege to enjoy Missouri Conservation Parks and Ground for FREE. They don't require reservations or special use permits to use the parks. Their sole mission is to facilitate and provide opportunities for all citizens to use, enjoy, and learn about these resources. How lucky are we that our state sees the value in opening 975,000 acres of land for anyone to use? Now, that's not to say you can host a gathering of any size anywhere you want, but for elopements and small photo sessions... That's 975,000 reasons you don't have to spend thousands on an elopement venue. 

My husband and I got married in our favorite outdoor place. We went on dates there, had our first kiss there, and really loved this place because it was off the beaten path, outside of the box, and we could come back year after year to celebrate with minimal crowds. You'll only see anyone there if they love the outdoors like we do. We chose that spot because it meant something to us. We could go back year after year and enjoy that same sentiment whenever we felt like it - day, night, or weekend. There were no admission fees, no lines, and pretty basic rules. Leave what you find, pack out what you bring in, don't be a jerk to the wildlife, and leave it better than you found it. We gathered up a few close friends and family to witness our celebration. 

We served a simple iced zucchini bread cupcake, which my sister, daughter, and I had baked the night before at my parent's house. It was perfectly displayed on a table one of my closest friends made, with my great-grandmother's handmade tablecloth draped over it. We had a box that would keep notes from our guests of wisdom they had acquired over their marriages and years instead of a guest book, where we would add our photographer's portraits of our guests later on. We said our vows, perfectly written by my best friend, under the giant oaks that had been there for generations. We listened to a simple playlist of our favorite songs ( you can find here https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1R1imDx9eFgNntZ8AUOSyp?si=a5346a5769754c6a ) and then took our photographer to the creek to get a few shots that I had been dreaming of. There are a lot of details in this simple little celebration that means the world to me. - It's what shaped me into the photographer I am. I fell in love with the simplicity of planning small, intimate elopements. Providing each of my clients with the same feeling I had when I got married drives me to do the absolute best I can for each couple I serve. Am I for everyone? Surely not. Am I perfect for someone reading this thinking, this is exactly how I want my day to look? Hell yesss.

Suppose you want to float the river to a giant cave opening to say your vows, followed by a picnic, look into a perfect park with giant pink granite boulders, create an ideal weekend getaway in the Ozarks, and experience a stress-free elopement. In that case, I'm in - all in. 

Choosing Vendors that get your vision is super huge!

Do you want to DIY your magical, wonderful day, or do you want to EXPERIENCE it? Those are two different things that can really affect your day and memories. Here's what I mean...

Imagine you've woken up on your wedding day, and your perfect little a-frame cabin VRBO in the Ozark Mountains with a stunning view is stocked with everything you need for your ceremony day. You're favorite breakfast, fresh sourdough toast, local honey, homemade jam with fresh fruit, the best prosciutto, and farm-fresh eggs you've ever seen. All your favorite bevs, fresh squeezed orange juice, some San Pel mineral water, and the perfect pour over coffee in the chemex. You get to have breakfast with your partner while all the best morning sunshine washes over you. An aesthetically pulled-together space to get hair and make-up done by your hair and make-up team is put together in the bathroom off the main bedroom. Your photographer, that you vibe with so well, you've practically become best friends through your wedding planning stages, comes in about 11 am—fresh flowers all around the house, and no sticky counters from last night's fun. You get a pampered treatment right before you slip into the dream outfit you've been dying to wear to see your future spouse for the first time.

Here comes the big reveal with a first look. You make your way down the loft stairs to the fieldstone fireplace, where your partner stands with their back toward you. You both can't hold in the excitement! Tears are already starting, nerves are melting, and then they turn around. You are both genuinely amazed at how every little detail has come together and so thankful to see each other. You spend a lifetime in these moments soaking in all the little bits that make you feel warm. All your nerves are calmed down because you got to see each other, and now you can have an easy, breezy day. 

Your photographer caught your expressions and the split second it took to wipe a tear from your partner's cheek. They stayed out of the moment because they're experienced and know that this moment is designed to be an intimate time for you two - just you two. No direction is given for this particular moment in your day, but now your photographer is choking down some tears because this was the perfect moment she hoped for you to have. You go on to take couples' portraits at this amazing VRBO to remember this perfect place and morning. 

You gather the few things you'll need for your intimate ceremony. Rings, check. Bouquet and boutonniere, check. Great grandma's embroidered handkerchief, check. The rest of that sparkling San Pel because you want to do a spray photo after the ceremony, check. You're headed to an outdoor space that you wouldn't have found if you were on your own. Thank God for that photographer who gets you, has your back, and loves the outdoors as much as you do. Your ceremony space is small and intimate. You arrive to see the group of friends you celebrate life with and your small family waiting to hug you and share a few happy tears with you. Your dad squeezes a tear out as he sees you all dressed in white. (Yep, your photographer caught that too.)

You make your way to the small space you've chosen; it's on a bluff side west facing, so there's a dramatic sunset about an hour from happening. You've had beautiful ornate rugs lining the spot where you'll stand. Everything is freakin perfect! You share your vows, and your officiant pronounces you officially. Everyone stood around you, so you were literally surrounded by the people who love you best. 

But Wait, your day isn't over yet. Your chef has been back at your rental, putting together the best meal you've ever had in your life. You're having an incredible three courses of farm-to-table meal with your guests. Paired with a local brewery's finest and the most beautifully created cake you've had your heart set on. As everyone packs into this humble little cabin, you realize everything smells and looks absolutely how you had imagined. Your favorite vinyl plays and the patio lights look like beautiful little stars. 

Your night is winding down, and as you say goodbye to your guests, you decide to unwind with a fire in the fireplace and just one more of your favorite beers. 

This experience was brought to you by a private chef, professional photographer, wedding planner, concierge service, and a professional hair and makeup team. 

Or you can DIY it and have your hands in every single detail along with the stress. I promise you would rather experience your day. 

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Elopement in the Ozarks with Lindsey Webster PhotographyThis gorgeous couple braved the cold and created core memories with a fun day of an experience driven photography session.

You're ENGAGED! Hell Yes!!  Now what?

As you come into this season of life with your partner there are a billion questions that might start swirling around in your heads on where to start. Narrowing down your date, what season do you want to get married in, what experience do you want to have on your wedding day, what will you wear, where will you go......

Friend, I know won't be able to answer all of those questions for you, but I can help guide you through the process! I've been shooting and planning weddings for nearly a decade now and I have seen it ALL. And while I can help you navigate these waters in all the wedding planning aspects there is one burning question I'm most able to help you with, so lets start there. 

How Much Coverage is Enough?

When planning out the timeline for your elopement day (or days), you might be wondering, how much of it should you have documented? Should we have someone there to photograph everything from morning coffee to evening private chef? Or should we just get ceremony photos and call it a day?

Want my honest opinion? 

Your day deserves just as much documentation as anyone else getting married—and maybe even more.

Here's 3 Reasons Why.

• While sometimes people think a wedding is just saying your vows and spending an hour or two taking portraits—the day you get married is so much more than that. Your wedding day is going to be the day you remember every year on your anniversary for the rest of your lives together—and everything that happened that day from sun up to sun down is a part of your experience. Couples having big weddings get the entire story of their day document, so why shouldn’t you?
• If you’re spending all of this time intentionally planning the absolute best, most authentic experience for you and your partner—don’t you want to be able to relive all of it and remember it precisely, in full-color detail?
• If you’re not having as many people attend your event in-person, the photos of your day are truly the only way to share your experience with others—don’t you want to be able to do that?

I honestly have never photographed a wedding that I thought the couple had me there for too long—but there have been countless days that I wish I could have documented a fuller picture of how awesome their entire experience was.

So, when deciding how much of your day to have me along for—remember that just because I’m there doesn’t mean that it’s going to feel like an all-day photoshoot. I’m there to melt into the background, to make sure you have the best experience possible, and to just document you two having the time of your life.

Oh, and on those other questions.... Book a call and let's get started planning! You are important and your love story deserves to be a novel, not just a picture book. 

Dream Big Friends,

xx

Lindsey