Adventure Instead - Elopement Photographers and Guides

Amber was absolutely the best. Our elopement was everything and more, and she made the day so much fun! She supported our vision, she encouraged us when we were unsure, and she supported us in every step of the planning process. It was a beautiful, magical day, and we couldn't recommend Adventure Instead more! ELOPE! and hire these amazing people!

I am so happy i came across Adventure Instead on Facebook. I didn’t want a big traditional wedding(love straying away from the norm), and their photos are INSANE. Truly talented. I had the pleaser of Amber being our elopement guid & photographer and she was amazing!! Everything went to smoothly and felt so comfortable on such an important day

Getting eloped with Adventure Instead and Amber was the best decision we ever made. It was truly an adventure and such an amazing experience we will never forget. Amber was awesome at every step along the way, with all of our questions, needs, and awkwardness in front of the camera!

Having Maddie as our photographer at our elopement was like a dream come true. I had followed her and Adventure Instead for a few years already and when I showed my husband her profile we immediately decided to reach out to her. We were so excited when she decided to pick us! There was an instant connection from the first Skype call, she is enthusiastic, professional and you can tell she has a ton of experience to help you have an epic elopement. From brainstorming locations, to accomodation, to suppliers, to activities on the day. There are no questions she and her team can't answer. We can't express our gratitude enough on how flexible Maddie was with having to reschedule our elopement due to travel restrictions in 2020. She frequently updated us on the situation and other options. It really helped us stay positive and keep looking forward to our big day. During the elopement we love how natural she was around us, giving us some guidance but at the same time seamlessly fitting into our day and letting us be completely ourselves. The day flew by and the pictures she shared with us are a true reflection of how we remember the day. That is an incredible skill! If you made it this far down my review, then I don't know what you're waiting for. Book Adventure Instead, it will be the best decision you've made for your wedding day!

We fell in love with the Pureness of the Adventure Instead photos we saw on instagram and reached out to them . Maddie made our dream day possible! Right from our 1st phone call everything about the way Maddie guided us was perfect and tailor made for us and our personalities. We had so much fun and Maddie is the best guide , friend , and photographer that we could ask for on our wedding day! Her fun personality, compassion , knowledge and enthusiasm did shine through everything she did. There are guides (for location scouting, vendors etc), checklists and advice provided through out and Maddie and the Adventure Instead team were always very responsive and lovely. Our marriage day was magical! On our marriage day all we had to do was relax and enjoy thanks to her taking care of everything around us. The photos are SO gorgeous, true to our vision and we absolutely love every moment Maddie has captured. We are reliving our dream day. Maddie is the BEST! We definitely plan to work with Adventure Instead again in future. They have exceeded our expectations. 5 stars! Deepthi& Siwei

We worked with Amber and had an excellent experience. Our elopement plan was somewhat unique and she was incredibly open to helping us make it work. She really went the extra mile, including camping on her own for two nights, to make it possible and we were extremely appreciative of that. Going into this process, we were worried about whether it would feel awkward to have a stranger along with the two of us on our wedding day, but with Amber it was not an issue at all. Her easygoing nature made it feel like we were on a hike with a friend, and over the course of the day she struck a perfect balance between being present with us and giving us space to share special moments together. This applied to her photography style too – she provided us with direction to get some great posed/planned shots, but for most of the day she was just capturing us naturally. This allowed us to be relaxed and just focus on each other without feeling like we had to perform to a camera all day. And the pictures came out perfectly – she is a really skilled photographer and her unintrusive style makes for photos that feel like incredibly genuine representations of who we are and how we were feeling on that special day. Overall, our elopement experience ended up being even better than we imagined; it felt like a truly authentic expression of who we were and how we wanted to celebrate, and we will always be grateful to Amber for helping make it possible and documenting it so perfectly. We are so glad that we chose to work with her and would encourage anyone reading this to do the same!

If you are considering having an alternative wedding experience, LOOK NO FURTHER. I had stumbled across Adventure Instead (previous Maddie Mae Photography) four years ago, and ever since I dreamed of having an adventure elopement. I never thought it would come true since I have a large Indian family who would traditionally have a large wedding. We had gotten engaged literally the day quarantine started, so we postponed any plans of getting married until things got better. Unfortunately, circumstances did not change even a year later, so we thought it was the perfect opportunity to have an adventure elopement with Adventure Instead, especially since we did not want to put anyone at risk with a larger wedding. And we decided just to message them through their website, and we received a prompt email back. **I definitely recommend messaging them even if you are not sure about when/what location, they do an amazing job at working through what the perfect elopement looks like for you! Also don't be intimidated and think that you have to be super adventurous couple or avid hikers to do an adventure elopement, they do a fantastic job at finding beautiful locations that are within your comfort level (which was great for us especially since we had acquired quarantine bodies). Both Tori and Amber were super helpful in decided which location and dates, since we were considering either Joshua Tree NP in CA or Colorado. My partner and I decided to go with Colorado, and with the help of Amber, we were able to plan the elopement in under 3 months! The whole process was so streamlined and so easy (since Amber did most of the work), all we had to do was pick out outfits, a cake, AirBnB, and drive to CO! It was truly a magical experience, even though we had never had our pictures taken professionally. What Amber does with her camera is insane, we never thought our awkward selves would look like art! All in all, if you choose Adventure Instead, you will have an unforgettable wedding day, all about you and your loved one, with absolutely no regrets!

To sum up our day with Amber and Adventure Instead, here's a quote I love from Betsy Myers, about her six-year-old daughter freaking out with joy after her ballet recital: "Madison’s love of dancing reminds me that it is those times in our lives when we are freaking out with joy that give us the greatest clues about who we are and where we genuinely belong." Want to freak out with joy and have the most amazing special wedding day?! Then look not further than Adventure Instead. I can not say enough wonderful things, but here are a few highlights for you: 1) Thoughtfulness and care- We first spoke to Tori about eloping in the Pac NW (where we are from) and she so wisely reminded us that perhaps winter would be better to spend in the snow than the rain - and connected us with Amber. Even though Tori wasn't going to be our day of photographer she sent me the most detailed & thoughtful responses- answering all my questions, sharing so much great information, and connecting us with Amber. To be so thoughtful about our day that she was willing to give up our business to make sure we had the best day - well that just speaks volumes. 2) The Planning - Even though we were eloping, there's still some planning to do! We weren't sure exactly what we wanted, and Adventure Instead put together the most detailed 30+ page packet of location ideas, complete with photographs, packages, and several itineraries to choose from. Simply amazing. 3) Encouragement - We were a bit nervous about eloping v having a traditional wedding, but wanting to be careful and not have people travel in COVID, we decided to take a leap - Amber and Adventure Instead were nothing but encouraging and helpful throughout the entire process. 4) The day of - Everything was taken care of by Amber - locations, timing, travel..she thought of everything! We started our day at Loveland Pass with the sweetest first look she coordinated, then had our ceremony at a gorgeous looking at Sapphire Point, hiked around, and then had an afternoon snowshoe at Clinton Gulch. I literally did not worry for even a second and Amber put us so at ease! I have never had so much fun - I didn't even realize we had photos taken!! Not just that..but she took some on her phone so she could share some immediate snaps with us so we had those until our actual photos! 5) The PHOTOS. They look like they came from a magazine. They capture all of our authentic moments perfectly and I didn't even realize Amber was taking photos most of the time!! At one point I turned around (I was twirling in the sun and snow in my dress!) and she was laying in the snow to capture the perfect shot. DEDICATION!! We had an absolute blast and could not have asked for a more perfect day. PLUS - Adventure Instead is woman owned , carbon neutral (hello earth!), LGBTQIA+ friendly - all things that were super important to us. Also - bonus? We got our sneak peeks in a handful of days and 500 photos (!!!) in just a few weeks!! And they're GORGEOUS. Thank you Amber and Adventure Instead!!!

Amber was our wedding photographer, and she was absolutely amazing. I stumbled across Adventure Instead a few years back and was adamant on booking with them for our wedding - it was the first detail we decided on. Amber was patient with us when it came to deciding on details (I’m an indecisive person) and gave us amazing advice along the way. She made us feel comfortable, loved, and brought out our inner adventurers! I always looked at the beautiful photos of other couples, and never imagined we could look that good in our own photos. We rock climbed, hiked, laughed, and cried, and it couldn’t have been more worth it. One thing that truly sets Amber apart from other photographers (other than talent) is that you can tell she loves what she does. She took the time to get to know us and encouraged us to make this day about us. Her passion for her work shows in her photos, and we were all in awe at how beautiful the photos came out. Looking at the pictures makes me tear up every time, and I am so thankful we followed through with booking. I could not imagine our wedding day any different. If you’re considering booking, do it. If you’re considering eloping/having a small intimate wedding, do it. It is so so SO worth it. I’ve had so many people tell me “your wedding photos have me reconsidering my traditional wedding plans.” We have every intention of booking Amber again down the road for a vow renewal. Until then, I will absolutely cherish the beautiful photos we have been blessed with. Thank you Amber !

We love the photos Tori took on our wedding day! We found Adventure Instead while trying to find the right elopement package online and was in love with the photos posted on their website and the idea of having a photographer that is also a guide and an officiant. Tori was very warm and patient, talking to her feels like she is one of your besties. She listened to our ideas and thoughts very carefully, and gave us a lot of inspirations for our wedding planing. Before our wedding day, Tori went to all of the spots to make sure the lights/locations/environments are perfect for our shooting. We really appreciated her for spending the time doing this ahead of time to make sure the spots chosen were private and beautiful, which were our top priority. During this process, she discovered another spot that was amazing for photo shooting but not on our original list. She suggested to add this spot, and it turns out to be an excellent decision. The photos we took there were better than we expected! In the beginning of the photo shoot, we were a little nervous and worried, but Tori gave us a small talk to help us relax and enjoy every second of our wonderful wedding day. We are grateful to have Tori be part of our big day and would strongly recommend Adventure Instead!!

Tori and Adventure Instead were like a breath of fresh air to my wife and I! We were quickly frustrated from trying to plan a traditional wedding, and then having a pandemic hit was the last straw. When having a large gathering was no longer possible or safe, we needed a plan B. We were going to elope October 2020 in central Oregon, but when the wildfires hit... we needed a plan C! And ended up eloping still in October but on the Oregon coast. The day was still amazing, incredibly fun, the photos turned out beautiful and we could not be happier with all of it. If you're considering this route, I would encourage you to pursue it, and I wouldn't recommend anyone else but Adventure Instead! Tori was so flexible, empathetic, great at listening, supportive, communicative, and helpful. I think we all became best friends.

I had been following Adventure Instead on Instagram for a few years so by the time we got engaged, we had called and booked with them only 4 days after the proposal! The initial contact was quick and professional and we knew we were in good hands from the start. Tori was responsive to all our questions and the communication was open and flexible as we had just begun to plan in March 2020 (hello COVID-19). We got engaged in March and married in October, a quick turn around but we never felt like anything was rushed. Tori did a thorough job of presenting us with location and scheduling options for our two-day elopement. The resource guide for the area is something we will actually use for years to come! She also was very intentional in getting to know us in order to better prepare for our big day. As the wildfires raged in Oregon the month before our wedding, Tori was already presenting us with back up options that we luckily did not end up needing, but what a relief to know that someone was looking after us so that we didn't have to worry. Meeting Tori for the first time was like being reunited with an old friend. She did a great job of maintaining professionalism while at the same time making us feel comfortable in front of the camera throughout the weekend. Your wedding day should be spent surrounded by people who truly care about you and this is incredibly true of Tori and the Adventure Instead team. It's easy to see that all their photography work is incredible but it's also important to note that the people behind the cameras truly care more about your experience than any sort of photograph they might add to their portfolio. I cannot recommend Tori enough--you'd be lucky to have someone like her as a part of your wedding!

Adventure Elopement Photographers

My wife and I eloped in Aspen, Colorado as our wedding plans were canceled due to the pandemic. It was a blessing in disguise. We were able to drive to Colorado with our two pups (our officiant and witness since Colorado is a self-solemnizing state) and got married in a beautiful alpine lake setting. The whole process with Amber was easy, exciting, and stress free. We found a great hike in Aspen and Amber was great to communicate with the whole time. Our experience with her on the wedding day was also amazing as she was pleasantly interactive but also made us feel like there wasn't even a third person there and we were able to share intimate moments together. Our photographs came out beautifully and we were ecstatic about our whole experience. Amber went above and beyond that day too as we accidentally dropped our ring into the lake and she helped to get it out! We also went over our allotted time but Amber said nothing of it and we were never rushed. I would highly recommend eloping in an adventurous location and definitely recommend hiring Amber to capture the beautiful moments of that day.

Amber is an amazing person and photographer. We reached out to her almost a year in advance and she was instrumental in helping us pick out our location and supplied tons of tips and helpful advice. On the day of she arrived on time and immediately put us both at ease. She helped us to have an amazing day and captured the photos that will allow us to relive it again and again. It felt like we were in our very own Colorado fairy tale and Amber played a huge role in making that happen. Honestly, we can’t say enough good things. We were in love with our day and we love our photos. We are beyond grateful for our experience!

My husband and I eloped in WA with immediate family this past summer. Adventure Instead helped us plan the whole thing, from picking a perfect spot to day of logistics, Tori was amazing. We had some specifications for our spot, particularly wanted to be easily accessible for loved ones, but also wanted a nearby hike with big views for just us + Tori to go on and she did not disappoint! Even when we found out three weeks before our wedding that our original location couldn't accommodate us, she quickly found us just-as-amazing plan B and C options that also met our specifications and even recommended nearby lodging/restaurants. During the day of, Tori made us feel comfortable and completely ourselves and it came through authentically and beautifully in the photos. Cannot recommended them enough!

Adventure Instead, Tori specifically, was such an incredible experience and truly made our wedding day exactly what we wanted. She scouted locations, was helpful with answering questions, and made the found a place that we were dreaming of in our heads (which was no small task). ...And all of this was before COVID hit and wildfires squashed our intimate wedding dreams... it is here that I think sets Tori apart from other photographers. We went from a small intimate ceremony with 24 family members to just eloping the two of us. She became our one woman hype team. Her willingness to research and switch up plans in some rough times made us significantly less stressed even an extremely stressful time. As for the day of, she put us at complete ease. Told us to be ourselves, take in the day, and she would capture it along the way. There was no need to pose or “fake smile” at any point because she let us be us (which is saying something because I am an awkward photo taker). Her images she captured are beyond breathtaking. She scouted our locations the day before so she already knew the best place for us to take photos and have our ceremony. The 4 hours went by quickly and we enjoyed every minute of it. Using Adventure instead was hands-down the best wedding decision we made. I could not recommend more and will over share with anyone who asks how positive our experience was. Tori was an absolute delight to work with. We left the day feeling like we made a new friend - that is literally how she makes you feel.

My husband and I eloped in CO with Amber back in August, and it truly was a dream come true. I can truly say I was the most calm I have ever been in my life on my wedding day, and happy! Amber was such a sweetheart, and made us feel so comfortable working with her. She helped making the whole process stress free. I just received my photos today, and I am IN LOVE. I highly recommend to anyone who loves adventure to choose adventure instead to help with your big day!

My husband and I eloped in the San Juans in July after planning for two years. Our elopement day was the most amazing and adventurous day of our life! We even involved our immediate families. It was SO beautiful and stress-free. Amber is such a phenomenal photographer. There are no words to describe how beautiful the photos came out and how helpful Amber was every step of the way. Amber listened to our vision and ideas and built the most amazing day for us. Amber made us feel that our wedding day would be awesome and perfect every step of the way, including during the pandemic. We constantly look at the photos and want to relive these moments because they were truly INCREDIBLE. I already want to book a vow renewal adventure with adventure instead because of how much fun it was. We are so happy we decided to elope from the beginning. It was truly a day all about us, doing what we love together, hiking in the mountains.

We had a fantastic experience working with the Adventure Instead team with Tori as our photographer and planner. Tori was able to answer all of our questions and provided guidance and reassurance as our plans changed over time. She was always happy to offer multiple solutions whenever we hit a roadblock in our planning. It was wonderful having Tori as the only other person present during our wedding. She reminded us to take it all in and be fully present throughout the day. She cheered us on and seemed just as excited as we were to be getting married. She was also prepared with bug repellent and sunscreen when we needed it! Our pictures are absolutely beautiful and fully capture the feeling of the day. We never felt posed or not ourselves. I'm so glad to have the photos from Adventure Instead to relive our magical wedding day on the mountain! I know we'll enjoy them for years to come!

We had such an amazing experience with Amber & Adventure Instead from the very beginning! We especially appreciated the thoughtfulness and care that goes into the pre-elopement process where they send you questionnaires to get to know you and what you want from your day. Not only were they fun to complete together, but it meant a lot knowing the effort that Amber put in to getting to know us before photographing one of the biggest days of our lives! Amber is so discreet and skilled at what she does that we actually wondered if she took enough photos when the hike was over, because we hardly noticed her taking them! Of course once our sneak peek photos came in...WITHIN 24 HOURS...we realized how many awesome shots she had gotten. Then....there's COVID. Amber and the rest of the team worked with us to adjust our package when we realized our family couldn't travel and it was just going to be the 2 of us. From waking up in the middle of the night to meet us for a sunrise hike...to running back UP the mountain on our way down when we realized we lost my husband's boutonniere(!)...to turning over our sneak peek photos in 24 HOURS and the rest of them within a month...Amber is the best and we would recommend her to any couple looking for an intimate, unique, unforgettable elopement experience!

Our elopement day was absolutely beautiful, stress-free, and adventure-filled all thanks to Maddie Mae and her talented team at Adventure Instead! We decided on an elopement before the pandemic because we really wanted a day that reflected our values, and this company delivered on those values and our hopes tenfold. We highly recommend Adventure Instead! Not only are we absolutely thrilled with the final product of our photos, but Adventure Instead really helped us long before our actual elopement day. They assisted us in homing in on what our perfect location would be (since we were coming into Colorado from out of state). Their knowledge of locations, hikes, and alpine lakes was incredibly helpful, and of course made the planning easier. Before our big day, we video chatted with Maddie Mae so she could show us how the sun would look at specific times in our exact location, helping us pick our ceremony time and plan our hike. She even shared the links to the same pack raft and paddle she had so that all three of us could get to an island for the ceremony. On the day of our elopement, we met up with Maddie Mae and we both felt very comfortable with her as we hiked up to our location. Her willingness to paddle all of her photography equipment to an island to allow us to have an incredibly unique and intimate ceremony was really amazing and we so greatly appreciated it. Although she was on the island with us while we exchanged our vows, she was able to keep some distance to allow us to have that moment, just the two of us. And she was still able to capture each and every beautiful moment! We paddled back to the shore and had a lovely little picnic and read letters from our families, all while Maddie Mae took the most gorgeous photos. Even for our portraits, she instructed us to pretend she wasn't there, and in so many ways, the photographs capture the small glances, intimate reaches, and happy, knowing smiles as if it really was just the two of us there all evening long. The photos speak for themselves, but this team is also incredibly professional and responsive to questions. If you have had your heart set on a romantic getaway in the beautiful outdoors, trust Adventure Instead with your elopement or intimate wedding - you will not be disappointed!

As someone who is a photography aficionado myself, I set the bar really high when it came to finding a photographer for my own elopement. Someone who can get the perfect lighting, play with angles/depth-of-field, capture us in our best element, get the perfect exposure…my partner and I went through a lot of photographers’ portfolios, but Adventure Instead’s photos jumped out with their punchy yet natural editing style. Their images were vivid, warm, natural, clean, and composed to feature the couple without losing sight of the stunning scenery. We submitted a request on their website, and very quickly, Tori reached out. From our initial consultation, Tori was friendly - and a trove of information. She explained the concept of an elopement and how it fit into our wedding vision. She also walked us through her packages and helped break down which worked best for the locations/timeline we had in mind (We knew exactly where we wanted to elope to, but if you don’t - Adventure Instead can 100% help recommend). We booked with Tori in February 2020 for a July elopement. Shortly after, COVID hit, which put a cloud of uncertainty over our plans. Tori was immensely encouraging and accommodating throughout the process. Because we weren’t planning to bring any family or friends, and our elopement date was rather far away, Tori suggested that we continue preparing what we could for it, and that she’d help evaluate the go/no go situation as the date neared. From sending us guides on where to shop for dresses/suits, giving suggestions on props to bring, keeping track of COVID situations, applying for a national park permit…Tori played the roles of our elopement mentor, photography professional, friend, and confidant (with whom I gossiped about dresses, styles, planning...). Two weeks from the elopement date, Tori reached out to know that while she had everything booked and was ready for our big day, she’d only do it if we felt 100% comfortable. Otherwise, we could reschedule for a later date on her calendar without hassle/cancelation fees. We were bullish about the situation, so we greenlit the trip on our end, but we were grateful that she put our health/comfort level/best interests in mind. Because of the multitude of exchanges we had with Tori, we felt like we were catching up with an old friend when we met her on morning of our elopement day. She was literally the nicest person - during the shoot, she gave simple instructions, and nudged us to only do things that we usually do/interact normally as if we were spending time together. Anyone who knows me knows that I’m one of the most awkward posers, but Tori did not explicitly ask us to “pose”. Her style is “you do you, and let me worry about the photos.” In hindsight, looking at the photos which Tori delivered way ahead of what the contract required, I was truly surprised by how candid, pretty, happy, and cute my partner and I look when we…show each other affection and interact in our normal way (hey, confidence boost!) So, if you are looking for someone who is more than just a photographer, knowledgable about elopement, able to uncover your inner model that you didn’t know existed, makes you comfortable, creates a magical day, is accommodating, and delivers rad photographs you can keep for a lifetime, Tori is your girl! And going with Adventure Instead is one of the best choices I had made in life, second only to choosing my partner with whom I got to spend this wonderful elopement with.

My wife and I eloped in Oregon in July and Tori made sure that it was the most perfect day either of us could have ever imagined. From the very first time we had contact with Adventure Instead, they were very responsive and incredibly helpful. When we decided to go with them, we were assigned Tori and she instantly made us feel so comfortable and helped us out every step along the way. She gave us a whole list of different places we could go, vendors for pretty much anything you’d need. Since she is very familiar with the area, she was able to answer any questions we had. Our wedding day was absolutely perfect. We were able to go to 3 different waterfalls and got tons of incredible photos. We actually just got our photo album back yesterday and were blown away at how good they came out. We were so comfortable all day and she was a joy to be around. Thank you so much Tori and the entire Adventure Instead team for the best experience we’ve ever had and will never forget. 🥂100/10

My husband Taylor and I knew that we wanted to elope but the details were vague, we did not really know where to start. Then we met Amber! She not only helped us work out the big picture (location planning, marriage license details) but she assisted with all the simple yet important details like how to hike with your bouquet in your backpack and where to find the best cake. Amber made our day SO incredibly special by paying close detail to everything that we wanted to capture and made our day feel so real and candid unlike a typical wedding day, which is what we really wanted. The images that we received from her were delivered well under the expected time frame provided and they were unreal. She is more than just a wedding photographer she is a life-capturing artist. All in all, we are more than pleased with the services we received from Amber and the Adventure Instead team. Additionally, the vendors list provided by Amber offered top notch hair and make-up artists, florists, and bakeries located in your area in which you will elope and is much recommended as it made the details of our day come together with ease. I will recommend Amber and Adventure Instead to anyone and everyone I know that plans to get married. Go elope!

Amber from Adventure Instead was truly INCREDIBLE and a dream to work with! Amber is not only an artist at what she does, but ultimately became our wedding planner and coordinator as well. My husband and I were so nervous about planning an elopement from out of state, but Amber set our minds at ease right away. From the minute we spoke with her, we felt like we hired one of our best friends. She helped us plan everything, from our dream location, to suggestions on how to hike with flowers in my backpack. She sent endless breathtaking location options based on our vision and helped create a timeline for our perfect day. My husband and I were a little concerned about being camera shy and introverted, but she truly made us feel comfortable every step of the way. She captured the raw emotion we felt on that day in the most beautiful way and our pictures turned out better than we could have ever imagined. Amber was incredibly thoughtful about letting us have our intimacy but was still able to capture the magic we felt every single moment of that special day. I honestly don't think we could have pulled this together without Amber and we are forever grateful to have found Adventure Instead to help make our day extra special and one we will never forget.

I can’t even put into words how amazing Adventure Instead is. Tori could not have been any more perfect!! When we decided to elope our biggest concern was location; we wanted to feel really small and be somewhere that would take our breath away. Tori helped us decide on our bucket list location of New Zealand from our first phone call. Once we had a location set we had no idea how much research she would provide us to narrow down where we wanted to spend our hours with her together and get married. I think we had over 40 pages of potential locations, and all of them were on point with what we were looking for! Tori helped us to plan a day that would be fun and allow us to see so many beautiful spots. The day before we met up, she even went out and scouted multiple locations so we would have back ups and options. Even though it rained on our wedding day (good luck!!) we had such a blast and made the most of our elopement day. Then we had two more days where we spread out our hours and those days were so fun filled and relaxed too!! I think my favorite moment was after our first look (lots of tears were shed), we were all emotional and Tori put away the camera after she got the shots and talked to us as my husband and I held each other. She talked about how today was about us and she wanted us to focus on each other and to not worry about getting good pictures because she would get those. She reminded us to think of all the good times we have had in the 8 years of our relationship. It was so calming and heartfelt and just made us feel so comfortable from the get-go. We never felt posed or awkward, she really made us feel comfortable and would encourage us to be snuggly and cute like we would if no one was around. I honestly was worried we’d come off awkward because my husband is super shy and we don’t like PDA, but our photos could not be more beautiful!! I still cry when I look at them!! Our families and friends were able to understand why we wanted to elope as soon as they saw those pictures. When my husband and I went through them we were so shocked we were captured so beautifully as us being ourselves, you can see the happiness in all of the pictures. If you are on the fence about eloping, or on the fence about hiring Adventure Instead versus another elopement photographer, search no further and book them. You will not regret it, they are so much more than photographers. They truly love what they do and have this down to a science so that your day can be a true reflection of you two as a couple and you’ll have the best experience possible.

Working with Maddie and the rest of the team at Adventure Instead was nothing short of perfect. From our first phone call through the day our photos were delivered, Maddie was incredibly accommodating, responsive, and helpful. Her excitement for our elopement was infectious and her expertise on how to plan, prepare, research, etc. was absolutely incredible. My wife and I like to plan things out to a T but Maddie was so willing and excited to help and in some cases, completely take over so that we could relax and enjoy everything going on around us. If you're unsure of whether or not you want to pull the trigger on eloping with Adventure Instead, do it!

Amber was so amazing to work with! My husband Chris and I are beyond grateful that she encouraged us to make our day truly about us and helped make it a day that we will never forget. The photos turned out incredible and we are so happy we hired Adventure Instead. We drove to the Sand Dunes and Amber was a perfect guide throughout the entire day. We had a lot of ups and downs to deal with (food poisoning, unexpected freezing weather, hail on our motorcycle ride, etc) and she handled it all like a champ, I’m not sure what we would have done without her. She clearly has a huge passion for her work and it truly shows in her stunning photos. We finally created a photo album and can’t wait to have that as our first wedding heirloom! Thanks for everything Amber. If you’re on the fence about eloping, do it! : )

Wow! What an experience! We are so grateful for the time spent with Adventure Instead and Amber. She helped with everything we could think of from the day we initially reached out to our elopement day and after. They were quick to reply to all of our questions/worries going through the process which is a huge deal when you're doing something like this. We weren't looking for a production, we were looking for an adventure. Which is exactly how we aim for our marriage to be and it's exactly what we got. Thanks so much for making our day the one to remember. I can not recommend their service and team enough. Do what you want! And make sure it's what YOU want, not what others want. We did that and it could not have been more rewarding.

We cannot thank Maddie Mae enough for guiding and supporting us through the journey of eloping. It was so much fun working with her. We are SO grateful for all the time and energy she put in to make our dream day come true, it was truely magical and a story of our lives I will treasure and hold so close , it would not have been the same without Maddie, she is honestly the guru of elopements. She isnt just a photographer but an epic planner , it was honestly a breeze working with her, we never once doubted her capabilities in the whole planning process. obvioulsy having an outdoor day you never know whats in store but Maddie is so adaptive and has a solution and plan for every possible situation that may come along. All her future couples are so lucky to have her help plan and capture their day. Maddie is a phenomenal photographer and has a true gift in bringing the best out of her couples. Maddies energy, enthusiasim and care for her couples knows no bounds. I cannot stop looking through all the photos with the biggest grin on my face and tears in my eyes, my heart is overflowing with happiness reliving our magical dream wedding. The photos are just so so beautiful Maddie captured everything perfectly with so much attention and emotion, we couldnt have asked for more, we LOVE them so so much and will treasure them so dearly. everyone that sees them are just blown away

I cannot say enough wonderful things about Maddie Mae and her team. We had the most incredible experience from start to finish. Maddie's compassion shines through in everything she does from your first conversation - she is so knowledgeable in location scouting, prepping for the weather, knowing which time of day (sunrise vs sunset) your photos will look best and has the best vendor recommendations! Our sunrise hike with her was better than we could have ever imagined. Maddie ensured we were comfortable and even gave us time to ourselves to soak in the sunrise - Matt and I felt like the only 2 people in the world on our wedding day. Maddie also had a quick turn around for a sneak peek so that we could show our friends and family at our separate reception back in PA and I am SO grateful for that! Her photos brought tears to so many people's eyes. Our photos are works of art and she captured our emotions in the most beautiful way. THANK YOU times a million to Adventure Instead for giving us the most unforgettable experience of our lives. Also, props to Bessie for letting me send my dried bouquet to their office 4 days before our wedding so that I could stop freaking out about how it was going to get there from Pittsburgh, PA :)

If you’re on the fence, take the leap - It will be your best decision. Maddie Mae is not just a photographer. Anyone can take wedding pictures, but very few create art. I have worked as a model and had countless professional pictures taken of me. Yet, this is the very first time I have seen my real self captured, genuine feelings. that's unique. The pictures are so pure and truly reflect all the magic we felt those days. I love the shots where she has captured small expressions of my husband that I love so much - those expressions that are so difficult to freeze in time. It's worth more than I can express. ------------------- To be honest, Maddie did most of the planning. We just showed up with our wedding attire in our backpacks and had a really great time - the weather in Lofoten that day was gloomy and not as expected. But it just made our day more special. It might for some seem weird to spend such a private day with two people you haven't met before, but it all felt so natural. Maddie's husband Alistair was kind enough to come along and made everything so easy. He helped a ton with controlling our crazy, needy dog as well. They are the coolest couple and I am so grateful that we were able to spend our wedding day with them. I couldn't be happier. Warmly recommended. xx

My husband and I are beyond in love with our wedding photos and that's solely based off a 20 photo sneak peak! We spent our day with Amber and had so much fun letting her get a glimpse of our lives together. We started our day hiking and rappelling in Estes Park and she captured some gorgeous photos of my husband and I doing something we love together. She was so professional and so fun to be around and we got a ton of compliments from our family and friends about how smooth the portraits went after the ceremony. Thank you so much Amber. It was truly a perfect day and we are so grateful to have those memories captured from your creative eye for the rest of our lives.

John and Melanie K. First, Tori was wonderful and so great to work with! Our process with Adventure Instead was simply amazing! Our planning stages before the elopement date was well planned due to the fact we had a few months to get our vendors and wedding things together. Of course there is stress before the Big Day but I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day and setting. We asked Tori many questions on our location and how long our adventure was. We knew what vendors we wanted to go with and she also recommended many vendors to help us through the process! They have so many sources so it did help so greatly. Because we planned so well the elopement day had no hiccups. (Only thing was John popped our raft to do our vows on the island) BUT it worked better in our favor. She helped us find another location to read our vows and also helped my wife when she felt a little nervous at the top of the mountain! It honestly felt like Tori wasn’t there and the pictures are so beautiful! We were both in awe of all the beauty around us! We wanted a location that wasn’t far from where we were staying in Denver and also wanted Lost Lake because we grew up on a the lake in the Carolinas. Tori knows exactly what she is doing and she wanted us to feel like she wasn’t there and made sure the day was about us and how we wanted! We had so much fun and we even talked about going back to our location in the future..possibly with our kids..when that time comes. I think everyone can agree on the fact that the pictures are breathtaking and captured our love for each other. It was a very emotional day and we were so glad we incorporate music into our day. We had our “let’s get married” playlist going all day with our favorite bands and songs! If anyone is on the fence about doing an elopement, we would say just do it! We had no stress with time, family, or friends..it was just us three! I never imagined doing this but we are so happy that we made the decision to do it for OURSELVES. At the end of the day it is about US. We spent a lot of time in Denver going to the best restaurants and going to Red Rocks. John’s family was a little upset about the elopement at first but when they saw the previews of our big day, they realized how beautiful it was and how great the pictures were..his family still talks about the pictures and how great they are! We had a little bit of everything on our day. It got hot at one point, rained a little, got cold and windy, had a beautiful sunset and a full moon that day! The best part was when we had our ceremony and read our vows to each other, it was very emotional for both of us but the whole time we didn’t even notice Tori and she truly captured our love and emotions! We can’t wait to venture to Washington in the future and we will he contacting Tori when we go! We hope to see you in the future, and again thank you soooo much Adventure Instead and Tori, you guys made it perfect and stress free! <3

If you are on the fence about choosing Adventure Instead because of price or you feel anxious about where you’d go - anything - stop what you’re doing right now (well, maybe after this review) and reach out to Maddie, Amber or Tori. I am telling you choosing Adventure Instead was hands down the best decision we have ever made. My husband and I knew we wanted our wedding day to be about US. Spending quality time together, making memories without any stress and staying authentic. We also wanted wedding photos that looked like art. What Tori gave us was beyond our wildest dreams. From the very second we reached out, she helped us feel good about the cost and start brainstorming badass locations based on our lifestyle and the things we like. I cannot stress enough that you get what you pay for. 100% and much much more. Tori says in contact with you the entire time, she’s up for anything and it seems like is continually doing research to make sure you don’t have to worry about a THING. She even was so kind to stop on her way from another wedding a couple months before ours and scout out our location, find a perfect first look spot and send us videos of the whole thing!! She’s so flexible with you and your family and just seriously the sweetest lil badass you’ve ever met. The day of we were nervous because we aren’t super lovey dovey in public. Not only does she give you lots of time to soak it all in, but she takes the time to encourage you both to hold hands, reflect and be in the moment. I was nervous about posing and EVERY day thing suggests or captures turned out unbelievable!! Oh, another thing we were on the fence about is wanting to be alone with nature to say our vows BUT also wanted not to be close to a town to spend the weekend. She helped us find both! A beautiful secluded canyon top and then jumped in her car and followed our limo from the trailhead to an orchard! My family adored her and you become to comfortable you forget she’s running, climbing and jumping around capturing the best lighting and the best moments. I really feel like the whole process of choosing Adventure Instead brought my husband and I closer together. From start to finish it’s truly such a memorable, personal and special experience. My family and friends who experienced it all want to or wish they would have eloped. Our wedding day truly wouldn’t have been the same if it weren’t for Tori and Adventure Instead. Check out Adventure Instead’s Instagram page and look for Sami and Trey to see what I’m describing (he’ll be in the cowboy hat) ELOPE! :)

Working with Maddie Mae of Adventure Instead was absolutely one of the best choices we could have made for our wedding. She brings an organizational skill, professionalism, resourcefulness and enthusiasm that is unparalleled and so necessary when planning a wedding! From reading the Adventure Instead website, blog, and IG posts, I could tell that we shared a common idea of what makes a wedding day special and great. Throughout the planning process, Maddie did so much to get to know us, understand our wants/needs, and take so much care in the planning process. She really thought of everything! She also made great recommendations for hair/makeup artist (didn't think ANYONE would come to our cabin at 1am, but she knew someone!) and helped the day go so smoothly. The day-of, she came to our cabin at 2:15am and brought an AMAZING energy to the day. My husband and I were immediately at ease. Our day could not have gone better, the hike was a BLAST, Maddie was so sweet to our dog and found such a great way to incorporate him, we got to our spot right as the sun was starting to come up and the photos were INCREDIBLE. She reminded us to be present, take in the moment, and gave us so many intimate moments to say our vows and do our ring exchange. It really was the perfect day and all of our family and friends are raving about the photos. Would love to work with Maddie again and again and again!

I hardly know where to begin with reviewing this absolutely amazing photographer. Deciding to elope was the best wedding decision we made, and hiring Adventure Instead was the second. Working with Amber was incredible. From the very beginning, she made us feel extremely comfortable and at ease, which I especially appreciated as we were planning our elopement from out of state. She stepped in as not only our photographer, but also as a planner and consultant. The time taken to get to know us both over email and phone calls cannot be understated. She listened to what we were hoping for in our ideal location and sent us a detailed list of so many options that fit our criteria, including photos and suggestions for each spot. Especially being from another state, communication was huge for me during every stage of planning, and she was incredibly prompt at returning my numerous emails and answering all our questions to make me feel so comfortable along every step of the way. When it came time for our actual ceremony, she was the best mix of incredibly professional and wonderfully friendly, I instantly felt like I was in the presence of a good friend already. I cannot begin to express how wonderful our wedding day was, because not only was I marrying the love of my life, but also because Amber took great care in making sure we were able to truly enjoy every moment together and just be ourselves. For anyone who has ever felt awkward during a photo session or uncomfortable being posed in ways that are not natural to you and your significant other, Amber made the experience the complete opposite. She let us be completely ourselves and gave us a little direction when needed to make for the best photo opportunity. We hiked in the Rocky Mountains during sunset and even took a night walk around a lake and took some amazing night time shots. All my family and friends cannot stop commenting on how stunning and gorgeous every single photo looks! It was the most beautifully epic experience I could have ever asked for on my wedding day, I will be able to look back and say I truly loved every single moment, and one of the reasons we were able to do so was because of Amber. Amber and Adventure Instead truly lived up to their namesake- for anyone who wants to skip the big wedding stress and have an adventure instead, this is the very best decision you can make.

It's difficult to write a review that does Maddie's work justice. Hiring Maddie as our photographer was one of the best decisions we made! The day before our wedding the ferry running to the island we were supposed to say our vows was canceled due to weather. Last minute, she helped us find a secluded cave less than 2 minutes from our place for the ceremony, and a few "off the beaten path" waterfalls for photos. She went above and beyond to turn a stressful situation into a positive. She was instrumental in making the experience fun and stress free, and the results show that. Having her around for the day was like having an old friend around. Hire Maddie! You won't regret it!

I cannot say enough wonderful things about Maddie Mae Photography! I realized a few years ago that I did not want to have a big, traditional wedding and I stumbled upon Maddie Mae Photography's Instagram page. I immediately knew that I wanted to have an adventure elopement. When we began working with Amber, she helped us choose a location by getting to know us as a couple as well as our desires for our wedding day. She provided us with tons of information regarding what to wear, flower options, local makeup options, etc...They practically became our wedding planners! We are pretty shy individuals who had never had professionals photo of us taken before, so we were a bit nervous about spending our wedding day with a photographer we had never met before. However, Amber was so incredibly nice and genuine, that we had absolutely nothing to be worried about! She was amazing to work with and made us feel so comfortable. And the best part is, our wedding photos turned out better than we could have ever dreamed. They truly captured the essence of our wedding day. I would recommend Maddie Mae Photography to anyone and everyone who is thinking about eloping on their wedding day!

We are absolutely thrilled with our photos. They are breathtaking! Our memories of that day will always come to life through your photos. We are so happy that fate crossed our paths. We started planning a traditional wedding and soon found ourselves stressed and unhappy. We lost sight of what we truly wanted and that was to be together, in love saying our vows. Then I saw the photos you took of a couple that had gotten married on Mt. Evans and something clicked in me. Why were we even doing this? I found your website, your Instagram and read many of your posts. We were deeply inspired. Your explanations of elopements took the words we couldn’t find right out of our mouths. You captured pure joy in every couple you photographed. We saw nothing but authenticity. You made us realize that we didn’t have to follow tradition and that we could create a day that was truly ours, meaningful to who we are. It was decided, we were no longer going to plan a traditional wedding that never felt right. We were going to get married doing the very thing that has brought us joy and happiness over the eight years we have shared our lives. From that point on we felt such relief and the excitement we once had for our wedding day had returned. The planning was fun, carefree and all about us and what we wanted. Maddie answered every question we had and offered an abundance of advice and suggestions on wedding attire, location, food, and activities. She is truly an expert and had thought of everything. You know from the very moment you book her that you will be taken care of down the even the smallest of detail. Her knowledge was astonishing, and she was only a quick email, text or call away. We couldn’t wait for our day to arrive. Soon the day came, and we met Maddie for the first time just before 2 am. Her infectious personality made it effortless to enjoy her company. She made us feel not like clients, but like friends. Maddie didn’t waste any time starting to take pictures of the entire journey from the moment we started four wheeling up the trail to the moment we reached the bottom over 8 hours later on our way back to our condo. The second she started snapping photos, I knew how truly excited she was to be there. This wasn’t a job for her, but a true passion. I felt like the day was going to bring her just as much joy as it would bring us. It is a truly different feeling to know that someone cares that deeply. I had wondered if our photos would ever turn out as well as her others, or if she would be just as proud of the photos, she took of us as she was her countless other couples. All those worries slipped away when we reached the lake and started getting ready. Maddie has this knack for bringing out the best in you, for making you smile endlessly. I felt like the most beautiful person on Earth that day. I can be so awkward in photos and that was one of my biggest concerns. I was worried that there was no way I could take such pretty pictures. It was impossible to have even the slightest moment for thoughts like that while you were with Maddie. She coached and moved you in a way that didn’t feel posed, or unnatural and she made it fun, and meaningful. The day was truly amazing and one we are sure not to forget, not only because it was our wedding day, but because we laughed, we cried and truly had a blast. We were exhausted with happiness. It was everything our hearts desired and we simply could not have done it without you!

Having Amber as our photographer for our elopement was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. After making a firm decision to elope just the two of us, filtering through elopement vendors was a bit overwhelming coming from the east coast and visiting CO for the first time. Amber responded to all of my questions quickly and so patiently! We were provided with detailed recommendations for different aspects of our day that I may have never considered. We were provided with visual examples of potential locations, lengths of excursions, and our own day-of timeline. Although we chose to get married with only the company of each other, it really felt like we had our OWN wedding day. Our pictures were received on time, I get emotional looking at them because I can just feel how happy we were. I would not change a single second of our experience.

Maddie is in a league of her own! There needs to be a new category to include Maddie because her photography is other-worldly. She was the very first vendor I hired once we got engaged and she was worth everything! As an out-of-state-bride, I was nervous about planning for our intimate wedding in CO, but Maddie helps with much more than just taking pictures the day of. She assisted us with finding a gorgeous ceremony site, first look site, and the spot we took our gorgeous sunset couple's photos. Maddie helped us with our timeline and directing our guests to make the day flow smoothly. We have only received our preview photos so far but our friends and family are already blown away by the few pics we have so far! I can't wait to see them all!!!! Hire Maddie NOW!

If you are looking for a wedding/elopement that is the most amazing, adventurous, intimate, and meaningful day of your life, look no more! Maddie is absolutely the photographer for you! Not many people, let alone photographers, want to hike up to 13,000 feet at 3 am for the sunrise, but Maddie is up for challenge! Initially my husband and I were going to have a big wedding which made us feel anxious since we find peace in being outside and alone with our dogs. It took 5 minutes of me stumbling across Maddie’s website to determine that a hiking elopement was a better fit for my husband and I, and that Maddie was our girl! Her images capture the beauty of a couple and the outdoors perfectly. After reaching out to Maddie we immediately felt comfortable and confident with her and the advice she gave.She was ready to go on any hike no matter the challenge and was also excited that we wanted to bring our dogs with us! Maddie helped us by providing a document full of locations and options we could use for our hike and small ceremony as well as advice for hair and makeup, flowers, and clothing. She is extremely knowledgeable on the timing of the day and her preparedness mixed with her enthusiasm made us feel beyond excited for our day. On our elopement day we met Maddie at the trailhead at 3 am to begin our hike up to 13,200 feet. My husband and I are generally camera shy, but Maddie made us feel comfortable. She really is a pro at coaching you through and giving direction of what to do. She also encouraged us to explore around the trail which made for some awesome memories and shots. It was so magical and we are thankful that she included our dogs in the photos as well! After our hike we had a small ceremony at the trailhead. Maddie choose the perfect spot for us to setup and was great with our family as well. The photos from our day are breathtaking. Maddie was able to capture our love for each other and the outdoors. This girl really knows what she is doing! Our photos remind us of the most perfect and fun day. Maddie is truly a gem and we absolutely recommend her if you want to have an intimate, adventurous, and beautiful day.

Search no more! We visited WY in July 2018 for our small wedding. We are from MD so we planned our entire trip via social media, web research & a lot of Trip Advisor reviews! We found Maddie Mae Photography through Instagram. Go ahead &treat yourself, take a look at their work. The photos are moody, dramatic, clean & artistic. After our first inquiry, we had a phone date with Amber so we could get to know each other. She is easy to talk to & sooo happy! We were excited to move ahead. Planning a destination wedding blind is tough! We invited 12 close family members along with us so we wanted to make our time together unforgettable. Amber helped us by making suggestions for restaurants, for our day ahead engagement shoot as well as our ceremony location. We kept in touch A LOT! It felt like she really cared about our day as much as we did. Once we finalized our details, it was time to make our long trip west. We met Amber for the very first time the day before our wedding. She is absolutely the cutest thing, super smiley & having never had professional pictures taken of us before - she made that so very easy on us. We shared an Oxbow Bend sunrise, explored Signal Mountain & ran through a wide open field with the Tetons as our backdrop. WHAT?! We saw a bear, a coyote, Elk & even a wild chicken doing a mating dance for a seemingly annoyed female who already had a baby to care for. Laughter was a big part of that morning. Amber planned to come to our VRBO on wedding day at 3pm, sure enough, right on time! She went unnoticed & made sure to get all the details photographed. She was able to capture our calm morning/early afternoon at home with our family perfectly. When it was time to leave, she pitched in just like a best friend would & helped us gather needed items then joined in the caravan to Schwabacher's Landing (a must see!). We hadn't thought for one minute about possible rain. Wouldn't you know it, the storm came & stayed just long enough for our entire ceremony. A hiccup that could easily ruin any brides big moment, was easily quickly tempered with Amber's calm & cool approach. She made my husband feel confident as he was setting up the landing for our ceremony then came to get me in the car & said "If we're going to do this, let's do it now." Her mood set the tone & we had the most epic wedding day. Our entire group was drenched, but boy were we smiling! Afterward, we were blessed with DOUBLE rainbow. Looking at Amber as we were basking in the after wedding love glow was a highlight. She was smiling from ear to ear, so incredibly happy to be doing what she loves with people who are in love. I can't express how much that meant to us. Having flown across the country, sight unseen, hiring a complete stranger to capture our most precious event we couldn't have been more confident we made the right choice in Maddie Mae Photography. We were lucky enough to work with Amber & our trip to WY is burned in our memory as the best trip of our lives. She was a big part of that & she's an absolute gem. She got our photos to us quicker than the projected timeline. They are ridiculous good! Do yourself a favor & just hire Maddie Mae Photography, you'll die from happiness. You're welcome!

We are so beyond thrilled we chose Maddie Mae Photography. She was a huge part of making our day perfect. She made us feel comfortable in front of the camera and caught moments that we didn't even realize were happening until we saw them in film. Maddie found the perfect location, worked with the florist and coordinated the day, she is far more than just a photographer. Maddie's passion for elopements and her authenticity is evident and exactly what we needed. We will never be able to thank Maddie enough, we will cherish these photos and our experience for a lifetime. So many people have said to us "you did it right" and we truly did. Our day was about us, what we wanted to say, how we wanted to feel and it was perfect.

Amber was awesome. She made us feel so comfortable. You would think meeting a stranger for the first time and then having them follow you around for a few hours would be kind of awkward. However, she was so easy going and really made our day amazing. We were coming in from out of town so she spent time giving us tips or suggestions. I think our pictures really show how comfortable we felt - there were no stiff poses, but just natural and happy! She gave us a sneak peak before we even boarded the plane and the rest followed in time frame she gave us beforehand. It was completely worth the investment and we would definitely recommend her to anyone.

I can not say enough about the amazing photos Amber from Maddie Mae Photography did and how helpful she was leading up to the photo shoot. First-we planned this in a month and we had one day in Rocky Mountain National Park to figure this out! The photos are so magical it leaves me breathless each and every time. Amber was so helpful leading up to the day, it was like having an elopement planner. When I started stressing, she had already pulled together the most comprehensive set of ideas, locations, timelines, and hikes into an amazing portfolio to help us narrow down our decisions. On questions from dress, style location, timeline she was there to help. Her artistic ability is amazing.

Maddie is AMAZING. I had not idea what to expect, she actually made our wedding day about us! She made us feel 100% comfortable, it was not awkward in front of the camera at all. She had so many different exercises we could do as a couple to connect and be in the moment on our big day which can be hard to do. She kept taking us back and slowing us down so we could enjoy the moment with eachother and not get caught up in the fast paced wedding day schedule, not to mention she is amazingly talented and as soon as I met her I knew I had nothing to worry about. She captured everything single detail and more! She is such a sweetheart. My best decision of my wedding as far as vendors go :D

We are so lucky to have had Maddie capture our wedding day!! Eloping was something we always wanted to do but making sure it was captured in the best way possible was super important to us (I'm also a wedding photographer, so photography was very high on my priority list). Maddie captured our day perfectly. She was helpful from the very beginning of booking her all the way to the days leading up to our elopement. She has a wonderful way with words to put us at ease and in the moment to get all the best shots. Looking back on our photos it feels like we are reliving the moment and I couldn't ask for anything more!

My husband and I are both in agreement that hiring Maddie was without a doubt the best decision we made for our wedding! Maddie is so much more than a photographer - she found us an amazing trail to hike for our photos, helped create a realistic day-of timeline, and even patiently taught me how to drive on rough 4WD roads on the way to the trailhead. Maddie goes above and beyond what you would expect from a wedding/elopement photographer. She provides so much detailed information that wouldn't have even crossed my mind in the planning process. What kind of dress do you wear for an adventure elopement? What do you pack? How do you do your hair and makeup while hiking? She's seriously got it all covered in the files she sends you. So not only is Maddie amazingly detail oriented, she's also super easy to get along with. My husband and I are both shy, introverted, and a little awkward in front of a camera. We were instantly comfortable with Maddie; she gave us such a great pep talk right at the beginning that almost made us forget there was even a camera. We had such an amazing time hiking and exploring with Maddie on our wedding day. Even if you're not exactly sure what you want to do for your intimate wedding/adventure elopement, just talk to Maddie. She's got such a wealth of experience and seemingly endless great ideas; you really can't go wrong. After just one conversation with Maddie you can see just how passionate she is about her work. Just five stars doesn't do Maddie justice; she's an incredible photographer and person.

Where do we even begin? Working with Maddie was a fantastic experience. We were planning an intimate wedding to take place in Colorado from the east coast and she made planning so easy! Maddie gave my husband and I multiple “venue” options, a great local vendors list, and help with obtaining our marriage license. Our pictures were to die for! We love them & loved getting to create them with her. Maddie made the entire process comfortable and fun. We didn’t get to meet her in person until the actual day of our wedding & you would’ve thought we were meeting an old friend. We are so grateful to have found Maddie & would highly recommend her!

Maddie is genuinely the kindest person you will ever meet. Her virtues are so true and she deeply believes in the concept of eloping and you can see that from her photos. We haven’t even received our sunrise elopement album yet but I am leaving this review now because she meant that much for us (plus I know they will be amazing). She felt like family just tagging along with us on our hike and even tolerated our high maitenance loud mouth dog! She is so knowledgeable and great at what she does. If I could give her 400 stars I would!

Maddie Mae was amazing to work with! My husband and I had never gotten engagement shoot, so I knew I wanted a special person to capture our anniversary shoot. When we first moved to CO, I looked through 50+ photographers on Instagram and read all the reviews. For a person like myself, I knew what mattered would be capturing our true relationship on camera, as well as a genuine attitude to have fun and adventure! TBH, what I first look for in a photographer is their style of photography and capturing natural light! Completely fell in love with Maddie’s pictures at first sight! Contacted her in December, and we planned since then to shoot in March. From then on, she sent us ideas of locations where to shoot, how to prepare, and other suggestions (hair, clothing, etc.) For an A-type personality like me, I loved the information and advice while planning! From when we first met in-person, Maddie won me over by putting us at ease about how this shoot should be about us. Our shoot is now one of our favorite memories of my husband and I! She never made us feel awkward in front of the camera, made it wonderfully fun, and I fell in love with all our photos! Neither of us are naturals in front of a lens, but she definitely blew us away with the high quality of our shoot! Our family and friends all commented on how beautiful the pictures were! Maddie Mae is such a caring person, and truly cares about capturing what you two truly have. I’m incredibly grateful and relieved we chose Maddie as our photographer! We have unforgettable memories of our adventure shoot, as well as amazing photos to keep! BOOK HER! You won’t regret it!

I cannot say enough great things about Maddie. I'm so ecstatic that we stumbled upon her site via a google search of elopements in CO. Maddie is truly a genius in her craft and is a hell of an artist. She went above and beyond in every aspect of being a photographer - she helped us plan our day, recommended other vendors, had Skype interviews with us to answer any and all questions, even went as far as to write us out an itinerary for our wedding day. My husband and I had an adventurous elopement - we said our vows on top of a golden sand dune in the Great Sand Dunes National Park. Maddie hiked with us all day and captured every magical moment. The pictures that she takes speak for themselves - they're amazing. She captures every intimate aspect of your day and invites you to be who you are as a couple. Not to mention that Maddie is so sweet and welcoming. She's such a people person and meshes so well with, I imagine, just about anyone. She really puts in the extra effort to make you feel comfortable and at ease throughout the entire process. I would recommend Maddie over and over again.