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Adventure Instead - Elopement Photographers and Guides

5 out of 5 stars and 106 reviews
5.0
(106)
best-of-weddings

Colorado, Pacific Northwest, USA, S. America, Asia, Europe

Call

About This Vendor

Intimate Weddings & Adventure Elopements

Hey there! We’re Maddie, Amber, and Tori, the team behind Adventure Instead! We are adventure elopement photographers who are passionately dedicated to helping couples embrace their brave and daring sides to create intimate, meaningful, and wildly different wedding experiences. We believe your wedding day should be a true reflection of your relationship and that you should enjoy every moment of your unique, adventurous day without anxiety, stress, or worry. Marriage is one of the greatest adventures; that’s why we think your day should look, feel, and be the truest reflection of you and your partner. We’re here to do more than just document your love story; we’re here to be your adventure partner, your wedding planner, and your cheerleader.

Details

Business Attributes
Woman-owned Business
Destination Weddings
Destination Wedding Packages
Photo Shoot Types
Bridal Portraits, Day After Session, Engagement, Trash The Dress
Photo & Video
Digital Files, Online Proofing, Photo, Printed Enlargements, Social Media Sharing, Wedding Albums
Photo & Video Styles
Artistic, Classic, Documentary, Dramatic, Lifestyle, Modern
Wedding Activities
Getting Engaged, Rehearsals & Parties, After Party, Wedding
Awards and Affiliations
Hall of Fame2022 Best of Weddings Winner2021 Best of Weddings Winner2020 Best of Weddings Winner2019 Best of Weddings Winner2018 Best of Weddings Winner2017 Best of Weddings Winner2016 Best of Weddings Winner

Pricing for Adventure Instead - Elopement Photographers and Guides

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Adventure Instead - Elopement Photographers and Guides Reviews

5 out of 5.0
106 reviews
5 Star
98%
4 Star
2%
3 Star
0%
2 Star
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1 Star
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Reviewed On 10/03/2022 by Stephanie B
I had followed Adventure Instead on Instagram for a few years and then the pandemic hit and they had a huge influx of people wanting to elope. I thought it would be too impossible by the time I got engaged in April 2021 that they would have spa...
ce OR I could afford it. I was dead wrong! I received a response really quickly from Maddie upon my first inquiry and from that point on, over a period of 1.5 years, the whole team would be incredibly accommodating to changing plans and locations. I ended up having a traditional wedding for family, but my husband and I were still able to live out our dream during a photo session with Maddie at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. Maddie is so incredibly knowledgeable about the process of finding the perfect spot(s) and covers everything you could possibly need for your elopement. Her team is well versed with the ins and outs of planning, and were incredibly respectful of my stress that came from changing plans. Even on our trip to Colorado there were several bumps along the way, but she made that day one of the best days of our lives. We just got our “sneak peek” and I feel so completely fulfilled. The whole process was so emotional and now I have these phenomenal photos which made it all worth it. Thanks a million, Adventure Instead!
Reviewed On 9/19/2022 by Holly C
My husband and I eloped in the PNW this past August. We had Tori as our photographer, and she was PHENOMENAL!! She really made the day perfect. We felt like we had known her for ages and we felt so comfortable having someone document our speci...
al day! She is so kind and an amazing photographer and person. The photos she shared in our sneak peeks were breathtaking, and I was so shocked that they are us!! I cannot wait to see the rest. Highly recommend!!
Reviewed On 7/18/2022 by Meghan G
The BEST decision we could of made! The women at Adventure Instead helped us plan our perfect day. They provided us with step by step information while making it personable. No stress, just excitement through the whole process. Amber was our am...
azing photographer! She was so kind and patient with us. On top of their excellent service, the photography is stunning!! We’re going to print out all our photographer . We highly recommend eloping with Adventure Instead. Thank you for providing us with such treasured memories!
Any questions?
Reviewed On 5/30/2022 by Denali M
Tori was an absolute dream to work with! She made our day flow so easily with no worries at all! Tori was there to help every step of the way with our elopement, including recommendations on things outside of our elopement day! She focuses on m...
aking sure that your and your partner feel comfortable and yourself so that the photos are so genuine. I could not recommend Adventure Instead enough! If you’re on the fence about hiring them, do it! You will not regret.
Reviewed On 12/26/2021 by Allie R
From the first email to the delivery of our photos and beyond, Amber and the team at Adventure Instead helped make our elopement special and absolutely perfect! They were professional, responsive, patient, and helpful. Amber helped us pick the ...
right location for the aesthetic we wanted, designed a timeline for us, and was available along the way. On our wedding day, Amber was there when we needed her, but otherwise a fly on the wall. The whole day felt so genuine and special. The photos speak for themselves. Just gorgeous. It takes a special person to facilitate someone else's elopement, capture tender and silly moments, do all the editing, offer helpful suggestions along the way, and not ever come off as intrusive or pushy. Amber was just so kind, a gentle energy, but also a powerhouse and so talented. The admin team at Adventure Instead is attentive and helpful. I can't speak for the other photographers, but I'm certain they share the same talent and professionalism. If you are considering Adventure Instead to photograph your elopement or small wedding, you should at least reach out! You won't be disappointed. We will cherish our photos and the memories we made that day for the rest of our lives. Thank you Amber, for making our day so perfect.
Reviewed On 11/06/2021 by Amanda d
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 beauti...
ful, magical day, and we couldn't recommend Adventure Instead more! ELOPE! and hire these amazing people!
Reviewed On 10/12/2021 by Taylor S
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 & photographe...
r and she was amazing!! Everything went to smoothly and felt so comfortable on such an important day
Reviewed On 9/27/2021 by Katie C
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!
Reviewed On 9/14/2021 by Qiao-An W
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 exci...
ted 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!
Reviewed On 9/12/2021 by Deepthi Z
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 m...
ade 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
Reviewed On 6/21/2021 by Jesse S
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 possibl...
e 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!
Reviewed On 4/06/2021 by Binita P
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 thoug...
ht 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!
Reviewed On 3/05/2021 by Mallory B
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 liv...
es 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!!!
Reviewed On 2/23/2021 by Mehgan F
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 whe...
n 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 !
Reviewed On 1/21/2021 by Tiffany H
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 gu...
ide 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!!
Reviewed On 12/22/2020 by David D
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 p...
ossible 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.
Reviewed On 12/22/2020 by Ashley G
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 han...
ds 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!
Reviewed On 11/26/2020 by Richard H
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 s...
tate) 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.
Reviewed On 11/20/2020 by Tabitha B
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 immed...
iately 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!
Reviewed On 11/11/2020 by Abby n
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 wan...
ted 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!
Reviewed On 10/26/2020 by Whitney W
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 o...
ur 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.
Reviewed On 10/02/2020 by Kendra H
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 comforta...
ble 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!
Reviewed On 9/18/2020 by Natalia S
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.
Reviewed On 9/04/2020 by Allison P
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 h...
appy 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!
Reviewed On 9/03/2020 by Chelsea D
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 w...
hat 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!
Reviewed On 9/01/2020 by Katherine S
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!
Reviewed On 8/22/2020 by R L
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.
Reviewed On 8/10/2020 by Colton F
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
Reviewed On 7/10/2020 by Lauren L
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 ass...
isted 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!
Reviewed On 4/30/2020 by Joe B
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 elop...
ement 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.
Reviewed On 1/31/2020 by Paige B
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.
Reviewed On 1/23/2020 by Mike L
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 fo...
r 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!
Reviewed On 12/21/2019 by Kate F
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 hire...
d 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! : )
Reviewed On 12/19/2019 by Zach P
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.
Reviewed On 12/16/2019 by jacilyn L
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 magic...
al 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
Reviewed On 11/27/2019 by Mariah T
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 i...
n 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 :)
Reviewed On 11/20/2019 by Mari-Louise Ø
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
Reviewed On 10/24/2019 by Lauren R
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 rappel...
ling 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.
Reviewed On 10/23/2019 by John K
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 vend...
ors 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
Reviewed On 10/22/2019 by Sami E
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 tellin...
g 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! :)
Reviewed On 9/23/2019 by Kayla W
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 wh...
en 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!
Reviewed On 6/21/2019 by Alyssa F
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.
Reviewed On 1/17/2019 by Megan L
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!
Reviewed On 1/02/2019 by Jesi T
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 t...
o 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!
Reviewed On 12/20/2018 by Krishanda R
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 ours...
elves 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!
Reviewed On 12/11/2018 by Lauren C
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 an...
d 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.
Reviewed On 11/06/2018 by Meryl B
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 w...
as 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!
Reviewed On 11/04/2018 by Angel H
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.
Reviewed On 10/16/2018 by Missy B
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 yo...
urself, 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!
Reviewed On 10/10/2018 by Alex D
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 fil...
m. 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.
Reviewed On 10/10/2018 by Steph D
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.
Reviewed On 10/09/2018 by Amy R
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! T...
he 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.
Reviewed On 10/01/2018 by Haley L
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 co...
nnect 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
Reviewed On 9/27/2018 by amber s
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 ve...
ry 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!
Reviewed On 8/28/2018 by Lauryn A
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 realisti...
c 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.
Reviewed On 8/26/2018 by L B
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 g...
reat 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!
Reviewed On 8/10/2018 by Katie B
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!
Reviewed On 4/12/2018 by Nabil C
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 a...
ll 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!
Reviewed On 1/29/2018 by Olivia S
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 o...
f 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.
Reviewed On 1/19/2018 by Kiera Q
To say that Maddie Mae is an incredible photographer is an UNDERSTATEMENT. She is not only the best photographer out there but she is the most humble, kind hearted and sweetest souls that I have ever met. She made our elopement so easy and we h...
ave the most amazing pictures from 14,000 feet up to cherish for ever and ever. You will never feel uncomfortable with Maddie Mae, she is an absolute natural and has found her calling.
Reviewed On 12/31/2017 by Clint G
My wife and I just got married in September of this year. When we think back upon our whole lives and what was one day we would want to relive over and over again, it was our wedding day. As cliché as that sounds, it was absolutely perfect, and...
Maddie played a huge part in making it so. Months prior to our wedding day, we knew we wanted to travel somewhere for our wedding, and after randomly discovering Maddie on Pinterest, we found a new friend and photographer who worked tirelessly to find a spot that was perfect for us. The planning process with Maddie was absolutely great. We decided in early summer that we wanted to get married Labor Day weekend, so we felt VERY fortunate that Maddie happened to be available that weekend! She was really accommodating and worked with us on making this special day a reality throughout the whole planning process. She offered us so much guidance and detailed suggestions to help us find the perfect corner of the world for us. Eventually, we landed on Telluride because she had told us the southwest mountains of Colorado were absolutely amazing- and she was so right! We wanted our day to be very organic and authentic. Maddie was amazing at just rolling with our not-so-planned day. She really does a great job at understanding the vision each couple is looking to achieve on their special day, and she makes that vision into a reality in such creative and beautiful ways. We felt so special and understood by her throughout the entire process of working together. The wedding day itself was nothing short of MAGIC. Maddie is incredibly professional and guided us so well as we took our photos together. But she’s also just FUN and you know she is genuinely celebrating your wedding day with you! It felt like she was an old friend who happened to be the MOST amazing photographer. We laughed SO much and SO hard, we had sweet intimate moments, and LOTS of tears- and it all felt so comfortable and easy with Maddie there. She did such a great job of really making the day about US and what we wanted. Basically, when you hire Maddie, you get more than a photographer in a lot of ways. She has so much guidance to give, she genuinely loves the couples she works with, and she is so EASY to LOVE!!! There is literally no one else we could ever imagine having document such a wonderful, magical day.
Reviewed On 11/28/2017 by Resa D
If you are seeking a photographer who is skilled at capturing adventurous elopements, Maddie is your gal. From the time I found Maddie on Instagram and followed her work months prior to my engagement, I knew she had to be our wedding photograph...
er. I was even more excited when the opportunity presented itself to finally reach out to Maddie and select her as our photographer. Maddie blew us away when she used Google Earth to show us exactly how the sun would hit each of our potential elopement locations that we had narrowed down, and with her direction that’s exactly how we selected the spot. On the day of our elopement, the trailhead was unfortunately closed due to early snowfall but that didn’t stop her from selecting an awesome backup location. The images she captured of our day moved my husband and I so much because we felt like we were reliving it. It’s clear when you see her final work that she’s talented and Maddie loves what she does. We enjoyed our experience with her so much that we are already planning to work with her for an anniversary adventure session. We highly recommend her!
Reviewed On 11/07/2017 by Rachel M
We could not have been more thrilled to have Maddie as our beloved photographer for our elopement wedding. She was beyond organized and brought a calm but assertive energy which was essential to our adventure. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
Reviewed On 11/03/2017 by Justin K
We are very pleased with Maddie's work. She crafted a delightful and meaningful shoot that went better than we could have hoped. A wonderful talent.
Reviewed On 10/30/2017 by Dona B
Even before receiving our photos from our intimate elopement in Colorado, we were telling EVERYONE about our amazing photographer, who just so happens to be the wickedly talented Maddie Mae. During our planning process Maddie took the time to ...
send us info and ideas regarding even the smallest details of our ceremony. She is remarkably familiar with the wedding industry and was extremely gracious with her knowledge and connections with businesses in the Colorado area. When we ran into some issues with location due to unexpected weather less than two weeks before our date, Maddie was flexible and immediately on the hunt to find a similar location that had the same seclusion, accessibility, and landscape we were after. The day of, Maddie took so many incredible images of the two of us feeling comfortable, natural and in a state of pure post-nuptial bliss. We are so grateful to have had Maddie work her magic and capture those moments that we can look back at treasure for a lifetime. We wouldn't have had our elopement any other way. The experience of having Maddie facilitate and photograph one of the most significant events in our lives was out of this world. If you're looking for adventure and phenomenal photo documentation of said adventure, Maddie is your go-to gal.
Reviewed On 10/30/2017 by Erica D
While waiting for my fiance's visa to be approved so he could enter the United States, there wasn't much about our wedding that I was ready to or able to commit to. The exception was Maddie. When I saw Maddie's photos of previous elopements, I ...
knew we had to have her at our wedding. I wasn't sure when Adrian would arrive, so I couldn't set the date, but Maddie was flexible and worked with me through the entire process; despite the fact that we only had a concrete date weeks in advance. Maddie is a photographer; however, she somehow managed to also play the role of wedding planner. She helped me find an epic location for our snowy elopement, and she also brought the most amazing bouquet I have ever see from Fort Collins to Telluride for me. I can't imagine every bride can put so much trust into their photographer, but that's what you get when you hire Maddie. Maddie captured every single moment of our special day. She spent time capturing the groom getting ready, just as she did the bride (and believe me, my husband loved getting his photo taken!) She took the time to get to know my family members' names, and she even ate dinner with us, making sure to capture every moment! Maddie was ever so prepared for our snowy elopement with her own snowshoes, and we really had an epic adventure with her, which resulted in photos that sincerely take our breath away. Maddie was ever so patient and understanding as I took breaks to warm up, and my husband used snowshoes (and saw snow) for the first time. Not to mention, she's also bilingual, which means my husband was able to speak in his native language on our special day. I can't think of a negative thing to say about Maddie. She made our day feel as special as an elopement should feel, and she gave us the wedding photos of our dreams. 7 months after our wedding, we're still drooling over her amazing work, and we're already talking about how to get her back into our lives (perhaps an Ecuadorian elopement will be in our future.) I wouldn't even consider changing our decision to have Maddie as our photographer. She's an adventurous, patient, flexible, bilingual, badass artist.
Reviewed On 10/30/2017 by Emily M
We seriously don't even know how to begin to express how wonderful Maddie has been to us. As a bride who had a huge, hometown wedding planned, I was having extreme anxiety and regret about the whole situation. My husband and I started talking a...
bout an intimate wedding instead, and then I found Maddie. She consulted with me immediately (while she was on vacation in Thailand), and I instantly knew that our dream intimate wedding was the way to go. I completely contribute having the confidence to make this decision to Maddie. She talked me through every step of the way, listened to our (and our family's) wants/needs, and tailored our wedding day to be exactly what we dreamed. We hiked the morning of our wedding with Maddie only, and my husband literally said that it felt like we were hiking with an old friend. She will make you feel 100% comfortable and at ease about everything. Our entire family adored her and she worked so well with every one during our intimate wedding day. She made it the best day of our lives. And then... THE PICTURES CAME! As if we weren't already obsessed with her, let me just say that she delivers! Our pictures are absolutely breathtaking. We can't believe that they are actual pictures of us. I can't stop looking at them while crying and laughing because she so perfectly captured every emotion of the day. Our most favorite thing was that Maddie suggested we read our handwritten vows to each other alone while hiking, so that we could have that moment be very intimate and special. We were so glad that we took her advice. We truly feel like that moment, alone with each other in the middle of the Rocky Mountains, was the moment we actually got married. I could go on and on, but seriously just talk to Maddie and you will understand. Maddie is very dedicated to her couple's and making sure that your day is everything you've dreamed of, and we're so thankful that she was part of our day!
Reviewed On 10/28/2017 by Kendra G
There is no better way to get married than to plan your elopement with Maddie. We felt like we won the lottery when we contacted Maddie while she was in Europe, and she agreed to photograph our elopement just six weeks later! After learning abo...
ut what we envisioned, she provided us with a packet of location options, and all the details we could hope for to help us make our choice. She let us choose every last detail of our day, but she was extremely helpful and knowledgeable when we just wanted her expert opinion. Maddie made our day feel like a dream. She is so passionate about couples getting to have the experience of a lifetime, and we truly couldn’t have done it without her. She had packed everything I forgot. She found the most amazing, private place we had ever seen for our ceremony. We were completely comfortable having her with us as we laughed, cried, and held onto each other. One of the best parts of working with Maddie was getting to show our photos to our family and friends afterwards. The photos told the story of our day so well, and it meant so much to them that they could experience it that way. I am forever grateful to Maddie, because I know we would not have such epic memories of our day had it not been for her. And also, for the photos. The beautiful, incredible photos.
Reviewed On 10/27/2017 by Amber P
Maddie Mae is a truly gifted artist and an amazing professional who goes above and beyond for her clients from the beginning to end. My husband and I are so grateful that we were able to book Maddie for our intimate, sunrise elopement in the Ro...
cky Mountains. As two somewhat awkward introverts, we wanted to make sure our photographer had the right personality to put us at ease in front of the camera but also respect the intimacy of the moments we were sharing, and it was immediately clear that Maddie was the perfect choice. Not only was she instrumental in planning the details, but she also made that day much more special than it would have been without her presence. We seriously had so much fun with her, and she captured every moment perfectly. Our photos turned out more beautiful than we could ever have imagined, and we will be forever grateful to Maddie for her work.
Reviewed On 10/27/2017 by Mikayla R
Maddie was so patient with us as we figured out the type of day we wanted. Additionally, she was a HUGE help when weather would not allow us to have the experience we initially pictured (lots of snow in late May). Instead, Jared and I had a da...
y that could not have been any more magical and we owe that all to Maddie. She is so kind and fun! All of our family and friends are still showing their friends and coworkers pictures of our day almost 6 months later! Maddie's pictures are so timeless and accurately captured our personalities and love for each other! She is invaluable and I could not picture my day going any differently or in the company of anyone else-it was truly a dream. Thanks Maddie!!
Reviewed On 10/27/2017 by Emily G
If there were more stars available, I'd rate Maddie even higher. She is an unbelievably talented, patient, sweet, involved, professional, top-rate photographer. My wife and I hired Maddie for our elopement in Italy and it truly could not have b...
een easier selecting her, arranging things with her, and ultimately having her throughout our wedding day. She is so incredibly knowledgeable on her equipment, backdrops, angles, all of the things a good photographer should know. What makes Maddie really stand out though is how she truly cares about the people she is working with. She always tries to capture personalities rather than just snapping photos. I am going on a bit but I truly believe this woman is an outstanding photographer. My wife and I still (half a year later) comment on how happy we were to have Maddie with us on our wedding day.
Reviewed On 10/27/2017 by Sam B
Maddie was the best photographer we could have ever hoped for! Her work truly inspired our entire wedding. Maddie was very easy to work with and was always willing to offer any ideas and suggestions when we wanted them. Day of she was very prof...
essional and our photographs turned our WONDERFUL! Would not have asked for anything else.
Reviewed On 10/25/2017 by Rachael M
There aren't enough characters allowed to put into words how amazing Maddie is. We decided to elope in Italy, and as a same-sex couple, half of the reason we went so far was to avoid any of the "awkwardness" that can ensue from a traditional we...
dding. I will NEVER regret that decision. Maddie made us feel at ease and at home in the middle of the Dolomites. She is not just a photographer, but an integral part of this life changing moment. Looking back, I'm not sure it would have been as magical if anyone but Maddie had been there. It's hard to find someone in the wedding world who doesn't automatically make assumptions about bride and groom. She came with no preconceived ideas and got to know us, as individuals and as a couple, and its evident in our pictures that she really captured our personalities. Can't recommend enough!
Reviewed On 10/24/2017 by Julie J
My husband and I had initially planned a "normal" wedding, but the day we had to turn in the venue deposit we decided it just wasn't for us. We wanted our day to be an adventure we'd never forget! I discovered Maddie while looking for Colorado ...
photographers, and fell head over heels in love with her work. Seriously, we messaged her the second we saw her photos and would have been devastated if she had been unavailable! I can't even begin to describe the level of detail and attention Maddie paid to every aspect of our day. We chose to elope to Iceland, and since she had been there before her advice was invaluable - she sent us a giant document with potential photo locations and walked us through every single one. She went above and beyond answering all of my incessant questions that were well beyond the scope of her services (it's because of her knowledge and advice that I found the the absolute perfect dress, it photographed SO well!), and even gave us a to-the-minute itinerary of our two days together so that we'd have a timeline to stick to. The two days we spent with her during our elopement were a dream come true. Maddie coordinated everything so unbelievably perfectly, and hanging out with her was a blast! She made both of us (my super-introverted husband especially) feel totally comfortable, and her passion for capturing our day perfectly was honestly so moving. Her genuine love for her job is inspiring. We couldn't wipe the smiles off our faces the entire time! We're pretty awkward people by default, but were moved to tears when our photos were delivered - I don't know how she managed to make us look so good!! You honestly can't go wrong choosing her for your elopement - I can't think of a single bad thing to say about the entire experience. Thank you Maddie for making our day everything we ever dreamed!
Reviewed On 10/24/2017 by Bethany H
I was so ecstatic to have my favorite photographer willing to photograph MY wedding! I just couldn't believe I had gotten so lucky, as her shots on her social media pages were to die for. I had a short engagement--4 months! I booked her about 2...
-3 months before the actual date, and she made it work by squeezing me in. She was so sweet to be willing to do this for one of her biggest fans! She made sure to have me fill out forms on what exactly I expected of my pictures, so that we were both on the same page. She had me fill out who I wanted pictures of, what I wanted pictures of, and what the whole timeline was like. She almost doubled up as a photographer AND wedding planner for me. This was huge, as I was planning the whole thing by myself! The fact that she was even willing to photograph my wedding was so meaningful, because her true love is elopements, so I know her booking me was straight from her heart. It truly meant the world. Now for the actual day of, she was just so fun to work with, and really made Noah and I feel special about our relationship. She told us multiple times how beautiful of a couple we were and how she could see the love we shared was so brilliant. We felt so honored this day because of her! It took a little longer than expected to get our pictures back, but this was due to all of the summer weddings she was working on, so I was not upset at all, and totally understood. She even gave us $100 of free prints for waiting! We were able to order two, large scale, gorgeous pictures from her with that money! Our pictures are beyond perfect. They are easily the best they could have been with what we were working with (two not very model-esque people, haha). She made our wedding day look like an absolute fairytale, and I could not have dreamed of having better pictures than what we ended up with. I am so so so grateful for the beautiful images we now have, commemorating our day.
Reviewed On 10/02/2017 by Kari d
We just can't say enough good things about our experience with Maddie Mae! We started with a vague idea of what we wanted and stayed in communication throughout the whole process of narrowing down our vision of our perfect adventurous elopement...
. She was so enthusiastic and her adventurous spirit really meshed with our personalities and our vision and helped create the perfect atmosphere to capture amazing images of our amazing day. We enjoyed every minute of our day so much and receiving our complete gallery was like getting to relive it all over. Every picture captured not only the beauty of the area where we lucky enough to get married but the pure joy we felt all day long! Maddie's talent and skills are seriously just unmatched. The final product was just plain stunning, but beyond that the whole experience of working with her was fantastic!
Reviewed On 9/21/2017 by Erika W
Maddie went above and beyond to make our day the most incredible day of our lives. We wanted a small, intimate wedding on a mountain in Colorado and after talking with Maddie, we knew that she was the the girl for us! Being from out of state, I...
had a lot of anxiety about not being familiar with the area but Maddie put my worries at ease and helped me in any way she could. My husband and I agree that we literally would not have had the wedding of our dreams if it weren't for Maddie. She was so well prepared, took charge of my crazy family (which was MUCH appreciated), gave direction and kept everyone organized and on schedule. She took such great care of us throughout the whole day and captured our wedding day in a way that I am convinced no other photographer could have. We can't say enough good things about Maddie!
Reviewed On 9/07/2017 by Chelsea A
I'd give this lady 10 stars if I could. We made the decision to travel to her home state, Colorado, for a small wedding with just family. We planned the wedding in 5 months, and as nervous as brides get before the big day, my anxiety was height...
ened due to the extensive traveling and preparation to get married in a state I've never been, and with vendors I've never met in person. Maddie honestly eased many of my fears, answered all my questions in a timely fashion, and gave me loads of advice. I gave her the task of photographing us in one location, and then taking couple photos in another, 45 minutes away, due to accessibility issues with relatives. She did everything with ease, and even escorted us to our other location, which we ended up changing at the last minute because we were not used to high altitude and I was nervous about the hike. Besides her obvious and mind-blowing photography skills, she was also a really down-to-earth person to be around. She made us feel incredibly comfortable, which is why you can feel the authenticity in all her photos. I've received countless compliments on my pictures (like, people saying they have never seen more beautiful wedding pictures, ever). You will NOT regret booking her, promise.
Reviewed On 12/12/2016 by Kennedy D
The moment I spoke to Maddie, I knew she was the photographer for our wedding. Being a photographer myself, I wanted someone that was knowledgeable and had an amazing portfolio - Maddie was just that! She traveled to Virginia for our foggy Octo...
ber vineyard wedding. Her direction in our Skype call a week before and questionnaire pre-wedding made the day go incredibly smoothly. Her creative eye and attention to detail are fantastic. I was very impressed with her during the wedding, giving direction and being very accommodating of either my husband or my needs. Just after our first look she gave a very beautiful speech about marriage and our love for each other. It was small things like that that really made me appreciate her for being more than just a photographer. She made me feel very at ease and comfortable with being photographed. The downside of our experience happened post-wedding. She was hard to get in communication with and we received our photos 2 weeks later than we were told. Maddie was kind enough to give us a gift card towards any prints that we wanted. Regardless, her photos absolutely blow me away. They are so gorgeous - I can't help but find myself staring at them from time to time. She did a phenomenal job and I would highly recommend her.
Reviewed On 10/29/2016 by Hailey H
Planning our elopement from Australia was something my husband and I were really nervous about. We wanted to have our dream wedding but with the time difference and logistical problems of being half way around the world we were pretty unsure ho...
w to make our dream a reality. Thank god we found Maddie. I initially found her through some google searches and then when I was searching Colorado elopement hashtags on Instagram every picture I was like "oh my gosh! Yes! That's what I want for our wedding" turned out to be one of Maddie's photos. I knew from our first skype call that we were going to choose MADDIE for our photographer- she has a really down to earth yet professional nature and we right way trusted her to create and capture on of our most special days. Maddie wasn't just the best photographer ever. She talked me through an extremely long list of elopement spots and helped us pick the one that would match our vision the best! She thinks about all the little things that you won't and really was instrumental in making our day run as smoothly as it did. I was really excited to meet Maddie after talking to her so much before the wedding. I knew she'd be awesome but I guess I wasn't prepared for what a pro she was. She wore these holster like things across her body with cameras attached and switched memory cards and lenses like a solider would change a rifle clip. She rolled her pants up and got in the muddy water to capture so amazing shots and directed our wedding in such a seamless manner that felt SO natural! We opted for the 4 hour package for budget reasons but if you can afford it do the full day!! Four hours FLIES by!!! But even with 4 hours we have hundreds of absolutely out of the world gorgeous pictures! Everyone who has seen them has said they have never seen more gorgeous wedding photos. Having photos that accurately captures our day was extremely important to us because we were eloping just the two of us. No one was going to be there to see us get married so it was important to us that the day was captured accurately and fully so our families could see our wedding day. Maddie was a huge part of our wedding because she was the only one there aside from me and my husband but she naturally blended into the background and allowed us to spend our wedding day focusing on each other. My husband and I just went about our wedding day taking a bit of direction from Maddie but mostly just living in the moment and being ourselves, so unlike a lot of our friends who have extremely over posed photos, we have natural pictures that capture who we are without any fake posing. I can't recommend Maddie enough!! If you're looking for a world class photographer who truly cares about you and your wedding day Maddie is for you. But even more, she is extremely knowledgeable about not only her craft but adventurous elopements and weddings. Our wedding day was better than anything we ever dreamed and our photos turned out more perfect than we could ever have hoped for. Thank you Maddie for being such a huge part of our wedding we are forever grateful.
Reviewed On 10/29/2016 by Danyelle D
Maddie is an INCREDIBLE DESTINATION WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER! Maddie exceeded our high expectations for her! She is amazing to work with and took incredible photos that we will cherish forever. From the very first time I contacted her, I knew she w...
ould be our photographer. She has an efficient process and makes a real effort to get to know the couples she works with. After we booked Maddie, she sent us a questionnaire that was really fun to fill out together. It forced us to write down our thoughts about each other, our relationship, and the vision we had for our wedding/future. I saved it all and am so happy I have an archive of our thoughts/feelings leading up to our wedding that I can always look back on. We had a 40 person destination wedding in Costa Rica and Maddie was really flexible on travel. When she showed up, we were thrilled to learn that she speaks FLUENT SPANISH. Talk about a major bonus we never expected! The hotel gave us a wedding planner, but she wasn't very good and I honestly don't know what the planner would have done without Maddie- she basically acted as our photographer and wedding planner and helped coordinate all of the details. She came to our rehearsal and rehearsal dinner and took pictures, another huge bonus we weren't expecting but were so grateful for! On our wedding day, Maddie was a total pro. She was ORGANIZED, THOROUGH, and EXTREMELY THOUGHTFUL. We discussed a plan ahead of time and she executed flawlessly. She made sure everything happened on time and captured amazing photos that we couldn't be happier with. She spent so much time and care making sure we got AMAZING photos and focused on what she knew was important to us. She made us feel comfortable, natural, and totally at ease. All of our photos look natural, aren't forced, and aren't typical - exactly what we wanted. She has a unique style and her love of nature and people shines through in her photography. Her photos are bursting with color and depth, and highlight the love she sees in people. Because we had a destination wedding, we received an awesome day-after adventure shoot in our package. We put our wedding duds in a backpack and hiked 2 hours uphill in the Costa Rica heat to a beautiful waterfall we had all to ourselves. Maddie was totally unfazed and up for any challenge. The waterfall pictures turned out SO GORGEOUS! It was just me and my husband in this amazing tropical location... No crowd, no make up, no stress. We were more in our element there and really enjoyed the experience of taking photos that fit our adventure lifestyle. I could not be happier with how our photos turned out and the whole experience of working with Maddie. She is not only the best photographer I know but is also just a really great human. I didn't know Maddie before she took our photos but we are genuine friends now and I hope we remain friends for a long time. Maddie loves weddings and has a true passion for what she does - and it shows in the quality of her work. She is smart, caring, and very talented. I would go out of my way to recommend her to anyone getting married who loves adventure and wants a special photography experience. Another awesome bonus from Maddie - all of our guests could download the photos for free. Some photographers charge for each photo, but Maddie doesn't play those games :) she's honest and cares about doing her best to capture what she appreciates is a really special day in a couple's life. THANKS MADDIE!
Reviewed On 10/29/2016 by Leslie Q
Maddie is amazing to work with! My husband and I felt so at ease with her at our first meeting and knew we had found the right photographer. We were a little nervous about having pictures taken, but Maddie made us feel so comfortable so that we...
could completely be ourselves. Taking pictures ended up being so fun and stress-free! She also worked extremely well with our families and wedding party to create wonderful group shots. Maddie was truly able to capture our relationship and the photos are beautiful! I highly recommend her!
Reviewed On 10/28/2016 by Mitchell N
She took really great photos of our wedding. She was very resourceful and intelegent and made the shoot fun and exciting.
Reviewed On 10/27/2016 by Jenna N
Maddie is amazing! My husband and I decided we wanted to elope in Colorado. I contacted Maddie about photographing our elopement. She helped us with finding a location and gave so many great tips to make our day super special. Our pictures turn...
ed out amazing. I would highly recommend Maddie Mae Photography!
Reviewed On 10/27/2016 by Kelsie B
My husband and I decided last minute to get married on an already planned vacation in February 2016. One look at Maddie's website and we were totally sold. We contacted her with three weeks until the actual wedding day, which seems stressful, b...
ut Maddie made it SO EASY. We weren't quite sure where we wanted to have the elopement, and she sent us an initial email with several well thought out ideas and locations and even included photos from each if she had been there before. We ended up choosing St. Mary's Glacier, one that she suggested, and it was PERFECT. My husband and I talked later about how amazed we were that we didn't feel nervous the entire day. She made us feel super relaxed and awesome, which truly showed in the photos. They were seriously STUNNING and captured us perfectly, and even got some super adorable photos of our dog. She is incredibly talented, helpful, energetic, and worth every penny. We hope to work with her again in the future in some way--it was truly a perfect, stress-free, fun day! We were only sad that we didn't have more time to spend with her!! Maddie, thank you SO much! - Kelsie + Tyler 2/17/16
Reviewed On 10/27/2016 by Allison C
I'm SO thankful we found Maddie Mae when we did. She was the perfect addition to our special day and I can't imagine it w/o her! She took our average wedding and kicked it into high adventure mode making our day phominal! She was very responsiv...
e and easy to work with in the selection & hiring process. She explained herself very well and we knew exactly what to expect. She listened to our ideas, vision and clearly communicated her interpretation of it, as well as took it to a whole new level. Maddie was very organized, detailed and professional, making our wedding feel unique and like it was the most important thing she had going this month. We even ran into trouble with other areas of the wedding and she offered to assist in giving us referrals and helping with a "back up plan". She was calm, upbeat and reassuring right up to wedding time. We can't say enough good things; she was with us every step of the way (but never in an annoying camera in your face way). She kept us all laughing and relaxed (even having a bride/groom/photographer pep talk while working in -10 windchill in the high altitude) for the most epic pictures. Hire her, spend the $$, trust her-she is beyond anything we could imagine for a elopement photographer and we couldn't of imagined our day w/o her. Maddie made our wedding an adventure and a day we will never forget! -Allison & Danny RMNP 10/24
Reviewed On 10/27/2016 by David S
Maddie photographed our elopement this Fall (2016) in Estes Park Colorado and blew us out of the water - both with her quality photographs and professionalism. She made us feel very comfortable the morning of our elopement (neither of us had wo...
rked with a real photographer before), and we were able to get the 'look' were were hoping for. Thank you so much Maddie!!
Reviewed On 10/19/2016 by Britta K
Maddie could not have made our winter elopement more special... she is truly a fantastic photographer. She made my husband and I feel very at ease in front of the camera, which really reflects in the tone of the pictures. She helped me brainsto...
rm the shoot and had tons of recommendations on vendors as well. If you are looking for an amazing outdoor photographer for your special day, Maddie will climb any mountain to make your dream a reality!