if
WHAT IF YOUR WEDDING DAY WAS YOU WANT & ABSOLUTELY
THAT YOU DON'T?
WHAT YOUR WEDDING DAY WAS YOU
WANT & ABSOLUTELY
THAT YOU DON'T?
everything
nothing
let's find out
The average collection couples choose when working with me is $7750. This includes all of my local expertise, locations (hello, no permits!!) as well as 8 hours of elopement coverage (the sweet spot, IMHO) and a printed album.
I want you to take everything you know about eloping and throw it out the window. Whatever pre-conceived ideas and expectations — toss ‘em. We’re starting from scratch to give you the day of your dreams, free of the distraction of everything else.
INVESTMENT
the
cool, let's go
You're still getting married. At a baseline? It's a really big deal! If you want to keep it simple, do that! But...if you want to do it up (your way!), please lean into that! If you want to hire a helicopter to go to a glacier in Alaska, hell yeah! If you'd like to be in a cozy cabin? Also hell yeah!
1.
That you're not supposed to make a big deal out of it
The one thing you have control over on your elopement day is the time you spend & how you use it. You can either rush for an arbitrary timeline to get photos from a checklist, or give yourself some loose guidelines to adhere to & have a great day, documented authentically. You pick!
2.
That you don't need tons of time for photos
I'm not going to encourage you to spend money you don't have...but I will say this: you're saving a lot of money by not hosting 200 people. IMHO, spending money on the best week of your life in an epic place? Not a bad way to celebrate a wedding. Quality vendors go a loooooong way!
3.
That you shouldn't spend a lot of money
3 myths about eloping
"tl;dr: Ruthanne is fantastic. Hire her immediately and just let her plan your entire elopement."
Blake & Wills
Other than booking our stay at the Edgewood, we did absolutely nothing else. Ruthanne found an amazing location for our vows and photos & hired our vendors. It was so easy I almost couldn't believe it, and every single vendor was fabulous. The day itself was pure magic.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST to ELOPE on the
WEST COAST?
One of the biggest questions that hangs in the air when you decide to elope is "how much will this cost us?" - and it's completely valid. Elopements exist on a very broad spectrum, so this breakdown of cost I'm about to give you is relative. On average, couples who work with me spend anywhere from $8-$20k, depending on their overall wants & location.
let's break it down
key vendors
Deciphering what you actually need to book for your elopement and cutting through all of the noise can be hard. Lucky for you, you now found me and this is my jam.
ELOPEMENT PHOTOGRAPHER
I don't think many people skip this one - but you have probably noticed there are choices when it comes to your elopement photographer. I'm the kind of elopement photographer who is very hands on and does a lot more than just show up & shoot. I offer a vendor bundle (see below) for couples who need it. My most common collection for 8 hours (including an album!) is $8250. Collections vary, however, depending on the timeline & location you choose for your elopement.
OFFICIANT, HMU & FLORALS
These three vendors are such an important part of making your day feel special & adding the beautiful details & personal touches to your experience. Each of these vendors can range from $400-$800 in my experience. Booking them through me (for Tahoe only) is $2100 and covers all of their fees, communication, pickup of hard goods (like the flowers!) and basically means all you have to do is show up. Win!
(it's me, hi!!)
let's see
IF YOUR
DATE IS
available
Fill out the form below to get started! Please note: I am all about the experience and do not provide coverage for less than 5 hours. The average investment from the couples you see across my site is $8250 (excluding vendor costs) for 8 hours of coverage, to create a stress free day that is focused entirely on you and an experience that represents your life & love story. I can't wait to hear from you!
I've planned elopements with couples in less than 2 weeks - though, that's not the ideal timeline. Most couples book about 6 months out, with a handful dipping into the 9-12 month range and a few under 6 months.
To be honest, some of my favorite days are the ones that come together last minute because theres no time to do anything other than what feels explicitly right. So! If you're stressed to pull it off in time, don't be. I gotchu.
01. how much time do we need to
plan our elopement?
You can elope with just the two of you, or, have your family and friends in attendance! I am a big fan of both and an even bigger fan of doing what is best for the both of you.
A lot of couples worry about it being awkward to have their families together in a formal but not big group setting, and I do lots to help mitigate that fear. I'm not going to lie, I'm really good at guiding people through the day in a way that feels authentic and not awkward, and that's where my expertise as an elopement-only photographer really shines.
02. what does it look like to include family/friends?
I may be local to Tahoe but you can catch me all over the US & Europe! My favorite elopement locations outside of Tahoe are Mount Shasta, Mount Rainier, The Redwoods, and anywhere in Utah!
03. do you work only in Tahoe?
Never fear, my friends - you don't have to be super adventurous to elope somewhere beautiful. Throughout our time together, I'll get a looooot of info out of you to help me serve you the absolute best way possible. I've lived in Tahoe my whole life, therefore been a California/West Coast girlie forever - and I know all the tricks of the trade to find you the best spots with minimal access while also creating the stunning imagery we know you're here for!
04. we're not super adventurous, what does that look like?
AMAZING. I'm down for just about anything you say! My husband is a mountain guide (ski & climbing) so we're pretty well versed in adventures of all kinds.
I've had couples hike 3500 feet starting at midnight for a sunrise ceremony, rent snowmobiles to access locations, incorporate bike rides, swimming, coffee dates, you name it - into their elopement days.
We probably should hop on a call to talk about your vision but I 100% know that I'm up to the task of figuring out the logistics of whatever day you're dreaming up!
05. we want a big adventure, what
does that look like?
As a photographer of life's biggest moments, to me there is no greater tragedy than not printing your wedding photos. Because of this - every collection you viewed above includes a bespoke wedding album. In short, they are perfect and luxurious and an incredible piece of art to carry with you as you grow old together. But, if you want more of the nitty gritty of how these beautiful pieces are made, head to the albums page below.
BESPOKE ALBUMS
ALBUM INFO
As a photographer of life's biggest moments, to me there is no greater tragedy than not printing your wedding photos. Because of this - every collection you viewed above includes a bespoke wedding album. In short, they are perfect and luxurious and an incredible piece of art to carry with you as you grow old together.
Each of my collections includes an album credit reflective of the size & estimated minimum pages that we will need to tell your story fully. The album credit will always get you an album, period. It’s up to you after your elopement whether or not you’d like to add pages or upgrade the size.
If you want more of the nitty gritty of how these beautiful pieces are made, head to the albums page.
Bespoke Albums
ALBUM INFO
Great photos don't just happen, we make them.
This is where I think my gifts shine. I'm the oldest of 5 kids, a former nanny, enneagram 8, lifetime Tahoe local, and when I say I will fight for you, I mean it.
Your day is sacred to me; it's so important to me that it goes smoothly & that you have the support to execute it beautifully - but also that you have someone to help you pick your battles with where you place your stress, how you communicate with family, and so much more.
When we eloped 7+ years ago, I did a lot of things right…but I also did some things wrong because I thought I had to follow the “rules” of being a “low key” girl who was eloping. I wish I could go back and tell myself to pick colorful flowers in my bouquet, buy a fancier wedding dress, and wear different shoes! They’re small, minute details that are no big deal in the grand scheme of things - but since my own elopement, I’ve learned exactly how to guide people to their own regret-free elopement day that is the perfect representation of their life & love.
