Best Elopement Photos of 2021

2021

A Year in Review

My grandmother once told me that the older you get, the faster time goes. I was maybe 17 at the time, and didn’t fully appreciate the idea, but in 2021 I finally, really felt it. Part of that was likely because I (Alex) turned 30, and had to live out the age that I spent most of my teens and twenties thinking of us the final descent into “the boring phase” of adulthood. Part of it was because this year was the busiest of our entire careers. It was definitely aided by the whirlwind of global and local events that made everyone’s year a challenge. And it didn’t help matters that we ran into lots of surprise home renovation needs, which are never the fun or inexpensive kind.

It was such a difficult year for so many, and unfortunately, us included. Most (if not all) of the photographers we know, ended up being the busiest we’ve ever been, capturing a record number of days full of love and celebration. Sometimes this felt overwhelming, going multiple weeks without a single day off. This year of our work was made unique by the devastating decision many of our couples in 2020 had to make, of postponing their elopements, and replanning, and sometimes even replanning for a second time. After so much patience, it was incredible to finally be able to celebrate with them.

Thankfully, we have THE BEST couples and THE BEST job. Every moment of lost sleep or stress and exhaustion was contrasted by experiencing dozens of amazing stories from our couples first-hand. Hiking, exploring, crying, Jeeping, admiring this incredible world we live in with them, and more crying. Between watching new memories unfold for our couples before our eyes and hearing all of the best tales of their relationship to that point, the hardship and difficulty of 2021 was made worth it.

This year, our couples brought us to mountaintops, and deserts, and alpine lakes, and forests, and waterfalls, and sandstone arches. We woke up hours before sunrise and stayed up hours after sunset. We celebrated under mountains lit by alpenglow, drove up rocky Jeep roads, witnessed promises and tears, watched first dances and dip kisses. We hiked in the pouring rain, during heat waves, while surrounded by incredible fall foliage, and under just the light of the moon. We saw marmots, pikas, mountain goats, elk, deer, moose, many sweet dogs, and even a bear.

Having made it to the end of the year, I have to say. Being 30 isn’t so bad. I made my peace with it in the months leading up to my birthday, and surprise, surprise, it doesn’t feel all that different to 29. Or 28, or 27, or maybe even 26 really. If anything, I feel like it has accelerated my growth into being the most self-assured version of myself that I’ve ever been, and perhaps even the most adventurous. I’ve picked up new hobbies without regard for whether I’m “good enough” at them, I’ve approached each day with a better mindset and even gone back to therapy, and despite the challenges of the year I’ve come away feeling mostly grateful. For all of the people in my life, not the least of which is all of the incredible couples who shared their stories with us. Thank you for your trust, and we can’t wait to see what new stories 2022 brings.

Thank you so much for an incredible year, we’ll see you in 2022!

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Colorado Elopements

Destination Elopements

Hi There!

We're Lisa + Alex, the goofballs behind Vow of the Wild. We live in Colorado, but we’re passionate about exploring new places. Being elopement photographers + videographers is a dream for us and we can’t imagine doing anything else (other than being professional dog petters).