utah elopement vendors
How to Choose vendors for your elopement day
I just can’t stress this enough- your vendors will likely spend more time with you on your elopement day than anyone else. A few tips on selecting vendors that are on the same page as you about your elopement day:
Do their values fit with yours? sustainability, experiences over things, etc.
Do you feel seen and heard by them? Both on their website and during your consultation.
Do you like them? Simple, but very important!
Do their reviews reflect the kind of experience you would like to have with them?
I would suggest always having a consultation whether it’s in person or over the phone and thoroughly reading their reviews. Familiarize yourself with their work through their blog, website and social media. A few places to find vendors:
Referrals. Ask friends and family
Google search, Pinterest search, Instagram hashtag search
Wedding blogs: Junebug Weddings, Green Wedding Shoes, all have dedicated search engines for locating vendors
Here are a couple of my favorite vendors for Utah elopements. I have worked with all of them extensively, and they are on this list because they have provided wonderful and meaningful experiences to couples I have worked with over the years. I trust them all without question.
Beehive Floral CO.
Jenevieve is like all good things- wild and free. She focuses on sustainable, and locally grown flowers. When we started planning our own elopement, we knew that her art was going to be a focal point of our day. It would be hard to explain how meaningful what she created was- she took juniper we had foraged from our grandma's house and incorporated it into our ceremony pieces, and brought together so many beautiful, wild touches. Her art however, is only a piece of what makes her so special. Her calm, and grounding presence on our day was something that was just as wonderful as the arrangements she created. If you love things wild, beautiful and thoughtfully created, this is your gal!
What makes her florals special:
“We are committed to sustainable floristry. What that means for us in practice is constantly evolving as we continue to grow and experiment with new ways to break from a tradition of waste in our industry.
We are practicing members of the "Slow Flower Movement", listed in Floret Flower's Farmer-Florist Collective and board members of the Utah Cut Flower Farmer’s Association.”
All of that, plus the dedication she takes to get to really know and understand the person who will be holding the bouquet she makes, is a wonderful thing. I love the way she approaches floral as a meditation- with the final creation being like a little love note to the people enjoying them.
Why she loves elopements:
”I have really come to love elopements the most over the past year. Watching my couples gracefully simplify their plans to just the essentials has really brought to the fore the why of the wedding in the first place. Because these are two people who love each other, who are committed to each other and who are looking to create an experience that will beautifully embody that commitment. I love the wild, I love the intimacy that occurs between two people who have truly come to know and understand each other, and I love witnessing that come together in the most fiercely beautiful and meaningful settings.”
Shey Allen Films
Shey sees things. Like really sees them. We often shoot alongside each other and I’ll watch the video after and be blown away by the smallest of details she’s noticed that she captures and weaves together. Her videos somehow show the majesty of place without overshadowing the moments that a couple are experiencing. All of that would be enough to recommend her, but on top of all of that she is impossibly cool and kind. And I mean cool like, “yeah, I want to hang out with that person.” An important quality for someone to have who is going to be hanging out all day with you on your wedding day, if you ask me.
What makes her videos special:
She gets it. She gets the desert, and all the plants and creatures. She gets that love of place is as important as love of each other and she effortlessly brings both to life in her films.
What she loves about elopements:
“Elopement days are magic, always. They cut out the chaos and stress of a big event, leaving the day only focused on the 2 people in love. Allowing them space to be themselves. From a video perspective, I'm always looking for real, unposed emotions and natural movement. When we get out to a wild special location, wherever that is, it's so easy to get that genuine feeling. There's a sense of freedom, and adventure. It's safe to be present through every little moment of the day, from hiking up in wedding attire to the tallest peak, or crying from happiness in the dirt and rocks after being pronounced married, or stopping at a taco truck on the way down. No distractions like "are the napkins the right shade of dusty pink" or "is my aunt's ex-husband's friend's cousin having fun" or "the venue doesn't allow us to have our dogs". Just two people, as they are, with their closest people in their favorite place. I feel so honored to witness these sacred spaces and feelings, and translate how the day felt into a short film.”
Annie’s cakes
Couples often think that because they’ve ditched the tradition of having a formal wedding, that all of the things they’ve seen at weddings also have to be let go. I love the idea of throwing everything out the window and then coming back to the idea of being inspired by tradition but making it fit the two of you. So if you two like cake (or even cupcakes!) then yes, they make an amazing addition to an elopement day. There is something so sweet about near the end of your elopement day, sitting down on some desert rock with your person and having a big slice of cake to celebrate the monumental commitment you’ve made.
What makes her cakes special:
Of course, I wouldn’t even consider recommending a cake artist unless their cakes tasted out of this world good, but Annie takes it steps further. She works with the couple to pick out cake flavors that speak to them, or in the case of the cake over there on the right, a flavor that honors someone in the couple’s life. All of that gets wrapped up into the most thoughtfully designed cake.
Why she loves elopements:
“They strip away all the fluff that weddings have become. The day should be all about the couple and their love for each other. elopements embody how special that is.”
nikki breedlove
What makes her special:
Nikki is not only an amazing hair and makeup stylist, she is a yoga teacher and brings this sense of calm and peace to the start of your elopement day. Usually when I meet her and the couple getting ready, there is some sage burning, and a reverent feeling she brings to the ritual of getting ready. I love when couples opt to do a little yoga with her in the morning outdoors, as a way to really ground to the place and intention of the day.
Why she loves elopements:
“Being in the present moment with couples in full bloom in the cathedrals of rocks - I find working these sacred ceremonies a spiritual experience.”
Jenn Brook Wedding OFficiant
The first time I met Jenn we were outside a motel in Moab. We swapped a couple of beers, and I immediately felt calm and cared for in her presence. I love that she brings that same energy to her encounters with couples from her meetings to the ceremony day.
What makes her special:
Like Nikki, Jenn brings an understanding of the cosmic force that brings together people. She includes offerings of sage, a variety of prayers/blessings and every ceremony she does is a reflection of the time and care she’s put into her relationship with the couple beforehand. If you are going to choose to have someone carry you across the threshold into marriage, I can’t imagine someone more loving to do that than Jenn.
Why she loves elopements:
“Elopements allow everyone involved to share magical moments that will be with them forever. I have found that couples that are eloping or having a very intimate gathering on their wedding day are more intentional when it comes to the ceremony; it becomes more personalized and every word is precious and filled with meaning. Without the hustle and bustle of a traditional wedding, I see that the couples I work with are able to slow down, relax and fully enjoy their wedding day without the nervousness and stress that can come with a big wedding. The entire elopement experience is focused on the couple and their wants and needs as they start their life together, it takes away the pressures of everyday life and the world around them and opens up for a once in a lifetime experience that is a complete reflection of their love. So really, what is not to love about elopements?”
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