While choosing to elope may seem like an easy choice for a lot of people, making that decision can come with a lot of tough conversations and decisions to make. Especially in the times of a pandemic and social uncertainty, planning whether or not to have a traditional-sized wedding, especially one that can cost a lot of money, can be a really hard decision.
When I first booked with Megan and Daniel, it was originally for their wedding that was set to take place in early 2022, but when the Delta variant came on the scene and New Orleans was getting hit hard, they decided to make the tough decision of canceling their wedding and opting to elope. Which, I have to say, I genuinely appreciated them still sticking with me, even though the plans were changed!
A Private Courthouse Wedding in New Orleans
Megan and Daniel decided to first elope on a Friday afternoon privately to our local courthouse in the New Orleans area! They wanted to keep this part of their marriage between them, so they took only a few iPhone photos and some instant film too! Megan was kind enough to share some of their photos from the day they actually sealed the deal legally! This is such a cool idea, to keep the courthouse wedding private, and then opt for portraits to celebrate after the fact!
The next day, I met up with Megan and Daniel at the beloved City Park, and to remind you, it was mid August so it was VERY hot. The weekend we met up was actually only a few days prior to Ida forming in the Gulf, and you could definitely feel the humidity growing in the air. This was the last shooting work I did prior to Ida making landfall, and looking back on this evening now, it was oddly foreshadowing of what was to come.
When we met up at City Park, even though it was really hot, it was oddly empty this night at the park. If you’ve shot in City Park before, you know that this place can be pretty busy when it comes to people and photoshoots going on! But this evening, I’m pretty sure we saw only but maybe a handful of other people walking around. It was beautifully intimate and quiet, and it was just unreal lighting this evening. The light was pouring through the Spanish moss that hangs delicately from the stately oaks, and this evening truly felt like a fairytale.
A Private Elopement in New Orleans City Park
Since the park was so empty, we took advantage of shooting around some of the keynote places to take photos in City Park. Mainly, the cobblestone footbridge is one of the most iconic spots to take photos not only in City Park, but in New Orleans in general. And since it was so hot this evening, we spent a good portion of our time here shooting on this bridge.
While my time with Megan and Daniel didn’t look like what we had originally planned for, I am still so happy we had the chance to work together. Megan had brought along her instant camera, and let me take a few photos of them, and it was here on this evening that my love for instant really film started! Here are some of my favorite instant film images from this evening.
All in all, the whole aspect of Megan + Daniel’s secret summer elopement are the days that I really love to be a part of. Whatever you want your day to look like, you can make happen. Even though Megan and Daniel didn’t have a “traditional” wedding, at the end of the day, they still got married and were able to get some incredible photos of the two of them to celebrate!
Want to see more days like this? Check out this Springtime Elopement at City Park
