When Kayla came to Emily, the planner behind Emily Reno Events, she was right in the middle of calling off her big wedding plans. Kayla + Steve were looking to do something unique—something that their friends + family would not expect. The thing is, they only had two weeks!
Wait, what?! Here’s Kayla with a bit more info: Our planning process was…unique. We were engaged for 8 months and spent 5 months heavily planning a large wedding in Las Vegas. Venue, photographer, florist, food tasting, dress, even Save the Dates had already been sent out. And then we decided we wanted to elope. We had originally wanted to invite 150 people and after sending Save the Dates to 250 people and realizing there were still going to be people left out and how stressed we were from the whole process we decided to just scrap it all and run off just the two of us!
We had already paid non-refundable photography and floral deposits, so we decided to still go to Vegas and utilize those things. Just two weeks after we made the decision to elope we were standing at Red Rock Canyon being married.
Ready to see how they pulled it off in all the snaps by Gaby J? Let’s look!
The Florals
By some miracle the wedding dress that I picked out for my big wedding actually came in early and barely needed to be altered, so I was able to wear it for our elopement!
For the florals, Kayla envisioned something whimsical and easy-going…and that’s exactly what City Blossoms created! Isn’t this palette GORGEOUS?
The Intimate Ceremony in the Desert
Since we were by ourselves, we both felt comfortable saying our own vows to each other. That is definitely something I will cherish forever. One of my favorite moments and some of my favorite photos are of the two of us getting ready in the hotel room before. We did not do a first look, we did everything together. The pictures of him helping me into my dress and buckling my shoes for me are so special and intimate. It really portrays how we were stepping into marriage and life as a team.
Emily tells us: We had about two weeks to get everything together for her elopement and lucky for us, Kayla gave us full control and let us work our magic! On the day of the wedding she was completely surprised with the ceremony design and florals we had come up with for her and it was just amazing to see the look on her face!
Love pampas grass as much as us? See all the other unique ways to incorporate it right here!
The Newlyweds
Paper Bag Beauty complemented Kayla’s natural beauty with a subtle smoky eye + the prettiest flowing waves!
How cute are these two?!
Steve donned a classic tuxedo and Texas cuff links that have special meaning to him.
There is no one size fits all for life. Some people love their big weddings, but if it doesn’t feel right to you don’t feel like you have to do it!! My advice for anyone eloping is to still make it special and memorable. Especially make sure you photograph the day because you really will cherish those photos forever!
A Picnic for Two
And, of course, what better way to celebrate an intimate day with the love of your life than with a sweet picnic dinner?
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To add something sweet, they popped champagne + cut the cake!
Out and About in Vegas
We wanted part of the “vibe” of our elopement to be a little edgy since we were running off and ditching the traditional wedding, so we both changed into a second look after the ceremony. I wore a white jumpsuit with ruffled legs that had a very Elvis vibe with a black leather jacket…plus the coolest floral crown! Steve put on dark jeans and a corduroy jacket.
And that, my friends, is how you do it! So, if you’re in the midst of planning a large wedding and feeling like you’d rather elope…let this serve as a reminder that the day is meant to be about the two of you, the love you share, and the life you’re embarking on together.
To see more of how they pulled it off, take a peek at this sweet film:
photography: Gaby J // venue name: Red Rock Canyon, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA // event design: Desert Elopement Las Vegas // planning: Emily Reno Events // florals: City Blossoms // hair stylist: Paper Bag Beauty // makeup artist: Paper Bag Beauty // calligraphy: Eg Letters // officiant: Desert Nomad
We also eloped … best thing we ever did – stunning
Nicest Vegas wedding I’ve come across!
We’ve just decided to call off our big italian wedding as we were getting cold feet about the costs.
Now considering eloping just the two of us and this was the best article I could have come across. Thank you for sharing your story!