This Salt Flats destination elopement was the first time I took out my drone for wedding photos. It luckily was not windy and I was able to get some epic pictures! The Utah Salt Flats are incredible and I think a bucket list location for any destination elopement photographer. Traveling to Utah by car is a good 14 hours for me and this was definitelyy worth the distance. (Although I would definitely opt to fly for my next destination elopement on the Salt Flats lol)
Keep scrolling to see why this was one of my favorite galleries to come out of 2023—
As a destination elopement photographer the Salt Flats are such a surreal location to get to shoot at. They offer insane vastness that you just don’t often see anywhere else. That coupled with the texture and white salty carpet to play on, you can imagine how fun it is to photograph.
Being a destination photographer I’m always striving to see light in different and dynamic ways. You don’t get the same light from shoot to shoot or elopement to elopement, so learning to harness it and use it to your own advantage is something I’m always learning and improving on. During the same 5 minutes the light can change soo drastically too.
The color of this groom suit was a quirky refreshing take for a destination elopement and it contrasts beautifully with the white of the Utah Salt Flats. The Brides dress had a zipper malfunction in the back but we just rolled with it. I think it came out just beautifully.
Above all i want to capture the beauty and human in my subjects. The playfulness, the romance, the art. Which is why i hate hate hate boring wedding images, and you probably do too if you’re here 😉
I was able to use my drone for these aerial shots before it became too windy. You can see the sheer size of the Salt Flats even so much better from the air. There were quite a few other people enjoying the Salt Flats and taking pictures in the same area we were in, but a good angle and some photoshop will easily take care of any distracting background actors.
Since I am based in Bend, Oregon, I had to drive down to this shoot in one day and we photographed for just the hour before sunset. I probably would fly next time, as it takes an entire day to get there I didn’t have enough time to hangout in Salt Lake City at all, I turned around and drove home a few hours, slept in the car and finished the drive the following day. I’m so glad I was able to make this shoot though because it was obviously incredible!
If you’re looking for inspiration when planning your own destination elopement, I’m here to help! I love shooting romantic, editorial, carefree wedding and elopement days. I am based in Bend, Oregon but I love to travel for destination weddings and elopements!
