Felicia and Hunter reached out mid-February for their early March elopement in Hocking Hills. Time was of the essence, but luckily, with my seamless, easy-to-follow planning process, they were able to plan an epic elopement in less than three weeks. Here’s an inside peak into exactly how we did it and why planning this last-minute Hocking Hills elopement was so successful.

Note: While I can definitely plan a last minute elopement for you, I highly recommend starting the planning process at least six months out so that you have the best options for timing, lodging, and vendors for your epic elopement experience!

---

Getting Clear on the Elopement Vision

The first step in my planning process is to send over a comprehensive elopement planning questionnaire. I’ve eloped myself and I help couples plan their elopements, so this questionnaire is specifically crafted to help couples think intentionally about what is important for them to include and how they want to feel on their elopement day. Basically, it’s asking the questions you didn’t even know you had about eloping, and it’s giving you all the great ideas for your elopement experience.

Tailored Planning Resources

Felicia and Hunter had never visited Hocking Hills before, so it was important that they had as much support as possible with planning their elopement and that’s exactly where I came in! Here are some of the personalized resources I provided that help couples like Felicia and Hunter elope with confidence:

• A personalized location guide with an eye to where they could have a small ceremony with guests and which ceremony locations were most accessible. 
• Instructions on how to get their marriage license in Ohio.
• A walk through of exactly how to call the park’s office to reserve their ceremony time and location.
• A guide to the best vendors in the area for catering, officiant services, and more.
• Potential stays for Felicia, Hunter, and their guests. 

These resources helped them focus on the essentials and not waste any time or energy researching and stressing. 

Get personalized help planning your elopement.

Planning the Day’s Itinerary

Something else I help all of my clients with is planning the itinerary for their elopement. Once Felicia and Hunter had reviewed their location guide and sample timelines, we hopped on a call and went over what they were looking for from their elopement experience. We then crafted a plan and reviewed in detail how everything would work the day of.

Staying Flexible With the Weather

Something else I do for all of my eloping couples is to block off the full day for their elopement. I make sure I’m totally flexible so that we can adjust with the weather forecast and make any last minute changes that are needed.

This was super important for Felicia and Hunter’s early spring elopement (AKA the time of constantly changing weather in Ohio)! We were all monitoring the weather report and it was calling for rain almost the entire week. After seeing that the rain would mostly be in the afternoon on their date, we agreed to move the ceremony to the morning instead of the afternoon. And the timing could not have been more perfect – it started raining just five minutes after we wrapped up their photo coverage and they spent the rest of the afternoon and evening celebrating inside with their family and friends! They also happened to have a 70 degree elopement day in early March, so there were definitely some perks to the crazy weather!

Scouting the Location Together the Day Before

Since Felicia and Hunter had never been to Ash Cave before and their family and friends would be going ahead of them to set up chairs and decor for their ceremony, it was important for us to scope out the location together ahead of time so I could show them the ideal set up. We went through the best case scenarios for rain vs. no rain, and they were able to see in advance how accessible the site was for their guests and make sure everyone could attend without issues. It was also a great chance to meet each other and talk through any last minute items for their elopement day!

Intentional planning help is part of all of my photography packages. Learn more about how I can help you plan and photography your elopement.

Hocking Hills Elopement Day

After a whirlwind couple of weeks, it was time for Felicia and Hunter’s elopement! I met them at their rental cabin and documented the getting ready process with their family and friends. Then we headed to Ash Cave and Hunter saw Felicia the first time as she was walking down the “aisle.” They said their vows in front of the Ash Cave waterfall, exchanged rings, and had a hand-fasting ceremony. After, we did group photos and their family and friends headed back to the cabin to relax. That left Felicia and Hunter to explore more of Ash Cave, then head to two more locations nearby to explore and hike together. They ended their day celebrating with their family and friends with a catered dinner.

Felicia and Hunter’s Experience

Felicia and Hunter had an amazing experience on their elopement day and were so kind to write this review:

“We truly could not have asked for a better elopement photographer than Desiree. From the very beginning, she was incredibly professional, kind, and thoughtful, and she made the entire experience completely stress-free for us.

What really stood out was how much care and planning she put into helping us beyond just the photography. She provided amazing insight and guidance for our entire elopement, from recommending a wonderful Airbnb for us to stay in, suggesting places that could cater a small reception, and even helping us navigate the marriage license process, timelines, and travel ideas. Her experience and organization made everything feel simple and seamless.

On top of that, the photos she captured are absolutely beautiful. She has such a natural eye and truly documented our day in a way we will treasure forever. Even when the weather didn’t go in our favor, Desiree remained flexible, calm, and incredibly gracious, making sure everything still came together perfectly.

We could not be happier with the service she provided, and honestly, meeting her was such a wonderful part of the experience itself. If you’re looking for someone who is talented, organized, and genuinely cares about your day, Desiree is absolutely amazing.”

Your Elopement Photographer & Planner

I loved helping Felicia and Hunter plan and photograph their whirlwind elopement in Hocking Hills. Thanks to a straightforward and simple planning process, it all came together so beautifully and they were able to get exactly what they wanted from their elopement: intentional time together celebrating with each other and their closest family and friends. If you need help planning and photographing your own elopement, I’ve got your back. You can learn more about my services in Hocking Hills here.