Arches National Park | Moab, Utah
the hearnes » adventure elopement photographers
Erin + Matt’s adventure wedding session in Arches National Park before their las vegas elopement
One of the first things I always ask couples after they inquire is "If your friends described you two as a couple, what would they say?". This helps me figure out who it is we're talking to. When Erin responded with "Quirky, silly, and easy going" it was true and gave me the perfect intro into getting to know them. Erin told me her and Matt met at a party and hit it off talking about their love of muppets. She came off as so down to earth, living in a city, wanting to explore, down to fly across the country. She found me from a She Explores podcast and reach out from there which I am SO GLAD they did out because they were so much fun!
Erin let us know of their plans to elope to Vegas and have their wedding officiated by Elvis (sidenote, but important, their dog's name is Presley). They talked with us about shooting at Red Rocks but then jumped at the opportunity to come up to Moab! That's just the type of couple they are. Down for anything, wanting to explore, goof around, and take not being serious very seriously.
We decided to meet up in town and chill in our camper as we talked about where exactly we'd go. I smiled when they walked up in their outfits (leather jackets, rad boots... she even had a crown) and knew we were in for a fun shoot. The weather was super chilly, but it meant we got to shoot in some snow! The whole thing was just so fun and relaxed. They were so happy to be there and explore. The vibe was more like shooting a little party for two than a session as we walked around some of my favorite arches in Arches National Park.
The day got better as it started to snow a little bit which I'm a big fan of (big snowflakes in the desert, yes please!!). They were super playful with each other and pretty much did their own thing with very little direction. Erin and Matt were so natural with each other. I got the feeling that they are the type of people who would act the exact same - dancing, playing, laughing - even if I weren't there taking pictures.
Like I said, we went to one of my favorite arches in the park (with over 2,000 to choose from, that's saying a lot). I loved how her crown looked with the arches. The day was pretty overcast, but the clouds were moving quickly, so light snuck through the arches here and there, and when it was covered up we got some rad shots that captured the vastness of arches.
Matt was so fun to watch as he followed Erin around, lifted her, gave her little kisses and spun around with her in his arms. You couldn't even tell it was cold out with how much they were running around (granted, they're from Philadelphia and used to cold temps)... but we did end up getting pretty chilly, so we decided to hike back to the camper and head to another spot for sunset.
On the hike back we saw our friend Travis who we'd spent Thanksgiving with and had stuck it out in Moab with us since then. One of our favorite parts about Moab is the community we have here, the constant coming and going of friends to explore, climb, eat, and hang with. A lot of our couples end up coming back to hang out. No matter if it's the heat of summer, a perfect fall day, or sub-freezing nights, we love how this desert brings people during all seasons and feels more like a neighborhood these days.
We ended the night shooting sunset at a lookout before driving back to town. Matt and Erin were so much fun to get to know. They were so authentic and true to themselves, just fun to be around. Erin talked about how she wouldn't mind running away in a van, and I could honestly see them loving it - but I could see them loving anything as long as they were with each other.
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The Hearnes Adventure Photography is run by Abbi and Callen Hearne, a husband & wife wedding photography team with an emphasis on adventure. They live on the road as full-time nomads, allowing them to serve a large portion of the western US. You can typically find them in Moab, Utah or Yosemite National Park, California, with side-quests to Patagonia and Alaska. They believe love is the greatest adventure and strive to create photos that are epic, romantic, true, and timeless.
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