Boho Picnic Elopement on the Sand Dunes at the Famous NC State Park
This Jockey’s Ridge Elopement Shoot was a very special project for me.
Scrolling through Instagram and Pinterest, I saw lots of inspiration for adventure elopements, but I wasn’t seeing women that looked like me reflected in the images. Jockey’s Ridge had been a dream location of mine, so I decided to collaborate with some of my favorite vendors and friends to create a fun, boho-inspired elopement in this amazing location. I had two goals in mind: to show that adventure elopements are for everybody and that a boho/desert inspired look for your wedding is possible to achieve here in North Carolina!
Once again, Artemisa Calligraphy blew me away with these this hand lettered invitation suite and leather pieces.
Details were very important to me for this shoot. I wanted the primary colors to be blue and yellow with some complementary oranges and greens. I wanted a desert aesthetic without going across the country to the desert. Jockey’s Ridge gives a desert elopement location with the largest sand dunes on the east coast!
I didn’t want a traditional cake, either. Instead we opted for some delicious vanilla and caramel donuts from out favorite, Duck Donuts.
I had to make sure we chose the perfect models for this shoot. Katie and Joseph are the most fun couple. They have modeled for us before and always make us laugh. We knew we needed a couple that was up for anything and loved having adventures.
The beautiful floral arrangements for this shoot was created by the amazing floral artists at Ever Be Floral in Greensboro. They truly know how to capture a vision and come up with the most beautiful arrangements. The arrangement for the arbor, the bouquet, the boutonniere, and the floral bridal hat were all created by the team at Ever Be!
For the Bridal look, we wanted to use a hat instead of the traditional veil. We found this one on Amazon! We added this fringe jacket for a fun touch. Her dress is from Southern Bride in Kernersville, NC. Southern Bride was our go-to boutique to find the perfect flowy dress. They carry a wide range of sizes from 0-28 in store!
There is a reason this location had been on my bucket list! I was so excited to finally get to photograph here. If you are looking to elope to a beautiful location in the Carolinas – this is your sign! As always – check for the proper permits to hold elopements and photography sessions at these beautiful state and national parks. There are also certain legal requirements to eloping to make the marriage official, so make sure you check with your state to see what you need to do first.
We are absolutely in love with this look! Katie was radiant in the golden-hour sun. She said this was the most comfortable gown she had ever warn and it gave her a huge range of motion for twirling on the sand dunes!
Joseph has a very classic look. Keeping things simple for the groom is always a good idea.
It was very easy to convert the picnic sweetheart table to the ceremony space. We moved the stick arbor (that Josh made, by the way!) up the dune for the epic view of the sunset.
This project could not have been possible without the most amazing team of vendors and friends! It took a few of us to carry in all decor and camera equipment and make sure we had it all packed back up on our way out (leave no trace!)
Photography and Planning: @himherphoto
Location: Jockey’s Ridge State Park
Brides Dress: @southernbride (fringe jacket and hat from Amazon)
Florals: @Everbefloral
Donuts: @duckdonuts
Stationary: @artemisacalligraphy
Click here for another beautiful love story in the sand!
