Adventure Instead - Elopement Photographer & Experience Designer

Name: Adventure Instead - Elopement Photographer & Experience Designer
Address: Denver, CO, US
Telephone: +17192876005

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Adventure Instead - Elopement Photographer & Experience Designer

Hey! I'm Maddie Mae and I'm an elopement photographers + experience designer for unreal wedding days

09/02/2026

After 11+ years of being a wedding photographer, I finally made it. I photographed in a Riva boat in Lake Garda. Am I cool now? 😂

Jokes aside, Ashley & Brandon’s day was so romantic and cinematic. Getting shuttled around Lake Garda in a Riva boat, drinking w**e, dancing, and taking in the villas from the water… there may be no better way to experience this area.

This was also just Day 1 of their 2-day elopement! They spent their entire first day exploring the area, connecting with each other, and relaxing fully into the moment before they got married on Day 2.

Having 2 days in this area let them really stay in the moment the entire time without feeling rushed. They got to spend time on the water, time in the villas, *and* time in a nearby vineyard, all of which was on their list!

The cypress trees, the sunset, the blue lake water, the historic architecture…

It’s no mystery why so many people looking for that kind of movie-worthy romance with their partner come here.

But like with any elopement, the most special part of this day wasn’t where we were or what we were doing or even the photos we got.

It was Ashley & Brandon’s connection to each other.

They told me they wanted their wedding day to feel easy. They wanted space to be together and to be able to let all of their feelings flow without any onlookers. They wanted to go slowly.

When they tried to start wedding planning, they quickly discovered that it wasn’t for them. They found it stressful, uncomfortable, and chaotic.

So they went for something better.

Just them. Exploring in a place that feels right out of a movie. With plenty of distance from the outside world and any distractions.

They also let their elopement roll into the rest of their honeymoon right after, which made this vibe *perfect.*

If the thought of planning a wedding makes you want to skip the whole thing and run off to the w**e country in Italy instead, you should do it.

Nothing on your wedding day matters except for you two, your marriage, and having all the time in the world to celebrate it.

xx Maddie Mae

08/26/2026

🔮reply hazy, try again🔮

If you’re trying to get caught up on your editing this week, this is my good luck wish to you. May your computer be fast, your LR bug free, and your hard drives have storage.

08/25/2026

Eloping is the chicest thing you can do, if you ask me.

Something about the blend of being able to be totally yourself, doing something different than everybody else, and getting to see unbelievable views is unbelievably cool.

I tell couples a lot that your elopement day should feel like the *best* day of your honeymoon.

In that it should be…
Totally focused on you
Move at your pace
Feel like a departure from your normal life
Have fun activities and experiences if you want them
Let you feel super connected to each other
Be somewhere totally beautiful

You get the idea.

I find that couple tend to really have an “oh wow” moment when they stop thinking about their wedding day in terms of things they have to or should do *entirely* and start picturing what could be.

It’s true that, even with big weddings, no two are alike. But your customization options with elopements triple. You have no guests to please. You don’t even have to have a ceremony if you don’t want to. Suddenly, EVERYTHING is optional.

The only two ingredients you need are you and your partner. That’s it.

Your elopement will always be timeless and effortlessly cool because you weren’t following a trend. You were following what you actually wanted to do, see, and feel.

(Okay, our wedding dresses will probably all age, lol—but seriously, photos of your adventure on a mountaintop will stay chic regardless.)

The traditional wedding space works really well for some folks, but it leaves a lot of others out. If you don’t see yourself there or don’t feel like that’s how you want your wedding day to look, I have great news.

Eloping will always be in style.

xx Maddie Mae

08/20/2026

There are so many funky, weird, wonderful sandstone shapes scattered across Utah, and Robin & Dillon were determined to see them all.

They planned an all-out 3-day engagement celebration road trip across Utah. Just the two of them and all the time in the world to stop and really breathe in every single sight.

(Want to learn how to elope here? Comment KANABGUIDE and I’ll send it your way!)

The way they did this was so special. It wasn’t “let’s get photos in all of these places,” it was about marking the start of this phase of their relationship together and making it really memorable.

They just wanted to explore together. Take their time. Wander. Explore.

Everything you see here was just day ONE of their three-day trip. Day 2 was at Bryce Canyon National Park and Day 3 was at the Bonneville Salt Flats.

But honestly, what really makes Robin & Dillon stand out in my mind is just… their connection to each other.

Yes, they were in these gorgeous locations. But they were so dialed into each other and had such incredible energy the whole time that I really think they could have been anywhere and it would have been special.

Robin & Dillon started bright and early on Day 1 at the Great Chamber Arch. Because they went early during shoulder season, they basically had it all to themselves. We easily spent 2 hours there alone before heading to the slot canyons, where we spent another 2 hours.

These two are also huge film buffs and met on a film set, so they were making a homemade short film along the way about their roadtrip!

Their final stop of the day was spent exploring more narrows, hoodoos, arches, and canyon roads as they made their way towards Bryce Canyon for a dinner reservation.

It was a really beautiful way of making sure that their engagement was just as special as their wedding will be, which I love.

So often engagements are celebrated briefly and then dashed through to get to the wedding day. But I ❤️ when couples take a second to really properly soak in their engagement, too. It’s such a special phase of a relationship.

After all—you’ll stay married. But you won’t stay engaged.

xx Maddie Mae

08/19/2026

New Zealand. Aotearoa. One of the most genuinely majestic places I’ve ever been.

Every time I’ve been here, my jaw has dropped multiple times. Milford Sound is easily in my top 25 places to elope in the entire world.

Looking at Mitre Peak rising STRAIGHT up out of the ocean, tropical plants all around you, waterfalls cascading left and right… it literally looks like a screensaver out here.

If you’ve ever wanted to get married in both Switzerland AND Hawai’i—this is the place to be!

08/17/2026

Anybody else get the Sunday Scaries but for editing? 😅

At the end of a great season full of beautiful couples, there’s nothing I want more than to get them their images that I had so much fun taking.

I just sometimes wish there was a magic wand to do it. 😂

08/13/2026

Respectfully, my bank account can’t put a price on the dopamine of unboxing a new lens. 😂

Besides, it’s for ✨business✨so does it even really count?

Address

Denver, CO

Telephone

+17192876005

Website

http://adventureinstead.com/

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