A Modern Elopement Styled Shoot in Malibu with a Real Married Couple.
I had the pleasure of photographing this modern elopement styled shoot in Malibu with a real married couple, whose wedding I had photographed just a few months prior! This shoot was put together by their talented wedding planner, Magical Events by Yami, who once again showcased her creativity and attention to detail.
The theme of this session was a chic and intimate elopement, set against a stunning Malibu backdrop up on the cliffside. From the cake cutting to the champagne toast, the day felt like a true celebration of their love and not just a styled session. To top it all off, the couple even got matching tattoos at the end of the night, adding a personal and uniquely memorable touch to the whole day!
Whether you're planning a big wedding celebration or dreaming of an intimate elopement, this styled shoot captures the essence of a modern love story in 2024, and I hope it can inspire you! If you're looking for a wedding or elopement photographer in Malibu or Southern California who can bring your vision to life with film and digital photography, please reach out!
What is a Styled Session?
Styled elopement or wedding sessions, like this one in Malibu, are a creative outlet for photographers and wedding professionals to showcase their skills and explore new and hot wedding trends. These sessions allow us wedding photographers to collaborate with vendors such as planners, florists, bakers, stationary designers, and makeup artists to create visually stunning inspiration for couples planning their own weddings or elopements. For photographers and all wedding vendors, styled shoots offer the opportunity to build a diverse portfolio, experiment with different techniques, curate content that reflects current styles, and make friends with other wedding vendors! The wedding professional industry is Southern California is full of so many talented and lovely people. Did you know that the wedding industry is primarily comprised of women?
Intimate Wedding Picnic and Heart Shaped Wedding Cake
One of the latest wedding trends is incorporating a casual-yet-elegant picnic into a wedding celebration, and we embraced this during our Malibu elopement shoot. Modern couples are gravitating towards more intimate, relaxed settings, and a styled picnic perfectly captures that vibe. Whether it's a cozy spread for just two or a small gathering of close friends and family, picnics offer a unique way to celebrate outdoors while embracing the surrounding natural setting. In this session, we showcased a beautifully curated picnic setup, combining sophistication with the charm of a casual, open-air setting. This trend is perfect for couples looking to add a more intimate touch to their wedding day. It could be set up as a private event for just the wedding couple after the ceremony or is a great way to pop a proposal question!
The Modern Chic Trend of Champagne Towers
Champagne towers are making a stylish comeback in modern weddings, adding a touch of elevated glamour and excitement to any celebration. In this Malibu elopement styled session, while there were no actual guests, the bride and groom models had fun with a champagne bottle spray and toasts. As a Malibu wedding photographer, I love capturing the elegance and fun of a champagne tower, which serves as both a perfect photo op and an interactive way for guests to grab a drink before the toasts! The cascading bubbles add a visual spectacle, making it a standout moment at any celebration! Just make sure to hire a professional to set it up or you'll end up with a mess.
Renting a Vintage Car for Your Wedding
Renting a vintage car for your wedding day adds a touch of nostalgia and creates the most perfect photo opportunities. Whether it’s arriving in style or making a grand exit, a classic car makes a stunning entrance spectacle and serves as the perfect getaway vehicle at the end of the night. For couples planning their California elopement, incorporating a vintage car not only enhances the overall aesthetic of your special day but also provides a memorable way to head off to your honeymoon in style at the end of the night.
Wedding date tattoo
One unique and very permanent way to commemorate your wedding day is by getting a tattoo of the date in Roman numerals. Bonus points for getting the tattoo actually done AT your wedding or elopement. In this Malibu elopement session, the couple celebrated their love with matching tattoos from their real wedding date which was a few months prior. The tattoos were done by Chapter Two Tattoo and this moment was a beautiful way to immortalize their commitment. I would love to see this trend in action at one of my client's weddings! Photographing tattoos being done in action is so fun and mobile tattoo artists are a modern trend that I absolutely love.
Yes I used 35mm film, too.
Of course I also brought along my 35mm film camera, and the results of this day were absolutely amazing on film. As a Malibu film photographer, I specialize in blending the nostalgia of 35mm film with digital modern wedding photography, giving you a range of photos that stand out and tell your love story in a unique way rather than just using a digital medium. Whether you’re planning a large wedding or an intimate elopement in California, choosing 35mm film as well as digital ensures your moments are captured with both a vintage and modern feel simultaneously. Digital offers a more crisp and clean feeling, while the grain and warmth of film is classic and nostalgic.
