the Bold “you” on your elopement day should be the “you” every other day of your life
OREGON & ALASKA BASED ADVENTURE ELOPEMENT PHOTOGRAPHER
Elopements Featured In
SO MANY PEOPLE LIVE THEIR LIVES ACCORDING TO OTHER PEOPLE’S EXPECTATIONS…
And, well… that’s BS.
Especially on your wedding day.
You and your relationship is unique in every way, and it’s ridiculous that the wedding industry puts us in boxes that we just aren’t born to fit in. You were born to stand out.
“Known as ‘The Elopement Expert’,Sam Starns is on the forefront of the emerging movement.“
I’m sam, a former Oregon park ranger, and I regret my wedding.
I spent part of my wedding day in tears, and not the happy kind.
I’m a whole-asser, do-it-for-the-plot type of adventurer who never fit into a nice, neat box of societal norms. Someone who craves travel, novel experiences, connecting with the world around me, and experiencing all that life has to offer.
But I had a nice, traditional wedding where I aimed to please and impress everyone, inviting folks because they’d feel left out, or because my parents strongly requested they attend, because that’s just what you do right?
Well screw that.
I’m now a former park ranger-turned-professional enabler with a TEDx Talk, book on Eloping Your Life™️, and a decade of helping couples elope under my belt. I help fun & free-spirited couples create bold wedding days in dramatic places like Oregon, Redwoods, Alaska, Scotland, Norway, and beyond.
/əˈlōp/ – verb To have an intimate wedding that represents the interests and passions of you and your partner, however nontraditional they may be in terms of weddings.
ELOPE Your Life ®️
/əˈlōp yôr līf/ – verb To take the confidence and empowerment of eloping and use it to transform other areas of your life in order to live unapologetically and authentically.
Eloping isn’t about the photos, the dress, or the other details we get caught up in. Those can be great, but don’t you feel like striving for something more?
Eloping is about being empowered to be unapologetically yourself and create a wedding day (and life) that YOU can be uniquely proud of, despite what society is screaming at us to be and to do.
The most rewarding and wonderful things in life often happen when you step outside the box. Dare to have an intentional elopement, and to elope your life.
We all had the time of our lives, stress free and best of all – aside from eloping of course – we walked away with an amazing lifelong friend in Sam.
Jen & Mel
Alaska
Sam was quick to empower us to do whatever we wanted! Our day was everything we could have wanted and we felt like Sam was just a friend that was helping guide us.
Martyka & Steve
Oregon
We felt like we knew Sam for months before we even met, because of how intentional she is about getting to know her couples and building a relationship with them.
Carina & Ian
Utah
We decided on the two day adventure package, we thought it might be a bit overboard, but at the end of day one (which was magical and incredible), we were so excited to get to spend an entire second day with Sam.
Having trouble narrowing down a location? Pick what you’d rather enjoy (city vs country, culture vs hikes, hot vs cold, etc.) and see where this quiz thinks you should elope!
There is a reason Oregon is called the Iceland of the United States. An Oregon elopement can be anything from a ceremony on the Oregon Coast, to a Crater Lake elopement, or a jaunt out in the wild desert playa near the Steens Mountains. This state has endless possibilities! Oregon is a personal favorite.
Alaska is just like Glacier National Park in mountainous views, but it can be, dare I say, better?! Within Alaska, you’re able to actually walk on GLACIERS, take a DOG SLED ride, HELICOPTER to a mountain peak, and visit a REINDEER FARM. Let’s be clear, I’m just scraping the surface of all Alaska has to offer.
“The Crown of the Continent” boasts some amazing elopement destination views. If you’re wanting rocky and mountainous terrain, with beautiful glacial-fed lakes in the contiguous United States, Glacier National Park is perfect for your elopement.
There’s a reason I have a coastal redwood tattooed on my forearm. It’s one of my favorite places in the world. Magical, mysterious, whimsical, and romantic. Check out all you need to know for a redwoods elopement, from locations, vendor info, permits and more.
Oregon adventure elopement photographer, specializing in Oregon elopements, Alaska elopement photography, and worldwide.
MY “ELOPE YOUR LIFE” CORE VALUES
I am committed to social equality and representation as well as proper environmental stewardship in the outdoors and beyond while crafting adventurous days that truly represent you as a couple.
The outdoors are for everyone. Leave it better than you found it. Black lives matter. Love is love. Racism, homophobia, and anti-trans views are not welcome or tolerated here. 🏳️🌈
