Most elopement teams bring at least two people to your ceremony: a photographer and an officiant. That’s two strangers standing at the most intimate moment of your life.
What if it could be just one?
Lana is both a licensed officiant and a professional photographer. When you elope with Adventure Weddings, the person who marries you is the same person who captures every moment on camera. It changes everything about the experience.
How It Actually Works
The most common question we get: “How do you photograph a ceremony and officiate it at the same time?”
It’s more natural than it sounds. Here’s the flow.
Before the Ceremony
Lana spends time with you before the day — learning your story, your dynamic, what makes you laugh, what makes you cry. She designs a ceremony that’s genuinely personal, using your words and your stories, not a generic script from the internet.
She also scouts the location in advance, mapping out exactly where you’ll stand, where the light falls at your chosen time, and how the landscape frames you.
During the Ceremony
The ceremony is intimate and unhurried. There’s no audience, no pressure to perform. Lana positions you in the landscape, sets the camera, and begins speaking.
She moves between officiating and photographing fluidly. During her spoken words — the opening, the readings, the pronouncement — the camera captures wide shots and quiet moments on a tripod or secondary camera. During your vows, she’s photographing your faces, your hands, the emotion in real time.
Because she designed the ceremony, she knows exactly when the emotional peaks will come. She knows when to have the camera ready for the tears, the laughter, the first kiss. No photographer who’s meeting your officiant for the first time has that advantage.
After the Ceremony
After you’re married, Lana transitions into a portrait session — just as intimate as the ceremony, but with more movement and exploration. Walking through the landscape, finding natural moments, capturing the relief and joy of being married.
Because there’s no transition between “ceremony team” and “photo team,” the whole day flows as one continuous experience.
Why It’s Better
More Intimate
At a traditional elopement, even a small one, you’re sharing your most vulnerable moments with multiple strangers. One person changes the dynamic completely. Couples consistently tell us their ceremony felt like a conversation, not a performance.
Better Photography
When your photographer designs the ceremony, she knows the emotional arc in advance. She knows when you’ll pause, when you’ll laugh, when the moment will hit. The camera is always in exactly the right place because she built the moment it’s capturing.
Compare that to a photographer who’s hearing the ceremony script for the first time and trying to anticipate what comes next.
No Coordination Gaps
Anyone who’s planned a wedding knows the pain of coordinating between vendors. When one person handles both roles, there are no timing conflicts, no communication gaps, no “hold on, let me check with the officiant.” The ceremony and photography are one integrated experience.
Real Cost Savings
Hiring a photographer and an officiant separately typically costs $3,000-$6,000+ combined. Our all-in-one approach means you’re not paying for two vendors, two sets of travel costs, and the time spent coordinating between them.
Is This Right for You?
This approach is ideal for couples who want:
- Maximum intimacy — fewer people, more connection
- A genuinely personal ceremony — not a script, but your story
- Candid photography — real moments, not posed shots
- Simplicity — one relationship instead of managing multiple vendors
- The Sea to Sky or Queenstown — we know these landscapes deeply
It’s less suited for couples who want a large wedding party at the ceremony, traditional posed portraiture, or an extremely formal religious ceremony.
How Rare Is This?
In the Sea to Sky corridor, there’s nobody else who offers this combination. Most elopement photographers partner with a separate officiant. Most officiants don’t photograph. The combination requires both skills at a professional level, and that’s genuinely rare.
Nationally, there are a handful of photographer-officiants across Canada, but none with the local knowledge of the Sea to Sky corridor and the adventure guiding support that Aaron provides.
The Team
When you book with Adventure Weddings, you’re building a relationship with two people:
Lana — your photographer, officiant, and planner. She designs your ceremony, officiates your marriage, and captures every moment. Her photography style is candid, editorial, and deeply emotional.
Aaron — your local guide and logistics person. He knows every trail, summit, and hidden spot in the Sea to Sky corridor. For adventure elopements involving hiking or climbing, he handles route planning, safety, and on-the-day guiding.
Together, we’re a complete team. Nothing falls through the cracks, and nothing feels impersonal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lana legally able to marry us in BC? Yes. Lana is a licensed officiant registered in British Columbia. Your marriage certificate is entirely legal.
How do you handle the camera during vows? Lana uses a combination of handheld and tripod-mounted cameras. During spoken vows, she photographs your faces and expressions. During her own spoken parts, the camera captures wider shots from a set position.
What if we want a traditional ceremony? Lana can incorporate traditional elements — rings, readings, unity ceremonies — while still maintaining the intimate, personal feel. The ceremony is designed around you, whatever that looks like.
Can we have guests? Absolutely. The intimacy of the photographer-officiant approach works beautifully with small groups too. We typically recommend keeping it to 10 or fewer for the most intimate experience.
Do you offer this in Queenstown, New Zealand too? Yes. Adventure Weddings operates in both the Sea to Sky corridor (BC, Canada) and Queenstown (New Zealand). The photographer-officiant approach is the same in both locations.
Ready to experience the difference? Get in touch and Lana will help you start imagining your day.