Monica + James
Texas Adventure Elopements
Palo Duro Canyon Wedding

Photography: Texas Adventure Elopements
Florist: Forever Beloved Co
MUAH: Mosaic Beauty
Coffee Cart: Palace Coffee Company
Pastries: Sanchez Bakery
Meals:  Black Fig Food + Cock & Hog
Cake & Churros: The Cake Company of Canyon
Bartender: Forever Beloved Co.
Dress: Clementine Willow by by Watters – Unbridaled in Houston, TX
Planner: Forever Beloved Co.
Rentals: Party & Events
Videographer: Visuals by Avery
Cabins: Doves Rest

Monica and James’ inspiration for their small intimate wedding day was the Wes Anderson movie, Moonrise Kingdom, but in Texas! Full of self-discovery and adventure in unknown places. There couldn’t have been a better place to adventure at than Palo Duro Canyon and the temps were just perfect for exploring in a wedding dress! I don’t think it got above 75 the entire day. James and Monica decided to do a first touch before the ceremony right off the rim by a little cabin. I was literally tearing up through my viewfinder seeing James’ reaction as he walked up to the little cabin where Monica had her hand poking out around the corner for him to hold. He just broke down out of sheer love and anticipation. They silently read little notes they had written and then prayed over each other and their new commitment to come. They said their vows overlooking the sprawling canyon rim with their closest family members gathered around them. There were tears and laughs abound, which brought me back to the reason why we shoot such amazing elopements.

After the ceremony on the edge, everyone headed back to their cabins for lunch and relaxing while Monica, James, the videographer (Avery) and I went on a fun hike through the canyon to the most drop dead gorgeous view you’ll ever see. They danced, skipped, and played along the trail, taking fun film photos of each other and looking at the hoodoos through their antique binoculars. As the day progressed, their family met up with us at the big cave for a fun family-friendly hike! Everyone had a blast checking out the cave and climbing to the top to look out over the valleys and cliffs.

Dinner was something out of a storybook. Monica thrifted all of the goblets for the dinner over the past year and found many beautiful items to tie in the Moonrise Kingdom vibes. It felt earthy with a sense of wonderment and awe. There was chicken and shrimp paella (prepared and cooked right there on the spot!), delicious cocktails and homemade churros from my favorite cake place with bluebell ice cream! Everyone gathered around the long table with the golden canyon behind them and spoke of memories and well-wishes for the newly weds as the sun set. I cannot imagine a better way to commit your lives to each other and your new families than this day I spent with James and Monica’s beautiful family.

“Our first call with Brit about how we wanted to have our small intimate wedding at Palo Duro Canyon was wonderful. She understood that we had a unique vision, we wanted to tell our story and include our family in an adventure. As we continued working with her we met more of the team and only became more happy with our decision to include them in our day. The team (Brit, Rachel + Ellie) are kind, organized, and always available. They truly listened and worked to provide solutions for us given physical restrictions of our guests. Rachel photographed our wedding and she fit in perfectly. She was wonderful to be around and we are truly grateful she was part of our day. We are extremely excited to see the day from her point of view.” – Monica

“Our favorite part of our Texas Adventure wedding was after our ceremony joining on a hike just us with Rachel and our videographer. We loved getting away for a moment and soaking in the view of Palo Duro Canyon at sunset. It was a perfect moment and we were truly grateful that they made us feel so comfortable and really played with our vision for fun photos with binoculars and a film camera. We were able to really enjoy the moment ourselves.”

“Timelines are definitely place holders for the day. They’re there to make sure you do everything you want that day, but I promise you it won’t be followed to a tee and the day will still be incredibly beautiful because you get to marry your best friend. Once you touch, see, or hear them the world will melt away.”