Adventurous Red River Gorge Hiking Elopement

Back in early February, Shannon & Tim reached out to me while planning their intimate wedding. I was immediately excited since they wanted to collaborate on locations— they were looking for something woodsy & adventurous, but also somewhere that would be easy for folks carrying kiddos and older family members to get to. So, I made a list of accessible options that still felt natural and wild for them to choose from!

Originally the idea was for twenty or so family members to join them as they said their vows, but then everything changed in March. Since their original plan would involve a whole lot of people traveling, they made the decision to get married in their backyard with family, and then come down to Kentucky with just the two of them to explore, read letters to each other, and have an elopement day full of adventure.

Once the location we choose didn't need to allow for a group, Red River Gorge moved to the top of our list! Shannon and Tim had never been to RRG before, so for their elopement, I acted as both photographer and tour guide. I had so much fun planning their day and even more fun actually getting to hike around with them! Our goals were to see some cool rock formations (Shannon teaches about rocks to her students), interesting water features, and some expansive views...and y'all I don't want to toot my own horn, but I think we nailed it. We got really lucky and had a gorgeous foggy sunrise with almost all the trails totally to ourselves! I don't think the day could have been any more perfect.

If you're in the process of planning your own Kentucky elopement and don't know where to start, I made a blog post outlining how to elope in Kentucky that should be helpful! I also offer location assistance, help building timelines, and feedback on just about anything for all my wedding and elopement clients. Contact me and let’s start making magic!

Elopement Planning Guide for Louisville, Kentucky // Updated for 2026

The very first wedding I ever photographed back in 2007 was a micro-wedding. They had a small, intimate ceremony with their children and immediate families. It was casual, stress-free, and full of quality time with each other and their families. I absolutely loved it.

Kate & Ben enjoyed an afternoon of hiking and exploring Red River Gorge for their elopement after their backyard mini-wedding earlier in the year.

Elopements vs. Micro-Weddings: Understanding the Trends

Since then, I’ve been lucky enough to be part of a few elopements every year. Recently, "elopement" has been used as a catch-all to describe all different types of smaller weddings—from couples going to the courthouse together to renting a 20-person cabin for a weekend celebration. You’ll also see terms like intimate wedding, tiny wedding, and even minimony. They all have slightly different, very nuanced meanings, but if you’re going this route I recommend choosing the term that best fits your day.

Sydney and Rick had the most gorgeous sunset for their cabin mini-wedding!

The Benefits of an Intimate Wedding Celebration

There have always been many advantages to elopements. After COVID-19 threw a wrench in so many couples’ plans in 2020 and 2021, elopements and micro-weddings have become even more popular. They offer a more affordable celebration, an opportunity for deeper connections with each guest, and the flexibility to use unique locations that might be too small for traditional larger weddings.

Lizzie & Kevin had an adventurous sunrise hiking elopement in Red River Gorge.

So if you’re choosing to have a more intimate celebration, where do you start? How do you plan an elopement or mini-wedding in Louisville, Kentucky?

First, narrow down a guest list— this will inform a lot of your other decisions. For Kentucky, you need two witnesses and an officiant to be present for the ceremony, so you’ll need at least three other folks as part of your day.

Then you’ll want to choose a date. I recommend talking to important guests as well as your photographer about availability in order to find a day that works for everyone involved. Often elopements take place on non-Saturdays — which can really help with availability.

Hallie & Shawn had a smaller 40 person ceremony on a Friday and then a larger reception on the Saturday

How to Get Legally Married in Louisville

Both of you will need to apply in person for your marriage license at the county clerk. There is no waiting period, so once you have your license, you can have your ceremony any time within the next 30 days. Kentucky marriage licenses are valid in any county, making it easier to tie the knot at unique sites like Red River Gorge.

Harry & Sara eloped in a treehouse at Red River Gorge!

When choosing an officiant, if you’d like to have a friend perform the ceremony, they can get ordained online for free through The Universal Life Church. The website has information on rules & regulations by area as well as some example scripts you can modify to suit your needs. This is where I got ordained! If you’d rather hire a professional instead of having a family member perform the ceremony, Inclusive Kentucky Weddings has a directory of inclusive vendors and there are several very talented officiants listed there. 

I got to photograph and officiate Alex & Kriston’s Elopement!

Choosing the Perfect Venue: Outdoor and Intimate Locations

From there, it’s time to choose a venue! The Parklands have several beautiful spots for a ceremony as well as really nice pavilions that can be rented for a reception starting around $175. The Parklands’ five parks are some of my favorite places— there is a lot of variety in landscape and flora. Louisville Metro Parks are also a great outdoor option— they have wedding permits for $150 and a variety of different shelters in all of their parks. If you’re interested in traveling outside of the city, Bernheim Arboretum is absolutely stunning and has a variety of options for elopements as well. And of course, Red River Gorge is one of the most popular spots to elope in Kentucky for very good reason! I love it so much that I made a whole guide specific to eloping in Red River Gorge.

A summer micro-wedding in the Parklands

You can also look to Airbnb or even Hipcamp for unique venue options! I had a couple get married at a treehouse in Nashville once and it was such a unique space. Lots of more traditional wedding venues or restaurants also have smaller spaces that can be really great for micro-weddings. And last but not least, there is always the option of your own backyard! Eloping at home can be so romantic and intimate.

Treehouse elopement in Nashville

Venue Styling and DIY Decor Ideas

Once you have your venue, start thinking about your attire and decor. Some venues might not require extensive decoration—sometimes a few houseplants or DIY elements are enough to define your ceremony space. Whether you go minimal or extravagant, the choice should reflect your unique vision. For help with the details, directories like Inclusive Kentucky Weddings feature planners, florists, hair & make-up artists, caterers, and more.

Sunrise elopement in Cherokee Park

Wedding Planning Tips and Additional Resources

The best part about elopements is that you can really choose how simple or extravagant you want to be. I know couples who skipped decorations and ordered pizza after their ceremony and others who went big on decor for the one table in their backyard. Both options were perfect for each respective couple. It is 100% up to you and you should do whatever feels like the right fit for who you are! Not all of my wedding planning tips translate to elopements, but I’d say 80% of them do— it can be a great resource when planning as well.

Jennifer & Tyler chose the Virgin Islands for their intimate wedding

A courthouse elopement followed by wedding band tattoos

Let’s Chat: Personalized Elopement and Micro-Wedding Planning Help in Louisville

Do you still have questions about planning an elopement or micro-wedding? Want to talk through your ideas to see if a smaller celebration is the right fit for you? Contact me, and let’s brainstorm together!

Historic Locust Grove & Ice House Louisville Wedding

After being in the Louisville wedding industry for over a decade now you'd think I would have photographed a ceremony at Locust Grove before, but this was my first one and it was 100% worth the wait. Eleanor said it well, "My historic preservation background and love of old houses had me dreaming of getting married in front of a historic home — Locust Grove it was! Plus, that landscape is just so pretty — the rolling hills, and all the cabins, and spring houses, and willows, oh my!"

We started the day at a gorgeous Airbnb in Clifton. I've said it before and I'll say it again— getting an Airbnb instead of a hotel room for getting ready is the best! It gives you more space and you can rent a place that feels like a good fit for your day. The home where they got ready allowed Eleanor's side to have the second floor and Aaron's side to have the first floor so they had loads of space....plus the front porch of the home was gorgeous and fit with the historic tone of the day. They had their first look under the willow tree in the front yard while some family snuck peeks from the second-floor balcony. When it came time to head to Locust Grove we found out the trolley's brakes went out so we had to wait for another to come! It added a tiny bit of chaos, but lucky for us we had some buffer time built into the timeline to allow for the inevitable mishaps that come with wedding days. We were able to still get all of our wedding party and family photos finished before the ceremony so that afterward they could head downtown and go straight into celebrating! 

A few of Eleanor's favorite moments included, "Our photo session of just the two of us right after the ceremony ended at Locust Grove felt really special! Also, right before the ceremony, our best man brought out a bottle of Basil Hayden and filled a couple of cups and everyone who was waiting behind the scenes took a drink and said something nice about us— it was really sweet and special and the bourbon calmed my nerves a little bit, haha. When Aaron and I got to practice our dance on the roof and it felt like my dress was going to trip us up sooooo bad, but then we got down on the dance floor and KILLED IT (at least I felt like we did)!" Aaron's favorite moments overlapped with Eleanor's which is always a good thing "I also loved the pre-ceremony bourbon toasts, that really sticks out in my mind. Also, walking onto the trolley after the ceremony with the champagne popping. And collectively all of the moments we had to get the amazing photos we got (and kissing Eleanor a million times)." 

coordinator: Ginna Matson with Hummingbird Page // florist: Kristin Hatten Howell // dress: Essense of Australia through Rebecca's Wedding Boutique with sleeves added by KAren at Highland Cleaners // makeup: Michaela Frances Artistry // hair: Shawn Green with The Beauty Patrol  // DJ: Marshall Yancey with Yancey Entertainment Service // Catering: Crushed Ice Catering // wedding party suits: J. Crew Factory // Eleanor's rings: Megan Thorne Fine Jewels purchased through EAT Gallery, Maysville, KY // Aaron's rings: Stuller purchased through EAT Gallery, Maysville, KY // Cake: Sweet Surrender Dessert Cafe // transportation: Miller Transportation // ceremony chairs: Southern Classic Rentals // photobooth: Magbooth // ceremony venue: Historic Locust Grove // reception venue: The Ice House

Their ceremony was really sweet and I loved the music they chose so much. Eleanor once again tells it better than me so I'll share what she wrote, "Our ceremony was exactly how I dreamed it would be. When we got to Locust Grove I was in awe of how perfect it looked even though I feel like we went very minimal on decorations. My best friend since 6th grade's (and maid of honor's) dad performed the ceremony! He's amazing and so progressive and I knew he would do a beautiful ceremony for us. I thought it was the perfect amount of "there's something bigger than us going on here." He suggested a "warming the rings" part of the ceremony where everyone passed around our wedding bands and held them for a moment to put their hopes, prayers, dreams, and wishes for us as a couple on them. I was so excited when he told us about this because it reminded me of something we would do at the summer camp I grew up at called "wish sticks" — we would put our hopes, prayers, dreams, and wishes on sticks and then throw them into the fire so the smoke would rise and our wishes would be heard. I loved this part of the ceremony. Also, my mom told me that my friends who were sitting behind them at the ceremony whispered, "This is SO 'Eleanor'" after we had the wedding party walk down the aisle to a Death Cab song and I walked down the aisle to Vampire Weekend— haha, I loved hearing that."

Fun facts: their cake topper was Eleanor’s grandparent’s topper from their wedding day in 1952. She and her mom visited Tickled Pink Memorabilia Mall (my favorite thrift store) to find all 85 of their vases for the tables! Also their close friend did all their florals!

The night ended with an epic dance party— seriously their friends and family had some of the best energy. A favorite moment of mine was when Eleanor's cousin Kelsey spun Eleanor's dad on the dance floor— it cracked me up and felt like something my family would pull. Also when Eleanor's camp friends gathered around her and went wild during one of their friend group's sentimental songs, "Anna Sun." you could tell it was sheer joy for everyone involved.