Outdoor elopements are breathtaking. As a queer elopement photographer, I’ve had the honor of working with many couples with dreams of eloping outdoors. Whether in the middle of a forest, on top of a mountain, or on the shores of a beautiful lake, there’s nothing quite like celebrating your sacred love in nature.

But, eloping outdoors comes with a huge responsibility to respect the natural environment and preserve precious ecosystems. Human impacts on nature can be devastating, especially with careless practices. That’s why when it comes to planning your elopement, abiding by Leave No Trace guidelines is essential. Practicing Leave No Trace is a great way to make your wedding more sustainable—and who doesn’t want to say they had a sustainable wedding? Let’s dive into these principles in more detail. 

What Does it Mean to Leave No Trace?

Leave No Trace is a nonprofit organization that created an ethical framework to promote environmental responsibility and stewardship. The seven principles of Leave No Trace provide a foundation to help people minimize their environmental impact and engage in sustainable practices while visiting the outdoors.

Leave No Trace is especially important to consider when planning your elopement. Getting married in beautiful surroundings, like a state or national park, doesn’t come without responsibilities. A commitment to sustainable practices ensures minimal impact on the lands you visit, preserving these areas for longer.

Why Leave No Trace Guidelines are Important for Elopements

Elopements are an exciting way to celebrate your love, and it is even more remarkable when you have this experience outdoors. But, it can be easy to get carried away during the moment and forget about the nature around you—and how delicate it is. 

Following Leave No Trace guidelines during your elopement means you minimize your impact on the environment, protect ecosystems, and preserve these locations for other people to enjoy long after you get married. 

The 7 Principles of Leave No Trace

There are seven Leave No Trace principles:

1. Prepare and Plan Ahead
2. Properly Dispose of Waste
3. Travel on Durable Surfaces
4. Leave Everything You Find
5. Respect Wildlife
6. Minimize Campfire Impacts
7. Be Respectful of Others

How to Leave No Trace for Your Elopement

Let’s break each principle down to help you get a better idea of how to have a sustainable elopement:

1. Plan Ahead and Prepare

When planning your elopement, consider the principles of Leave No Trace. After you decide where to hold your big day, it’s essential to check any rules or regulations set by your elopement site. This proactiveness is especially vital if you visit a national park or other protected lands. For example, many national parks require special use permits. This requirement keeps you accountable for the site, ensures you follow best practices, and helps minimize disruption to the natural space.

Here are some other items to keep in mind when planning your elopement:

• Familiarize yourself with the principles of Leave No Trace guidelines from the beginning. You can take free online courses to boost your knowledge—which will come in handy for your big day and all future adventures!
• Have a backup plan, especially if weather conditions, like heavy rain, will heavily impact the condition of your location.
• Prepare for bathroom arrangements. If you elope in areas with no restrooms nearby, bring the necessary bags and toiletries to clean up.
• Pack light—only the essentials, if possible.
• Prepare for emergencies, extreme weather, and other hazards by packing emergency kits.
• Consider scheduling your elopement during non-peak seasons to limit foot traffic to the location.
• If you bring guests, try to keep the group small.
• Pack food and snacks in reusable containers.
• Understand the wildlife in the location—and how to handle encounters safely.
• Work with vendors who understand and actively practice Leave No Trace principles.

2. Dispose of Waste Properly

Pack everything in—trash, decorations, food, and flowers. Even if you bring “biodegradable” items, never leave these at the site. As a best practice, avoid decorations like confetti, which can be hard to contain and clean up. If possible, try to minimize the amount of decorations you bring, if any at all. Additionally, if you plan on popping a bottle of champagne or a fizzy beverage, do so carefully so you don’t lose the cork. If you need help with the technique, I can help you!

The general rule of thumb: If you bring it with you, pack it up when it’s time to go. When it’s time to leave, take a moment to inspect the area and clean up anything that might have slipped through your fingers.

3. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces

Durable surfaces can include established trails, gravel, rock, or snow. Staying on these surfaces helps avoid damage to the land, waterways, grass, or wildflowers. Without these practices in place, destruction can occur to soft vegetation and organisms that live there. 

While it might seem enticing to walk through the thick bush, get a photo somewhere off the trail, or pose with the beautiful wildflowers, the damage caused by this foot traffic can have irreversible effects on the land and ecosystem. Often, we can find creative angles to incorporate these elements without causing destruction. 

4. Leave What You Find

I get it—it can be super tempting to take a beautiful seashell or rock or pick a wildflower for a memento of this special day. But, to care for nature, we must leave it the way we found it. If that unique rock or beautiful flower catches your eye, get your photographer to take a photo of it! That way, you’ll still have the visual memory for safekeeping without harming the land.

5. Respect Wildlife

Encountering wildlife on your elopement day can be a memorable experience. But remember that nature is their home at the end of the day. To respect wildlife:

• Observe them from a distance. Do not approach them.
• Never feed them. Always store your food correctly so animals can’t get their hands on it.
• If you bring along pets, ensure they’re on a leash and in control.

Familiarizing yourself with the wildlife protocol in your chosen elopement location is essential. This information is often available online or at the site’s visitor center.

6. Minimize Campfire Impacts

Incorporating a cozy campfire into your elopement might be the perfect way to round out your experience. But, before you light your matches, take proactive steps to minimize your impact:

• Check if there are any fire bans in the area. You can find this information with a simple Google search.
• If there is no ban, ensure you build your fire in designated areas with fire rings. Be aware of wind gusts and fire size to avoid embers flying away and catching surrounding vegetation on fire. Don’t forget to completely extinguish your fire before leaving. When in doubt, remember: #whatwouldsmokeydo?

7. Be Considerate of Others

Showing courtesy to others helps everyone enjoy the outdoor experience. Nature is for everyone! While you may hope for privacy during your elopement, remember that these outdoor spaces are public, so you’ll likely encounter other people. 

To be respectful of others:

• Avoid excessive noise, like loud music.
• When hiking, yield to others on the trail. Hike in a single file if you’re with a group.
• Don’t bring big and bulky decorations that detract from the natural space.
• Consider scheduling your elopement during non-peak seasons or hours.
• Try keeping your group small if you decide to bring guests.
• Be friendly to everyone you pass!

A Note About Social Media

Part of preserving the outdoors is doing your due diligence and keeping your location “off the radar” to the public. Social media can be a powerful tool to spread messages; all it takes is a few shares for a once-secret spot to become an overnight sensation. This popularity spike can lead to overcrowding and eventual land damage. 

When posting about your elopement, try to avoid geo-tagging your location. If you must, consider tagging the general state or park instead of the exact spot. This practice helps keep these hidden gems a secret, protecting and preserving these precious ecosystems.

Leaving No Trace While Working With Vendors

You may hire a photographer, officiant, and other vendors to help make your elopement special. To uphold the principles of Leave No Trace, try to work with vendors who actively practice the principles themselves. What’s the best way to find out if they align with these values? Ask them! Here are some questions to ask before hiring them:

• Are you familiar with Leave No Trace guidelines? What do you do to practice the principles during elopements?
• How can you help us plan with Leave No Trace in mind?

If your vendors are knowledgeable about Leave No Trace guidelines, they should be able to guide you with advice on the following:

• Creating backup plans
• Wildlife encounters
• Packing essentials
• Best times and seasons to elope

Leaving No Trace: Teaming Up With A Photographer

As an LGBTQIA+ elopement photographer who has captured countless elopements in the great outdoors, I can help you plan a sustainable elopement. Leave No Trace is a crucial framework I use during my own outdoor experiences. I also use these principles as a guide to help couples plan their perfect day. 

If you’re ready to start your elopement journey and learn more about how I can help you plan your big day, reach out to me today. I can’t wait to meet you and learn about your story!