OUR FAVORITES POSTS OF THE YEAR ON INSTAGRAM | 2020 @THEHEARNES ROUND UP
Instagram is our go-to place for sharing new photos, life updates, behind-the-scenes from our elopement days, and previews soon after we shoot! We love staying connected to our IG community and using it as a way to inspire couples to have an elopement day that is uniquely them! I’ve rounded up a few of my favorite posts from 2020, but be sure to click over to our Instagram profile to look through the story highlights if you’re interested in more, including behind the scenes, Q&A’s and so on ❤️
JANUARY 5, 2020 | MOAB, UTAH
Sometime recently, I was explaining adventure weddings to someone and they asked me “so, how do your brides make sure their hair stays perfect after all that hiking?” and my answer was.... “they don’t” 😉
JANUARY 25, 2020 | OAHU, HAWAI’I
From the mountains of Washington to the mountains of Hawaii! Do any of you long-time followers remember Jena + Kyler’s wedding in 2017? They got married on an epic tree deck that their families built on the land Jena grew up on, and then we did a day-after session on Mount Rainier! Well, when we mentioned we were coming to Kaua’i a few months ago, Jena reached out and asked if we’d be down to island hop to O’ahu and do an adventure session in their wedding clothes on their new home island! I pretty much couldn’t say yes fast enough. We ended up spending the week with them (the most amazing hosts!) and having so much fun.
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On our last day, we did their favorite hike — it was pretty much straight up the whole way following a narrow ridge line and ending with this gorgeous summit (three summits if you do the whole thing — we opted for two this time around)! Most sane humans made their way down while there was still daylight, so we had it all to ourselves at sunset (making it down the mountain with headlamps was an adventure in itself!). I love comparing these photos to their session on Rainier almost three years ago! It was such a different experience and location, but just as fun, especially with these two. We knew we loved them after their wedding, and we’ve even camped together in Moab since, but this week together solidified a life long friendship that I am so so thankful for. I can’t wait to see what adventures we get into next 🥰
FEBRUARY 4, 2020 | SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK, CALIFORNIA
I think one of the most powerful things about getting married in the wild outdoors is how quickly it teaches you about significance. When you choose an adventure wedding, you get to stop thinking about napkin colors and seating charts...and the never ending guest list debate. All of a sudden, you’re planning which trail to hike, which boots to wear, which little nook of the woods you’ll say your vows in. I’ve found for our adventurous couples, this “release” brings so much peace, because they get to go back to what they love: planning a trip in the outdoors.
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If the idea of planning a big event appeals to you, no problem. There is nothing wrong with that, truly you do you. But if you’re currently sitting in a pile of wedding magazines that make no sense, and staring at 15 Pinterest boards that feel overwhelming, and arguing with your partner about inviting your 3rd cousin...I just want to say you have other options. Your wedding should be about you two, and it should reflect the things that matter most to you. Whether that’s hiking into the back country alone, or bringing 30 of your closest people to your favorite place on earth, I want to assure you it’s possible...and will feel so much more freeing than coordinating a venue and a strict timeline and dinner for 200 people. 🖤 Editing to add, this post inspired a lot more thoughts for me...read my stories if you want more 😁
FEBRUARY 10, 2020 | YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK
Have you ever tried hiking in a dress? It’s honestly really complicated, even on well-established trails! One of my favorite things ever is when we’re out with a couple and we pass some fellow hikers — the reactions are priceless! We’ve had people cheer, give high-fives, ask to take their photo, ask to take a photo *with* them, and of course, we’ve heard our fair share of concerns about the dress, or about their hair, or their muddy shoes 🙃
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One of my favorites was hiking with Sidney (the third bride in this post!) when an old lady saw the dirt and sticks in her skirt, and said “oh dear, your poor dress!” to which we replied “this dress is living its best life!” 😂 By the time we got back to the cars that evening, Sidney could shake her skirt and release a full cloud of dust...but we’d had the best day ever, and isn’t that the whole point?!
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I honestly think one of my favorite things about elopements is how much of the usual “stressful” wedding details goes out the window. The moment you choose to elope, you’re throwing out any tradition that you don’t feel drawn to keep, and all of a sudden, there are way less things that can go wrong. Because honestly, at the end of the day, if you’re married to your partner and you had fun doing it, what’s a few sticks + dirt really going to do to ya?
FEBRUARY 18, 2020 | MOAB, UTAH
Yesterday, we rallied the Jeep on a pretty wild dirt road we’d be eyeing for a little bit and after pulling up to the top of a beautiful hill, we got all dressed up and took some photos as the sunset painted our home mountains pink. It wasn’t to celebrate any special in particular. In fact, I only came up with the idea when this borrowed dress was delivered to my doorstep on Thursday and I tried it on. And at home, alone, I spun around the mirror and decided I wanted to do a little photo shoot in this dress before I had to send it back 😁Callen agreed (hero) and we tried not to be too fussy or complicated...we picked the spot on a map, spent four hours driving and exploring sandy washes and scrambling on boulders, and spent less than an hour at the very end of the day all dressed up running back and forth between our tripod and the mountains.
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We forgot to pack snacks, and it was way colder than we expected (couples...I have a new understanding of what you go through 😜), and Charlie decided he was over it about 15 minutes in, but I’m so grateful for these photos. And so grateful for my little fam in my big desert. And of course, for @ruedeseinebridal dropping off the most beautiful pieces of art on my doorstep! I’ve never worn anything like this dress and I won’t soon forget the feeling 🥰
MARCH 14, 2020 | YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK
ADVICE FOR WORKING FROM HOME: As someone who does 90% of my work from home (wait you didn’t know that this job is mostly emailing/photo editing/computer work with just a hint of outdoor adventure? 🤪), I realized I have a good amount of advice to offer to those of you who are working from home due to Coronavirus, as well as those of you who already work from home (let’s be honest, I need to heed some of my own advice here often!). I’ve shared this in my stories but wanted to put it in a post too so you can save it + reference it later!
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SET BOUNDARIES:
Even if you don’t have to “be at work” at a certain time, try to wake up consistently and keep a morning routine • Block out your day with designated times, coordinate them with your spouse/housemates if applicable • Set limits on your phone time • Try to stick to these things, keep yourself accountable so you’re working productively and sustainably.
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SELF CARE:
Change into normal clothes every morning • Work at a desk (not couch or bed) • Be active, stretch, go outside and walk around the block • Eat well, keep healthy snacks around, take the time to make meals and sit down to eat them away from work, ideally with your housemates/spouse • Be real with yourself about Netflix/movies/podcasts while working and how it affects productivity • Don’t work in your bedroom.
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DON’T BE COMPLACENT WITH FREE TIME:
Set limits on your phone/TV/electronics • Read a book (keep them out, as easy to reach for as your phone) • Facetime, text, and call friends. Social distancing doesn’t have to mean losing connection • Make a list of house projects you’d love to get done • Keep the house clean, do dishes, make your bed • Be creative, write, draw, try new things • Clean out your closet • Two weeks from now, do you want to have spent hours scrolling, or do you have a list of things you’d love to have checked off?
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Lastly, give yourself and those around you grace. This is confusing and scary and can be overwhelming! Be kind to yourself and try to practice patience when possible. And thank you for doing what you can to reduce the spread of this virus 🙏🏻 Please see my stories for more info + more in-depth recommendations!
MARCH 28, 2020 | ZION NATIONAL PARK
Yesterday was supposed to be our first Moab wedding of the year. It’s strange how much this crisis is affecting *everything.* One moment, I’m worrying about my parents in Texas (please read my last post @abbihearne if you haven’t 🙏🏻) and the next moment, I’m feeling so deeply sad for our couples.
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For the two who were supposed to be married yesterday, and had to postpone it with less than two weeks notice...it will still be the best day ever, when this is all over. I’m just so bummed for them that they now have to wait even longer.
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For the rest of our couples, deciding if they should postpone, wondering when they should make that call, still planning their weddings but now with the “what if...” in the back of their minds. It’s not easy. It’s not ideal. It flat out sucks. I’m so sorry.
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To everyone whose wedding is being affected by this, I’m so sorry. And I know there are worse things happening, but that doesn’t make your sadness and frustration any easier. I know I could write out some flowery thing about how this is good preparation for marriage because life is hard and whatever else, but the bottom line is: this isn’t fair, and I wish it wasn’t happening to you 🖤
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Also...I know my photographer friends can relate, we really miss doing our job 😔 We love adventuring with couples and making their dreams come true with a really cool experience in an amazing place. I wish I were waking up this morning with cards full of photos to import and edit from yesterday. This is hard. Sending love to all of you today 🖤
MARCH 30, 2020 | MOAB, UTAH
This gorgeous morning is featured on @greenweddingshoes today! This session-turned-surprise-proposal was so much fun. We became fast friends with Schadell and Jamaal and it was honestly a huge honor to capture this moment in their lives.
Over on GWS, Schadell went into her perspective on the day — she initially thought he was just posing with a prop the moment Jamaal got down on his knee! It was so adorable, she kept saying “are you serious? is this real?” and then finally, “oh ok I’ll let you say your thing” 😂 It was amazing. You can head to the link in my bio to see the GWS feature and read more of the story!
Special thank you to @ruedeseinebridal for sending the amazing dresses she wore, to @bribol for the perfect earrings, and of course to @lalita_8221 and @jam_brant for the incredible day and for fully trusting us with all the details 🖤
APRIL 7, 2020 | YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK
Nobody should love your wedding day more than you do. I’m doing a little Q&A on our stories right now and someone asked my advice on how to deal with wanting a small wedding or elopement but your family wants something else. If that’s your situation, bottom line is *someone* will be disappointed in how your wedding goes no matter what, would you really rather that someone be you?
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The thing is, a wedding is *not* a necessity. It’s not even required for you to get married. How you do your wedding is fully optional. If you want to have dogs instead of people as guests, you can do that. If you want to go to the local courthouse and then get a nice dinner together, you can. If you want to get married in Batman suits, you can :)
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But honestly, your wedding day is a day to celebrate the two of you getting married! For you two, it’s a day you want to enjoy together to the fullest. It’s a day you’ll remember for the rest of your lives, a day you’ll think back on often, when you’re happy and sad, when you miss your spouse and when you’re loving your spouse. For everyone else, it’s a wedding they’ll attend (or not attend). They will probably have many many more of those in their lifetime. For you, this is it.
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If everyone in your life agrees on how your wedding should go, congratulations on being the .001% 🤪 But if you don’t, I hope this can encourage you to be selfish this time. You’re the only ones who “deserve” to enjoy your wedding day. Everyone else should consider it a bonus if they get to be involved, but their top priority should be that it’s the best day *you* can imagine.
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And lastly, I want to encourage you and say that in our experience, the conflict is much more settled after the wedding day. If you do something small, people that attend “get it” when they get there, even if there was a lot of push back initially! I can’t tell you how many reluctant family members have whispered in my ear something along the lines of “Now I get it. Y’all have something great going on here!” And even for those who aren’t invited, when they see the photos, and see how happy and at peace you two are, they understand. They’ll realize that it just isn’t about them 🖤
APRIL 13, 2020 | MOAB, UTAH
One of the biggest reasons we chose Moab as “home” is the endless adventure. You can live here 100 years and never run out of new dirt roads to drive down. Never run out of new outcroppings to sit and watch the sunset from. Never run out of new places to climb, at any grade. Never run out of trails, of nooks to find little bitty blooming cacti in, of sandstone arches to discover, of canyons to rappel into.
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We explore a lot. We take our Jeep to new places a few times a week, and then when the road thins out we park and go by foot. We walk washes (where the water runs when it rains) and skip across exposed rocks. It never gets old. There are times that we’ll find a really amazing hidden gem and I’ll almost worry there is a scarcity and we’re reaching a limit, and then I remember how big and vast this land is...and that the limit does not exist 😉
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Moab is magic. A new adventure every day. Oh, and our couples benefit greatly from this exploring because I’m never not finding a new spot and saying “ohhh imagine a ceremony here!” 😜
APRIL 29, 2020 | YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK
When you see a good photo, remember that there is so much more than a nice camera and pretty views behind it.
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For me, it’s years of spending my free time exploring these places, or day-dreaming of them, or researching for my next trip out here, or giving up my life and security of home to live here. It’s miles of hiking the trails, countless sunrises and sunsets (for fun, and then later for work). It’s hundreds of thousands of bad photos. Bad photos of trees, of landscapes, of Callen, of me, of anything...so many bad photos before this good one. It’s hundreds of hours editing, hundreds of frustrated I-give-up-this-edit-will-never-look-good. Hundreds of times I considered a different career. So many “failed” (in quotes because they helped me get here, so how could they be failures?) attempts at my own business...painting, hand lettering, Etsy shops, hair ties, purses, my gosh I could go on!
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It’s people who told me I couldn’t do it, who said photography wasn’t a real job, I’d never earn a real income, it was too competitive, I’d only make it if my husband had a job that could support us (yes people really told me that). And then, when I became successful, people who told me that I charged too much, that I was full of myself, that I was relying on landscapes or pretty places, that I didn’t focus on the right things, that I was just following a trend, or whatever else. People writing this off, saying it was surely handed to me, or my job is easy, or anything else that removes the option from their plate because that’s easier than admitting they don’t want to put in the work.
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When you see a good photo, please remember that it took so much more. Still does.
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And if you are in the depths of what I’ve listed above, know that it never goes away...it never gets easy. But creating something beautiful, and feeling satisfied in your own work makes all of that worth it.
MAY 2, 2020 | MOAB, UTAH
Why would someone want to elope in a place they’ve never been to before? We get this question a lot — it’s something that often surprises people: the fact that a lot of our couples are seeing Yosemite for the first time the day of their elopement, or they’ve never been to Moab, but they choose to come out here for their wedding day.
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It might seem strange, but it really isn’t. You see, marriage is new. It’s a marking of a new turn, a new life, a new promise. Why not explore a new place while you do that? Often times, our couples decide to elope, or plan an intimate destination wedding, because the idea of a big wedding back home doesn’t feel right to them. So they choose to have an epic, exploratory, adventurous wedding day instead. They choose to go somewhere new together, experience the place for the first time on a day that they’ll never forget.
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And the thing is, when they do this, they forever have a place that means everything to them. Callen and I were married in a typical venue in Texas. We’ve never gone back to it. It’s fun to pass the highway exit occasionally and remember our wedding was there, but the place itself doesn’t hold much meaning. For our couples who promise forever to each other on the edge of a cliff in Moab (like these two), they can always return to this beautiful cliff and it will continue to hold meaning in their hearts. They can be 80 years old and run into young tourists and say “we were married right here...” and to me, that’s sort of the coolest thing ever.
MAY 11, 2020 | GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK
I was reminiscing on Jen + Amanda’s elopement in the Tetons a few summers ago and remembered this email I got from Jen the day before their wedding:
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“We got here on Friday of last week and have had such a great time exploring the National Park it seems unreal. I was thinking a lot this morning about having a wedding here in the mountains and what it means to us, and how nothing could be more perfect or authentic for Amanda and I.
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We have spent the last couple of months trying super hard to be “ready” to get married, making sure we have haircuts and white teeth and clear skin etc. and it feels like 5 days in the Tetons has taken all that away and reminded us of who we really are 😊. We will show up tomorrow as our real selves- with sunburns and blisters and chapped lips and full hearts- clearly the mountains gave us WAY more than they took. We have seen moose, elk, deer, antelope, snakes, frogs, marmots, pika, river otters, osprey and hawks. We took our kids on a 17 mile hiking adventure through Cascade Canyon that I am sure they will never forget; we rode our bikes all over the Moose, Taggart and Jenny Lake areas; and we have watched sunsets and moon rises in these amazing mountains to remind us every evening of just how lucky we are!”
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Reading it the day before their elopement brought tears to my eyes, and now, almost two years later it has the same affect. I absolutely love this reflection and explanation of what an adventure wedding can be! Our couples choose to elope for a huge variety of reasons, but very few (if any) of them really know how much this experience will mean to them until they go through it. The choice to go on a real adventure, instead of throwing a formal affair in a ballroom or on a golf course or in a fancy venue...it’s incredible. It’s about so much more than photos, so much more than even the actual day-of...it’s about the long hikes and memorable weekend and the new adventures with the person (or people) you love most 💛
MAY 17, 2020 | UTAH
When your parents are being gross and cuddly so you act out and demand everyone’s attention 🙃
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I kinda think we need to do a caption contest...what is going through Moki’s mind here??
MAY 18, 2020 | YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK
Most people assume all brides wear fancy high heels, and then some people that follow us assume our brides only wear hiking boots, but the truth is even adventure brides don’t fit in one certain box! We’ve had brides wear heels, dusty old boots, nice leather hiking boots, vans, converse...some even go barefoot! I love seeing how our couples express themselves with their footwear.
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Although one consistent note, no matter what shoes they want to wear for photos, we always recommend they bring a pair of comfy hiking shoes for the muddy trails, balancing on logs, long distances, creek crossings, and high-consequence cliff edges!
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What shoes would you wear for an adventure elopement? Hike in something comfy and change to fancy for the photos? Boots? Barefoot? Your old favorite vans? 👠🥾👟
MAY 23, 2020 | MOAB, UTAH
The other day, I saw someone ask “why gay pride month exists”, and then declare “I want a straight pride month.” And it reminded me of when, as a little kid, I once asked why Mothers Day existed and “When is kids day?” My mom responded “every other day is kids day, that’s why we celebrate Mother’s Day.”
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You see, there aren’t many cases of a straight couple being turned down for wedding services because of the service provider’s religious beliefs. There aren’t many cases of straight couples being afraid to hold hands as they walk down the street together. There aren’t many cases of straight couples being marginalized, bullied, or otherwise oppressed in our culture. Sadly, these things can be daily occurrences for our gay friends. That is why we celebrate pride month.
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To my more conservative friends, I want to give you a chance to know the beauty that comes from loving people that you may disagree with. I grew up in Texas, and while I am so thankful to have been raised in a family that always taught love is love is love, I know I have a lot of peers who might be bristling from this post. I want to encourage you to believe that the world is always bigger than what you currently know. There is more to learn, more to see, and more people to meet that will change your life. And from my experience, the more you learn, the more you’ll regret the times you chose to hate someone based on your judgement of them, your current opinions, and yes, based on your religious beliefs. Hate and oppression are never the answer. Ever. If you claim to believe in Jesus, yet every person you surround yourself with is white, straight, and agreeing with you...check yourself.
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So, in honor of pride month coming up, I want to say that we believe in love. I want to say that as a wedding photography business and as people, we are a safe place for you, no matter who you are, what you believe, or who you love🏳️🌈💕
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Lastly, if it comes to this (I hope not), I want to add that I will be deleting any comments that might be hurtful to anyone. If you are confused or struggling with this post and want to have a genuine open conversation, message me. No judgement here.
JUNE 17, 2020 | CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK
Schadell + Jamaal standing on the edge of the world soaking in the endless desert 🏜
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Something a lot of photographers ask me about is posing our couples, specifically how we get them to look so comfortable in our photos. We have some go-to cues to direct people, but I really think the biggest thing is the whole vibe of the session. We’re always trying to photograph how a couple truly acts together, how they’d explore a space and soak in those moments with each other if we remove all distractions and they just focus on connection. Usually one of my favorite “poses” is having them turn toward the landscape and just soak it in. I love giving them a few minutes to do this usually at the beginning and near the end of the session, I like to think it’s the moment they’ll remember when thinking through our time together. We never want their memories to be rushing from one spot to the next, or being overly-directed for “the shot.” We know we’ll get the photos they’ll love in whatever time we’re given, and it’s a huge priority of ours to give them time to enjoy each other and the place they’ve chosen. The thing is, we don’t just photograph amazing experiences, we create them, which I think will always be something that sets apart a good photographer from a good portfolio.
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Also, @callenhearne is pretty much our secret weapon because it’s impossible to be uncomfortable after spending 5 minutes with him. He could probably make the grinch laugh if he wanted to 😉
JUNE 22, 2020 | PLANET EARTH
I noticed today that this is my 1,000th post on this account! I had a few ideas for what to do to celebrate it, but decided that the best way would be an ode to this incredible job, and the wonderful places it has taken us. It’s a wild journey to think back on, and I sometimes can’t even believe where we are now because of it.
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Five years ago this month, we photographed our first wedding together. I second shot with a photographer throughout college, had just graduated, and this gig was sort of a trial run. I brought Callen as my second and he dialed in how to use the camera the week before. We loved every minute of that first wedding, and I spent the next year building a little business. So much has happened since then; we eventually switched from Abbi Hearne Photography to The Hearnes and hit the road full time, we slowly transitioned our business from big venue weddings in Texas to small weddings + elopements in deserts and mountains and glaciers and all of our favorite places. We fell in love with Utah and made it “home” while still living on the road in our other favorites like Yosemite and Alaska.
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Since then, we’ve photographed over 200 couples in countless places and these weddings (and sessions) have truly been some of our favorite days. From balancing on a space net 400 feet over a canyon in Utah to dog sledding on a glacier in Alaska, hanging our feet 3000 feet above Yosemite Valley, taking helicopters and pack rafts and jeeps, rock climbing and canyoneering, early mornings and late nights...I’m convinced we’ve met some of the world’s best people and seen some of the most beautiful sights.
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More often than not, when discussing our job with wedding guests or friends or complete strangers, they say we’ve really got it figured out, and while there are certainly huge challenges to this job and lifestyle that I can’t even begin to express, I honestly can’t imagine a better or more rewarding job. I am so thankful, and I can’t wait to see where this wild life takes us next 😁 Thanks for following along!
JUNE 23, 2020 | SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK
I remember when I was still photographing bigger weddings in Texas, I would always try to work 10 minutes of alone time for the couple into their schedule. It was a hard thing to do. When your timeline requires everything to run minute-by-minute, scheduling a few minutes alone is a tough thing to prioritize. Planners were often annoyed I wanted that in the timeline at all, because it would cut into the important things like cocktail hour or special dances or portraits. But our couples always appreciated it, they’d mention it was the only time they really got to talk or reflect on the day. We’ve all heard the classic trope that your wedding day just flies by and you barely remember anything.
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That’s why I love elopements. That’s why we have a minimum of 6 hours when people book with us. Because we want the whole day to be an amazing memory, not a blur. We want plenty of moments to let our couple walk ahead and spend time just the two of them in the incredible place they’ve chosen to elope. We want extra time for the picnic with family, or the last bits of sunset, or the quiet moments before their ceremony. We want them to be able to soak up every minute, and never feel rushed from one thing to the next. Our timelines are always full of flexible moments, in case the couple wants to sit on the cliff a little longer, or walk through a few more trees, or have a meaningful conversation with their grandma. The thing about elopements is, when you remove all the extra expectations and features of a traditional wedding, you’re not left with less...you’re giving yourself more.
JULY 15, 2020 | MOAB, UTAH
We’re planning a last-minute elopement coming up next week (as in, they just booked us a few days ago! so fun!!) and as I was putting together their custom locations + timeline email, I thought it would be fun to make a post showing the places we’re suggesting!
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One unique thing we’ve been offering for years is a split between sunrise and sunset. Like if someone books us for 6 hours, they’re allowed to do 3 hours at sunrise and 3 at sunset, in different locations! A lot of photographers require the hours to be consecutive for a number of (totally valid) reasons, like they can’t really do anything else during that middle time. We established our approach when we lived on the road full time because it was so easy to go “home” between those time blocks to rest or catch up on work (and our couples loved the break too — sunrise first looks require an early wake up call and wedding day naps are so wonderful!). This ends up being so fun because we can offer such a huge variety of locations, and take advantage of the best lighting in the day.
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In Moab, this usually means we can hit two National Parks, or one NP and another epic location across the nearby desert, so our couples really get to experience a lot. The locations in this post are all so different, and in different areas and I’m psyched, that variety will be SO fun 🥰
AUGUST 4, 2020 | ALASKA
my home is not an address.
home is familiarity
home is charlie’s fur against my cheek
home is the passenger seat of the truck
home is my yellow raft in iceberg lagoons
home is red dirt roads
home is tall grass looking up at taller granite rocks
home is watching the desert sunset from our back porch
home is our parents’ kitchen tables
home is van dinners with our friends
home is our little cozy loft bed in the rig
home is our big pendleton bed at the house
home is sleeping pads in our tent, anywhere in the world
home is your green eyes
home is the way you smell, after a shower or after a week
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honestly, I know it’s cliché, but after all these years and all these places, home is with you
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anywhere in the world.
AUGUST 14, 2020 | ALASKA
From 2am talks over pizza and wine, to taking dumb butt photos (that the world will never see) in Iceland, to hair-brained adventures that are more like misadventures...these two are actually my favorite thing about Alaska, and that’s saying a lot.
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I’ve been wanting to explore this glacier lagoon for a few years now, but every time I’ve tried to research getting here, it’s been just complicated enough to say “maybe next time.” But this year I was determined. So we called a boat taxi, and when I told him we wanted to packraft this lake he laughed, but said sure and we decided to do a wet drop to save some money. So I learned what a wet drop was — that he’d let us off the boat in the bay and we’d paddle to shore, then hike to the lake. Looking at the map, this seemed like a fine idea. We invited our buddies @theadamsco to join us and it lined up with Austin’s birthday, and considering Austin is always stoked on possibly-disastrous adventures, it was a perfect way to celebrate his 30th!
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When the boat dropped us in the bay and we saw the surf we’d have to paddle through to get on the beach, we all kinda figured there was a good chance we’d get swamped. As our captain said goodbye, he apparently said “See you at 1:30” and then muttered “hopefully” under his breath 😂 Then Callen promptly flipped his boat in the surf and completely soaked his gear (just a bummer, not very dangerous, he just stood up and pulled his stuff to the beach). The three of us just watched in horror knowing we were probably next. But with Cal on shore to help we all made it! We ended up walking a mile holding our boats (not ideal) and then paddling upstream against the river a bit, BUT WE MADE IT. And it was gorgeous. And so fun. We had some charcuterie and donut holes, paddled with bergs, Austin blew out a candle while we sang, and the boys got to fly their drones around.
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It was a great time, we learned a lot of better ways to go about it next time, and our captain was nicely surprised to see us back in the bay on time, mostly dry 😎 HBD, @austinmarkadams, we never would’ve made it through without your 30-year-old wisdom 🎉 best day ever.
AUGUST 18, 2020 | ALASKA
This is what it’s always been about for us. More time in the places we love. It’s why we started road tripping out past the Texas state line as soon as we could afford the gas money. It’s why we came up with the idea of advertising our sessions in National Parks 5 years ago — we figured it would be so cool to get to combine our work with our favorite places. It’s why, when we photographed our first elopement, we were hooked. We were already putting our free time and efforts into spending as much time as possible in these places, that it felt so natural to bring our photography job out there, too.
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And it caught on. As more and more couples chose to skip the traditional wedding plans and pursue this outdoor elopement concept, we fell more and more in love with facilitating it all. With this business, we now get to give couples the incredible experiences we’ve fallen so deeply in love with. Now, we get to share our favorite places with others on the best day of their lives. Now, instead of just coming up with our next greatest adventure, we get to come up with our couples’ next greatest adventures too.
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The thing is, Callen and I spend so much of our time dreaming. People ask how we pass the time on long drives...honestly so much of it is talking about the next big adventure. And with this job, we make that happen for our couples too. We have some pretty epic business meetings 😉 A huge majority of the time, our couples have never been to the place they’re eloping. They’ll choose it based on our photos and stories, or they’ll tell us what they’re into and trust us to pick for them, and I honestly can’t express how incredible it feels to watch our couples experience the magic that keeps us coming back to these places.
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This evening a few nights ago was everything we love about this non-conventional life. And the next morning we went on a big adventure, and couldn’t stop talking about how grateful we were. We have an elopement coming up this week, our couple is here in AK (and tested C19 negative yay), and I am absolutely beside myself that we get to spend a few days adventuring with them, introducing them to the magic that keeps us coming back here.
AUGUST 29, 2020 | ALASKA
Honestly, I’m barely just beginning to process how incredible yesterday’s elopement was. When Ruchi and Zach reached out, they put their full trust in us to plan their elopement — from their location to their activities and their modes of transportation...and when they mentioned their goal of seeing all 50 states (if Covid hadn’t messed with other plans this would have been their 50th!) we knew Alaska was the way to go.
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As is the theme of all 2020 weddings, Covid made the months leading up to this really uneasy and stressful, but I am so so glad these we were able to make it happen! We’ve had this glacier lake on our minds for a few years now but the logistics of getting here are pretty complicated (you might remember our scouting mission a few weeks ago on boats when Callen got swamped in the surf...that was when we knew for sure helicopters were the way to go), but Ruchi and Zach were stoked on the adventure and loved the idea of eloping out there. Callen flew out ahead of us with all the gear and had everything set up and ready to go when we arrived (our hero!), we paddled in the lake surrounded by icebergs, Pony Boy did so many zoomies, Ruchi and Zach exchanged vows on the shore (and I signed as their officiant so they didn’t have to involve anyone else!), and then we ate cheesy bread and listened to the sound of the icebergs as the sun set behind the mountains. Then our heli scooped us up and flew us on a super scenic route back as the last bit of light lit up all the peaks!
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It was truly such an incredible day. We’re all sore and exhausted but so dang stoked on the memories and epic experience that was!
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Someone at the heli shop asked Ruchi why she wanted to elope...and she said “because table clothes and centerpieces really just aren’t my thing. I’d much rather have an adventure.” And well, I think that about sums it up. What a day!
NOVEMBER 8, 2020 | MOAB, UTAH
Asking for a friend, how tiny is too tiny when it comes to #HearnesTinyCouples?
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In all seriousness, without a doubt, one of my very favorite things about the outdoors is the constant reminder that we’re so dang small, and the world is so dang big. There is nothing like standing on the edge of a desert cliff and feeling like the only two people in the world. It’s a hard feeling to capture in a photo, but the mini sky brap sure helps 😉
NOVEMBER 18, 2020 | MOAB, UTAH
We’ve done a lot of photo sessions around cliff edges but this was the first time our couple jumped off 😝
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Two years ago to the day (by complete coincidence!) we climbed a classic desert tower with these two and Glen BASE jumped off the summit. I remember talking with Brittany about how she was planning to start BASE jumping the following year. We talked through all the things she was doing to prepare, and I remember thinking how much I admired both of them as individuals and as a couple; their drive, their kindness, the way they support each other and give each other space. They’re two of the most rad people you’ll ever meet, but they’re incredibly humble and will never tell you just how rad they are.
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This was a full on classic desert mission that involved gnar jeeping, rappelling? (lol), hiking, and a high reward at the end. We took some “normal” engagement photos and then as the sun began to set, they geared up, checked each other for safety, and then jumped off the massive cliff and flew down to the river below where a friend was waiting with a boat and a shuttle back to town. It was a perfect day...and so perfectly them.
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This is why we love Moab. People like them and adventures like this. @gleninthevertical & @britt.in.wanderland thanks for the day, this was incredible. Let’s do it again sometime when we’ve forgotten how heinous it was (...or maybe 🚁😌)
DECEMBER 3, 2020 | MOAB, UTAH
Forever seeking huge, empty places that remind us how small we are 🏜 #HearnesTinyCouples
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One of our biggest priorities with every single wedding day we create is to give a lot of flexible time. We never want to be rushed, we never want our couples to feel ushered through moments and places that they barely remember. Our timelines sometimes look excessive...why would someone need two hours at one spot, what the heck are we going to do with eight+ hours or multiple days of photography? But that’s the point. We want to pull up and soak it in, we want our couples to walk out together and just stare at the landscape without thinking about photos or poses or what face they’re making. When we do start taking photos, we want it to be chill and low pressure, so they know we can take breaks to explore or sip coffee or pull on a puffy on cold mornings. And we want to spend a lot of time pulled back, giving them space to really soak in the fleeting moments of their elopement adventure together feeling like the only two people in the world. In our own adventures, we’ve found that we never regret “extra” time to sit and feel the warm rocks against our skin, to soak in the sunshine, or to listen to the absolute silence of the wilderness, so we intentionally build that into wedding days. Because the truth is, we know we can get amazing photos with 15 minutes or 8 hours, but we know the truly incredible and valuable experiences come when we give ourselves time to slow down and enjoy them.
DECEMBER 12, 2020 | UTAH
Six years ago today we promised each other we’d make this last forever no matter what life threw our way. I’m happy to report it’s been a million times more incredible (and tbh probably a hundred times more difficult but *worth it*) than we ever imagined 🥰 happy anniversary to us!
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This photo isn’t from our wedding, but it is from a day we had a lot of tequila and I put on a fancy gown and we danced around the sand dunes until dark, so it’s one of my favorites 😉
DECEMBER 23, 2020 | UTAH
It’s been a long time since we’ve had a traditional thanksgiving day. The past few years, my family came up to Moab and we spent most of the day hiking, climbing, and then baked pies with the leftover time after the adventures. Last year, my fam couldn’t make it up so we had a little feast with friends in our new house. This year we knew it’d be different, but as things came together it became one of my favorites yet.
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There was no feast, no pie, no fancy table, no big group of people gathered around, but we did eat Turkey sandwiches, explore a slot canyon, roll around in sand dunes (my socks from that day have been washed three times and STILL have sand in them), and watch the sun set over the distant mountains wrapped up in down puffies and good friends. And, as is now officially our annual tradition, I got to take some cute photos of @brianslepian & @samuelcrossley (anyone remember our snowy Moab photos with them last year?) ❤️ so thankful for friends that feel like family.
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The Hearnes Adventure Photography is run by Abbi and Callen Hearne, a husband & wife wedding photography team with an emphasis on adventure. They live on the road as full-time nomads, allowing them to serve a large portion of the western US. You can typically find them in Moab, Utah or Yosemite National Park, California, with side-quests to wild places like Patagonia, Alaska, or the Swiss Alps. They believe love is the greatest adventure and strive to create photos that are epic, romantic, true, and timeless.
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