Lake Tahoe & Yosemite Elopement Pricing
WHY YOU’RE REALLY HERE
You’re not here for a photoshoot. You’re here for a day that’s entirely yours.
You’ve been thinking about a day with no seating charts, no forced smiles, no one telling you where to stand. Just the two of you, somewhere that actually means something, doing exactly what you came here to do.
I'm Armando, an elopement photographer in Lake Tahoe and Yosemite. I document elopements on photo and video, with 35mm film available as an add-on for couples who want it. I handle every permit, timeline, and logistic as part of the process. Everything on this page was built for couples exactly like you.
Let’s build your day.
WHAT SETS THIS APART
One photographer. Full planning. Nothing left to figure out.
Here’s what you can only get by working with me.
i
Photo + Video, shot together as one record — 35mm Film available as an add-on
I shoot photo and video as a single, cohesive record of your day. Digital catches what's fast, what's quiet — the moments that pass before you can name them. Video holds the sounds, the pauses, the vows as they actually sounded. Add 35mm film, and you get a third layer: it slows everything down and changes how you move through the day. Most photographers don't offer any of this. None of them plan your elopement too.
ii
Full planning — in every experience, no exceptions
Location scouting, permit research and filing, day-of timeline, vendor coordination. I handle all of it before your day arrives. You make the decisions. I remove the wall between you and being fully in it.
iii
A photographer who disappears
I don’t direct. I don’t pose. I document what actually happens — quietly, without interruption. My job is to be so invisible that you forget I’m there. The images prove it.
WHAT’S INCLUDED IN EVERY EXPERIENCE
Everything you get — and why each part matters.
This is what working with me looks like, top to bottom.
Full elopement planning
I research and scout your location, file all required permits, build your day-of timeline, and coordinate any vendors — so you show up knowing exactly where to go and what happens next. Nothing falls through the cracks.
35mm film (included in select experiences · $300 add-on)
Your most unguarded frames, on analog 35mm film. Grain, warmth, and a quality digital doesn't replicate — so the images feel the way the day actually felt, not processed for a feed. Included in the Sunrise to Sunset and Epic Adventure Experiences. Two to three rolls can be added to any other experience for $300.
Edited digital gallery
Every image edited to feel like the day, not like a marketing campaign, delivered to a private online gallery — so your images are easy to access, download, and share, and they actually look like you.
Sneak peek delivery
Within 24–48 hours of your day, a selection of your favorite frames lands in your inbox — so you’re not waiting weeks to see how it went.
Unlimited pre-elopement consultations
We talk as many times as you need between booking and your day. Questions, changes, nerves — all of it — so that by the time your day arrives, nothing feels uncertain.
Cinematic video (Full-Day Experience and above)
A highlight film and full ceremony video — so you can hear your own vows again, years from now, exactly as you said them. Video holds what still photography can't.
Print release
Included in every experience — so you can print your images wherever and whenever you want, without coming back to me for permission.
And the details that last
From the first call to final delivery, every part is built to feel effortless — including the things you’d never think to ask for.
THE EXPERIENCES
Choose Your Experience
Every experience begins long before your wedding day. From choosing the perfect ceremony location to creating a relaxed timeline and navigating the details, I'll guide you every step of the way—so when your day arrives, you can simply enjoy it together.
Lake Tahoe & Yosemite
Elopement Experiences
Most couples come to me with the permit already in hand. My part is everything around it: when to arrive, where the light falls, and how to stay ahead of the crowds. That planning comes with every experience below.
10 hours · Photo + video
Epic Adventure Experience
Ten hours to explore, celebrate, and take your time with all of it.
$7,000
- 10 hours of coverage
- Extended highlight film (8–10 min) + full ceremony video
- Timeline built around light & crowds
- Multiple locations, with backups for weather
- Six 5×7 + four 8×10 prints
- $150 album credit
- Unlimited planning calls
- 200+ images · lifetime gallery
- Sneak peek in 48 hours
- Priority booking
8 hours · Photo + video
Sunrise to Sunset Experience
From the first light of day to the last glow after sunset.
$4,900
- 8 hours of coverage
- Highlight film (6–8 min) + full ceremony video
- Timeline built around light & crowds
- Multiple locations
- Six 5×7 + four 8×10 prints
- Unlimited planning calls
- 150+ images · 36-month gallery
- Sneak peek in 48 hours
- Priority booking
6 hours · Photo + highlight film
Full-Day Experience
For couples who want a relaxed, unhurried day.
$3,600
- 6 hours of coverage
- Highlight film (3–4 min)
- Timeline built around light & crowds
- 2 locations
- Vendor recommendations for hair, makeup & florals
- Unlimited planning calls
- 100+ images · 18-month gallery
- Sneak peek in 24 hours
4 hours · Photo
Half-Day Experience
Time to slow down and explore, with the day built around one place.
$2,800
- 4 hours of coverage
- Timeline built around light & crowds
- Location recommendations from my own scouting
- 1 location
- Unlimited planning calls
- 60+ images · 12-month gallery
Upgrade · 5 per year
Film-Forward
For the Sunrise to Sunset or Epic Adventure Experience
+$1,200
Film slows the day down. With Film-Forward, 35mm becomes the main record of your day, with digital underneath it. I only take five a year.
- 6–8 rolls with Sunrise to Sunset, 8–10 with Epic Adventure
- Five 8×10 prints from film, chosen by me
- Your digital print set is still included
Add-ons
Permit Handling
I file your permit, track the deadlines, and confirm your site fits its rules.
$350
Ceremony Video
Available with the Half-Day Experience.
$700
5-Minute Highlight Film
Available with the Half-Day Experience.
$900
35mm Film
2–3 rolls, available with any experience.
$300
Video with the Half-Day Experience is filmed alongside your photos. For fuller video coverage, see the Full-Day Experience.
Already have a planner?
If a coordinator already has your day handled, I'll document it the same way. No planning included.
From $1,400 / 2 hrs
Tell me where you're headed
Send your date and location, and I'll reply with how I'd plan the day.
Let's Plan Your ElopementWHY ONE PERSON INSTEAD OF THREE
All-Inclusive Elopement vs. Hiring Three Separate Vendors
Most couples planning an elopement end up hiring three people: a planner for the logistics, a photographer for the stills, a videographer for the film. Three contracts, three timelines, three strangers in a place meant for two.
The logistics and the images were never separate problems. The permit determines where you can stand. The timeline determines what light you get. A photographer who wasn't in those decisions is working around a plan instead of inside one — and you're the one translating between them.
| What you're paying for | Three separate vendors | Working with me |
|---|---|---|
| Planning & permits | Elopement planner, $800–$5,000 | Included |
| Photography | Photographer, $3,500–$6,600 | Included |
| Video | Videographer, $2,500–$5,000 | Included, Full-Day and above |
| Contracts to sign | Three | One |
| People who know your timeline | Three, separately | One, who built it |
| Typical total | $7,500–$14,000 | $2,800–$8,700 |
Prices vary by season and location. The point isn't that I'm always cheaper — it's that you're paying one person to make decisions that were always going to affect each other.
Already Have a Planner?
Some couples come to me with the planning already handled. Coverage without planning starts at $1,400 for two hours — see photography-only coverage.
Here’s what happens when you reach out.
THE PROCESS
01
Reach out
Fill out the short form and tell me a little about what you’re envisioning. No pressure, no commitment — just a starting point.
02
Consultation
We get on a call. I want to understand your day, your location, what matters most to you. You’ll leave knowing exactly how this works and whether it’s the right fit.
03
I build your custom plan
I handle the permits, the timeline, the logistics, the vendor coordination. Every detail, confirmed and ready before your day arrives.
04
Show up and get married
That’s it. Everything else is already handled.
REVIEWS
What couples are saying.
★★★★★
“From the start, with our enchanting engagement photos in the snow, we knew we were in excellent hands. Armando has this incredible knack for capturing the essence of moments, making even the simplest of scenes look breathtaking. His ability to blend candid and posed photography ensures that each photo tells a part of our love story…On the wedding day, Armando not only continued his amazing photo work but also amazed us with his videography skills. Handling both roles, he captured the day’s emotions, the laughs, tears … in a way that felt both comprehensive and intimate.”
— Kristen
★★★★★
“I am SPEECHLESS by Armando… the work he did, brought us to tears and the impact they had on our day will not be forgotten. His work is the exact vision I had. Armando is very reliable. He answers emails quickly and arrived to our wedding early. He’s is very professional and adaptable. Armando captured all the moments we asked for and so much MORE!
The video that Armando created was perfect! It looked like something out of a movie!”
— RACHEL
★★★★★
“Our experience was amazing! We couldn't have asked for a better photographer. Armando was responsive, flexible and provided amazing work. We had a small intimate wedding and he captured every detail perfectly.”
— SIERRA
FAQ
A few things couples ask before reaching out.
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It's actually the best place to start. Most couples who reach out have no plans at all — just a feeling. Turning that feeling into a day is exactly what I do. Tell me what you want to feel and I'll handle the rest.
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Yes — and destination couples are my specialty. Location research, light timing, crowd patterns, backup plans — all handled before you arrive. Most couples file their own permit, and if you'd rather I take care of it, permit handling is a $350 add-on. You plan the trip. I plan the day.
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For most couples, hiring once costs less than assembling a planner, photographer, and videographer separately — and it removes the coordination work between them. The larger difference is that one person making all three decisions produces a day that actually holds together.
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Digital captures everything. Film captures how it felt. The warmth, the grain, the softness of analog is something no preset or filter can replicate. It's the difference between a photo you look at and one you feel.
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Yes. Two to three rolls can be added to any experience for $300. If you want film to be the main record of your day, Film-Forward is a $1,200 upgrade to the Sunrise to Sunset or Epic Adventure Experience, limited to five couples a year. Tell me when you reach out rather than on the day — film changes how the hours get built.
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Every single couple says this. My approach is relaxed and unobtrusive — I'm not directing a shoot, I'm just present while you experience your day. By the ceremony, most couples have completely forgotten I'm there. That's when the real photos happen.
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We work with it — and it usually makes for better photos. Dramatic clouds, moody skies, light breaking through after a storm — that's what wilderness elopements look like when they're real. I always have a backup plan ready.
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Lake Tahoe, where I live, and Yosemite, where I spend every spring and fall. Those are the two places I know well enough to plan your day properly: the permits, the light, which trails hold up in which season.
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Both together, recorded by the same person. A highlight film is included from the Full-Day Experience up, and full ceremony video from the Sunrise to Sunset Experience up. With the Half-Day Experience, you can add a ceremony video for $700 or a 5-minute highlight film for $900. You don't need a second vendor, and you don't have two people working around each other on a day meant for two.
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No. Every experience includes a timeline built around the light and the crowds, and location recommendations from my own scouting. Vendor recommendations start with the Full-Day Experience, and permit handling is a $350 add-on. Some couples still bring a planner they love, and that works fine — but nothing here assumes one.
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Six months to a year is comfortable, mostly because permits and popular dates both take time. Shorter timelines are often still workable — here's what's possible on short notice.
LET’S TALK
If this feels like what you’ve been looking for — let’s talk.
I work with a small number of couples each year. I’d rather build your day right than book it fast. Fill out the form and tell me what you’re thinking. We’ll figure out the rest together.