FAQ

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

You have questions,
we have answers!

How many guests can we invite to our elopement or wedding?

As many as the venue or permit allows and that you are willing to organize. Our primary focus is our clients and our environments; if guests will be inhibiting your good time or pose a threat to damaging the wild environment, we might suggest a different strategy on how to celebrate with loved ones at a later time.  

For example, a permit in the Stanislaus National Forest is limited to 25 people total. This includes you, your partner, an officiant, and us... so you really only have 20 guest spots to fill. Other limitations may be set by the guide company you elect to hire. For example, Grand Canyon rafting trip permits limit groups to 16 people. Sometimes it can be tough to narrow it down, but we are small event photographers who believe that weddings don't have to be massive in attendance to be epic in experience. 

A good starting question to ask yourselves might be "How complicated do I want to make our day with guests to wrangle and organize?"

We are outdoorsy, but not pro adventurers...is that ok?

It is totally ok!! We are not gatekeeping the wilderness from anyone who loves it. We will help you get out there on your big adventure day! First we will get a sense of where you are at as far as developed skills, interests, and range with a simple intake questionnaire. This is a place to be honest and fear no judgement from us. We are here to help you pull this off! If we feel like you would benefit from hiring additional guides (for things like climbing, rafting, horseback riding, etc), we will happily connect you to the appropriate adventure heroes who will elevate your adventure!

What happens if the weather is bad?

Mother Nature is going to do what she wants, and everything she does can be beautiful and impactful. We will help you prepare for all kinds of weather with our Gear Guides, and if you forget anything like a rain jacket, umbrella, bug spray, or sunscreen, we always have back ups to loan.We always have Plan Bs that are JUST as awesome as our Plan As, so flexibility and trust in us to guide your way is essential.

We are super awkward in front of cameras. Can you help us?

No worries! We are also super awkward in front of the camera, but we can help you get into comfortable poses that look amazing and still feel liberating to hold each other close. We have been people watching and creature studying for all of our lives, and love to read into body language, anticipate smiles, and moments of excitement and ecstasy. We have got you covered!

Are you guides? Can you take us rafting, skydiving, horseback riding, etc?

No, but we know some really awesome guides who are experts in their field. While Forrest has working extensively as a river rafting guide and a ski instructor, and we are Survival Med Certified Wilderness First Responders, we are not officially licensed guides. Plus, if we were focused on your adventure safety and activities, we would have a hard time focusing on being your photographers.

How far out in advance should we book with you?

We book weddings up to a year in advance and most clients benefit from booking 6-8 months from their wedding date. We always encourage folks to book as soon as possible so that all guides, local vendors, and accommodations can be secured in support of your big day out together. If you are wanting to book something more low key and local to where we live, it’s not beyond all possibilities that you might secure a booking in as little as two weeks out. All in all, we recommend signing up for our newsletter to get priority booking when we open up dates in the year to come.

Can we bring our pets?

We are animal lovers and have two cats that are our family back home. So the short answer is Yes, we are open to accommodating your pets as long as the location and adventure type permit their presence, and it makes sense for the trip. “Can we bring our horse on a rafting trip in a national park?” Absolutely not. “Can we bring our dog on a short hiking trip in a national forest?” Absolutely! Your pet will be included on the liability release waiver, and if the locality has a pet fee and/ or rules, you will be required to pay the fee and agree to adhere to the rules.

Will you get the permits we need?

Sadly, we can not. Wedding permits require the information of the people getting married. We can guide you to the correct authority to apply for your permits. And you are required to get your appropriate permits in your contract. Permit systems are in place to help us humans avoid loving a place to death by monitoring and limiting access. A big responsibility we shoulder is making sure that your adventure wedding goes off without a hitch, and not having the proper permits for your special day can put a full stop to the event. If you have any questions, just ask.

Are you LGBTQ+ friendly?

We feel you shouldn’t have to ask this question, but we understand that humanity still has some work to do. At Natural Unions, we value diversity, support all forms of love between lovers, and purposely strive towards inclusion in the outdoor community. As allies, we have made the extra effort to get Safe Space Certified, and we have taken The Oath.

What's your photographic style?

Bold & beautiful, just like you and nature! We see the beauty in all places and people. We like to bring the best out in our landscapes and couples without transforming them into something too unrealistic. That being said, we are not opposed to getting creative in camera and in post processing. Every shoot is unique and we treat our photographs with great care to express the very best from the adventure. We like to shoot a lot of photojournalistic coverage to capture all of the fun and exciting details of the day, and we also really enjoy setting up an epic shot at just the right place and time. Embellishing the natural colors is our way of creatively honoring the beauty of the place you have chosen for your wedding. No filters or presets could accomplish this goal, only years of study and many hours of processing time for each unique adventure!!

Where are you based?

Our home is nestled in the oak studded foothills of the Central Sierra Nevada Mountains. We are north of Yosemite National Park, south of Lake Tahoe, and on the western slope opposite the Sweetwater Mountains, Bridgeport, and the Walker River Valley. We frequent all of these places, as well as the waters of the Tuolumne and Merced Rivers by raft. We love where we live, and also love to travel. We try to snag a permit every other year for rafting the Colorado River through Grand Canyon National Park. We live on a boat for the maximum number of days possible: 30!

We aren't sure what to do. Can you inspire us?

It is totally ok!! We will help you get out there on your big adventure day! First we will get a sense of where you are at as far as developed skills, interests, and range with a simple intake questionnaire. This is a place to be honest and fear no judgement from us. We are here to help you pull this off!

If you love water, swimming, wildlife viewing, camping, bbqing, and sitting around the campfire with your besties, rafting is definitely for you! If you love thrills and want to be in safe hands, no problem! White water rafting guides have a highly specialized skillset that allows them to take almost anyone rafting. We will happily help you connect to the appropriate adventure heroes who will elevate your adventure! 

We've never gone rafting.
Is a White Water Wedding right for us?