Olivia and Paul first met at the beginning of the pandemic and got to know each other through exploring the wilderness of New Mexico. Olivia’s first message to me describing this time and their connection touched me deeply: “We started to get to know one another in the wilds of New Mexico, often settling at a particular spot on the Rio Chama, where we would camp alongside our pups Sadie and Charlie. The Chama has been a constant for us – our love blooming there, we would take trips to the river and watch the kayakers pass us. When we lost our Sadie, we sent her off into the flow of the river. It is a sacred place for us, and we wouldn’t want to be married anywhere else!”
I could tell immediately that this Chama River elopement celebration would be deeply personal, with every detail having some meaning behind it. I connected with Olivia in that the area of Abiquiu, New Mexico, feels deeply personal to me as well. Any time I get to spend there makes me think of my own mother spending years of her young adulthood there as an artist apprentice.
Olivia also wrote a message to me further answering the questions: What does the Chama River mean to you both? What is the significance of holding the elopement ceremony there?
“After we started dating, we started going to the Chama to camp. That’s where we met and fell in love, under the junipers and pinons, and across the one red rock across the river…We loved being there, away from cell service, away from all of it. It allowed for us to connect in an accelerated way amongst beauty and nature. It gave us grounding, as we watched the rushing rapids. To us, the Chama is love. The times we would just set up the canopy at the river and let the pups roam free for the day as the kayakers waved hello. When we inflated the raft and tried to tie it off to a branch only to have Charlie accidentally fall into the river, and then Paul, jumping in to save Charlie. When we lost our Sadie, and allowed for her to be carried by the river. Beginnings and endings. Dust to dust. It is life. It is flow. And it is beautiful.”
They shared the pin for their special spot on the river with their small group of guests to meet and witness them exchange wedding vows. Afterward, we enjoyed the beauty of the Chama River and wandered the Abiquiu area for more portraits, and finally everyone met back up at a house they had rented in Abiquiu for the weekend for a small reception. It was wonderfully casual, personal, and just filled with so much love. Proof that you don’t need anything too fancy, just a meaningful and beautiful location and the people you love.
Please enjoy all the photos from Olivia and Paul’s Chama River elopement in Abiquiu, New Mexico!
Hey friend! I’m Delia–a wedding photographer who loves adventure just as much as snuggling on the couch with her dog. My photography is fun and colorful and embraces the real you. I’m based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but I photograph weddings all throughout New Mexico, Colorado, and the southwest. I love to connect with and help my clients as much as possible. Check out the wedding planning tips section of my blog for more helpful advice.
And if you’re into intimate weddings like this, check out some of these other related posts:
Intimate Wedding in Taos, New Mexico
Albuquerque Elopement at Sandia Crest
White Sands National Park Elopement
Colorado Backcountry Campsite Elopement
Intimate Adventure Elopement in Ouray, Colorado
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Olivia and Paul first met at the beginning of the pandemic and got to know each other through exploring the wilderness of New Mexico. Olivia’s first message to me describing this time and their connection touched me deeply: “We started to get to know one another in the wilds of New Mexico, often settling at a particular spot on the Rio Chama, where we would camp alongside our pups Sadie and Charlie. The Chama has been a constant for us – our love blooming there, we would take trips to the river and watch the kayakers pass us. When we lost our Sadie, we sent her off into the flow of the river. It is a sacred place for us, and we wouldn’t want to be married anywhere else!”
I could tell immediately that this Chama River elopement celebration would be deeply personal, with every detail having some meaning behind it. I connected with Olivia in that the area of Abiquiu, New Mexico, feels deeply personal to me as well. Any time I get to spend there makes me think of my own mother spending years of her young adulthood there as an artist apprentice.
Olivia also wrote a message to me further answering the questions: What does the Chama River mean to you both? What is the significance of holding the elopement ceremony there?
“After we started dating, we started going to the Chama to camp. That’s where we met and fell in love, under the junipers and pinons, and across the one red rock across the river…We loved being there, away from cell service, away from all of it. It allowed for us to connect in an accelerated way amongst beauty and nature. It gave us grounding, as we watched the rushing rapids. To us, the Chama is love. The times we would just set up the canopy at the river and let the pups roam free for the day as the kayakers waved hello. When we inflated the raft and tried to tie it off to a branch only to have Charlie accidentally fall into the river, and then Paul, jumping in to save Charlie. When we lost our Sadie, and allowed for her to be carried by the river. Beginnings and endings. Dust to dust. It is life. It is flow. And it is beautiful.”
They shared the pin for their special spot on the river with their small group of guests to meet and witness them exchange wedding vows. Afterward, we enjoyed the beauty of the Chama River and wandered the Abiquiu area for more portraits, and finally everyone met back up at a house they had rented in Abiquiu for the weekend for a small reception. It was wonderfully casual, personal, and just filled with so much love. Proof that you don’t need anything too fancy, just a meaningful and beautiful location and the people you love.
Please enjoy all the photos from Olivia and Paul’s Chama River elopement in Abiquiu, New Mexico!
Hey friend! I’m Delia–a wedding photographer who loves adventure just as much as snuggling on the couch with her dog. My photography is fun and colorful and embraces the real you. I’m based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but I photograph weddings all throughout New Mexico, Colorado, and the southwest. I love to connect with and help my clients as much as possible. Check out the wedding planning tips section of my blog for more helpful advice.
And if you’re into intimate weddings like this, check out some of these other related posts:
Intimate Wedding in Taos, New Mexico
Albuquerque Elopement at Sandia Crest
White Sands National Park Elopement
Colorado Backcountry Campsite Elopement
Intimate Adventure Elopement in Ouray, Colorado