Volcano Elopement Sunset Crater in Arizona

Kaitlyn + Brendan

Shooting an elopement at Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument in Flagstaff, Arizona has been a dream of mine for years! When Kaitlyn and Brendan told me they wanted to have their intimate wedding/elopement there with just their closest family and friends, I was so excited. The vast black volcanic rock and reddish rubble makes for such a unique background. The day started with Kaitlyn and Brendan getting ready at a nearby house in Flagstaff. Everyone was so welcoming and kind and I felt like part of the family. We then made our way to Sunset Crater Volcano, stopping at a beautiful meadow for their first look. Brendan’s reaction to Kaitlyn was so sweet and he kept looking at her like she was the most beautiful girl in the world. Their intimate wedding ceremony was held in front of Sunset Crater Volcano and it couldn’t have been prettier! I was so in love with the beautiful florals and arch from Flora by Haleigh. They fit the moody fall vibe so perfectly. After these two said “I do” we spent some time exploring this amazing place and taking bride and groom portraits. I’m so obsessed with their portraits and now want to shoot a million weddings and elopements at Sunset Crater Volcano. After we finished taking photos we drove down to Flagstaff to have dinner at the cutest little restaurant called The Cottage. Apparently the owner used to be Paul McCartney’s personal chef which was super cool. Then we went down to the Dark Sky Brewery to have a drink and celebrate some more. This elopement was so laid back and fun and really focused on what mattered: family, friends, and most importantly GETTING MARRIED!

Here’s a sweet review from the bride herself, Kaitlyn:

“Erika is genuine, professional, accommodating, quick to respond and last but not least- TALENTED. We hired her to take our engagement pictures and with a last minute change in weather she was able to switch from a sunset to sunrise shoot at a place that was sentimental for us. We enjoyed our session so much and were so floored when we got the pictures back that we hired her to take our wedding pictures too. On your wedding day you definitely want a photographer with an eye for detail and a calm confident demeanor, and that’s exactly Erika! We’ve received so many compliments on her work and the walls of our house are most definitely decorated with it. She’s amazing!”