FAQ
Questions.
The concept
What is an elopement?
An elopement is a wedding built around the couple rather than an audience. Ideally, it is just the two of you. Sometimes a small number of people genuinely belong in that moment too. There may still be a plan, a legal appointment or somewhere you need to be at a certain time. What disappears is the obligation to turn the day into a production for everyone else.
We don't have a date or location yet, can we still reach out?
Yes. Most couples who get in touch haven't figured either of those things out yet. The conversation usually helps. We can talk through what you're imagining: a city, a landscape, a feeling. We work backwards from there. The date and the place come later. Start here.
Can we bring guests to our elopement?
They can, although I prefer photographing an elopement with just the couple. That is where the most time and quiet usually appear. Sometimes one or two friends, your children or a few people who genuinely belong in the moment make the day more like yours rather than less. When looking after a gathering becomes a meaningful part of the day, I think of it as a Small Wedding. I photograph very few of those, never with more than 30 people. If you are unsure, tell me who you want there and why.
We're not the outdoor adventure type, is an elopement still right for us?
Yes. Elopements happen in forests and on cliffs. Also in cities, in apartments, in rain. What they have in common is not the landscape. It's the feeling. If you want something small and real, an elopement is right for you regardless of how you feel about mountains.
Do couples actually legally get married during their elopement?
Many do, yes. It depends on where and how you want to elope. If you're planning something in a city, places like Copenhagen City Hall or Hamburg's Standesamt are part of many elopement days. The legal ceremony gets worked into the timeline, and everything else builds around it. That appointment is usually the one fixed anchor in the day; the rest moves with you. If you're eloping somewhere in nature, the legal side often happens at home beforehand. What you're creating in the landscape is a ceremony that belongs to you: words you've chosen, a moment you've built, in a place that means something. It holds its own weight regardless of paperwork. Both are real. Both count.
Planning & logistics
How does the legal side work, do we need a marriage license and an officiant?
The requirements depend on the country, the municipality and your nationalities. Some elopement days include a legal civil ceremony. Other couples complete the legal part at home and create a personal ceremony elsewhere. I can share practical experience from places I have worked, but I cannot confirm what legally applies to you. For that, the local registry office or your embassy is the right source.
Do you travel internationally?
Yes. Hamburg is home, but I've shot elopements and lovers sessions across Europe, in Australia, and in Mexico. If you're planning something in the Dolomites, Iceland, Ireland, Scotland, Scandinavia, or somewhere farther out, reach out. I travel for the work.
How far in advance should we book?
For destination elopements, six to twelve months is ideal. It gives us time to plan properly and means you're not racing the season. For Hamburg-based shoots, three to six months is usually enough. If you're working with a shorter timeline, reach out anyway. I'll tell you honestly whether I can make it work.
Can you help us with planning?
Yes, though I'm a collaborator, not a wedding planner. I can suggest locations based on what you're looking for, help with research, and share what I know from shooting in the places you're considering. You shape the day. I help you think through the parts that involve light and place and timing. It's a cooperation, not a handoff.
You don't have a driver's license, how does that work?
It is true, I do not drive. In Hamburg that has never been an issue. The city is walkable and well connected by public transport. For destination work, transport simply becomes part of the plan. Sometimes that means a car, sometimes a train, a local driver or a route that needs none of those things. I tell you early and we solve it together. In fourteen years of photographing across Europe, it has never stopped a session.
The experience
What does a full day with you actually look like?
People I photograph often describe it as being out with a long-time friend who happens to make good photographs. We walk, we talk, I tell stories, and there is usually a lot of nonsense. Most of the day, I follow what is already happening. When I see the possibility for a photograph, I may move you toward better light, build a frame or ask you to try something. We are not running through a shot list. We are spending time together and leaving enough room for photographs none of us could have planned.
What happens if the weather is bad?
We shoot. Rain, fog, overcast skies, wind. Not because bad weather is secretly beautiful, but because it's what's there and the day is the day. Genuinely severe weather is different: dangerous conditions, real risk to equipment, a day that would simply be miserable. That's why for destination elopements, the ones I travel for, I build in a backup day. We plan it from the start so it's there if we need it.
The photos
How many photos do we get?
I don't give a number, and I've thought carefully about that. I'm not going to deliver a duplicate or a soft frame just to hit a count. You'll get every image that was worth keeping. The ones that hold something.
Are the photos edited?
Yes. Every image I deliver is edited and colour-graded. It's part of the work. The gallery arrives as a private online download, usually within two to four weeks. I take my time on purpose. I want fresh eyes on the images before they reach you. Before the full gallery lands, I'll send a few sneak peeks so you have something to share if you want to announce anything early.