Elopement vs. Micro Wedding: What’s the Difference (and Which Is Right for You?)

As a wedding photographer, I’ve noticed more and more couples are choosing intimate celebrations like micro weddings and elopements over large traditional weddings. If you’re starting to plan a small, meaningful celebration in the Houston area—or anywhere, really—you’ve probably come across both terms and wondered which one fits your vision best. Let me walk you through the differences and similarities from behind the camera—and how either choice can result in stunning, deeply personal wedding photos.

What Is an Elopement?

Gone are the days when “elopement” meant running off to Vegas in secret. Today, an elopement is a small, intentional wedding day that focuses on just the couple—or sometimes includes a few close family members or friends (typically under 10-15 people total). There’s no set timeline, no strict rules, and no pressure to host a huge event. As a Houston elopement photographer, I love that elopements allow couples to plan a wedding day that feels 100% true to them. Whether it’s saying your vows at sunrise on the beach in Galveston, having a short ceremony at the 1910 Courthouse, or exploring a park like the Houston Botanic Garden after a private vow exchange—elopements are all about meaningful moments and gorgeous, natural photography.

What Is a Micro Wedding?

A micro wedding is basically a “mini” version of a traditional wedding. It typically includes 15–40 guests—often just immediate family and close friends—and features most of the wedding elements you’re used to: a ceremony, reception, florals, first dance, cake, and sometimes even speeches and games. It has a timeline and structure, just scaled down for a more relaxed, intimate experience. As a Houston micro wedding photographer, I’ve seen couples transform beautiful small venues like Haak Winery, Ronin 2, AvantGarden, Lawless Spirits & Kitchen, or even their own backyard into unforgettable wedding spaces. The smaller guest list means more time with your people and more flexibility to make the day personal—and photo-perfect.

Elopement vs. Micro Wedding: Key Differences

Elopements Guest Count: Just the couple, or up to 10–15 guests; Structure: Flexible, often unstructured; Venue Types: Beach, City Park, Courthouse; Activities: Vow exchange + photo session; Vibe: Personal, adventurous, spontaneous

Micro Weddings Guest Count: Typically 15–40 guests; Structure: More traditional wedding timeline; Venue Types: Small venue, Backyard, Garden; Activities: Ceremony + dinner or reception; Vibe: Intimate, relaxed, and semi-traditional

What Kind of Photos Will You Get?

Elopement Photography tends to focus on candid moments, beautiful landscapes, and the couple just being themselves. These sessions are relaxed and often filled with laughter, tears, and genuine emotion.

Micro Wedding Photography captures more formal elements—like group portraits, décor, and first dances—but in a low-pressure, intimate setting. You’ll still get those big moments, just with fewer people and less stress.

Both options result in stunning wedding photo galleries filled with connection, authenticity, and personality.

Which Is Right for You?

Ask yourself:

• Do you want to focus just on the two of you, or can’t imagine your day without family and close friends?

• Do you want a structured celebration or more freedom to do what feels right in the moment?

• Are you dreaming of an epic location—or a cozy, meaningful space close to home?

No matter what you choose, smaller weddings give you the chance to be fully present. And from a photographer’s perspective, they allow for more creativity, more genuine emotion, and more beautiful photo opportunities.

Final Thoughts from Your Houston Wedding Photographer

Elopements and micro weddings aren’t “less than” big weddings. In many ways, they offer more—more connection, more time to soak in the day, and more space to celebrate your love exactly how you want to. If you’re planning an intimate wedding in Houston, Galveston, or beyond, we’d love to help you document your day with timeless, heartfelt images that reflect your story. Let’s chat about what kind of small wedding feels right for you.

How We Work with Shy Couples

This is probably the most common question I get asked. As your photographer, my goal is to help you feel relaxed and capture genuine, authentic moments. Below you can find some tips to help you prepare for your photo shoot:

The intimacy between you two is something I can’t create

It’s something we will capture naturally and I want your photos to reflect the unique connection you share. I’ll observe how you interact with each other and encourage you to repeat those small, natural gestures that feel right for you both. I avoid stiff, posed shots and focus on creating a fun, relaxed atmosphere. Expect lots of movement, laughter, and a mix of posed and candid moments. If anything feels awkward, we'll laugh it off and keep going - no pressure! I’ll guide you through simple, natural poses, like holding hands or sharing a kiss, and adjust them as needed to keep things feeling fresh and real.

And here’s how you can help:

Ignore the camera and focus on each other—just enjoy the moment! Try placing your loose hand on your partner to create a more connected and intimate feel. Remember, the more natural you are, the better the photos will be. And if there’s anything you feel self-conscious about, let me know. I’ll make adjustments to help you feel more comfortable in front of the camera. Feel free to move around, interact and improvise if you feel like it; the more you’re in the moment, the more authentic your photos will look.

My goal is to help you look and feel like yourselves.

There’s no need to worry about perfect poses! Relax, have fun, and trust me to guide you through the process to capture real, effortless engagement or wedding photos.

Why Do Wedding Photographers Charge So Much?

Sure, we’re snapping pictures all day, but the magic happens when we start editing those photos to turn them into the beautiful images you see in your gallery. There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work that goes into it.

Unlike other services that might involve inventory or materials (like a caterer or florist), photographers don’t have to worry about “ingredients” on your wedding day. So how do we come up with pricing? It’s a bit more complex than you might think and it’s not just about the hours spent shooting - it’s everything that happens behind the scenes too.

For every hour you’re paying for photography, we’re likely working 8 hours that aren’t paid. In fact, only about 5-10% of a photographer’s time is spent actually shooting. The rest goes into editing, driving to weddings (sometimes hours away), emailing back and forth with clients and potential clients, marketing, and the business side of things like accounting and legal consulting.

We’re also constantly learning and investing in better equipment, software, and training to stay sharp. And let’s not forget the big costs of running a photography business, like advertisement (big part!), business insurance (expensive!), gear and software (very expensive!), and of course cloud based storages and backups for our digital product, online banking access fees, taxes, and health insurance. We also don’t get paid time off or sick days, and every year is a gamble with unpredictable income.

In short, photographers are doing a lot more than just taking photos on your wedding day. All the behind-the-scenes work, business expenses, and long hours add up to what you see in the final price. So, when you see the cost, it’s not just about snapping pictures – it's about all the time, effort, and expenses that go into making your wedding memories perfect.

Can I Use a Copyrighted Song in My Wedding Video?

The short answer? Probably “no”. But let’s dive into an important question: what do you do if you want to include a copyrighted song in your wedding video?

Before we look into options, let’s quickly talk about copyright laws.

In short, copyright protects original work like songs, which means that the songwriter, performer, or music publisher owns them. Using a copyrighted song without permission is illegal and can result in big fines that can vary between $40,000 and $150,000 per song. Even if you want to use a song for something personal, like your wedding video, the law doesn’t make a distinction between personal and commercial use. 

So, how do you legally use a copyrighted song?

The answer is simple: you need a music license. For a wedding video, you’ll usually need a “sync” license, which allows you to pair the music with video. To get one, you’ll need to contact the copyright holder or their representative. For example, if you want a song by Taylor Swift or Beyoncé, you can expect to pay over $10,000 for the license per song.

Licensing can be a hassle and pretty expensive, especially for big-name songs.

A great alternative is royalty-free music and there are tons of websites that offer high-quality tracks already licensed for projects like wedding videos. Just to clarify, we don’t have access to big-name artists, but we do use music platforms with copyright cleared music and we pay a yearly fee to access these libraries. It might not be your favorite hits, but the right track can still bring out the emotions and make your video feel amazing. 

Other Than Wedding Photography

We are often asked if apart from weddings and engagements we do family portraits, baby photos or birthday events. It feels like the answer should be - “yes”, because we can photograph pretty much anything. 

When asked that, I find myself thinking - it’s just one hour and it’s kind of like any session, right? But the truth is - it is not. I guess I am a kind of photographer who internalizes every wedding, it is my monologue, my song. I do love weddings because they are so unique, they are a beginning of everything, they make you feel almost invincible, when everything is possible and the world opens its arms to you, but mostly they are the promise of happily ever after. 

Witnessing that and going through those emotions as a photographer is probably my favorite part, it changes and shapes me as a person, it changes and shapes me as a photographer, and I try to be better. So as much as I want to say yes, I feel like if I do, I can loose my focus on shaping my skill of becoming better wedding photographer, because it really takes all of me.

But please do ask us for recommendations whether it’s maternity, baby or family photos! There are amazing photographers out there who are super pro in these types of photography and we will give you a great referral! And as for the professional business headshots, nothing can be easier, faster and more fun than doing it with Studio Pod! Check out their website to see for yourself ;)