Adventure elopement planner

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” — Helen Keller

Hey, I’m DJ (Dominick) — filmmaker, planner, and your calm-in-the-wild guide for couples who’d rather trade a ballroom for a mountain breeze, a banquet hall for a secret cove, and a seating chart for a sunrise. I plan, film, and shape adventure elopements across the Mediterranean (and beyond), curating days that feel unrushed, deeply authentic, and unmistakably you. On the day, it’s just us and the landscape — I craft a cinematic film and pull beautiful still frames from the footage so your story lives both in motion and on your wall.

I’m not a big team; I’m a devoted one-person creative studio for your elopement: planner, filmmaker, and travel wingman in one. That means less coordination noise — and more presence, intimacy, and art. Or in my own words from my site: “Eloping is the most personal way to declare your love—an intimate adventure where two hearts escape the ordinary and build a world together.”

Who I Am (and Why That Matters on Your Elopement Day)

I’ve been in love with cameras since I “borrowed” my dad’s VHS as a kid — later interning in Hollywood and spending years as an award-winning wedding filmmaker in the Netherlands. Today I’m based in the Mediterranean, making films where vows meet wind, water, and wild light. My three guiding words are authentic, pure, intimate; I keep the day unhurried and let the truth of your connection lead every frame.

“You are adventurers, creating your own story step by step.” — from my homepage

I take on only a handful of couples each year so I can scout locations personally, help with small-but-mighty logistics, and be a steady, grounded presence from first call to final film. When you work with me, you won’t juggle five vendors — you’ll have one person who knows your vision inside out and carries it calmly through the finish line.

What Is an Adventure Elopement?

An adventure elopement is an intentional wedding day designed around experience — often outdoors, always intimate, and wholly personal. Think sunrise vows on a cliff, hiking to a waterfall for a picnic ceremony, sailing under a saffron sky, or reading promises amid desert silence. It’s less about performance and more about presence; less about schedule and more about story.

Why couples are choosing it:

• Intimacy over production. The focus is on the two of you, not the crowd.
• Budget clarity. Destination and adventure elopements can be easier to shape around what matters most. (18% of couples choose a destination celebration, and micro-celebrations are on the rise.)
• Time well-spent. Your day is curated around light, landscape, and meaning, not venue turnover timelines.
• Story-first keepsakes. With one creative guiding the plan and film, your keepsakes feel cohesive — a single visual language from start to finish.

The Advantage of Hiring an Adventure Elopement Planner-Filmmaker (One Person, Many Superpowers)

1) Seamless, single-creative experienceWith me, planning and storytelling sit together. Your locations, timing, and logistics are shaped by a filmmaker’s eye (golden hour, wind direction, tide charts) and a planner’s brain (permits, backups, weather windows). You enjoy the day; I protect the flow.

2) Location scouting that fits your storyI search for the mood you want — cliff, cove, pine-scented trail, vineyard path — and scout the right angles, access, and light. No template routes. Ever.

3) Film + stills from one visionI craft a cinematic film and deliver curated still frames pulled from the footage, so your album and film speak the same emotional language. It’s intimate and unobtrusive: fewer people around you = more you.

4) Stress off your shouldersFrom symbolic-ceremony guidance to light travel help, I make planning from another country feel simple. You’ll get a clear roadmap, timeline, and private workspace — plus my cell number for easy voice notes and updates.

5) Films fast, memories foreverA teaser within ~48 hours (often sooner), and your full film & stills in weeks — ready to share at a celebration back home if you like.

“My filmmaking passion lies in authentically capturing the essence of your love story… In three words, my film style is authentic, pure, and intimate.” — DJ

Where I Work Best (and Why the Mediterranean Is a Dream for Adventure Elopements)

I specialize in the Mediterranean — an amphitheater of light and sea where the landscapes do half our storytelling: Spain’s quiet coves, Greece’s sculpted islands, Italy’s cliff-hung villages, France and Corsica’s fragrant hills. It’s a region made for cliffside promises, barefoot beaches, boat decks, mountain ridges, and secret waterfalls.

• Spain — my second home and a canvas of variety: barefoot beaches, vineyard lanes, golden deserts, and mountain trails. Explore what this can look like: Elopement in Spain.
• Mediterranean inspiration hub — dream a route with Best Places for Elopement in the Mediterranean and Top Mediterranean Beach Elopement Locations.
• Desert drama in Spain — the silence, the hues, the sky-wide intimacy: Desert Elopement in Spain.
• Hidden-gem villages — like Llíber in Alicante; vineyards, stone lanes, and mountain embrasures: Llíber: Alicante’s Hidden Gem.
• Greece’s greener pockets — Pelion forests, Tinos vineyards, and island hush: Pelion Guide, Tinos Guide.

And when you want proof that all of this becomes real, step into four real journeys here: Elopements in the Spotlight.

What Working Together Looks Like (Step-by-Step)

1) Tell me your dreamSend a note about the atmosphere you love — the places you keep saving on your phone, the vows you imagine, the kind of silence that feels like home. I’ll reply within ~48 hours with ideas and a path forward.

2) Choose your adventureWe’ll match your vision to one of my signature offerings below. (These are starting points — we’ll shape them around you.)

3) Scout & shapeI design a relaxed timeline around light and access, scout locations, and prep backups (wind, tide, weather). You’ll have a private planning workspace and my number for voice notes and quick decisions.

4) Elopement dayWe move through the day like a story in chapters — morning hush, the journey, vows, the afterglow. I film organically, guide when helpful, and leave space for serendipity.

5) Relive itTrailer within ~48 hours; full film and stills in weeks. Perfect if you’re hosting a celebration with friends and family back home.

Packages (Starting Points, Not Boxes)

Hidden Gem Essentials — for wanderers at heart4 hours • personal location scouting • timeline • 3–5 min highlight film • curated still frames • light travel support • optional symbolic-ceremony guidance (around $6,500).

Signature Cinematic Harmony — a full-day story8 hours • full itinerary & vendor help • social teaser • 6–8 min cinematic film • online still-frame gallery • priority peak-season booking (around $9,500).

The Odyssey — two days, twice the magic2 full days • adventure session + elopement day • multi-location scouting • social teaser • 6–8 min cinematic film • still frames from both days • concierge-level planning (around $18,500).

À la carte: extra sunrise/sunset, additional locations, adventure activities, scouting trip add-ons. I work with just 3–6 couples per year to keep the experience deeply personal.

“Two-Day Elopement” — The Best-Kept Secret of Abroad Adventures

If you’re traveling for your elopement, spread your story over two days. Day One can be an adventure session (hike, sail, desert wander, village stroll) or a quiet “pre-vow” time in a different setting. Day Two is the ceremony itself. The result? More light windows, more landscapes, more calm — and a film that breathes.

• Day One: scouting, slow wandering, a dinner under string lights, or a blue-hour swim.
• Day Two: sunrise vows on the ridge, late-afternoon cove portraits, and a sunset sail.

A two-day arc is genuinely cinematic (setup, crescendo, exhale) — and you feel less pressure to squeeze an entire destination into a few frantic hours.

Curious? It’s the centerpiece of The Odyssey for good reason.

Planning Pillars (So Your Day Feels Effortless)

Light first. We build the day around the light windows that serve your chosen landscapes — dawn stillness, late-afternoon glow, and blue-hour tenderness.

Location logic. A “wow” view is only half the story; we check access, tides, wind, permits (if needed), and plan alternatives so the day always flows.

Meaning over props. You don’t need much. A vow book, a keepsake, or a ritual that feels like you (a song, a swim, a quiet reading). For ideas: Music for Your Elopement — 10 Ideas and How to Write Heartfelt Vows.

Comfort moves. Footwear you can move in; layers for wind; small daypacks. If hiking isn’t your vibe, we swap in a boat, vintage bus, or a micro-venue with a jaw-drop view.

Presence > performance. I’ll guide when it serves the story and step back when a moment asks for privacy. Your film should feel like being there — not like being directed.

A Few Numbers (Why This Path Fits the Moment)

• Destination celebrations remain strong: roughly 1 in 5 couples opt to marry away from where they live — a sign that place is part of the story for many.
• Small is in. Nearly half of couples say they’re considering micro-weddings — intimate celebrations aligned with the elopement mindset.
• The destination wedding market continues to grow globally, reflecting a desire for experience-driven days (projected multi-billion growth year over year).

These aren’t “do what everyone else is doing” stats — they’re signals of a broader shift toward meaningful, experience-first celebration.

Image Inspiration (From My Films & Couples)

See more journeys inside Elopements in the Spotlight.

Your Questions, Answered (Fast)

Can we bring a few guests?Absolutely. Some couples invite a handful of loved ones to witness their vows; we’ll design the locations to keep it intimate and easy.

We’re eloping abroad. Two days… really?Yes. Especially if you’re flying in. A two-day arc gives you breathing room, a second look (village and coast, mountain and cove), and more light magic. See The Odyssey above.

How soon do we need to book?Reach out early — I take 3–6 couples per year and the best Mediterranean windows go fast.

Do we need a separate photographer?Not with me. I craft your film and curate still frames from the footage so everything feels cohesive and you can stay present with fewer lenses around you.

A Few Ways to Dream Forward (Linked Guides You’ll Love)

• Destination overviews:Best Places for Elopement in the Mediterranean · Top Mediterranean Beach Elopement Locations·Best places for an elopement near the ocean
• Spain, in depth:Elopement in Spain · Desert Elopement in Spain · Best Places for Elopement in Spain · Altea, Elopement hidden Gem
• Greece & islands:Pelion Guide · Tinos Guide · Mediterranean Elopement
• Mindset & meaning:Forget the Big Wedding — Choose Meaning · How to Write Heartfelt Vows · 15 Adventure Ideas

A Note on Style and Soul

I believe your elopement should feel like you. If that means sneakers under a silk dress, salt in your hair, or a cliff-top dance to a song only you two can hear, we’ll plan for it. If that means a hike + picnic or a waterfall wander, we’ll build it. And if hiking isn’t your thing, we’ll rent a sailboat or find a terrace where the sea does the speaking. The adventure is not about difficulty — it’s about aliveness.

“Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray.” — Rumi

Ready to Plan with an Adventure Elopement Planner Who Does More Than Plan?

If your heart is saying yes to an adventure elopement — to a day shaped by wind, water, and wonder — I’d love to help you design it and then film it the way it felt. Explore packages on Commence the Adventure & Pricing and see why couples choose a two-day elopement when they’re traveling abroad. Then tell me what you’re dreaming up so we can map the light, pick the places, and make it real.

I can help create the perfect elopement — and if you’re eloping abroad, have you thought about making it a two-day story?Start here: Contact DJ — Let’s craft your adventure.

FAQ