Dan & Carolyn’s Sincere & Romantic Vow Renewal Elopement in the Texas Hill Country
Dan & Carolyn had a beautiful vow renewal elopement surrounded by lush green trees and bird calls within the Texas Hill Country.
We first met Dan & Carolyn when we documented their intimate wedding in Austin in 2020, just before COVID-19 closures began. It was a beautiful day full of sincerity and love from their family and friends support group.
As COVID restrictions began to lift, we decided to check in on these two when we began talking about celebrating their anniversary with a private vow renewal. When planning their wedding Carolyn had spoken to us about wishes to elope just the two of them, but ultimately loved getting to share such an important and intimate day with their loved ones. This offered Dan & Carolyn an opportunity to celebrate their marriage with that elopement experience they had wished for without having skipped out on celebrating with their loved ones.
When planning their wedding, they shared this sentiment with us which inspired their wedding day but also in planning this vow renewal for them:
“We want to have a beautiful wedding but don’t need all the other junk that comes with the wedding industry. The most important thing to us is, well, us.”
The great thing about planning your Vow Renewal is that the possibilities and options are endless — much like when planning an elopement. You get to dedicate a whole day filled with experiences that are meaningful for you all in an adventure that makes you both feel alive in a day that allows you to focus on celebrating your relationship.
Even after getting married you deserve to celebrate your relationship in a way that allows you to express yourself wholeheartedly on a day that honors your relationship and allows you to cherish those memories for years to come.
Their wedding was a Celtic celebration with themes of forest fantasy so when deciding where to have their vow renewal we knew we wanted somewhere with lush greens not too far away from Austin. Luckily there’s an abundance of these types of locations within the Texas Hill Country area near Austin, TX. The landscape we chose ultimately echoed the sentiment in Dan’s vows when he spoke about the garden they got to cultivate during lockdown, both in their home and in their relationship.
“I’m so happy to be building a life with you. And I love the start that we’ve made on it. It made my happy place the garden. Because there’s nowhere I’d rather be than with you. ”
Their Sincere Vow Renewal Elopement in McKinney Falls
Early Morning Hike Over the Limestone
We began this short day in the early morning, starting out our hike over the beautiful limestone. Stopping along the way to take in the views and reflect on this adventure together.
A Short Hike into the Trees for Their Ceremony
After taking some time to appreciate the falls overlook we made our way to the trails within the surrounding tree lines. Dan & Carolyn’s adventure took place in spring so the flora was lush and green, and the birds were all singing. A perfect space for them to reflect and celebrate the time they’ve invested into their marriage and relationship so far.
Their Vow Renewal Ceremony Surrounded by Birds and Trees
Once we arrived at their ceremony location, Carolyn took her shoes off. For some allowing yourself to be barefoot can help to ground you or just help you feel more comfortable. They pulled out their vow books, Carolyn wrote her vows in a leather-bound book they had written all of their notes when planning their wedding. Writing her vows in this book they got to use for their wedding added meaning and sentiment to their memories in this vow renewal.
What do you do at a Vow Renewal Ceremony?
Just like with your wedding day, this celebration should be filled with everything and anything that’s meaningful and important to you and your relationship. If that means including symbolic traditions or simply reading a letter to your partner, do what’s meaningful for you and your partner the possibilities are truly unlimited.
For some couples, re-reading their original vows from their wedding day is symbolic of them reaffirming their promises. For others, writing a new set of promises either to celebrate the challenges you’ve overcome together or to represent the development of your relationship is what fulfills your most — much like Dan & Carolyn.
Dancing and Exploring Amongst the Trees
After their ceremony, Dan & Carolyn danced together and Carolyn showed off the flow of her skirt. Then we continued on the trail to explore the beautiful area as we made our way back out to the pond below the waterfall overlook from earlier.
A Dip in the Pond to close out our morning together
As we made our way to the pond below the falls, it started to get a bit warmer. So when the heat of midday had begun to roll in Dan & Carolyn decided to take a dip in the pond together. Our beautiful half-day wrapped up after some running around the pond taking in the nice breeze in the shade.
“Their talents are obvious. Kevin has such an eye, catching moments you didn’t even know were there while you were posing. Our engagement and wedding photos were full of candid moments between poses, that really showed us as a couple. Nora is super organized, keeping everything behind the scenes on track, while getting behind the camera herself. The packages also include a wedding film that she’s in charge of, capturing both the big highlights and quiet moments that usually get missed. Those moments were touching and real, just us and our love, I almost completely forgot they were taking pictures and video at the time.”
Ready to craft this adventure, together?
We’d love to join you in this meaningful milestone in your relationship and help give your story the attention and honor it deserves.
