Yosemite & western Elopement Photographer & Videographer
Capturing Love in Texas | yosemite | worldwide
Whether that is on the side of a mountain top shouting your love to the world.
Holding your partners hand while jumping into the river in Yosemite valley.
Hiking all day and into the night to welcome the stars.
Yes...we have met. Because, we are exactly the same.
I have been exactly where you are at this moment. I found where I am being called to and that's to elope with my partner. Spending time with them and just focusing on US!
Eloping is a beautiful thing and it's also something you might not be familiar with and that's ok! Because I am here to help y'all along the way!
I want to remove the stress that comes with planning these adventures by:
Helping you plan your elopement
Assisting with securing necessary permits
Designing a timeline that fits you
Scouting locations for you to express your love
Giving you inside knowledge on how to successfully elope
Sharing vendor friends that takes things to the next level
Documenting your day exactly how it unfolds from your vision
Being a friend each and every step of the way
Want to know more about exactly how I do these things?
Whether that is on the side of a mountain top shouting your love to the world.
Holding your partners hand while jumping into the river in Yosemite valley.
Hiking all day and into the night to welcome the stars.
Yes...we have met. Because, we are exactly the same.
I have been exactly where you are at this moment. I found where I am being called to and that's to elope with my partner. Spending time with them and just focusing on US!
Eloping is a beautiful thing and it's also something you might not be familiar with and that's ok! Because I am here to help y'all along the way!
I want to remove the stress that comes with planning these adventures by:
Helping you plan your elopement
Assisting with securing necessary permits
Designing a timeline that fits you
Scouting locations for you to express your love
Giving you inside knowledge on how to successfully elope
Sharing vendor friends that takes things to the next level
Documenting your day exactly how it unfolds from your vision
Being a friend each and every step of the way
Want to know more about exactly how I do these things?
"Rafael shot our engagement and wedding photos and we are so glad he did! On our wedding day we felt like he was a friend to us and we had an absolute blast and you can see in our photos just how much fun we truly had that day. He ultimately captured our day exactly as it happened and every time we look back we can feel all of the emotions that we felt on that day and we could never thank him enough for that."
Meg + Chris
Hey y'all!
Hey y'all!
I'm Rafael Gamez
Thanks for finding me. It is so great that you are beginning to want to tell your love story through photos and video! To be considered to take on that role is such a blessing and I cannot even begin to thank you enough. Each celebration is a completely new story to tell and my dedication to you grows as the story begins to be told. Your experience with your elopement and making sure you enjoy every bit exactly how you imagine it is what I love.
I know the feeling and excitement of being able to begin planning your elopement in Yosemite National Park! I know this because it's exactly what me and my wife did back in 2019. I love to share all my little secrets about the park and make this journey y'all are heading on a stress free and relaxed adventure.
Hopefully you connect with my work from the stories that I have told and we can start a new one. I cannot wait to begin yours.
Not sure where to begin with your elopement? Well here's a start...
How exactly do I help you along the way?
1
Helping you plan your elopement
My goal is to make this process as easy as possible for you. Eloping is all about y'all just enjoying yourself in a beautiful place with your partner! The planning part shouldn't be a stressful task you take on alone, I will be here to help you every step of the way.
I will help your vision come true to the best of my abilities. Whether that's a 3 day horseback riding elopement in New Mexico or standing on Taft point overlooking the valley of Yosemite National Park. I will help you plan the best time of year, secure the necessary permits, find you the right vendors and businesses, find the perfect location and give you all of my knowledge to have the best elopement possible.
Not sure where to begin with your elopement? Well here's a start...
How exactly do I help you along the way?
2
Assisting with securing necessary permits
Believe it or not there is a permit process to get married in National Parks here in the Unites States. And also its easier than it seems. Each park has their own process and policies to secure permits to be able to have a ceremony in the park. There a rules that come along with these permits as well and I am there to walk you through the process and help you understand what these rules mean. It's definitely not as scary as you might think it is !
Not sure where to begin with your elopement? Well here's a start...
How exactly do I help you along the way?
3
Designing a timeline that fits you
Each elopement is unique in their own way. And thats why you can't take a traditional timeline and use it for your wedding day. there will always be something different because an elopement is YOU! That's why I help build a completely unique timeline designed around you two and your vision. Over the years I've become an expert in preparing for these timelines because there is a ton of things to keep in mind! One of the most overlooked aspects of an elopement can be hiking and drive time to locations. I have my research I've collected over the years and I use that to help along the timeline for your elopement!
Not sure where to begin with your elopement? Well here's a start...
How exactly do I help you along the way?
4
Scouting locations for you to express your love
Your location is just as unique as your love and that's why it's important to find that perfect location. I help you along the way to find the location that speaks to you and give you my expertise on the best locations for your elopement. Usually I arrive to the area a day or so before your elopement day and I take advantage of that time to go out, put my feet on the ground and find those little hidden gems around where we will be spending time at. There are also tons of places I have already been and shot at so I can tell you exactly what it's like to be in those areas as well!
Not sure where to begin with your elopement? Well here's a start...
How exactly do I help you along the way?
5
Giving you inside knowledge on how to successfully elope
Elopements are an experience and that's something I definitely help out with! Although each one is different there is one thing they all have in common. And it's that you want to experience an adventure that's comepletely you. I have an inside look at countless of these celebrations and I will give you every tip and answer to your question that you might have. I can share with you some great ideas that can make things go smoothly and also point you in whatever direction you want to head into!
I have built up a ton of resources to send your way to make that experience uniquely you. Not just on the day of your elopement but on the days building up to and after. Because an elopement is a full experience and not just one day.
Not sure where to begin with your elopement? Well here's a start...
How exactly do I help you along the way?
6
Sharing vendor friends that takes things to the next level
I know planning an elopement in an area you aren't familiar with can be a little scary. Especially when it comes to finding a vendor that you might not have a chance to meet in person. I share a list of vendors who I have either met or worked with in your area so that you can just sit back and relax and no for a fact you are being taken care of. And if my list doesn't quite fit what you are looking for then we work together to find that perfect vendor to take your elopement to the next level.
Not sure where to begin with your elopement? Well here's a start...
How exactly do I help you along the way?
7
Documenting your day exactly how it unfolds from your vision
You have this vision and I have a goal. My goal is to document your day exactly as it unfolds. I try to be the fly on the wall that captures each moment as true to life as possible. I don't try to step in when moments are happening but I do give you directions and actions to take to get the most authentic reactions from the two of you. I know this is something you have never done before and thats ok! I have no problem helping and guiding you through events or scenarios so that you can just have fun!
Not sure where to begin with your elopement? Well here's a start...
How exactly do I help you along the way?
8
Being a friend each and every step of the way
I know I have said this plenty of times before but, I truly want to make this experience for you as stress free and relaxed as possible. You will come to find that this whole hiring a photographer thing with me isn't exactly just that. I am going into this just as a best friend would handle it. I'll be there to answer you questions, make you feel relaxed, take things slow and easy, joke around, have fun and laugh, and just hang out with you guys! All the while we will be taking these incredible photos to look back on. This is more than just a photo session to me, it's a chance to look into the past later in the future and that means so much more to me. I am your friend through the whole process and I will have your back through it all.
How exactly does this work?
We've made things pretty easy for you! So here's the 3 steps to take towards your elopement!
1. Reach out and let's talk about things
2. lets work together on your dream day
3. have an adventure
The very first step is to get on a call to go over all of your ideas whether they are fully formed or just a date! The whole point of the call is to hear exactly what you have dreamed up and for us to meet each other as well! Then we can jump into creating your day your way.
This is where get to work! We begin designing your elopement that completely represents the two of you! We will begin creating your timeline, finding the perfect locations, sharing my inside knowledge, my go-to vendors in your area and securing those permits. Everything we do together is specifically designed around you.
What else is there to say? The day is going to come and I make it my mission to make this as fun as possible! The adventure is the fun part and saying your "I do's" is an amazing bonus inside of it. I am going to be there to make sure you are as relaxed and confident as you can be. Because this is your elopement and you deserve it.
Reach out here and let's talk about your dream day!
Hey, let's get in touch..