Meet Jess Drawhorn | Elopement Photographer & Planner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jess Drawhorn and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jess, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
In 2017 we were getting a lot of interest from couples who wanted to have a quick ceremony in the mountains, totally in private. The first iteration of the adventure elopement was quick, easy and scenic – somewhere like the Denver Botanic Gardens or Chautauqua Park. As we got to know our couples, we heard lots of stories about how they got engaged at the bottom of the Grand Canyon or on a big hike in Banff. We realized that if we simply offered it, there would be a huge demand for couples who wanted their elopement to be a full day adventurous experience instead of just a quick photo op. We weren’t the first to do it, but there was kind a moment of simultaneous invention within the field and we were there at the very beginning!

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
It’s really common in the wedding world now to reject the idea of perfection and stiff posing. Almost every inquiry call we get really begins with “we don’t want our wedding day to be a photo shoot, we don’t want to just do a bunch of poses”. I think what sets us apart from other photographers is how much we truly lean into this mindset. We take inspiration from trends but don’t try to recreate them – instead, the creative heart of our photography practice is paying attention.

We pay attention to the way our couples act when they’re off camera, the moments they call out during our planning process that make their relationship special and unique, and the experience they’re having throughout their wedding day. We never make up moments from our imagination or from a Pinterest board – we draw inspiration from the couple’s dynamic and the environment around us.

It’s a risky strategy – we’re missing out on a lot of social media traction from, let’s say the current trend of having couples do a lantern shot at dusk – but we truly believe it leads to a memorable and immersive experience for our couples. Every image from their gallery is real and true to them!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Oh I have the the best Colorado trip planned, but it’s a big time investment! First, assume it’s late September. You have to stop at Sushi Rama in RiNo, and then head straight to Rocky to drive Trail Ridge Road. From there, keep going through Grand Lake, make a stop at Hot Sulphur Springs on your way to Breck for a night to have dinner and bop around town for cocktails. From Breck, head towards Twin Lakes just outside of Leadville before making it to Crested Butte for the ultimate fall colors drive along Kebler Pass. If you’ve got 4 more days, keep going out towards Ouray and rent a jeep so you can drive Imogene Pass up and over into Telluride.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
We want to dedicate our shoutout to our close friend Nina Larsen Reed. She is also an elopement photographer and one of the best examples I know of someone who is doing amazing creative work with her camera, while also running an amazingly sustainable and successful business behind the scenes – all while thoroughly enjoying her life and family. We love her so much and benefit all the time from her friendship, advice, and advocacy within our industry.

Website: thedrawhorns.com

Instagram: @thedrawhorns

Image Credits
Photo by Larsen Photo Co (I struggled to find a horizontal photo, but feel free to crop!)