What We Do

A courthouse ceremony often comes to mind when people think of eloping, but modern elopements and intimate weddings can be so much more than that!

With the average DC wedding hovering just under $40,000 (The Knot, 2017), an elopement or intimate wedding is a great way to save thousands and create memories you'll be able to share for generations. 

Elope NoVa was founded by wedding photographer Julie Napear. In consulting with engaged couples who wanted smaller weddings without sacrificing quality pictures, she realized she could use her almost decade and a half of knowledge working with brides and grooms to help create a luxury, custom-tailored wedding experience for people who didn't have the time to invest in planning. 

How We Work

One flat fee gets you:

  • an officiant (to perform your ceremony and legally marry you -- we have ceremony options to choose from)
  • bouquets and/or boutonnieres (two of one or one of both -- just tell us what colors you prefer)
  • up to two hours of professional photography (and the digital negatives so you can print and share the images on your own)

Still too much work? That's okay, we can do more! 

  • We'll give you customized venue recommendations based on what you're looking for and our experience visiting hundreds of venues in the area
  • We'll do the venue booking for you -- you just have to write the check
  • We'll provide a cake, your choice of cake topper, and the knife to cut it 

Spice it up!  Seeking a little more? We can add on:

  • a musician
  • fine dining
  • horse and carriage
  • a memorable night away at a B&B, Inn, or Hotel
  • additional flowers

Bonus: we're working on a comprehensive, searchable database of venues in 18 counties and cities in and near Northern Virginia (Alexandria, Arlington, Clarke, Culpeper, Fairfax, Falls Church, Fauquer, Frederick, Fredericksburg, Loudoun, Manassas, Manassas Park, Page, Prince William, Rappahannock, Stafford, Warren, Winchester). You can use that to find a venue for your elopement or intimate wedding for FREE!

Who We Are

Julie Napear

Founder & Photographer

Julie Napear has been photographing elopements and weddings since 2005, and has been recognized as a Top Wedding Vendor by Virginia Living Magazine for several years running. Based in Virginia, Julie Napear Photography has photographed couples all over the U.S., and shot destination weddings in Ireland and the Riviera Maya. Julie lives with her husband and their daughters, and planned her own small wedding in just over a week, using vendors she's worked with for over a decade. 

Zachery Perry

Officiant

Zach and Julie met in 2019 when he and his husband, Matt, hired Julie Napear Photography for their own wedding! He owns his own photography company in addition to working with Julie and Elope NoVa.

Ori Urbaez

Officiant

coming soon!

How to Book

Just go here and fill out the form!

FAQ

Do you work with couples who want to get married in Maryland? No. Currently, our packages are only for couples who want to get legally married in Northern Virginia. 

What about couples getting married in D.C.? Currently the answer is also no, but we may be adding that option in the future. 

Do you work with same-sex couples? 100% YES. Love is love, and we are happy to work with LGBTQ couples. We don't list venues in our database who have told us that they won't serve gay and lesbian couples. Our packages allow for flowers for either gender, so there is one fee no matter if you get two boutonnieres, two bouquets, or one of each. We prefer to work with kind people, no matter their sexual preferences. 

Do you have liability insurance? Yes. 

Can we choose what type of ceremony we want? Yes. We have some for you to pick from, or you can bring us your own... though we won't preach fire and brimstone. 

Are you affiliated with any particular religion? We are not -- we are licensed by the state of Virginia so that your wedding will be recognized by the legal system of the United States. However, we do provide spiritual ceremonies and are happy to include any customs you want to add in. 

The venue I chose to get married at already includes flowers. I don't need two bouquets! What do I do? You're welcome to substitute the flowers for a 16x20 canvas or metal print of one of your wedding photos. Please, PLEASE print your photos... I promise you'll be glad you did in 20 years' time. 

How last minute can we contact you? Julie photographed one wedding an hour and twenty minutes after booking it, so... very last minute. However, availability will be limited. You can book Monday - Thursday up to a year out, and weekends up to two months ahead of time. Keep in mind that venues will prioritize larger weddings on Saturdays, so you'll have more choice and can often save money by booking your elopement or intimate wedding on an off-day. "Wedding season" in Northern Virginia generally runs from early April until Thanksgiving, so there's often more flexibility during the late fall, winter, and early spring.  

COVID-19 UPDATE

We ARE performing weddings and elopements at this time, with a strict cap of 18 guests (20 including the wedding couple). Given the nature of the services we provide, we realize you won't be able to wear a mask during the ceremony or picture-taking sessions, so we're asking people to postpone their weddings by making our retainer fees refundable and transferrable.

Normally our retainer fees are non-refundable, but due to the uncertain circumstances surrounding Covid-19, we are allowing cancelations as follows:

  • you pay for services already performed, such as help finding a venue
  • we will return all funds, less a $150 fee, until 2 weeks prior to the wedding 
  • If you fall ill in those last two weeks, your funds will be re-applied to another date in the future
  • we are only responsible for photography, officiant, cake, and florals. I encourage you to ask any additional venues/vendors (hair/make-up, music, overnight stays) about their company cancellation policy before booking. 

 

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