Door County WI Elopement | A Real Door County Elopement Story

Take me back to Courtney and Nathan’s Door County WI elopement from last spring!! Their intimate elopement experience was so much fun and so beautiful. When they reached out to me in October of 2024, they already knew they wanted to elope in Door County. They also knew that they wanted a relaxed, candid, simple, and sweet experience with their loved ones.

Door County was a special place for these two, considering they only live so far away over in Green Bay. They spent a bit of time visiting Door County and thought it would be the perfect place to get married!

We spent the next 7 months putting crafting their Door County WI elopement experience. I helped them find locations that matched their vision, gave them all the recommendations they could need, and helped them create a timeline that was as relaxing and loose as possible!

One thing you might notice as your scroll through their gallery, is that there’s a lot of black and white photos in here. I chose to use a lot of black and white here because it makes so many moments from their day much softer and romantic than the color versions. When I deliver black and white photos to my couples, I also make sure to share the color version just in case they have that preference!

Door County WI Elopement Timeline for 6 Hours of Photo Coverage

Sunrise: 5:16am

Sam Arrives at Airbnb: 1:30pm

Getting Ready (separately): 1:30pm (detail photos during this time)

First look with parents: 2:30pm (at park)

Ceremony at Peninsula State Park: 3pm

Family Photos: immediately after ceremony

Courtney & Nathan’s Adventure with Sam: 4pm

Appetizers: 4:30pm at airbnb for guests

Dinner: 6:00pm at airbnb

Celebration with campfire, games, etc: 7:00pm

Photography coverage ends, Sam departs: 7:30pm

Sunset: 8:14pm

Using Their Airbnb To Get Ready For Their Elopement

C&N’s Door County WI elopement experience started with them getting ready separately at their Airbnb they had rented. Everybody took their time finishing up, with Courtney putting her dress on and finishing the last of her details. I ended up converting a lot of the photos to B&W during this part of the day, because it just added so much softness to the story.

Elopement Ceremony at Peninsula State Park

Once everybody was all ready, we took about 3 different cars to Peninsula State Park for their ceremony. Before Courtney walked down the aisle to see her soon-to-be-husband, she took a moment to do a first look with her mom and dad – which was so incredibly special.

Once that special moment was shared, everybody took their seats and Courtney made her way down the aisle to Nathan. It was a beautiful ceremony, with a ring warming before they exchanged their rings.

Elopement Private Vows at Bailey’s Harbor

After their ceremony at Peninsula State Park and adventuring around there for some of their portraits, we drove to Bailey’s Harbors so they could exchange their elopement vows privately on a beach. They ended up having this whole beach to themselves, and even though it looked like it was going to pour rain at any more, the rain totally held off for these two.

A Quick Drink at Door County Brewing Company

WHEW! That’s a lot of socialization and adventuring, am I right?! Courtney and Nathan wanted to take a little break and stop in at Door County Brewing Company for a quick drink. They totally deserved it!

When they walked in, the whole brewery erupted into cheers and congratulations for them, which was such a sweet moment!

A Romantic Elopement Dinner with Family at their Airbnb (with a Private Chef)

After they finished their drinks at the brewery, we made our way back to the Airbnb, where dinner was underway! They finished their elopement experience with spending quality time with family over dinner, having their first dance by the campfire, popping some champagne, and more.

Courtney & Nathan’s intimate Door County WI Elopement is proof that you don’t have to hike 20+ miles or do crazy adventurous things to make your elopement an intentional experience.

Keep scrolling to see more photos from their day!

Door County Elopement Vendors

Door County WI Elopement Photographer: Samantha Burke Photography (heyyyy that’s me!)

Hair & Makeup: Blush Bridal

Private Chef: Mauricio with Fresh Personal Chefs Door County

Door County WI Elopement Photos