A Spiritual Joshua Tree Elopement

Just this past weekend, we had the honor of meeting and photographing Theis + Sofia’s spiritual Joshua Tree elopement! We normally spend time with our couples before we see them on their wedding day, but this was a special circumstance; you see, they are from Denmark and they flew all the way in just to get married around the beauty of the Southern California deserts!

They got married six years to the day after meeting on an online dating site, and from the get-go, they knew each other was something special! After dating for a few years, Theis proposed last February on Sofia’s birthday. At one point they were planning on getting married in Sedona, Arizona (one of Sofia’s favorite places on earth) but since Theis had never been to Joshua Tree – they decided to come visit and after looking at all the pretty photos online, they decided that it was the most perfect spot to get married!

The ceremony was led by Charlotte of The Vow Keeper and it was one of the most spiritually beautiful ceremonies we have ever witnessed. In all the years we’ve been photographing weddings, we’ve never had one with such a beautiful mixing of spiritualities – including Native American, celtic + pagan traditions.

Charlotte began the ceremony with a sage blessing, smudging burned sage for purity and to encourage positive energy and good fortune, waving the smoke around with a beautiful feathered fan. She blessed all of the spirits and thanked all the ancestors for bringing these two together. Theis + Sofia brought a beautiful multi-colored rope for a Pagan-inspired hand fasting ceremony – symbolically binding the couple together in their declaration of unity. Finally, after exchanging vows to love, honor and cherish each other for the rest of their lives, they gave each other Claddagh rings. Claddagh rings are of Celtic tradition, featuring two hands holding a heart with a crown on top; the elements within the wedding represent the three most important aspects of marriage: love (the heart), friendship (the hands) and loyalty (the crown). Basically, they’re the most romantic rings ever!

We’re so blessed to have witnessed Theis + Sofia’s spiritual Joshua Tree elopement, and to have had the opportunity to meet such a beautiful couple.

Are you looking for a wedding photographer in Joshua Tree?

Hey there, I am Ashley Durham, a western Arizona wedding photographer specializing in unposed, authentic and romantic intimate weddings that capture the love, fun and realness of couples and wedding days.

I am happy to serve couples from Lake Havasu, Bullhead City, Prescott, Kingman, Skull Valley all the way to Palm Springs, Southern California and anywhere I can drive or fly. Are you ready to have an incredible time together for your wedding?? DM me!!