What if you could experience a wedding day where you walk away feeling
fulfilled
instead of overwhelmed?
Wouldn’t that be an amazing way to start off your marriage?
Together we can rewrite the "rules" of a wedding day and make it YOURS!
Does eloping mean you have to ditch everything about a wedding?
No, but it does mean you have the freedom to ditch everything that doesn’t speak to your hearts and experience a wedding day that's impossible to rival.
By choosing to elope you choose to discover a form of peace & tranquility so rarely found in the world today.
Why?
Because The horizons for authentic wedding experiences are endless.
So, you can make the stars your chapel & the wind your first dance song.
The crevices of mountains and the edges of trees your decorations.
Measure your most precious moments with the closest people in your life.
Value the experience you walk away from at the end of your wedding day above all.
Because in the end, the way your wedding day makes the two of you feel, matter most.
However you dream your day to be, let me come alongside you & help you put every detail together, from scratch.
HEY! I'm Shanmari, the elopement photographer & crafter here at Avonture & I was in your shoes too.
I eloped about five years ago and won't change that decision for the world!
My passion for serving eloping couples, helping them navigate the world of elopements & experience a wedding day that is a true reflection of their relationship - drives from within.
I'm rooting for you!
why Choose Avonture?
Expert Elopement Planning Guidance
“We had nothing else planned (including no idea on part of the country). Shan got to know us as a couple, our wants for a location... She then went further and helped compile a list of potential vendors. She stayed in contact and offered helpful reminders leading up to the big day. Shan did what we wanted but also provided great guidance and voiced her expertise clearly.”
Handcrafted personalized experiences.
“I am a black queer bride and I was absolutely blown away by the artistry and humanity Shanmari shared with me and my fiancée, it started with her questionnaire to get to know us…”
“Thank you for giving us a perfect experience from breakfast to our last dance together we are obsessed!”
“I wish every couple could have someone like Shan in their corner not just on their elopement day but all the days leading up to it like we did.”
documentary approach to photographing your day.
“Shanmari has this incredible skill of really capturing photos in the moment so you barely even know she’s there at times.”
“The photos she took will be ones we can always look back on and actually FEEL the emotion and love we have for each other.”
“You are a photography goddess and we cannot believe the magic you captured.”
Your experience and memories are in caring hands.
“Shanmari is one of the most amazing people we have ever encountered!”
“She genuinely cares for her couples and works so hard to make sure they have an amazing experience.”
“Shan at Avonture is FANTASTIC!”
“She is a gem of a human being!”
“If you're not RUNNING to book Shan for your elopement, what are you even doing?! She's simply the BEST!”
Here's a peak at how a handcrafted elopement experience at Avonture comes together & how I help
Assisting with the legalities of getting married in the outdoors.
Finding & narrowing down the perfect location & date.
Finding unique vendors, even in the most remote locations.
Narrowing down exactly how you want to spend your day & with what activities.
Crafting a laid back, personalized timeline that's perfect for your day.
A beautiful gallery that not only tells your story, but is also authentically you.
My expertise at your disposal alongside extensive, exclusive planning guides & more.
Reach out with a general date & location & receive a free consultation call.
Avonture strives for inclusivity of all.
To provide a welcoming experience and a safe space for all couples.
Avonture is a LGBTQIA+ & BIPOC+ friendly brand, a brand that continues to open doors for those who feel they don't belong.
You belong, you're valued here.
All love is warmly welcomed here.
elopements care for
our planet.
Elopements allow for us to enjoy the beauty earth presents to us but it is only up to us to take care of that beauty so it can last for centuries to come.
Did you know that the average traditional wedding produces 400 pounds of garbage and 63 tons of carbon dioxide? Mind blown right?
It is statistically proven that elopements have a very gentle ecological footprint - we should aim for that so we can give back to Mother Nature what she deserves.
"Shanmari was there through it all with wisdom, encouragement, expertise, and so much warmth and kindness."
"Working with Shanmari and Avonture was the experience of a lifetime for my partner and I. She is so, so, SO much more than a photographer—she was our guide, co-conspirator, friend, hype squad, and more. Her passion for her work and for helping couples have the best experience and create lifelong memories is so evident in every interaction with her. Our elopement was a dream. It was romantic, wild, adventurous, and unexpected, and Shanmari was there through it all with wisdom, encouragement, expertise, and so much warmth and kindness. We felt special and truly seen by her. I genuinely cannot recommend Avonture enough. I wish every couple could have someone like Shan in their corner not just on their elopement day but all the days leading up to it like we did. Rating her five stars just doesn’t seem like enough because she is so out of this world. We are so lucky to have found her!"
- Ro & Mel
"We could not have asked for a more perfect wedding day and she was a large part of what made our day so wonderful."
"There are too many amazing things we could say about Shanmari and the entire Avonture experience. We could not have asked for a more perfect wedding day and she was a large part of what made our day so wonderful. Shanmari was a great resource to us during the planning stages of our wedding day. Having never been to hocking hills, we were so thankful to have her expertise and experience with the area. She was able to recommend multiple amazing vendors, essential items to pack with us, beautiful hiking trails for couple's portraits, and a breathtaking ceremony spot that accommodated our family and friends ceremony. Her guidance and suggestions helped our day to go as smoothly as possible. She truly listened to every thing that was most important to us about our day and helped it to become reality. She was so kind and flexible while working with our family and friends and was able to capture so many heartwarming moments with them throughout the day. Shanmari also photographed our traditional Korean ceremony and she made sure to discuss with us the progression of the ceremony and the most important aspects to capture. She sent us sneak peeks of our photos very quickly so we were able to reflect on our day and start enjoying the pictures soon after the wedding. We are so happy with our decision to trust Shanmari with documenting our wedding day and we cannot wait to look back on these beautiful memories that she has provided us with for many many years to come. Thank you so much Shan!"
- Erin & Ryan
"Basically, this review is a long-minded way of saying, if you're not RUNNING to book Shan for your elopement, what are you even doing?! She's simply the BEST and her genuine desire to make the day all you want it to be and more is so evident."
"I don’t even know where to begin to express our wonderful experience with Shanmari! Our day began with a major snowstorm, which led to our car getting stuck to the point we never thought we were going to get out! Shan spent 20 minutes in the freezing cold helping us dig it out so we could make it to the most beautiful waterfall, and take the most gorgeous photos. Anything we needed, Shan had our back and went above and beyond in creating the perfect day. She gave us plenty of time to just be the two of us, while somehow capturing more moments than we ever could have imagined. From the sweeter moments like us reading our vows to the unforgettable memories of us using the hand warmers she (thankfully) provided, our favorite part of the gallery she sent as was the story it tells of us <3. The entire day was laid back, there were no strict timelines and she definitely centered the day on us and how we were feeling - which we so appreciated. it was slow-paced and couldn't have been more romantic thanks to the environment she curated for us. We were able to have a slow, relaxing morning getting ready together and eating breakfast (also brought to us by Shan) while still having plenty of time to get the outdoor pictures that we wanted. Basically, this review is a long-minded way of saying, if you're not RUNNING to book Shan for your elopement, what are you even doing?! She's simply the BEST and her genuine desire to make the day all you want it to be and more is so evident. There’s truly not enough amazing things to say about her and our experience working with her! <3 <3 <3"
- KristiAnn & Jarron
"Shanmari has a true gift of seeing beauty in nature and placing us (her couples) in it. When we received our sneak-peeks we were blown away, I knew they were going to be beautiful but they were something from a fairly tale."
"I truly can not express in words how special and wonderful Shanmari is and how amazing she made our day!!!! Planning our special day seemed like it would be a walk in the park, we had simple ideas and I thought I knew it all, I couldn’t have been more wrong. We quickly realized there was a lot more details that went into planning even a simple elopement/ ceremony with 22 guests and we were going to need some help. Shanmari was our shining angel! She helped guide us through planning details, helped provide us with valuable vender information, and created a detailed timeline of our special day. Ever step of the way through our planning Shanmari was available to help ease our stress and concerns. Shanmari has a gift of making you feel comfortable and as if you have known her before you have even met her. On my Wife and I special day the weather threatens to ruin our hike, we called Shan first thing in the morning and asked if we could move our hiking time to cooperate with the weather, Shan didn’t hesitate and without pause said “I will be there in an hour”. Upon meeting her my wife and I instantly felt comfortable and relaxed with Shan, as if she was a friend taking our photos. We were able to hike Hocking Hills and have beautiful photos taken in our dresses before the rain came due to Shanmari’s ability to be flexible and accommodating! We also had the amazing pleasure of meeting Shan’s mother on our hike, she was so warm and also incredibly helpful (we loved learning about South Africa). Shanmari has a true gift of seeing beauty in nature and placing us (her couples) in it. When we received our sneak-peeks we were blown away, I knew they were going to be beautiful but they were something from a fairly tail. Her photos and ability to capture magic is astonishing. We were truly honored to have Shan as our photographer!"
- Christina & Julian
