Twilight-Inspired Adventure Elopement in the Hocking Hills

Jordan & Luke's Hocking Hills Elopement

Last winter, Jordan and Luke reached out to plan an adventure elopement after seeing my Instagram reel about eloping to the Hocking Hills. Since they were coming from Florida and didn’t have a date set, I helped them choose the perfect time of year to match their dream vision: a moody, cinematic wedding inspired by the movie Twilight.

An elopement couple holds lanterns and walks across the Japanese Stepping Stone Bridge at Old Man's Cave gorge in the Hocking Hills, Ohio.
The Ash Cave waterfall flows from the overhang and drops down to where an elopement couple stands, small in scale, with a cathedral wedding veil draped over them.

Planning a Moody, Twilight-Inspired Elopement in Hocking Hills

By total coincidence, I had just rewatched the Twilight movies a few days earlier and was wishing I could photograph a wedding with that exact atmospheric style. When Jordan emailed me using those exact words, it felt like fate. I was so excited that I told my family at dinner, and we literally all did a happy dance when the couple officially booked!

Twilight Vibes

I recommended a four-hour adventure elopement so we could explore a couple of different locations and comfortably include a small group of their closest friends and family. To capture that deep, moody light, we opted for a late afternoon start. On the day of the elopement, the forecast called for rain earlier in the day, drying out just in time for their ceremony. I was thrilled—wet rocks and misty air are the ultimate ingredients for a Twilight aesthetic.

An elopement could stands under the A-frame bridge at Old Man's Cave gorge. They carry lanterns.
An elopement couple sees each other for the first time during the first look at Ash Cave in the Hocking Hills, Ohio. They are surrounded by lush green forest and mossy rocks.

The First Look

We met near the parking lot for a private first look, and I was completely blown away by how lush and green the gorge was—with Jordan’s red hair and Luke’s moss-green suit, the photos looked like we were in Ireland rather than Hocking Hills! Jordan shared a fun story about how she scored her dream gown as a budget-friendly sample piece because she knew it would get dirty in the woods, though she splurged on a stunning mantilla veil that actually cost more than the dress.

Waterfall Ceremony

Next, we met up with their guests and walked into Ash Cave for a ceremony, where I arranged everyone in a soft crescent shape in front of the waterfall. To keep things fun, I handed out point-and-shoot film cameras to the guests! Because I photograph at Ash Cave all the time, I wanted to challenge myself to find a new perspective that matched Jordan and Luke's unique energy. Right before they started, I asked if they trusted me to try a wild idea. Then I left their immediate area and climbed into a high position. I photographed down directly through the rushing waterfall for an epic, abstract perspective that has truly never been done there before.

A unique perspective photo of a wedding ceremony at Ash Cave. The ceremony is photographed through the waterfall and droplets are frozen in the frame.
A group of bridesmaids in moss green dresses surround a bride wearing a vintage veil and red hair. The group is standing underneath a waterfall at Ash Cave. The photo is captured with direct flash for a 90s nostalgic vibe.

Group & Family Photos

When it was time for family photos, we stayed right in front of the waterfall to make things easier for two sweet older family members in wheelchairs, since pushing them through the deep sand under the cave overhang would have been too difficult. Because the natural lighting wasn't even, I used a fill flash, which gave the portraits a really cool, 90s vintage look. Afterward, we explored the deeper parts of Ash Cave, where a section of the back wall covered in vibrant green lichens and rusty orange sandstone perfectly complemented Luke’s green suit and Jordan’s red hair.

Whimsy at Upper Falls

Our next stop was Upper Falls at Old Man’s Cave, where we had the whole place to ourselves to twirl, play with motion blur, snap Polaroids (including an incredible portrait Luke took of Jordan), and even watch Luke do a celebratory Naruto run down the trail. As daylight faded, we skipped going back to the cabin early to avoid disrupting their time with guests, and I improvised by setting up LED candles and vintage lanterns from my car along the iconic Japanese Stepping Stone Bridge. Even though the setup briefly blocked the path and a couple walking dogs passed right through it—resulting in one of my favorite, wonderfully weird candid photos of the night—it was the perfect prelude to wrapping up the evening back at their lodge with a classic champagne pop.

An elopement couple sits on a unique stone bridge at Old Man's Cave. They are flanked in LED candles. Vistors with dogs scoot by on the bridge.

The Art of the Edit

While I initially planned to use a moody, cool-toned cinematic edit to match the Twilight theme, Jordan mentioned during the portraits how much she loved my usual style modeled after classic Kodak Gold 400 film. Realizing a desaturated edit would strip away the day's stunning, rich colors—like the moss greens, sandstone oranges, and Jordan’s red hair—I chose warmth, contrast, and rich textures instead to make those tones pop. I brought their story to life using warm Kodak Gold tones, while switching to Portra 160NC presets for the deep cave shots to balance out any heavy yellow-orange shadows and keep skin tones beautiful. Ultimately, Jordan and Luke’s elopement proved that when you trust your photographer, embrace the elements, and stay open to adventure, absolute magic happens.

View Jordan & Luke's Gallery

  • Full-length portrait of a bride in a flowing bridal gown standing on a damp forest path, the hem of her dress dusted with earth from the woods.
  • Alt Text: Moody first look in a lush green gorge in Hocking Hills. A bride with vibrant red hair smiles at a groom wearing a moss-green suit surrounded by wet, deep green foliage.
  • Wide shot of a couple embracing in a misty forest gorge. The damp sandstone rocks and vibrant green ferns create a cinematic, atmospheric mood.
  • Candid shot of a bride and groom laughing together during their first look, surrounded by towering trees and misty air.
  • High-contrast portrait of a couple standing close in a deep green forest, their red hair and green suit perfectly complementing the natural landscape.
  • Close up of rings and vow books at a Hocking Hills elopement.
  • Close up of rings and vow books at a Hocking Hills elopement.
  • Close-up of the couple exchanging rings, with the misty spray of a waterfall creating a romantic, soft-focus background.
  • Close-up of the couple exchanging vows, with the misty spray of a waterfall creating a romantic, soft-focus background.
  • Close-up of the couple exchanging rings, with the misty spray of a waterfall creating a romantic, soft-focus background.
  • Wedding ceremony inside the massive recess of Ash Cave, with guests arranged in a soft crescent shape facing the bride, groom, and a rushing waterfall.
  • Bride and groom holding hands during their ceremony at Ash Cave, backlit by the soft, natural light filtering into the gorge.
  • Guests holding up vintage point-and-shoot film cameras, smiling as they photograph a wedding ceremony inside a cavern.
  • A bridal party in Ash Cave smiling as they get group photos taken under a waterfall.
  • An abstract, epic wedding photo taken through a rushing waterfall at Ash Cave, showing the bride and groom holding hands, framed by motion-blurred water droplets.
  • Intimate wide angle of a wedding ceremony inside a massive rock cavern, with mist rising from the valley floor.
  • Creative composition of the bride and groom framed by the massive, sweeping lines of a sandstone rock overhang.
  • Full-length shot of a couple walking hand-in-hand through the deep, shadowy recesses of Ash Cave, edited with clean, classic film tones.
  • Groom in a tailored moss-green suit standing against a dark, wet rock wall, looking thoughtfully into the distance.
  • Artistic motion blur photo of a bride and groom twirling on a stone bridge over a creek at Upper Falls in Old Man's Cave.
  • Classic black and white photo of a bride with a cathedral veil caught in mid air.
  • Classic portrait of a wedding couple sharing a moment after their Hocking Hills ceremony.
  • Classic black and white portrait of a wedding couple sharing a moment after their Hocking Hills ceremony.
  • Classic portrait of a wedding couple sharing a moment after their Hocking Hills ceremony.
  • Full-length shot of a couple walking hand-in-hand through the deep, shadowy recesses of Ash Cave, edited with clean, classic film tones.
  • Creative composition of the bride and groom framed by the massive, sweeping lines of a sandstone rock overhang.
  • Photo of a first kiss of a wedding couple in the Hocking Hills.
  • Up close black and white vintage image of a wedding couple in the Hocking Hills.
  • Close-up details of a bride's lace mantilla veil contrasting beautifully against dark, textured cave walls.
  • Up close black and white vintage image of a wedding couple in the Hocking Hills.
  • A Polaroid print held up against a forest background, showing a candid portrait of a red-haired bride smiling.
  • Close-up details of a bride's lace mantilla veil contrasting beautifully against dark, textured cave walls.
  • Close-up details of a bride's lace mantilla veil contrasting beautifully against dark, textured cave walls.
  • Creative portrait of a bride taken by the groom, capturing a raw, authentic moment on a woodland trail.
  • Creative portrait of a bride taken by the groom, capturing a raw, authentic moment on a woodland trail.
  • Artistic motion blur photo of a bride and groom twirling on a stone bridge over a creek at Upper Falls in Old Man's Cave.
  • Wide view of Upper Falls at Old Man's Cave completely empty, with a small couple standing on the iconic stone bridge enveloped by deep green woods.
  • Artistic motion blur photo of a bride and groom twirling on a stone bridge over a creek at Upper Falls in Old Man's Cave.
  • Hilarious candid photo of a groom in a green suit doing a Naruto run down a dirt trail in the woods while his bride laughs in the background.
  • Cute candid photo of a bride with red hair in front of a waterfall at Old Man's Cave.
  • Warm, rich Kodak Gold film-style portrait of a couple sitting on a large rock by a creek, looking lovingly at each other.
  • Up close black and white vintage image of a wedding couple in the Hocking Hills.
  • A groom in a green suit twirls a bride in front of a waterfall at Old Man's Cave.
  • A groom in a green suit twirls a bride in front of a waterfall at Old Man's Cave.
  • A 90s vintage-style family wedding portrait in front of a waterfall, shot with a direct fill flash highlighting guests smiling together.
  • Bride and groom leaning against a cavern wall covered in vibrant green lichens and rusty orange sandstone, rendered in rich, lifelike skin tones.
  • Warm, rich Kodak Gold film-style portrait of a couple sitting on a large rock by a creek, looking lovingly at each other.
  • Bride and groom leaning against a cavern wall covered in vibrant green lichens and rusty orange sandstone, rendered in rich, lifelike skin tones.
  • A groom in a green suit leans against a tree and kisses his red-haired bride's hand at Old Man's Cave.
  • Moody, cinematic shot of a couple walking up a stone staircase in the woods at dusk, lit only by the warm glow of handheld lanterns.
  • Evening blue hour photo of the Japanese Stepping Stone Bridge illuminated by glowing LED candles and vintage lanterns.
  • Energetic candid photo of a bride and groom popping a bottle of champagne outside a cozy woodland cabin, spray flying everywhere.

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