PALM SPRINGS LGBTQ WEDDING & ELOPEMENT photographeRS

turning your “love IS LOVE” story into

ENCHANTING

visual masterpiece that echoes through time

PALM SPRINGS LGBTQ WEDDING & ELOPEMENT photographeRS

turning your “love IS LOVE” story into

ENCHANTING

visual masterpiece that echoes through time

Proudly Featured in:

HELLO,

WE’RE HENRY & SERGIO AND WE’RE COMMITTED TO YOUR gay AF wedding & ELOPEMENT EXPERIENCE IN PALM SPRINGS

Henry Tieu & Sergio - Washington Elopement Photographers
Henry Tieu Photography kissed by clients at wedding in Oregon

We’re one of the original wedding & elopement photographers before elopements became popular. Since 2018, we’ve helped over 200 couples elope all over Washington State and across the world.

Although our main duty is capturing you and your love in the most breath-taking landscapes, we are more than just photographers. We help couples craft an intentional experience that allows honest emotions to reveal themselves because everyone deserve to truly and fully immerse themselves into the day that commemorates the beginning of something new, magical, and worth every second living for.

Just like where you are today, I (Henry) also went through wedding planning and constantly had to ask myself “Is this photographer gay friendly? Are they going to just tolerate my love or are they actually going to celebrate it?”

Sergio from Henry Tieu Photography photographing wedding couple at sunset at Ruby Beach

World’s Best Wedding Photography 2019 – 2022 | Judge of World’s Best Wedding Photos 2023 Rangefinder Magazine’s 30 Rising Stars of Wedding Photography | Looks Like Film’s Artist Of The Year | World’s Best Wedding Photography 2019 – 2022 | Judge of World’s Best Wedding Photos 2023 Rangefinder Magazine’s 30 Rising Stars of Wedding Photography | Looks Like Film’s Artist Of The Year |

LOVE IS LOVE AND SO MUCH MORE

WE’RE MORE THAN JUST YOUR palm springs QUEER WEDDING & ELOPEMENT PHOTOGRAPHERS

RE

We photograph love the way love naturally occurs: organically and tenderly. On your elopement day, you should be able to forget the world and just be with the one(s) who matters the most

Two groom eloped at North Cascades, Washington
two grooms eloping and took photos in the water at a waterfall
queer couple elope in washington with night sky full of stars

palm springs’S MOST BEAUTIFUL ELOPEMENT LOCATIONS & PLANNING RESOURCES

Elopement Guest Etiquette 101

Attending an elopement as a guest is a special honor. Read this guide to learn elopement guest do’s and don’ts and learn our top elopement guest etiquette tips.
death valley national park desert elopement

How to Elope in California [Updated for 2024]

What scenery do you envision for your elopement? Chances are whatever you’re dreaming of California has it! From deserts to beaches to forests this state has it all. Learn what it’s like to elope in California!

How to Plan Your National Park Elopement and Wedding

National park elopements are a great way to combine your love for the outdoors with an intentional wedding experience. quickly become a popular choice for couples looking to elope in nature. Visit the blog to learn how to plan your national park elopement and see the top places to elope in a national park.

Bursting Elopement Myths: 6 Misconceptions about Modern Elopements

Want to know the truth about elopements? There are so many ideas about what an elopement is or isn’t or what they should or shouldn’t be. The meaning of the word has changed over the years and the modern day elopement looks very different from the original meaning of the word. Read this blog post to discover some elopement myths and learn more about what today’s elopements actually look like. | Adventure Elopement Photographer | Elopement Myths | Elopement Wedding

lgbtq Wedding & Elopement Stories from PALM SPRINGS & beyond

Washington Hiking Adventure Elopement

Moody PNW Mountain Elopement | Vannah & Nathan

Mountain elopements in the PNW are some of the most beautiful and moody places to elope in the U.S. and this elopement with Vannah and Nathan was no exception. Read more about their beautiful day and see why we love hiking elopements in the North Cascades.

Olympic Peninsula Elopement at Ruby Beach | Dusty & Bobby

Dreaming of a PNW beach sunset elopement? This couple traveled across the country in their camper to exchange vows on the rugged coast of Ruby Beach and danced away the night listening to the ocean waves under the starlit sky. See more from this sweet and cozy PNW elopement day on the blog.
Mt. Fremont elopement at a fire lookout in Washington

Mt Rainier Sunset Elopement | Holly & Diem

Elopements don’t have to look a certain way or adhere to any expectations. Holly and Diem took that to heart and chose to do what they wanted for their Mt. Rainier sunset elopement. They wanted an intimate adventure elopement experience that focused on the two of them. From getting ready, to truly soaking in every moment of their day, they proved that elopements can be whatever you want and the thing that makes them so special is doing what you want for your elopement rather than what people expect.
Tolmie Peak elopement at Mt Rainier National Park

Picturesque Mt Rainier National Park Elopement | Jessica & Vanesa

Jessica and Vanesa turned what was to be their engagement photo session into their beautiful elopement day. They ditched the rules and created moments that were true to them and full of love! They chose to elope at one of the most beautiful locations in Mt Rainier National Park and a place that held deep meaning to them both. Check out this blog post to read and see more from their beautiful day.

KIND WORDS

As soon as we opened the email our jaws dropped. The pictures were absolutely breathtaking.

He made a destination elopement such a breeze.
We had a small wedding in Yosemite National Park in California. We had never been there before, and Sergio took all the weight off our shoulders when it came to all the research and hassles of a destination wedding. He sent us vendor references, air bnb ideas, and a detailed timeline of our wedding day. We still get compliments about them and how they’re the most beautiful pictures they have ever seen. Along with the photographs, Sergio sent us a few GIFs as well. Those were so fun to see because we were not expecting those at all, and they turned out so cute! If you want a photographer who truly cares about you and your experience, look no further.

michelle & karli | intimate wedding in yosemite, california

GET STARTED

5 TIPS FOR YOUR GAY AF WEDDING & ELOPEMENT EXPERIENCE IN PALM SPRINGS

FULL DAY ELOPEMENT AT YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK

1) Anyone can elope but elopement is not for everyone. You don’t want to regret your wedding day. Read these 6 things to consider before eloping

2) Plan early in order to guarantee a beautiful accommodation & wedding permit (applicable for all National Parks in California and many National Forests/State Parks near Palm Springs; the warm weather of Palm Springs also means visitors coming for bachelor/bachelorette party and Coachella, make sure to plan ahead of time)

KIND WORDS

It all felt so overwhelming until we met Henry

There seriously isn’t even a way to put into words how amazing Henry is. From the very second I stumbled across his website, there was no question he was our guy. We had an instant connection with him. I literally didn’t care what he said- even if he said no, he was taking our photos, LOL! From the very first email response he sent me, to the email I got yesterday with our photos, I have been floored with his service and expertise. He recommended everything and everyone we needed to make our day magical. Lets face it- I don’t think anyone is experienced at getting married, so we needed help and lots of it! It all felt so overwhelming until we met Henry. Henry and Viet (the best elopement planer ever) just listened and produced the most amazing, wonderful, and love filled day! I cannot thank you gents enough!!!!

dusty & bobby | eloped in olympic national park, washington

MORE THAN JUST PACKAGES, IT’S A PARTNERSHIP

WHAT’S INCLUDED IN EVERY ELOPEMENT & WEDDING PACKAGE

Your Elopement Day Is Your Wedding Day

And You Deserve An Experience That is Honest, Meaningful, and Memorable

more answers to your

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

We operate fully on transparency and empowerment. We believe that YOUR elopement day is YOUR wedding day and this day will forever be a part of you and your legacy. It signifies the beginning of your next chapter and hold significant meanings to every aspect of your life.

Therefore, you deserve a photographer whom you can truly connect with as they are the one who’s in charge of fleeting moments and memories of your day

We hope we can be your Palm Springs Wedding & Elopement Photographers but We STRONGLY believe that you should look around for options, view each photographer’s portfolio, read their reviews, and talk with them in order to really have a clear picture of how they work and how they can help you. Each photographer’s approach to wedding photography is like their DNA, it’s an extension of who they are

For us, we focus on an INTENTIONAL EXPERIENCE & ARTFUL PHOTOGRAPHS. In order to do so, we do more than just photography. We’ll be there with with you every step of the way to help you though this journey

We also believe in the power of your story, what makes you unique, and what you value rather than how you look or how your photos should look because of trends.

To learn more about what it’s like to work with us, view our Elopement Experience.

Yes, 1000%. We don’t want you to invest your money in those who don’t support and celebrate you. You deserve a team of vendors who are not only LGBTQ friendly, but also are the best at what they do. Being your photographers is our number one goal but we will also be there to help you every step along the way. During the planning process, we’ll find amazing vendors to share with you.

Elopement isn’t just about running away or keeping it all a secret. It should be an experience where you can enjoy the whole day with whomever you would like to be there. Therefore, for us, we consider elopements and intimate weddings the same.

Some of us get to have our blood family as our support system. Some of us have our chosen family. Whether it’s blood related or not, being gay myself, I know the important of community. So if these amazing humans are important to you and your love, they should be there on your wedding day.

Although we don’t limit the amount of guests you should have, some National Parks, State Parks, BLM Lands place limits on the guest size to protect trails and native plants.

We’ve noticed that a guest list of about 30 or so can still ensure a low-stress experience. If you are interested in having more than 30 guests, we can always chat to figure out a location and a plan to give you the best experience and photos.

Being queer myself, I know that each relationship looks different and therefore, you should not be posed for photos the way heteronormative couples do.

The most meaningful photos come from the heart. Come to us as you are, share with us what you enjoy, like, dislike. Tell us so we can photograph you and everything that is important to you. Tell us so we can capture moments that are priceless and true to your heart.

What we are proud of the most are the 200+ reviews we’ve received from our couples where they share that they get to see their authentic self in the photographs we captured. In order to get there, we spend great amount of time with each couple we get to work with. From multiple phone calls to questionnaires, our goal is to foster a safe space where you can express yourself so you can be exactly who you are and see that honest image in your wedding album.

Most of our elopements average between 6-10 hours but how many hours you need will depend on how many locations you want to experience, how many guests you would like to have, and what activities you would like to experience for your elopement day.

A half-day elopement is around 6 – 8 hrs. Couples interested in both sunrise and sunset or multiple locations book a full day (10+ hrs.) Couples who want both a wedding experience where they spend the whole day with guests and also an elopement experience where they can spend private time together on a separate day book us for 2 days.

See our elopement packages for additional information and if you have any additional questions or are ready to book, send us a message and let’s get started!

  1. Once you’ve decided that eloping is for you, reach out to us on our contact page.
  2. We’ll get on a call to get to know each other and for us to share with you more knowledge, details, tips and resources.
  3. Once we figure out the best date for the best weather at your dream location, we’ll prepare a contract in order to reserve that date right away.
  4. After that, we go into planning mode together to make sure this experience is personalized and customized to your vision and your needs.

Trust us, it is as easy as it sounds 🙂

testimonials

GAYEST WORDS from Our Happy Couples

caitlin & alexa

VOW RENEWAL AT RUBY BEACH

What do I even say about our vow renewal? Magical? Incredible? Heart stopping beautiful? Maybe that’s not enough detail. Let me explain. 

My wife and I are celebrating our 5 year wedding anniversary this year. So, we did a vow renewal ceremony that will forevermore go down as a perfect day from start to to finish, all thanks to Henry and his incredible team of vendors that made this day a possibility for us. He helped us choose our gowns, and took care of all the details from start to finish. The thing that really struck me the most about our vow renewal was how down to earth both Henry and his husband Viet really were. They were just normal people like us. We spent a whole day with them and I never once felt that awkwardness that can sometime happen when two introverts (my wife and I) meet new people. Instead, when we first met, I felt instantly excited. Excited to have my special day in the hands of such great talent, but also so excited to share a very private and intimate day with people who felt like they were excited and honored to be there for us during that moment. 

The pictures and scene the vendors created was something out of a storybook. I really can’t accurately express what beauty was created on that day. Henry guided both of us through the beach we were on and just let his creativity fly. It was freezing but it didn’t matter. His excitement for the pictures he was capturing kept the time flying by. He captured us being silly, beautiful, authentic, and most important— authentically together. He captured my wife exactly as I see her and that was important. I wanted our images to reflect who we were as people and as a couple and he did exactly that. I can say, without hesitation, that this was one of the best days I’ve ever had with my wife. 

The experience you will get if you hire Henry will be unmatched by anyone anywhere. You tell him what you have envisioned, and it will be there. Like magic. Not only do I have this dreamy day to save in my memory for the rest of time, but I also have pictures and a heart melting video to match. I can’t say enough about this man, except that he is a fucking magician. 

Thank you Henry. Thank you a million time

Two brides, lesbians, eloping in North Cascades

LEXI & CHELSEY

ELOPED IN THE NORTH CASCADES

We are from Georgia and knew we wanted to get married in the PNW. We were initially thinking about Mt. Rainier but during our first conversation with Henry, he recommended a different location with much shorter hiking. We immediately felt like he was listening and wanted to help make our elopement perfect. And perfect is an understatement. Other than his immaculate work, Henry is the greatest hype man and encourager. Given that it was just my wife and I who were there and we both wanted a first look, Henry helped both of us get into our dresses and even helped put on skin tape. We had a small snafu of forgetting our bouquets at our Airbnb, but Henry was so patient and talked with us through the realization.

And the photos, are you kidding me? Henry got us sneak peeks the day following our elopement and I have not stopped looking at them since. I cannot begin to describe the overwhelming joy these pictures give me. As someone who was not sure that my love could ever be celebrated, Henry made sure to capture everything wonderful about my love. Every single person who I have shown the pictures to has had the same reaction – in just complete awe. Several have even stated they want to get married again just so they could work with Henry.

I would recommend Henry to anybody and everybody who is considering working with him. It was the best decision I ever made (other than marrying my wife)!

cote & david

ELOPED IN WASHINGTON

We had the BEST experience with Henry! From the beginning we could tell that Henry truly invests in each couple he works with. Knowing more about our story and who we are was very important to him. That made us much more comfortable being ourselves around him and in front of the camera.

There’s nothing more unnatural than an uncomfortable pose doing something for a picture that, as a couple, you’d never normally do. Henry didn’t put us in that position. He was able to capture the most incredible pictures of our natural exchanges as a couple and while truly being ourselves.

After our initial call, it was clear that he does his research and really knows his craft. He was willing to listen and consider whatever we were threw at him. He guided us through our choices without influencing decisions. He provided great support and information from start to finish.

We were put in a position to have to move our elopement from the east side of Washington to the west just two weeks before the wedding. Henry was beyond helpful, flexible and supportive throughout the entire process. His energy is infectious. His professionalism is top notch.

When you are spending a good chunk of your wedding day away from family and friends and with your photographer, you can’t do better than Henry. We’d book him again in a heartbeat and have nothing but great things to say about our experience with him.