From the moment Ankia reached out to me, until well after their elopement, this day was planned with so much intention, excitement, and love.

When I first spoke with Iggy + Ankia, they were so excited about the prospect of eloping. They had planned to elope in the summer of 2020. Unfortunately due to the pandemic, their plans were turned completely upside-down. They are from South Africa, and the country was completely grounded for months.

We continued communicating and adjusting plans, as new information came up. We landed on a new date, but Nevada was on a second lockdown. Months later from their original elopement date, everything finally fell into place, and it was perfect.

They decided to road trip from South Carolina at the end of December 2020 all the way to Las Vegas for their elopement on January 6th. In that time, they enjoyed much of America’s beauty, and made so many memories together. They finished their incredible adventure by exchanging their vows, in a beautiful place they were inspired by.

Iggy + Ankia did things very non-traditionally — even a little backwards. They started with their honeymoon and ended with their elopement. They got ready together, instead of apart. They wanted fun and iconic photos in Las Vegas, but also wanted the quiet beauty of the desert as they committed their lives to each other. Most importantly, they wanted it to be just the two of them — without any pressure, expectations, or stress.

Their native language is Afrikaans. They exchanged their vows in Valley of Fire at sunset, in the language of their hearts. They finished with champagne and a small cake they hiked through the trail. It was important to them that their vows be video recorded so that when they have a traditional wedding for family and friends in South Africa later this year, they can share their incredible experience with everyone.

It was intimate, it was beautiful, it was authentic, it was romantic, and it was completely focused on them.

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