We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Elizaveta Malone. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Elizaveta below.

Elizaveta, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you come up with the idea for your business?

EZ Elopements began the day I tried to plan my own wedding — in a way, the company was born out of personal frustration — and a deep desire to make sure no other couple had to feel what I felt when I tried to plan my own wedding.

Like so many people, I started out thinking we’d have a small, meaningful wedding. But once I began the planning process, it quickly turned into a maze of questions, emails, contracts, scheduling conflicts, vendor minimums, and a list of decisions that felt more about keeping others happy than creating a day that actually reflected us. That’s when I realized that the “traditional” approach wasn’t for us. It wasn’t even close.

At the time, my now-husband and I were living in Seattle, having just moved from California after living in Hawaii. I had come to the U.S. from Russia at in 2011 when I was 17, built a life from scratch with support of loved ones, and worked my way into a career as a project manager while also pursuing business and marketing degree. Zack, a veteran and master diver, was training to become a commercial diver. We were living boldly, exploring the world, and always seeking experiences over expectations.

So when it came time to plan a wedding, we knew we wanted something meaningful — not just the cookie-cutter wedding machine. We didn’t want a ballroom or a sea of guests we barely knew. But what we found instead was… not much. There weren’t any truly “us” options. Everything felt either overwhelmingly traditional or painfully generic. The few elopement options that did exist were either bare-bones courthouse ceremonies or wildly expensive “adventure elopement” packages that felt more styled shoot than real experience.

So, I created my own.

We booked a beautifully aged wooden boat on Lake Union. I found a captain who happened to be ordained to marry us. I posted in a Facebook group asking strangers to serve as witnesses and crossed my fingers for a photographer who could capture the magic without charging $5,000 just for the photos. It was intimate, imperfect, DIY, and absolutely ours.

That day, when everything came together, and as we floated across the lake, exchanging vows with two strangers watching quietly and the city skyline behind us, I had this sudden clarity: why isn’t this easier for other couples? Why isn’t there a service that brings together everything a couple needs for a personal, stress-free, beautiful wedding… all in one place?

I kept thinking: if I could plan this from scratch in a brand-new city with no connections — imagine what I could do with intention, a team, and a business model built on helping couples have exactly this kind of experience.

That’s how EZ Elopements LLC was born.

It started small — just me planning and photographing, with Zack officiating and setting up all the tiny bits for elopements. But the mission was always clear: create fully personalized, all-inclusive elopement and micro-wedding experiences where every detail is taken care of by one seamless team. From planning, photography, videography, florals, and hair & makeup to drone footage, decor, and cake — we handle it all, so couples can focus on what really matters: each other.

What excited me most wasn’t just that we were solving a logistical headache. It was that we were creating a space for people to reclaim what their wedding day should feel like: authentic, joyful, easy, and deeply personal. We weren’t just offering a different package — we were offering a different mindset. One where couples don’t have to choose between epic and effortless. With EZ Elopements, they get both.

That little boat on Lake Union didn’t just launch our marriage — it launched a whole new way of doing weddings. And it’s been the greatest adventure ever since.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Elizaveta Malone, but I go by Elizabeth, and I’m the founder and creative lead behind EZ Elopements LLC — a heart-first, all-inclusive elopement and micro-wedding company built from the belief that your wedding day should feel authentic, stress-free, and deeply personal. I’m also a lead photographer, planner, and the person who walks alongside our couples from their very first email to the final gallery of memories. What we do isn’t just wedding planning — it’s experience design, storytelling, and real connection.

My journey into this world wasn’t linear. I moved to the U.S. from Russia at 17. I put myself through school, started a career in project management, and explored business and marketing along the way — all while cultivating a love for photography, travel, and a drive to create something meaningful. I’ve always been drawn to people’s stories, and I’ve always wanted to build something that helped others celebrate life in a way that felt true to them.

It wasn’t until I tried planning my own wedding that everything clicked. I realized there was a massive gap in the wedding industry for couples like us — people who didn’t want a 200-person production, but also didn’t want to settle for a cookie-cutter courthouse option. We wanted intimacy, intention, adventure, and ease. But there was no company offering that all in one place.

So I built the company I wish had existed for me.

EZ Elopements is now a full-service planning and creative team that provides custom, all-inclusive elopements and micro-weddings anywhere in the U.S. — and beyond. We specialize in creating completely personalized wedding experiences for couples who want something uniquely theirs, without the overwhelm of managing multiple vendors.

What sets us apart is that we operate as one seamless, trusted team. Your planner is also your lead photographer. My husband, Zack, is your officiant, drone pilot, setup lead, and logistics pro. Our extended team includes hand-picked artists — videographers, florists, stylists, makeup artists, picnic providers, bakers — all chosen for their talent and heart. Instead of hiring 8 different vendors, our couples get one team, one timeline, one cohesive vision. It’s luxury meets intimacy meets total ease.

We offer everything from:

• Planning and coordination
• Photo and video coverage
• Ceremony design and officiating
• Custom floral design
• Hair & makeup services
• Drone and adventure coverage
• Charcuterie, picnics, and cakes
• Location scouting, permitting, and timeline building
• All the small but meaningful touches that make a day feel personal

We create weddings in national parks, mountaintops, private forests, beaches, backyards, and everywhere in between — and we’re always up for a new adventure. We also work with more traditional smaller scale intimate venues, wineries, breweries, gardens etc. Whether it’s snowmobiling through the mountains, hiking to a sunrise vow spot, or setting up an enchanted forest ceremony, we tailor every experience to the couple’s vision & desires, comfort, and story. We also help create that vision as we get to know our couples, in the first place.

What I’m most proud of is how much trust our couples place in us — and how we honor that trust by showing up 100%. We’ve helped shy, introverted couples feel fully seen. We’ve helped families blend, tears flow, and vows echo in some of the most beautiful corners of the world. We’ve created days that feel like poetry, not performance.
More than anything, I want people to know that this business isn’t about trends — it’s about freedom. The freedom to get married in a way that reflects who you are. The freedom to celebrate love without rules. And the freedom to have an unforgettable experience without the burnout of planning.

EZ Elopements was born from love, built with purpose, and driven by a desire to give couples a day they’ll never want to forget — and the proof is in the joy we get to witness every single time.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I truly believe that what helped us build our reputation was being exactly who we say we are — and following through on that with every couple, every time.

We didn’t come into this industry trying to compete with traditional wedding vendors or high-volume planners. We built EZ Elopements from a real, personal place — out of our own need for a wedding experience that was personal, intimate, adventurous, and stress-free. And because of that, we naturally attracted people looking for the same thing.
Word of mouth and trust have been everything for us. Couples refer their friends, leave heartfelt reviews, and share their photos with captions like, “This is how a wedding should feel.” That’s how we know we’re hitting the mark. We’ve also built strong relationships with vendors, venues, and even local communities who see the care we put into every detail — and they’re proud to recommend us.

Beyond the services we offer, I think our reputation has been built on listening deeply, showing up fully, and always making our couples feel seen. We’re not just capturing moments — we’re helping create an experience that’s intentional and unforgettable. That’s the kind of thing that people remember, and it’s what has kept our name growing in spaces we never expected.

By the way, our full personal story can be fount at https://www.ezelopements.com/the-story-behind-ez-elopements.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Our best source of new clients has come from a mix of strategic visibility and genuine connection — specifically through targeted content, personalized outreach, and storytelling that resonates with the kind of couples we love to serve.

Instead of casting a wide net, we focus on reaching the right people at the right time — couples who are overwhelmed by traditional weddings, craving something more intimate, or just beginning to explore what an elopement or micro-wedding could look like for them.

We do this by showing up in spaces where those conversations are already happening: Pinterest, Google searches, wedding blogs, Reddit threads, and Instagram communities that align with their vibe. But we don’t just “market.” We tell real stories, share real couples, and speak to the emotions behind their decisions.

When someone reaches out to us, it doesn’t feel like just another lead — it feels like a conversation. We ask questions. We listen. We find out what they’re dreaming about and what’s stressing them out. And we tailor every response to them, not a template.

That kind of presence — human, warm, and intentional — has been our secret weapon. Because at the end of the day, people don’t just want a service. They want to feel seen, understood, and celebrated. When you offer that from the very first message, the right clients not only find you — they remember you, trust you, and choose you.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ezelopements.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ez_elopements
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ezelopements
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizavetamalone/
• Other: https://vimeo.com/ezelopements

Image Credits

Elizabeth Malone & Tess Osterhage @ EZ Elopements LLC | https://www.ezelopements.com/photography-portfolio