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

Traci, appreciate you joining us today. Do you take vacations? How do you keep things going – any advice for entrepreneurs who feel like they can’t step away from their business for a short vacation?

During our first three years building our business, we did not take any vacations. Our first vacation was actually our own 6-day backpacking elopement.

We got ahead of our work schedule, emailed all of our couples to let them know ahead of time that we would not be reachable. On our thank you page, after a couple of inquiries, we also put a note about being out of the office and why. Then we set up an auto reply on our email to let people know when they could expect to hear back from us.

Our next vacation was one year later for our reception. Then things started to change, we now try to take 2-3 weeks off throughout the year for vacations for us.

We have learned that we need vacations. Our hours are long; during elopement days, we work anywhere from 8-20 hours. Outside of elopement days, we are constantly working on our computers and scouting locations. It is important to get a break each season – spring, summer, and fall, especially because we do not work 5 days on 2 off like most folks are scheduled. We are just always on, any day, any time.

We have learned, any problem that happens when we are gone will be there when we get back. A lot of our clients follow us on social media, so now when we take breaks, we basically just post on our stories we will be gone and share what we are doing. We email back late emails letting them know why they didn’t hear from us for a couple of days. We also always leave for a break ahead of what needs to be done.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

We’re Traci and Bill, the husband-and-wife team behind Adventure and Vow. Together, we’re more than just photographers—we’re planners, storytellers, and guides for couples who want to get married in a way that truly reflects their values and their love. We specialize in crafting intentional elopement experiences in wild, beautiful places across the western U.S.

Our journey into this work started from a shared love of the outdoors and a deep belief in meaningful connection. Before starting this business, I (Traci) was working as a commercial and golf photographer. I moved to Arizona and started the business by building a portfolio and brand. Then Bill joined the team a couple of years later first as an officiant and now as a videographer as well.

We help solve one of the biggest pain points couples have with traditional weddings: the pressure to please others instead of themselves. We give our clients permission—and a plan—to celebrate their marriage in a way that’s deeply personal, whether that’s hiking to a remote mountaintop, paddling a canoe at sunrise, or stargazing together after saying “I do.” Additionally, really allowing couples to adventure as big as they want on this day from rock climbing, backpacking and more.

What sets us apart is the experience we offer from start to finish. We’re not just here to photograph your day—we’re in it with you, from dreaming up what your perfect elopement could look like, to navigating the logistics, to crafting a story through imagery and film that will last a lifetime. We limit the number of couples we work with each year so we can give each of them the time, energy, and care they deserve.

I (Traci) am SO proud of our dedication and work ethic, not just for our couples and helping them, but also within our creative work. Each goal we have set, we have accomplished by working hard. We’ve received top honors within our industry and we keep pushing our creative boundaries within skill, but also intention and story telling for our couples.

Have you ever had to pivot?

When I (Traci) first started the business, I went all in and did not keep another job while building the business, so I was on a limited budget. I knew I wanted to work in various locations like Sedona, Washington, California, and so forth. However, I was living in Phoenix. So I decided in order to travel to the places I wanted to work and build a portfolio and name in these locations, I needed to transition into van life. Within weeks, I bought a van. Then I sold everything I owned, almost moved myself and my two cats into the van. From there, I started traveling. First Colorado, then Iceland, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Arizona, and California.

I sold my first van and got an apartment because the van was breaking down a lot. The timing worked well with Covid and lockdown. Once lockdown was ending and we were heading into a big year of travel and elopements, we got another van and moved back into it!

With this job, it is most cost effective if you have to travel to travel in a van, camper truck or RV rather than losing money from every elopement on a flight, rental car, and stay.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

There are are around 54,000 wedding photographers in the United States, it is not easy to build a big reputation in the field – unless you got lucky being on Instagram early enough to build a huge following.

I think the name we have built exists based on:
– SEO
– Winning Awards
– Getting featured
– Our reviews
– Starting a workshop for photographers
– Social media

Something that is embedded in who we are is that we are relentless and constant. We submit to everything we can, because we know getting our name in front of other audiences is important for growth.

Secondly, we treat everyone like family, or like a friend we’ve had forever. Being open, welcoming and honest makes a lasting impression.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.adventureandvow.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adventureandvow
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adventureandvow
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@adventureandvow

Image Credits

All photos were taken by Adventure and Vow