japan elopements.
2025-2026 Packages + Pricing.
so you want to elope?
i already love that about you.
You’re here because you want to have an intimate experience focused on you both, without the pressure and rule book of a normal wedding.
You’ve got nothing to worry about, and I’m psyched!
hey there!
i’m james!
your japan elopement photographer, and biggest cheerleader.
It won’t surprise you, but I’m a huge adventure and nature nerd, so much so that I spent 6 months living in the jungles of Madagascar back in 2010!
Because of that, more times than not, I’ll take any excuse to get into nature and explore what is out there. I’ve always found myself constantly surprised by how many wonderful sights there are out there. I live a life of creativity and curiosity and believe in challenging the status quo. It seems to run in the family because my parents, and my sister decided to elope when they got married!
I’m into board games, camping, a nice whisky after a good hike, and bouldering! Give me street food over 5-star dining any day! I find myself constantly jumping through bushes, and running up mountains to get that perfect shot for my couples.
featured in:
i believe eloping is the best way to get married.
so you can start your marriage authentically.
Your day should be focused on your story and who you really are. Whether you are adventure lovers who love the idea of going kayaking in the morning followed by an afternoon ceremony and a sunset picnic, or homebodies who adore homemade pizza with their doggos and who want to elope with their favourite lake in the background.
The power is yours to get married however you’d like. This is a whole day dedicated to your story and your relationship.
You deserve to have a day where:
I’m here to bring your vision to life, and I truly believe in supporting you to have the day you want.
Sure, my job title is photographer
But I’m going to do so much more than just that for you.
From the second we start chatting, I’ll listen to what your dream day should be like, and help you craft that dream and get there, from deep dives on locations you’ve drempt about, to finding the perfect vendors to make it all happen.
You won’t have to lose nights worth of sleep wondering how the timing of the day should go, or what to do if the weather turns. I’ll have your backs, with helpful guides, regular check ins, and a heap of useful infromation from over 7 years of elopement experience.
how the ‘unbundled’ process works.
Step by step of what I’ll do for you.
01.
let’s pick and date and general location.
I value listening to how you want your day to go down, and to problem-solve and provide actionable ways we can make that happen. Maybe you want to get married in a forest, but have no idea where to start? Fret not, I can sort logistics and create plans!
02.
i assist you in planning your day.
You deserve to have someone behind you who will be cheering you on however you want to say your vows and share your love. I’ll be here to support you however you want to start your marriage.
03.
i’ll help you with recommended local vendors.
The landscapes we are attracted to are as personal as the stories we share are. For when your wedding, I’ll sort the location scouting out and provide the perfect spots for you to enjoy your time together.
04.
i’ll create a timeline for you day.
From vendor recommendations to timeline planning and advice, I’ll have your backs when it comes to creating an experience that is comfortable, relaxed, and fits your needs.
05.
give you a ‘best friend’ experience on your day.
I believe that the day you get married should be an authentic adventure where you can be yourselves. I’m not the sort of photographer to yell ‘KISS!’ or ‘LOOK LIKE YOU LOVE EACH OTHER!’.
Instead, I prefer gentle prompts and a relaxed approach to really bringing out the raw emotions in your both. No posing experience necessary.
06.
you’ll receive your gorgeous photos
The images and art I’ll create from your wedding will tell the story of who you are and what went down on the day. Landscapes, emotions, laughs, and the real you is what I’m interested in. So, when you look back in 20 years, you’ll remember how you felt on the day, rather than someone who barked orders at you to fake PDA which wasn’t even you.
07.
order your albums and prints.
Turning your house into a home with stunning and personalised art is one of the most rewarding ways to celebrate your story. I specialise in creating some of the very best museum-grade art pieces for you. I can even show you to scale how certain images would look in your home, so you’d be able to have complete confidence in how your final art pieces would look in your home.
what’s it like to have me as your photographer?
see what other couples like you are saying:
“made the whole day so easy & fun”
James helped me and my now wife get Eloped in Kyoto Japan. The amount of time and effort he took to ensure this was all possible we can’t appreciate enough. Thank you so much mate, truly had an absolute blast ❤️ You will always hold a special place in our hearts with what you did xx
“instantly put us at ease”
We contacted James while still undecided on any details and James was incredibly helpful with the planning, he even offered vendor and location recommendations after getting to know us and our styles. The organising of the elopement was stress-free and we felt fully supported in all of our decisions – including one decision to postpone the wedding by a couple of months!
On the day of our elopement the first thing we noticed about James was his genuine and authentic energy, which instantly put us all at ease. He prompted us and our guests/witnesses with light-hearted questions about our day, relationship, and memories, which helped us all reconnect and remain present in the moment.
The weather didn’t quite hold out for us, and while we were umm-ing and ahh-ing about where to go next, James offered some ideas to guide us. He remained flexible the entire day which made us feel relaxed and we all just went with the flow.
The final photos perfectly captured our day, from the build up of anticipation, ecstatic smiles, to the chaotic wind, rain, and even a giggle behind a broken umbrella. James’ passion for his art reiterates that the memories and feelings from the day is what lives on, and the final photos capture all the feelings in a way that we couldn’t imagine with anyone else.
Thank you again from the bottom of our hearts for your professionalism, passion, and authenticity.
“we couldn’t have been happier”
Lastly the images James captured were not only incredibly stunning but also so purely true to us as individuals and a couple.
Could not recommend more.
read more reviews:
a whole day’s worth of photos.
really?
I get it—being “on camera” for 8+ hours can sound daunting. As an introvert myself I completely get that. But that’s not what this is. It’s not an all-day photo shoot. It’s partnering with someone who’s there to capture your story as it unfolds—every spontaneous laugh and quiet moment.
This won’t be what you think of with most ‘wedding photography’ – stuff poses, being ordered around by a drill sergent, or being told to ‘kiss and smile’ for the camera. I just don’t do that, because to me, that isn’t authentic. That isn’t the real you.
Instead, your day is going to look more like this:
Does that sound like an all day photoshoot to you? Me either.
whats it like to work with me?
let me show you.
2025-2026 pricing
japan elopement packages.
2 day elopement experience.
$10800 AUD
here’s what you get:
FULL day elopement experience.
$7700 AUD
here’s what you get:
half day elopement experience.
$5800 AUD
here’s what you get:
quarter day elopement experience.
$4200 AUD
here’s what you get:
not sure how much time you need?
an example timeline.
Most couples choose to have a full-day elopement with me.
A full day?! How does that work? How does the day go?
Well, friend, let me give you an example timeline from a real life couple, Kirsty and Matt, who had a full-day elopement documented.
- 12.00pm – James arrives at Kirsty and Matt’s cosy AirBNB (one of the recommendations in the vendor’s pack) for some getting ready photos of the couple having a relaxed time.
- 1.00pm – It’s time for the first look! Matt is waiting with the backdrop of the snowy mountains in the background, waiting for Kirsty to come up behind him and tap him on the shoulder for the big reveal!
- 1.30pm – After some more excitement and sharing words of ‘DAMN’ to each other’s amazing appearance, it’s time to head off for a kick-ass hike in the snowy mountains.
- 2.30pm – Arriving at Charlotte’s pass, it’s time for us all to have a great hike out in the mountains, complete with stops along the way to explore their story and capture them in some of the most badass wild spots in the mountains.
- 4.30pm – Kirsty and Matt have arrived at a stunning lake in the snowy mountains, giving us some time to unwind after the hike and kick back, before heading back to the main elopement spot where their friends and family are waiting…
- 6.30pm – We all arrive back at the start of the hike, after enjoying the sun drop down across the land, painting the snowy landscape in warm tones, to see Kirsty and Matt’s friends and family waiting for them, eager eyed.
- 7.00pm – It’s time for the ceremony; Kirsty and Matt welcome their closets friends and family to witness them sharing their tearful vows and some special news…they are also expecting a baby!
- 7.30pm – The ceremony wraps up, and it’s time for some relaxed family photos and candid photos as Kirsty and Matt chill with their family.
- 8:00 pm – The day wraps up, with Kirsty, Matt and co heading back up to the car park and onto Jindabyne for an epic celebration worthy of their elopement!
here’s what kirsty said about the experience:
we had the pleasure of working with james for 8 hours
read more reviews:
wedding albums.
the ultimate way to relive your day.
The ultimate experience to relive one of the biggest days of your lives.
Created from the industry leaders, every album created comes with a personalised Genuine European leather cover, custom name embossing, and all spreads on silver-halide medium weight archival photo paper.
One of my biggest focuses is on sustainable practices, so for every album invested in, 10 trees are planted in Australia to help give back.
wall art and extras.
Turning your house into a home with fine art.
creating art for your home.
One of the best parts of receiving your final images back from the day is deciding how you’d love to showcase your epic adventure in your own space, turning your house into a home.
The great news is that aside from being an expert elopement photographer, I’m acutely trained in helping create art for your home which suits your style and taste.
Best of all, i can even show you to scale how selected images will look to scale in your home with my sophisticated software.
This gives you a little preview of what I can do for you once your final images are delivered, and you’re keen on something on the wall!
INVESTMENT STARTING AT:
$395
choice of materials.
What is your style?
classic framed.
super customisable.
If you love the ‘museum’ look, and want an art piece that could also compliment the materials and colours in your home, then framed could suit you both.
This piece has a UV coated protection on the glass to help reduce damage from the sun; it is best placed in a room which wouldn’t suffer from a lot of glare.
scandi timber.
perfect for minimalist lovers.
If you’re the sort of people who find yourselves becoming obsessed with wood and timber, then these may be perfect for you.
They also have a matte finish, which means that it won’t be as reflective as framed, so this may be perfect if you’re looking for a piece that gets a lot of natural light.
modern canvas.
simple and stylish.
If you find yourselves drawn to the more modern and minimalist feel of canvas, then these prints would be perfect for you.
They have a matte finish as well, meaning that they are suitable all over your home, including areas with plenty of natural light!
choice of presentation.
How would you like to display your art?
hero piece.
big and bold.
You’re looking for something that really stands on its own and sums you both up in one concise image.
Signature pieces are great if you like the big and bold look of having one big piece at the end of the hallway, or above your bed.
They can also be smaller pieces to compliment other pieces of artwork in your home.
Choose from timber, framed, or canvas.
storyboard.
narration bliss.
Perfect for couples who enjoy a concise snapshot of the day in a few images.
It comes in all types of configurations, so you can have a massive set above the kitchen table, or a series in the hallway.
set of prints.
great for gifts.
My fine art prints are the perfect gift, and can even be framed on their own if you have a personal favourite frame.
Let’s chat about your experience
you’re one step closer to choosing to elope
I’ll help you figure out where you want to get married, what you would like to do when you get there, and exactly how much coverage will feel perfect.
i feel like the luckiest person alive to do this work.
It truly means the world to me when I get to work with couples who want to have the day of their lives.
I get to help you plan it, create images to help you relieve the memories and warmth and excitement in years to come.
I would absolutely love the honour of being able to capture your big day.
James X
frequently
asked
questions.
your questions answered by me.
You’re naturally going to have a few questions about the whole process. I’m here to give you an answer to anything you’re wondering about.
Ready to
get started?
Let me help you create an incredibly fun, stress-free
experience while I document the whole story of your day.