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Maddie Mae of www.adventureinstead.com is a US-based elopement photographer… with a difference! She was one of the first, if not THE first, elopement photographers.

After shooting big weddings for 5 years, a couple booked her an elopement in the Rocky Mountains. She says this booking changed the course of her life and the trajectory of her business. It was elopements or bust from then on.

Fast forward to today, and she's photographed over 300 elopements in the last 10 years.

Has worked in over 40 countries, photographing weddings.

Take one look through her portfolio and you will die with envy… the locations, photography, couples and moments will blow you away.

In this interview, Maddie shares how to run a profitable destination elopement photography business.

Here's some more of what we covered in the interview:

• How Maddie manages travel, seasonal shifts, and stacked shooting schedules while staying profitable


• Why aligning client expectations with your creative goals sets you up for long-term success


• The SEO, Pinterest, and Instagram strategies that bring a steady flow of high-value enquiries


• Building a portfolio that sells — and how styled destination shoots can fast-track your bookings and brand positioning


• The trust-building tactics that spark referrals and repeat clients


• How Maddie books dream jobs in regions with strict photography rules


• Humanising your brand online — why personal storytelling and behind-the-scenes content create stronger engagement


• Futureproofing your marketing with AI, Google Ads, and a clear homepage message


• How education and mentorship can expand both your influence and your income


• Bringing your creative vision to every job while keeping the client experience front and centre

What’s on Offer for Premium Members

If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and have ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet. Plus, special member-only interviews.

A really unique thing about eloping couples is that most of the time when they reach out to elopement photographers, they are much earlier on in their planning process than the point at which clients typically reach out to traditional wedding photographers. They don't typically have a date, they don't typically have a venue. Eloping clients are usually quite open and quite flexible. – Maddie Mae

You'll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find more friendly, motivated, caring and sharing photographers online. Seriously, that's not all.

I've learned over time, and especially the more that I charge and I'm working with higher end clients, they expect and crave and want my vision. That's what they're hiring me for. They're hiring someone who has that vision and has ideas, so that takes the burden off of them from coming up with all the ideas. – Maddie Mae

In addition to everything above, you'll get access to instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, make you accountable, and build friendships with other pro photographers with motives similar to yours – to build a more successful photography business.

What is your big takeaway?

Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything from what Maddie shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business based on what you heard in today's episode.

I'm very proud of my business. It's taken me a long time to really learn by trial and error, the marketing, branding, sales process, back end that leads to me be able to consistently and sustainably do this. – Maddie Mae

If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Maddie, or a way to thank her for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below.

iTunes Reviews and Shout-outs

I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it's always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons. Firstly, it's confirmation that I'm on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That's awesome! Secondly, iTunes and Google are the most significant podcast search engines, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show.

The best way to show up in AI search is to have good SEO, because that's where AI is pulling this information from. It's from the web. It's from Google search results. That's where they're looking for stuff. – Maddie Mae

If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven't and you'd like to, head to https://photobizx.com