This session was shot by GMP team photographer Gabriela who also officiated their marriage ceremony
A private elopement in the Mayan Chapel at the Maitland Art & History Museum
Evan and Zach have been together a little over five years and engaged for about a year and a half at the time of their April morning elopement. One of the earliest signs that this was going somewhere was discovering they were both serious Donna Summer fans — not the most common ground for two people their age.
They put it better than I could: “It was the first of many moments we’ve shared in life that reiterates that we are meant to be.”
A busy morning for the whole team
This was one of five weddings my team and I covered on this beautiful April day — photography, cinematic video, content and officiating across locations like the Orlando courthouse, the Winter Park courthouse, Kraft Azalea Garden and Maitland. Myself, Gabriela, Elijah and Angelina all out at once. Not a bad day’s work!
Evan and Zach found me on YouTube, where I post wedding videos and behind-the-scenes from shoots like this one.
Why the Maitland Art & History Museum is a hidden gem for a Central Florida elopement
If you’ve driven past it, you’d have no idea what’s behind the wall. The Maitland Art & History Museum is greater Orlando’s only National Historic Landmark — 1937 Mayan Revival architecture, hand-carved concrete everywhere you look, and courtyards that open into each other so a two-hour elopement moves through four completely different backdrops without anyone getting in a car.
There’s the Chapel, the Mayan Courtyard, the West Garden and the Main Garden with its pond. You book one area for your ceremony, but you get the run of the grounds for photos.
They read their vows to each other and then married with their parents as their only guests
Although Gabriela married them in the open-air chapel with their parents there to watch, Zach and Evan read their vows privately before anyone arrived.
Can your wedding photographer also be your officiant in Florida?
Yes — and for an elopement or an ultra micro wedding, it’s one of the best decisions you can make. Like all of the photographers on my team, Gabriela is ordained, so Evan and Zach were able to get married without locating and hiring a second vendor. In their words: “We especially loved that she was ordained, so we had a photographer and an officiant for the price of one!”
The practical upside is bigger than just saving money. With no third person on site, nobody’s standing in your photos and nobody needs handing a script. I’d only recommend this for elopements with just the two of you or very few guests — at a larger ceremony you want those roles kept separate.
What does “true to life” wedding photo editing mean?
Evan and Zach chose the clean and natural edit, which you’ll also see photographers refer to as “true to life” or “true to color” editing. It means the photos look the way the day looked — accurate skin tones, real colors, and minimal contrast.
Have a look at the editing styles you can choose from here.
What’s the best time of day for photos at the Maitland Art Center?
There isn’t a venue in Central Florida more sensitive to light than this one. The Chapel can be a sun trap at certain hours, and there are times when one side of a courtyard is in full sun while the other sits in full shade. A 9am start in April worked well here. The most affordable intimate wedding packages run 9–11am anyway, so when you enquire I’ll tell you which area suits your date and time — and since you have access to the whole property, we can shoot everywhere regardless of the spot you choose for your ceremony.
What Evan and Zach said
“We had a wonderful experience with Gabriela as our photographer at our intimate elopement. Gabriela brought a great energy to our special day and made us feel very comfortable. She was very creative with her poses and photo locations. We especially loved that she was ordained, so we had a photographer and an officiant for the price of one! The photos were edited and delivered quickly. We were also given samples of each editing style to help us choose which style would look best in our photo albums. Overall, we had a very pleasant experience from booking to delivery and would highly recommend choosing Gracie May Photography for your photography needs!”
Congratulations, Evan and Zach — thank you for having us!
Browse more Central Florida micro weddings and elopements or read everything about getting married at the Maitland Art & History Museum.
