Member Spotlight: Corey Lynn Tucker Photography
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Creating Intentional Elopement Stories on Public Lands
Corey Lynn Tucker Photography
Member Spotlight: Corey Lynn Tucker Photography
For Corey Lynn Tucker, public lands are not just where the story happens. They are part of the story itself. As a destination elopement film photographer, videographer, Super 8 filmmaker, and elopement experience designer, Corey helps adventurous couples create wedding days that feel deeply personal, nature-connected, and true to who they are. Based in Connecticut and serving couples across New England, Acadia National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Utah, Patagonia, the Dolomites, and beyond, her work blends cinematic storytelling with thoughtful planning support.
A significant part of Corey’s work takes place on public lands, where she helps couples navigate permits, Leave No Trace practices, timelines, light, crowds, weather, and the responsibility that comes with celebrating in wild and protected places.
“My work exists because of wild places, and I believe creating on public lands should always come with reverence, responsibility, and care.”
Member Spotlight: Corey Lynn Tucker Photography
Corey Lynn Tucker Photography
Q&A With Corey:
What public lands, parks, or outdoor spaces are most connected to your work?
Acadia National Park and Grand Teton National Park are two of the public lands most deeply connected to my work.
Acadia has become a huge part of my business through my Acadia elopement work and the Acadia Elopement Collective, and Grand Teton continues to be one of the places where I feel most creatively alive.
I’m also connected to public lands throughout New England, Maine’s coastline, the Berkshires, the Catskills, Utah desert landscapes, and mountain environments across the U.S. and abroad.
Why did you join Public Land Creatives, and why do you think others would benefit from joining?
I joined Public Land Creatives because I believe those of us who create, work, and build businesses on public lands have a responsibility to be more informed, more engaged, and more protective of the places that make our work possible.
As photographers and filmmakers, we are often introducing couples and audiences to fragile landscapes. That comes with real influence. I wanted to be part of a community that is not only talking about creativity and access, but also stewardship, education, advocacy, and what it means to build a business that respects the land instead of simply benefiting from it.
I think other creatives would benefit from joining because public land access can feel confusing and overwhelming. Permits, regulations, changing rules, overcrowding, Leave No Trace, client education, location sharing, and ethical marketing all matter.
Having a community where creatives can learn, ask questions, stay informed, and feel less alone is incredibly valuable.
Public Land Creatives helps turn good intentions into grounded action.
Why does access to public lands matter to your business or creative work?
Access to public lands is essential to my work because so many of the stories I help couples tell are rooted in nature. The mountains, coastlines, forests, lakes, desert trails, and wild places are not just pretty backdrops. They shape the entire experience.
For my couples, public lands often represent freedom, presence, simplicity, and a different way of getting married. These places give people room to breathe, slow down, feel connected to something bigger than themselves, and create memories that are not centered around performance or tradition.
From a business perspective, public lands allow me to serve couples who want intimate, meaningful, experience-based elopements. But access also comes with responsibility. My ability to work in these places depends on respecting regulations, educating my clients, obtaining proper permits, practicing Leave No Trace, and advocating for the long-term protection of these landscapes.
Without access to public lands, a huge part of my creative voice, client experience, and business would be deeply impacted.
What do you wish more people understood about creating on public lands?
I wish more people understood that public lands are not just content locations. They are living, protected, often fragile places with history, ecology, regulations, and communities connected to them.
When we create on public lands, we are visitors first. That means we need to understand where we are allowed to go, what permits are required, how our presence impacts the land, and how our images may influence others to visit the same places.
I also wish more people understood that ethical creativity does not make the work less beautiful. It actually makes it more meaningful. You can create incredible art without trampling fragile vegetation, ignoring closures, flying drones where they are prohibited, geotagging sensitive areas, or treating rules like suggestions.
The more care we bring to these places, the more sustainable our work becomes for everyone.
Corey Lynn Tucker Photography
Is there a recent project, session, story, or accomplishment you’d like us to highlight?
One project I’d love to highlight is my work with Acadia elopements and the Acadia Elopement Collective.
Acadia has become one of the most meaningful places in my business, and I’ve been building a team and client experience that centers intentional planning, permit education, Leave No Trace practices, and a more thoughtful way of eloping in a heavily visited national park.
Through this work, I help couples think beyond the “pretty location” and consider timing, crowds, tides, accessibility, ceremony locations, local vendors, private dinner experiences, and how to move through the park with respect.
My goal is to help couples have an incredible experience while also protecting the park for everyone who comes after them.
I’m also continuing to expand my hybrid storytelling work, blending digital photography, 35mm film, Super 8, and video to tell elopement stories in a way that feels nostalgic, cinematic, and deeply human.
What is one tip, insight, or encouragement you’d share with other creatives navigating public land access?
Don’t wait until the last minute to figure out permits, rules, or restrictions. Make public land research part of your creative process from the very beginning.
Call the park office. Read the current regulations. Learn what areas are allowed for ceremonies or commercial work. Know the drone rules. Understand Leave No Trace beyond the basics. Build extra time into your timeline for crowds, parking, weather, and the unexpected.
Most importantly, educate your clients with confidence. Most couples want to do the right thing, but they need guidance. When you lead with care and clarity, you create a better experience for your clients and help protect the places your business depends on.
Connect with Corey
Business: Corey Lynn Tucker Photography Website: coreylynntuckerphotography.com Instagram: @elopewithcorey TikTok: @elopewithcorey
Featured resource: How to Elope in National Parks Without Loving Them to Death
Photo credit: Corey Lynn Tucker Photography Copyright: Corey Lynn Tucker Photography
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