Intimate Weddings + Elopements

When I began this photography business in 2013 I had no idea where it would take me. Plenty of women + men were boldly blazing trails in the industry and I had my fair share of photography heroes. I've always loved telling stories so capturing weddings seemed like a great fit! I mentored under the most amazing friend, coach, and inspiration I could imagine. Michelle graciously showed me the ropes of being a full time photographer and my business was launched! It started small with local bookings from friends who were steadily getting engaged. Years passed, the business snowballed, and I found myself shooting weddings all over Texas. They kept getting bigger and bigger, just like all things do in Texas. I deeply love my brides who entrust me with their big days. The work never stopped, as quickly as they could inquire I was filling my calendar to the brim. Creative burnout is a real thing; I never reached that point but could feel myself getting close. It was in that moment, in 2017, that I shot Hanna + Scott's wedding.

This day would forever change the way weddings stirred my heart. Hanna + Scott created a wedding day that stood as a gorgeous representation of their relationship. Fifty close friends gathered on the deck of their favorite restaurant as they shared handwritten vows, washed each others feet, and ended the ceremony with a toast. Hanna + Scott listened to toasts from their families and friends then danced their way past the kitchen and through their teary eyed guests. The day was completed with the most delicious brunch shared by all those they love. On that warm day in June at a little restaurant in the middle of Austin, an epic + endless love was celebrated in the most intimate + moving gathering. I would never be the same.

I believe in couples who are more excited for the adventure of marriage than they are just the wedding day itself. I believe in wedding celebrations being a unique representation of each couple + their story. I believe that the smallest moments can matter the most. I believe in keeping wedding days sacred, small, and focused on what counts. From now on I will be shooting weddings that hold these same beliefs. Not out of exclusivity or arrogance, but simply because my heart resonates within that shared vision. I can create my best work, tell the best story, when the guest list is smaller but the day is no less grand. I am grateful to every bride who has ever reached out for me to capture their day and I can't wait to see where this new adventure takes me. Hanna + Scott, thank you for giving me the privilege of seeing your love, creating special moments with you, and for impacting my business the way you have. Enjoy the photo overload as I relive this enchanting day.

Elopement: Cristy + Jon

The very first elopement I shot was something of a dream. Cristy was one of the first friends I made after moving to Nashville. I got to see her love story with Jon unfold like some sort of amazing romantic comedy: from their "meet cute" to their engagement, it was a beautiful whirlwind that made all of our friend group believe in magic just a bit more. When they asked me to photograph their wedding at the Smoky Mountain National Park, it was a no brainer. We packed up with about thirty closest friends and family, grabbed a few cabins in the mountains, and made a celebratory weekend of it. Cristy + Jon woke up the morning of their wedding and made all of their friends brunch as a thank you for joining them. I am still in awe of the kind + inclusive spirits these two have. From their laughter filled first look, to the intimate ceremony where all our friends stood and worshipped together, to the fellowship at the cabin after- it was all truly perfect. [One of their images even went viral].

When I went through my rebrand, all I could think about was this day. It encompassed everything I believe weddings could be, a unique representation of the couple and the adventure of marriage, an intimate experience with loved ones playing a vital role, and the most joyful of parties. Cristy + Jon, y'all have a special place in my heart and in the direction of this business! Cheers to all the love + adventures.

WEDDING EDITORIAL: Fresh Fall Elopement

Woah. I can't even tell you what a dream come true this shoot was for me. Early into moving to Austin, I contacted Kali of Kindle and Gather, a wedding designer, to help make a vision come to life. We met over the next couple months at so many coffee shops to work out details, specifically our dream team of vendors we were dying to work with. Countless cappuccinos later, and this shoot came together without a hitch. It was featured over on Grey Likes Weddings a few weeks ago! From the table runner with a favorite poem scripted on it [written below], to the lush organic florals, to the cake that ended up being my dinner later that evening, this shoot was everything I dreamed of and more. Here are some of my favorites from the day, including a list of amazing vendors at the end! 

The First Marriage, by Peter Meinke.  imagine the very first marriage a girl and boy trembling with some inchoate need for ceremony a desire for witness: inventing formality like a wheel or a hoe in a lost language in a clearing too far from here a prophet or a prophetess intoned to the lovers who knelt with their hearts cresting like the unnamed ocean thinking This is true thinking they will never be alone again though planets slip their tracks and fish desert the sea repeating those magic sounds meaning I do on this stone below this tree before these friends yes in body and word my darkdream my sunsong yes I do I do