This was a day so unique and beautiful that I'll remember it always.
It started with Dani reaching out to me via Instagram and swearing up and down that I must shoot her wedding. It then turned into a bridal consult, starting with a sweat together at a local gym, and ending with an hours long chat about life, wedding dresses, and everything in between. Then a short month later, I was riding shotgun through country roads to the tiny winery that would host the elopement of this perfect couple.
And when I say elopement, I mean elopement. It was just the two of them, with their family and friends in the dark about their private nuptials. With only an officiant, me, and my friend-turned-instant-assistant, Dani and Andy became husband and wife in the stillness of the most breathtaking views and the peace of a stripped down day. Their handwritten vows, spoken quietly to only each other, stirred emotion in their faces, and reached deep into my soul as tears formed in my eyes. To witness such an intimate exchange, with only the sound of the wind and my shutter, was an experience I'll never take for granted.
A $100 wedding dress, a mini Publix cake, and a small cabin rental was the extent of their wedding plans. They knew that their love for each other stretched far greater than a Pinterest perfect, debt filled day. As their pups sent them off to their destiny, as the tiny portraits of their deceased fathers clung to the bouquet and suit jacket, and as they impromptu danced to their song in the winery's reception area, I was able to fully embrace and appreciate just why I choose to photograph weddings.
This is why. This is real. This is everything.
