About Us
A journey of breaking free from pressure & expectations, finding our own story, and helping other couples tell theirs
We Didn’t Get the Wedding We Wanted.
But that’s exactly why we do what we do now.
We’re Dan and Laura — husband and wife, elopement photographers, parents, and former rule-followers.
For most of our lives, we were taught that love looked a certain way.
That success followed a formula.
That weddings were about tradition. About family. About religion.
We met at a small Bible college, both raised in conservative Christian communities where appearances mattered and expectations were heavy. Dan lost his father as a child and grew up with a stepdad who — while not physically abusive — made life difficult in ways no one ever acknowledged. Laura grew up overseas in a missionary family where religious pressure shaped nearly every decision.
So when we got married, we followed the script we’d been handed:
The big, traditional wedding.
The pressure to include toxic family members in the guest list.
The stress of performance instead of presence.
We even did crazy things we didn’t question at the time — like Dan asking his drug-addicted stepdad for his “blessing” to get married.
Because we thought we were supposed to.
After it was over, we looked at each other and said: That wasn’t us.
That wasn’t what love should feel like.
And it definitely wasn’t the way we wanted to start our marriage.
We wish someone had told us that we had options.
That we could have done something intentional, intimate, and real.
That we didn’t need to perform for the sake of tradition.
But we didn’t know that back then.
Now we do.
And now, we help other couples see it too.


This isn’t just about photos. This is about Authenticity.
Shortly after we got married in 2016, we started photographing other people’s love stories.
We were drawn to the real moments… capturing couples being truly present, because that’s what we felt like we missed on our wedding day.
At that time, Dan was working full-time at a Christian nonprofit while helping Laura build our photography business on the side. But in 2019, everything changed when he suddenly lost his job after the organization laid off dozens of employees (during a very successful multimillion-dollar fundraising campaign for a new gymnasium).
It was another moment of disillusionment.
Another reminder that loyalty to the “rules” isn’t always what’s best for you.
So we doubled down on the life we were building. One rooted in honesty, creativity, and choice.
And that’s when our business really found its voice.
We stopped chasing big, traditional weddings.
We stopped trying to appeal to everyone.
We started focusing on elopements and intimate celebrations — for people who, like us, just wanted something different.
Something true.
What we believe:
Your wedding day shouldn’t feel like a performance.
You don’t need to invite people who aren’t a part of your life.
You don’t have to follow traditions that don’t fit.
And you definitely don’t need permission to live your truth.
So here’s what we do now:
We help couples plan intentional elopements & small weddings in beautiful places.
We photograph moments that feel real. Not posed or forced.
We help you protect your peace, your boundaries, and your story.
And maybe most importantly: We give you the permission we wish someone had given us.
The permission to do it your way.
Because your love deserves to be honored — not hidden under layers of expectation.

If you’ve ever felt like the wedding industry wasn’t built for you…
If you’ve felt overwhelmed by family pressure…
If you’re craving a celebration that feels like freedom…
You’re exactly the kind of couple we love working with.
Let’s create a wedding day that actually feels like you.
Let’s tell your story — not the one you were handed, but the one you’re choosing for yourselves.
Ready to start planning?