Fort Monroe Beach Elopement | Hampton Roads Elopement Photographer | Joe + Erin

Fort Monroe Beach Elopement | Hampton Roads Elopement Photographer | Joe + Erin

They planned to get married in October, but as time passed Joe and Erin realized they didn’t want to wait any longer. They knew who they were going to marry and they wanted it to happen soon. She got her dress, they found the perfect place, and the rest would play itself out on a windy but beautiful day in March.

Before their first look, Joe and Erin were nervous, not because they lacked confidence in their soon-to-be-spouse, but because they just couldn’t believe the day had arrived. She wore the perfect tulle dress and skipped fancy shoes, carrying a bouquet of wildflowers as she walked down the makeshift aisle on the sand. After they said I do they shared their first dance to Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect,” and both shed tears of joy…

Vintage Winter Wedding at Historic Post Office | Hampton Wedding Photographer | Ben + Kat

Vintage Winter Wedding at Historic Post Office | Hampton Wedding Photographer | Ben + Kat

At the end of December, I had the pleasure of photographing two weddings in one weekend at the Historic Post Office - I couldn’t have dreamed up a better way to end 2018! I knew that the couples in each wedding were very different from each other, so the challenge was to make sure their days were completely unique, yet still beautiful. What a joy it was to be pushed creatively - and in so many ways, the day belong to each couple separately, while maintaining the elegant feel of the venue.

Ben and Kat’s wedding was all about the vintage details…

Best of Weddings 2018 | Business

Best of Weddings 2018 | Business

Being a wedding photographer was not something I grew up even knowing I wanted to do. It wasn’t until I met my brother’s wedding photographer, who has five kids and a thriving business, that I made up my mind to pursue this as a job. At the time I thought that maybe it would grow. Maybe it would become a part time thing that I could justify doing while caring for kids. Maybe, maybe, maybe.

Yet here I am, almost 6 years later, a wedding photographer for the best people I can imagine. It is an honor to be the person who captures the most special day in their lives. It’s amazing when couples ask their friends and family to put down their phones and be present in the moment, because they trust me to capture everything important. It’s a gift that I can give not just the couples, but their families, children, and grandchildren. What an honor. It is never lost on me.