Creating your most magical day
For couples who trade big venue stress for intentional, meaningful moments. Whether you are planning a romantic beach elopement on Wrightsville Beach or a small, intimate wedding with your closest loved ones, I document your day naturally, focusing on raw emotion and beautiful coastal light.
Elopement and small intimate weddings
I don’t just show up to snap photos. I act as your location scout, your timeline coordinator, your permit guide, and your biggest cheerleader. Together, we’ll craft an unhurried, deeply intentional day focused entirely on your story. It is the day to spend with your most favorite person, the day to go on an adventure, and the day to really start the rest of your lives together.
Forget the pressure of a 200-person guest list, the seating charts, and the strict timelines. If your dream wedding looks less like a crowded ballroom and more like exchanging vows on a wind-swept beach, at the edge of a mountain cliff, or quietly in your own backyard—you are in the right place.
The I do..without the stress..
We wanted to travel somewhere with the people that meant the most to us, and it was the perfect affair.
Amanda and Solomon chose to get married in Florence, Italy. For their destination wedding they had less then 50 people at their wedding. They decided to wed at the Four Seasons with their bestest and closes friends and family around them. The officiant was a family friend, and leading to the day of their wedding, we snapped photos at the train station, went and took day adventures to Sienna and surrounding Tuscany towns. On the day after the wedding, we took another adventure into Rome and did some more photos along the way. Our days were filled with sightseeing and me being their personal papparazzi. It was intimate, magical, and very special. It was a true pleasure to spend time with these two, and to get to know their families and become an honorary friend because of it.
Destination Wedding:
FLORENCE, ITALY
FOur SEASONS FIRENZE
Florence, italy Four Seasons Destination Wedding
Check out this Italian destination wedding on the knot.com published as a featured wedding
What It’s Like to Book Your North Carolina Elopement Experience
The moment you reach out, we hit the ground running. We don't just pick a date and hope for the best; we map out a cohesive plan tailored entirely to your vibe.
The Deep Dive: Let's meet up either by phone or in person and figure out—whether your dream day is a romantic coastal elopement near Wrightsville Beach, an intimate garden ceremony in historic downtown Wilmington, NC, or a dramatic mountain overlook across western North Carolina.
The Logistics Guidebook: Right after booking, you will receive my exclusive North Carolina Elopement Planning Guide. This includes curated vendor recommendations (florists, officiants, hair/makeup), packing checklists, and legal info on how to secure an NC marriage license.
Permit Navigation: Many of the most beautiful public spaces require specific permits. I handle the research for local parks, beaches, and National Forest guidelines so your ceremony is 100% legal and stress-free.
Phase 1: The Vision & Strategy (Securing Your Date)
An elopement isn't just a quick photo session—it is your entire wedding day. I design a custom,
hour-by-hour itinerary built around the best lighting conditions and your favorite activities.
Custom Location Scouting & Timeline Design
When your wedding day finally arrives, your only job is to be present and enjoy the adventure. I take care of the rest, capturing the raw emotion and natural beauty of your day.
Stress-Free Documentation: No stiff posing or forced smiles. I use a relaxed, documentary-style approach to capture real, unscripted moments as your day unfolds naturally.
Statewide & Destination Travel: While I love photographing couples right here in the Wilmington and Leland, NC areas, my camera bag is always packed. Whether your elopement takes us to the outer banks, the NC mountains, or across state lines, I manage all of my own travel logistics seamlessly.
The Heirloom Gallery: You will receive a "sneak peek" gallery within 48 hours to share with friends and family. Your full, high-resolution storytelling gallery will be delivered in an organized digital archive, ready for downloading, printing, and sharing.
The Big Day & Preserving the Archive
Hidden-Gem Scouting: As a local North Carolina elopement photographer, I maintain an updated directory of hidden spots, quiet beach access points, and scenic overlooks to ensure your ceremony feels private, away from heavy tourist crowds.
Lighting Mastery: I structure your custom timeline strictly around "golden hour" to give you those iconic, warm, sun-drenched coastal or mountain portraits.
The "Choose Your Adventure" Layout: Want to grab morning coffee at a cozy café in Wilmington, take a ferry to a nearby island, say your vows at sunset, and end the night with a beach campfire? We design a seamless timeline that factors in travel, hiking, and plenty of room to breathe.
Wilmington's historical district offers the most quaint alleys mixed with cobblestone and brick
Elopements don't have to be a destination. You can elope in your own backyard. Just because you aren't having a traditional wedding, doesn't mean you can't have classic photos and the best part is, WE get to spend even more time, on what counts. PHOTOS of you and your favorite person. This is one of the best perks of elopements. We have plenty of time to slow down the day and focus on we can make your images that ore special.
If your dream elopement involves a perfect blend of historic romance and sun-drenched coastal beauty, the Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach, NC area provides an unmatched canvas. We can begin your intimate wedding day wandering hand-in-hand along the romantic, moss-draped cobblestone streets and ivy-covered brick alleyways of Historic Downtown Wilmington. The historic riverfront architecture offers a timeless, sophisticated editorial look that feels like a scene straight out of a classic movie.From there, we can easily venture to the coast to chase the golden hour sunset on the wide, white sands of Wrightsville Beach, NC—a backdrop used in many famous romantic movies and series. You personal own " Summer I Turned Pretty, Elopement".
Historic wilmington, NC Wedding
Curious what the best time to elope in Wilmington is? Spring and fall! gorgeous azaleas and beautiful fall foliage. It's the perfect scenario.
Forget the chaotic timelines and massive guest lists—your love story deserves an intentional, breathtaking beginning.
There is an undeniable, cinematic romance to a Southport, NC elopement. With its sun-drenched wooden docks, sweeping waterfront views, and massive, moss-draped live oak trees, this historic coastal town serves as the absolute perfect canvas for a quiet, deeply intentional destination wedding. Moving far past the clinical rush of a standard courthouse wedding, my specialized Southport elopement photography focuses on preserving your raw emotion, authentic candids, and editorial magazine-style portraits against one of North Carolina's most iconic coastal backdrops. Its the perfect backdrop of a Nicholas Spark's experience.
Whether you want to exchange private vows at sunset along the historic Cape Fear River waterfront, walk hand-in-hand beneath the mossy trees of Franklin Square Park, or catch the ocean breeze by a nearby hidden beach dune, we will design an stress-free day focused entirely on who you are as a couple.
Intimate Coastal Celebrations: Eloping in Historic Southport, NC
Frequently Asked Questions: Planning Your North Carolina Elopement
Q:How do we legally get married in North Carolina?
Q: How do travel fees work for destination or mountain elopements?
A: I keep things completely transparent so there are no surprise costs down the road. For any elopement within 1.5 hours of Wilmington, NC, travel is entirely included. For destination elopements or locations further out in North Carolina (like Asheville or Boone), my travel and lodging costs are cleanly baked directly into your flat-package rate. You won’t have to worry about booking my flights or hotels; I handle all my own logistics so you can focus on yours.
Q: Where are you based? And do you travel for elopements/small weddings?
A: To tie the knot legally in NC, you will need to obtain a North Carolina marriage license from a Register of Deeds office (you can apply at any county office in the state, and it is valid anywhere within NC for 60 days). The state requires an ordained officiant and two physical witnesses. If you are eloping completely solo, don't panic! I am happy to act as one of your legal witnesses, and we can easily find a second witness (like a videographer, a coordinator, or even a friendly hiker passing by).
A: I am proudly based in the Wilmington / Leland, NC area, and I absolutely love photographing couples along the stunning North Carolina coast (including Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, and Bald Head Island). However, my passport and camera bags are always packed! I frequently travel across the entire state of North Carolina—from the Outer Banks to the Blue Ridge Mountains—as well as across the US and internationally. Wherever your love story takes you, I’ll be there.
Q: How do we legally get married in North Carolina?
A: To tie the knot legally in NC, you will need to obtain a North Carolina marriage license from a Register of Deeds office (you can apply at any county office in the state, and it is valid anywhere within NC for 60 days). The state requires an ordained officiant and two physical witnesses. If you are eloping completely solo, don't panic! I am happy to act as one of your legal witnesses, and we can easily find a second witness (like a videographer, a coordinator, or even a friendly hiker passing by).
Q: What happens if it rains or the weather is bad on our elopement day?
A: Adventure weddings mean embracing whatever Mother Nature throws our way! Wind, fog, and light rain often make for the most epic, romantic, and cinematic photos. However, if the weather becomes dangerous (like a severe coastal storm or mountain whiteout), we will always have a solid backup plan in place. During our planning phase, we will pick an alternative indoor/covered location or structure our timeline with the flexibility to shift the shoot by a few hours to catch a safe weather window.
Q: Can we include a few family members, or does it have to be just the two of us?
A: Your day can look however you want it to! An elopement doesn't mean you have to run away in secret (unless you want to). Many of my couples choose to bring along an intimate group of their closest family members and friends (typically under 10–15 people). If you want a mix, we can easily design a timeline where you share an intimate ceremony and dinner with your family, and then you and I sneak away for a couple of hours for a private sunset adventure.
"Even though it rained on our wedding day, but you wouldn't know any different the way you captured the day. Completely inlove with our images.
-Kristen
The Intimate "I Do"
The focused storytelling experience.
Starting at $1,800.
Elopement +Intimate Wedding
Pricing Guide
The Adventure Elopement
The full storytelling & planning experience. Starting at $3,800.
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The Epic StorytellingThe ultimate all-inclusive luxury archive.
Starting at $5,800.
Perfect for couples who want a simple, beautiful ceremony without the traditional fluff.
Whether you are heading to the local courthouse, planning a backyard ceremony, or walking down to a nearby beach at sunset, this package is designed to capture the raw emotion of your vows and a gorgeous set of portraits right after.
Coverage: 2 to 3 Hours
Best For: Local city hall, courthouse, or micro-backyard elopements.
An online gallery with 100+ fully edited, high-resolution digital images. Full personal printing and sharing rights.
Our signature and most popular offer. An elopement isn’t a 20-minute photo shoot—it is your wedding day. This package gives us the freedom to document an entire narrative arc: from getting ready together in a cozy cabin, to hiking to an epic vista or secluded coastal spot, popping champagne, and sharing a private picnic as the sun goes down.
Coverage: 4 to 6 Hours
Best For: True adventure elopements, destination travel, or multi-location days.
What’s Included: Location Scouting & Permit Assistance: Tailored recommendations for hidden gems. Personalized Itinerary Design: An hour-by-hour timeline built around your energy and the sun. 250+ Edited Digital images with a sneak-peek gallery delivered within 48 hours.
For the couples who want a complete, beautifully preserved time capsule of their wedding journey. This full-day coverage captures everything from the quiet morning coffee and nervous anticipation, through the midday travel/hike, the ceremony, and stargazing under the night sky.
It includes everything we offer, packaged with high-end, physical heirloom art.
Coverage: 8 to 10+ Hours (Full-Day / Multi-Day options available)
Best For: Destination elopements requiring travel or couples wanting a full day of activities.
What’s Included:All planning, location scouting, and timeline coordination.
Travel Costs Included: No hidden fees—my travel and lodging expenses are already baked into this rate.
The Complete Archive: 400+ high-resolution, fully edited digital images.A custom-designed, 30-page premium hardcover linen wedding album.
Post-Pricing Custom Quote
& Travel Section
Custom Packages for Nationwide Adventures
No matter the zip code,
your story deserves to be told.
Every love story is unique, and sometimes your wedding plans don’t fit neatly into a standard package checkbox. Whether you are planning a multi-day backpacking elopement in the Pacific Northwest, an intimate desert ceremony in Sedona, or a chic loft wedding on the West Coast, I am ready to build a customized, quote-based package tailored exactly to your vision. While I love serving couples locally along the North Carolina coast and Wilmington, NC, my camera bag is built for travel. I regularly photograph couples all across the United States.
How I Build Your Custom Destination Package:
All-Inclusive, Transparent Quotes: You don't need to stress about booking my flights, calculating rental car mileage, or finding my hotel. When I build a custom quote for your nationwide elopement, all travel and lodging expenses are baked directly into one flat rate. No hidden fees, no surprise receipts after the wedding.
Location Scouting Anywhere in the US: When you hire me for a destination elopement, you aren't just hiring a photographer. I spend hours researching trail maps, checking sun angles, and monitoring seasonal weather patterns for your chosen destination to find the perfect, secluded spot for your vows.
Flexible Timeline Scaling: Need 3 hours of coverage on a Friday night for a private dinner, plus a full 8-hour mountain adventure on Saturday? We will construct a bespoke, quote-based itinerary that captures every single meaningful moment of your destination wedding.
Share your location, your date, and your thoughts. I only work with small intimate weddings or elopements to create a very comfortable space for my clients. Let's start planning!
Book Your Consultation
is that a yes?