Featured Wedding

Madi & Evan

Seward, Alaska


I first photographed Madi and Evan for their engagement session in October, and we all hit it off pretty much immediately. Somewhere between then and their wedding the following April, they became genuinely close friends of ours. So when I showed up in Seward, I was there as the photographer they had hired, but also as a friend who was very excited to watch them finally get married.


And they didn’t just plan a wedding day. They planned an entire weekend around bringing their favorite people together.


They rented Salted Roots, a beautiful little venue right by the sea in Seward, and about 35 of their closest friends and family made the trip to Alaska. Because of the distance, this was the first time their families were meeting each other, so quality time was really at the center of everything.


Over three days, everyone got to settle in, explore, eat together and actually get to know one another. By the time the wedding day arrived, it felt less like two separate families meeting for the first time and more like one big group of people sharing an Alaska adventure together.

 

Chapter one

A SLOW START TO THE DAY

the morning of

Madi and Evan started the morning in separate cabins on the property, surrounded by the people closest to them. While Madi and the girls finished getting ready, I spent some time with Evan and his groomsmen before heading back over to photograph the girls.



Madi had her sister and a few of her closest friends there with her, and everyone chose a dress they actually felt comfortable in, creating the prettiest mismatched mix. The morning was easy and relaxed, with plenty of time to get ready, hang out and let everything start to feel real. Before heading to the ceremony, Madi also shared a first look with her dad, which ended up being one of the sweetest moments of the morning.

Chapter two

RAIN OR SHINE, THIS WAS THE SPOT

The ceremony

The night before the wedding, the rain was coming down hard enough that Madi was ready to move the ceremony onto the covered patio. We tried it out, but when she asked what I thought, I told her the experience and the photos just wouldn’t compare to the spot they had chosen overlooking the sea. Years from now, she probably wouldn’t remember being a little cold and wet, but she would have the photographs we made there forever.


So they went for it. The rain stuck around, everyone bundled up, and Madi and Evan had their short and sweet ceremony right by the water. It was rainy, a little chilly and absolutely beautiful. By the end of it, Madi was so glad they hadn’t changed a thing.

Chapter three

A LITTLE TIME TO TAKE IT ALL IN

The bride & Groom  

After the ceremony, we finished up family and wedding party photos and then whisked Madi and Evan away for a little time to themselves. They wanted to exchange private vows, so we helped them find a quiet spot away from everyone and set up a couple of chairs overlooking the sea. They sat together, read their vows and had a few minutes where the day really was just theirs. Afterward, we wandered around the property taking photos and giving them some time to simply enjoy being newly married.


I never want portraits to feel like something we have to rush through just to check them off the timeline. I want this part of the day to be a chance to sneak away together, soak everything in and have some fun. We’ll take as much or as little time as feels right, and when it feels like we’ve got what we came for, we’ll head back to the party.

Chapter four

WHEN THINGS GOT A LITTLE LESS FORMAL

The Reception

The reception started with all the good wedding stuff. First dances, speeches, the shoe game, dinner and plenty of time for everyone to hang out together. But as the night went on, things got a little less formal. Madi and Evan changed out of their wedding clothes and into matching tracksuits and sneakers, and from there everyone was ready to party.



There was lots of dancing, s’mores around the bonfire and plenty of time to just enjoy having all of their favorite people together in one place. After an entire weekend of celebrating, it felt like the perfect way to end it.

Chapter five

THE THINGS THAT MADE IT THEIRS

The little things

I’ll always photograph the rings, the dress, the flowers and all of the beautiful things you spent months choosing. But the details of a wedding day are so much more than the things you can lay out neatly for a photograph.


They’re the cabins everyone called home for the weekend, the mountains disappearing into the rain, muddy boots left by the door, umbrellas scattered around the property and all the little scenes happening quietly between the bigger moments.



Those things might not feel important while they’re happening, but together they make up the world your wedding existed in. I want you to remember that part too.

ONE WEDDING, START TO FINISH

THE WHOLE STORY MATTERS

I wanted to share one wedding as a whole rather than pulling together favorite photographs from different days. This is still just a glimpse of what my clients receive, but following one celebration from beginning to end gives you a much better sense of how I approach a wedding and all the little pieces I’m paying attention to along the way.


Every wedding I photograph has its own people, places, traditions and stories, so no two will ever look quite the same. What stays consistent is the way I approach them: paying attention, leaving room for things to unfold naturally and making sure the photographs feel like the day you actually lived.