JP & Steven's intimate at-home elopement gave me so many feelings. By now, you've seen their absolutely incredible mountaintop pre-wedding shoot, so it's no wonder that their wedding day was equally as beautiful, fun, and full of love.
When I arrived with my second shooter, Mary Ellen, we were delighted that JP & Steven had already taken the time to carefully arrange their items for detail shots. This is big for me, because I have a love for the details... and so do they! You can see by looking at these photos that detail shots don't just have to be "rings, ties, invites, shoes" - they can be meaningful items such as: shells from vacation, jewelry, fraternity pins, coins, anything that you've accumulated over the years that means something to you. Give it to me so I can take a picture of it! Do it!
You've heard of the first look or the first touch, but JP and Steven opted to do "finishing touches" - something that a lot of couples eloping choose to do! They got ready in the same room and had me around to document those last moments of shoe-tying, tie-straightening, and all the cute but totally relaxed pre-wedding moments an engaged couple shares together before crossing that threshold of marriage.
In this case, that threshold was out their patio door - their ceremony site was to take place on their immaculate back patio (where I had the pleasure of joining them for wine and cheese at a later date, as we are real life friends now. It's very exciting).
Their intimate ceremony was perfect and the weather, which had a very ominous forecast and even more questionable skies in the distance, held out all the way through. We were even able to wrap up family and couples portraits and get these two inside JUST as the skies opened up for some Alanis-Morissette-style raaaiiiiin on your wedding day. No worries though - that's actually good luck according to my mom.
Tasty happy hour drinks and snacks, tearful toasts, an intimate DZ-catered dinner, cake-cutting, and then night portraits with - you guessed it - more champagne pops and some involvement of their cats - and Mary Ellen and I were out of there after a really nice driveway chat. There's nothing like basking in the post-wedding glory with newlyweds with champagne after an intimate elopement on a summer evening while the pavement smells like rain. NOTHING.
JP & Steven, I can't say it enough - thanks so much for having us there to document every wonderful moment of your wedding day. I had a great time and love your photos, and I hope you did / do too!
- HL <3