Truth be told….neither of us ever saw Photographer and Videographer for Wedding days as a career path…but our lives lead us on this incredible journey together. 

The First Glimmer

Melissa took film class in high school and the old dark rooms first instilled her love of photography. It was the ability to freeze a particular moment forever and how they become a time capsule to transport you immediately back to those memories. She took photos of everything after that, but never imagined becoming a photographer was a reality. She went on to graduate with a dual bachelors in education.

Stephen spent most of his life in the restaurant world. He has always had a love of service and can make friends literally anywhere he goes. One of his biggest strengths in our dynamic is his ability to make anyone feel comfortable and at ease. Having never picked up a camera besides the one on his phone, cue Melissa who took every opportunity for a photo. They had a simple Canon Rebel camera, but looking back, our settings never left AUTO. Yikes.

The Fire was lit

It wasn’t until after we were married in 2015 that a true fire was lit. Although in the long run, it was our own lack of research that resulted in us not properly investing into the memories of our day, we are still living in regret from that decision. (And planning an epic 10 year vow renewal! We WILL be finding the perfect Photographer + Videographer this time!)

It is why it is so important to provide our couples with not only photo and films that they will cherish for a lifetime, but an experience they will never forget. We firmly believe that they way you FEEL in those moments, translate into how you feel when you look back at your wedding memories. It matters.

The Cabin trip that changed everything

In 2018, we took a cabin trip with our kids that, we say, changed everything for us. After some tough talks, and a ton of prayer, we made the scary decision to both leave our full time (well loved) careers, and pursue our dreams of becoming full time wedding photographers!

We knew if we were going to become wedding photographers, it was a big responsibility. You can’t just expect to show up on a wedding day and have magic happen, we needed to know the ins and outs. We spent the better part of a year diving deep and investing into the one thing we still believe helped us build our business and serve our couples well, EDUCATION!

With Melissa’s background in education, it was an easy answer that we needed to find educators to teach us how to capture someone’s once in a lifetime memories. However, it’s not a secret that this industry is competitive.

Enter Katelyn James Education. If we ever have the chance to give Katelyn or her sweet husband Michael a hug in real life, we would probably cry. They don’t even know us, but they helped us build a business from the ground up while raising our own three children. They are such an inspiration to us everyday. In fact, our kids even know her voice and when we watch her monthly subscription, they refer to it as “KJ Days!” We have a bunch of mini photographers in the making! 😉

• Side note: If you are looking to get into the wedding industry, we highly suggest you check out Katelyn James education. She is a Virginia based wedding photographer with over a decade of experience. Not only is she an incredible artist, she is an inspiring wife, mother, and woman who helps thousands of photographers build successful businesses. Their family story is incredible.

One of the best things she taught us was that capturing someone’s wedding is not just about taking great photos; anyone with the right training could do that. It is the experience, and the way you make them feel, that will transform how much they LOVE their photos and films.

Photographer and Videographer for Wedding Introduction

Something we also regretted not investing in was a videographer. When we got married in 2015 this industry was vastly different. Video was so new and it didn’t seem like something worth investing in because we didn’t want a simple recording. Every year, we regret not having at least that.

Our love of freezing memories lead us to bringing them to life! There were so many moments on a wedding day that would be captured on photo, but there would be that thought in the back of our minds…”video was needed here.” It can bring forward more emotion and allow you to really feel the entire moment. Having a more cinematic approach to our films, it is almost like you are watching a movie of your own day… Although we wish we had our own film to watch every year on our anniversary, it is such a thrill to be able to capture both art forms and tell the entire story of someone’s day for them.

Check out intro video

Working Together

We know working with your spouse is not for everyone. We can tell by the wild looks we get when wedding guests find out we are indeed married to each other AND work together. (That question never gets old!)

People are always so shocked to learn that we started from the ground up, together. The same went for our addition of videography. We learned and trained together every step of the way and this allows us to give our clients that seamless experience between both.

We often feel like we are one mind on a wedding day and we think that is what make our experience so boutique. It is what sets us apart when we become a united photographer and videographer team on the wedding day.

We love this life and find so much joy in a job that allows us to capture one of life’s most celebrated moments right next to our best friend. That’s the biggest win in our books. 

Check out our most recent Photography wedding day HERE

Check out our most recent Photography + Videography wedding day HERE

Photographer and Videographer for Wedding