I’m so excited to share this elopement from the Culver Hotel in the Culver City neighborhood of Los Angeles!  Let me first say that I LOVE weddings!  They’re super fun and I get to work with really great couples, but elopements definitely hold a special place in my heart.  They’re so intimate and there is truly something to be said for being the only one (besides the officiant) in the room when two people exchange vows to share their lives together.  Getting married is a really big freaking deal and I understand why having a wedding is such a milestone.

Here’s the thing though: a wedding is one day.  It’s an amazing day filled with lots of love and laughter with a lot of your favorite people, but I can promise you that even if you elope it will still be an amazing day with LOTS of love and laughter.  While all of your favorite people won’t be there to witness it, THE most important person will be by your side and after you say ‘I do’ and the wedding day is over, you’re left with a much bigger story beyond the day of your wedding and it’s up to the two of you to write it.

When Tami reached out to me to see if I was available to photograph her and Nolan’s elopement I was pretty stoked, because well, I really love elopements!  We had a great initial conversation and it almost felt like talking to an old friend.  Tami explained that while they could have a wedding, they really wanted to focus on each other and only each other the day they got married.  They agreed that eloping was absolutely the right thing for them, but they wanted to invest in photography to capture such an important milestone.  To make things even sweeter, they asked me if I would sign to be their witness!  Who could ever say no to that?!

What I love about Tami and Nolan’s elopement is that they did many of the things couples do when they have a wedding.  They still had special details for me to photograph and personal touches to make it their own.  They booked a room at the iconic Culver Hotel and it was an amazing place to take their photos before and after the ceremony.  It was on a Friday afternoon, so most of the space upstairs was empty and it was like having a huge studio all to ourselves!

They did a first look and Nolan had the sweetest reaction.  He was excited and nervous from the time he got dressed until after they said their vows and he wore the biggest smile the entire time.  Tami was a dream and so easy in her excitement.  The energy between the two of them was sweet and contagious.  By the end of my afternoon with them, even I had butterflies!

Tami and Nolan are proof that you can have an amazing wedding day without the wedding.  From first look to first dance (yes, I asked them to dance and they did for a few moments) Tami and Nolan’s elopement was absolutely the perfect day for them!

(Interested in booking your own elopement experience?  Send a note to learn more!)

(Interested in booking your own elopement experience?  Send a note to learn more!)