Sometimes, the best elopement location or intimate wedding venue is sitting right at home in your parent’s backyard.

Or sometimes, it is your parent’s backyard. 

Ariana and Brad had the most beautiful backyard wedding day this past summer with all of their closest friends and family, and when I tell you guys that this was an “all-hands-on-deck” event – these two have the most supportive humans in their lives I’ve ever seen on a wedding day. Everyone flew in from all corners of the country to be there for Ariana and Brad, and with the help of their loved ones, they planned the most intimate and sentimental wedding I’ve ever had the pleasure of being the wedding photographer for.

An intimate wedding photographer’s dream couple

Ariana and Brad reached out to me one month – yes, one month – before their wedding day. After getting to know Ariana on Instagram (I love the power of social media and how I manage to find literally all of my friendships there LOL) her and Brad decided to book me for their wedding that was originally supposed to be an elopement in California! Brad is in the military stationed in California and unexpectedly got leave to come home during the time they were planning on getting married – so when the planets aligned and I was free that weekend, too – we DOVE into planning and I’m so thrilled they chose me to do this for them. 

An encounter of fate on the beach in California to an intimate wedding in Virginia

Ariana and Brad are actual Hampton-Roads natives and grew up here going to the same schools. They “knew of” eachother but weren’t super close until they randomly met on a beach in California after graduation when Ariana was visiting her best friend that had moved to the West Coast. 

If that’s not divine intervention, I don’t know what is. 

Brad deployed later in 2020 for around 6 months and waited until he got back home to officially ask Ariana’s dad in person for his permission to marry his daughter. They are both truly some of the most joy-filled people I’ve ever met and are SO clearly soulmates. They spent their wedding day getting ready with their parents and close-friends, laughing (and sometimes crying) until their eyes filled with tears and finally jumping into the pool after a day in the July-heat. 

This was genuinely the most fun I’ve ever had with another couple on their wedding day because it just felt like I was part of the family, too. Ariana and Brad have the BEST parents and everyone was just so willing to help and put it all together for these two. 

Low-key VERY sad that Ariana and Brad have since moved back to California to fulfill the rest of Brad’s military orders, but I know the first people I’m visiting once I’m back on the West Coast again. Love you two so much. It was a privilege getting to be there for your wedding day. I can’t wait to see you guys again. 

Having your intimate wedding in the backyard is the way to go

I could go on and on for days about how much I love backyard weddings, but truly, it is of the most special and sentimental ways to start the rest of your life with your person. 

It doesn’t have restrictions like a typical wedding venue does

Say goodbye to mega-structured setups and tear-downs – when your wedding is in your backyard, you can quite literally party the night away. You don’t have to stop/start at a certain time and best part of all? It’s freeeeee. Throw up a tent and you’re golden! 

Getting ready all together in the same location 

Getting ready at your parent’s house or your own home, depending on whose backyard it is, gives you and your partner the ease of just slowly stepping into your wedding days. And don’t worry about forgetting any pieces of your ensemble at home, you’re already there. 

Sentimental af if it’s somewhere you grew up

My husband and I got married at his parent’s house and it was truly the BEST choice we ever could have made for our wedding day. Their backyard is filled with so many beautiful memories and holidays spent with our loved ones – it just made sense to get married standing in front of the fire pit we spent many fall nights swapping stories, laughing and crying with our best friends. 

If you’ve got memories like this at your own home or your parent’s house, cherish those. Weave them into your wedding day. Add them to the list of the growing, joyful memories that you two are creating in a space that you’ve grown together in. There isn’t anything better, I promise. Sentiment always wins. 

If you’re looking for a Virginia wedding photographer who will support you on your wedding day, I’m your girl

As your intimate wedding photographer, it’s my #1 priority to just make sure that you guys create a celebration that you’re proud of, no matter what it looks like, where it’s at or who is invited. It’s entirely YOUR day and elopements and sentimentally-planned weddings are just about doing whatever the heck you want. 

I’ll always take the time to understand what is the most important to you and make sure it’s documented in wedding photos you’ll cherish forever. It’s kinda my thing! So are you ready to start planning those sweet little details of your big day? I’d love to hear all about them! Head over to my contact form and say hey! Let’s work together for 2023, sound fun??

Vendor Team:

Catering: Black Pelican Greenbrier

Cake: Nothing Bundt Cakes

Rentals: Waterford Event Rentals