wedding & elopement photography in santa cruz, california

photo by Diane Villadsen

oh hey! I’m Melissa (she/her)

I'm an outgoing introvert and an empath. I live in a cozy forest cottage in the Santa Cruz mountains where I love to bask in nature! I'm a fan of hiking among ferns, painting, and spotting urban animals who've somehow found an entire slice of pizza. I have been photographing weddings for over 10 years.

 

All people are welcome here. Couples and throuples of all identities, orientations, ethnicities, races, religions, sizes, and abilities. 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈

 

why i photograph marriages

The reason I have been a wedding and elopement photographer for 10+ years is simple: honest, thoughtful documentation of our deepest moments adds meaning to our lives and memories. I love helping people bring more meaning to their lives and memories.

 

But enough about me…

You found life-changing love! I am genuinely so happy for you! You're about to experience some beautiful moments and emotions that may be completely new to you. Those moments should be given space and documented with honest, un-staged photographs that let you return to that experience. Don't you think?

 

Contrived photos will end up in the trash and steal from your ability to fully experience the present moment. You are not about to be burdened with that! Instead of turning your day into one big photoshoot, let's bring the focus back to what truly matters. Yes, we will take beautiful portraits too, but the priority will be discreetly capturing meaningful, candid photos that let you return to emotions and important moments years later. Those are the photos that will be held dear and eventually framed by hospital beds and at funerals as years pass.

philosophy of whoosh

A *whoosh* is the tingly feeling you get when a moment is worth remembering. It’s when you feel something beautiful.

 

 

 

 

 

But enough about me…

You found life-changing love! I am genuinely so happy for you! You're about to experience some beautiful moments and emotions that may be completely new to you. Those moments should be documented with honest, unstaged photographs that let you return to that experience, don't you think? Staged photos will end up in the trash and steal from your ability to fully experience the present moment. I am not about to burden you with that! So instead of turning your day into a big photoshoot, let's bring the focus back to what truly matters on this significant day. That way, you will end up with meaningful photographs that let you return to emotions and important moments years later. Those are the photos that will be held dear and framed by hospital beds and at funerals as years pass.

 

 

Pricing

Pricing for wedding and elopement photography begins in the 5K range.

 

Want to know more? Send me a message today to receive my wedding collection guide and to see if I'm available on your date!

About Melissa: Intimate Wedding and Elopement Photographer in Santa Cruz, Big Sur and Carmel

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Santa Cruz Wedding Photographer / Big Sur Elopement Photographer / Big Sur Wedding Photographer / Carmel Wedding Photographer / California Intimate Wedding Photographer / Santa Cruz Wedding Photography