Meet your photographer
A little introduction
I'm Carissa. I've been lucky enough to document elopement stories for the last 6 years, and this job has truly fulfilled me in ways I never thought possible.
I'm inspired by my couples, their stories, and the adventure they choose to embark on together as they become one. My favorite wedding days are always intimate, set in nature, and planned with a high level of intentionality.
I believe to my core than an elopement is the best way to get married.
In a society that has lost sight of what a wedding day is truly about, elopements offer a unique opportunity for couples to get back to the root of what really matters - a day that is more about the marriage than the wedding. I have found so much purpose in helping couples have an elopement day rooted in that significance.
I eloped too
I married Russell in a hidden spot on one of my favorite bumpy dirt roads in the San Juan Mountains.
We said private vows in an aspen grove as the leaves fell around us, before holding a ceremony with our closest people. My dad cried in front of me for one of the first times in my life as he pronounced us husband and wife. We drank hot cocoa with rum to warm up, and then held a dinner on the back porch of my parent's house, with string lights hanging from the trees around us. Russell and I wrote a hand written letter to each one of our guests, and then we enjoyed a dinner of gumbo cooked by my mom. My brother baked our cakes, and we popped a special bottle of champagne that Russell had been gifted by his dad years ago, and was holding on to for his wedding day.
Our day was filled with intention, laughter, tears, joy, and so much love. It was the best day of my life, and when you elope, it will be the best day of yours too, and I can't wait to help you bring it all to life.
October 1st 2024
Check out my wedding blog
I really love what I do
Yes, I’m a good photographer, and I provide a 5-star service, but I hope your biggest takeaway from all of this is that I am so unbelievably passionate about what I do.
I get told all the time that I have the coolest job in the world, and it’s true. And although it does comes with some pretty awesome perks, like taking helicopter tours through the Alaskan wilderness, and eating wedding cake in breathtaking places, that’s not why I do this. I pursued this career because I knew it was what I was meant to do.
This job has fulfilled me in ways I never thought a job could, and I have found so much purpose in helping couples have a wedding day that honors the significance of their marriage.
Let's do this
"Her raw talent is unreal, and we would choose her a million times over without hesitation."
"After seeing only one certain picture Carissa had taken, we instantly knew she was the one.
From the moment we inquired to the moment we had to say goodbye, Carissa made this process an actual dream. Wedding planning can be overwhelming, but Carissa was on board every step going out of her way answering questions, providing advice and recommendations, and meeting with us to ensure all our of our needs and wants were met.
The time spent with Carissa were truly life changing, and not only will that day and the astonishing pictures be forever ingrained in our hearts, but the intentionality and charisma Carissa adds was the cherry on top."
Sadie + Dani
"The minute I discovered Carissa on Instagram I knew right then and there I wanted to elope and have her as my photographer. I fell in love with her pictures and the way she captured everyone's special day.
I felt something every time I saw her post.
She was so detailed and professional along the way but felt like a friend at the same time. She was more than accommodating to even changing the planned out locations at the very last minute for me. That I will forever be grateful for. She made me feel so comfortable and the process was just so perfect. When we got the pictures we couldn't stop staring. I finally had what I dreamed of and more all because of her."
Tara + Cody
"The minute I discovered Carissa on Instagram I knew right then and there I wanted to elope and have her as my photographer."
"We searched the internet for weeks and came across Carissa’s page and knew instantly we wanted her as our wedding photographer.
From the entire planning process, to zoom calls, to our actual wedding day was a breeze and it wouldn’t have been without her. Carissa had so much expertise on so many different locations that helped us make our decision, including everything we wanted in our day.
We will forever cherish our wedding photos because of her and we wouldn’t change a single detail if we had to do it all over again! Almost 6 months later and we are still in awe of our photos and I tear up every-time I go through them. We could never thank you enough Carissa."
Hailey + Cameron
"My husband and I had already decided we wanted to elope in Kauai before finding Carissa, but we had no idea how we really wanted our elopement day to go.
From our first conversation with Carissa, she immediately helped ease our nerves about the whole planning process and helped us plan the most magical day. She listened to the things that were most important to us and made sure the day went exactly as we hoped.
The photos from our day are stunning! We have gotten so many compliments and are truly blown away with the photos she was able to capture for us. We feel so lucky to have gotten to work with her and be able to have these photos to look back on and show our kids one day!"
Allie + andrew
"Carissa's magical work both inspired our wedding dreams, and brought those dreams to reality on our elopement adventure together."
"I came across Carissa on Instagram, and I am so unbelievably happy & grateful that she was the first one to catch my eye!
Her photos are absolutely breathtakingly beautiful, you don’t need a review to tell you that. What I will tell you is that her friendly personality, professionalism, and undeniable passion for what she does is the absolute game changer and is what sets her apart from others in this industry.
You’re choosing a partner in the planning process, a passionate photographer that will help bring out the wedding day image that lives in your head, & as a major bonus, you’ll walk away from your wedding day with a new amazingly talented friend."
Jamie + Blake
"Early on in our engagement, my wife introduced me to Carissa's photography through one of her friend's elopement photos. Those photos took me to another world, through her surreal capture of environments and intimate moments which called to my soul.
I knew Carissa's photography abilities would bring forth the best of any landscape, but what I didn't expect was how much her support and presence would enhance our wedding day. Carissa's expertise, commitment and genuine kindness guided my wife and I to the perfect sites to celebrate our union."
Carissa took what was a fun adventure and turned it into a fairy-tail, which we have the privilege of reliving through her work, every day."
Hannah + Max
