I've always known that I wanted to do something 'artistic' with my life. As I got older it became more apparent that photography was my niche. I moved to Tampa, FL a few hours north of where I spent a good chunk of my childhood and graduated from a fancy art college in 2011. Since graduating I bounced around shooting editorials with local fashion enthusiasts, families, birthday parties, newborns basically anything that would pay me but none of it felt fulfilling. However, I am a HUGE people person, I can easily make friends or converse with anybody and I always feel kinda obligated to make others happy. I also really enjoy making a big deal out of every little celebration.
An Iceland Elopement, Michelle + Jesse
Hotel Budir, Iceland
Ashley Izquierdo
So, naturally in 2015- I had the most awkward experience with another wedding photographer. The way hr business worked, the customer- vendor relationship; it was so stuffy and robotic. It was then that I realized I wanted to shoot weddings, I wanted to give every couple this over the top amazing experience.
Insert- Michelle, about a year later. Michelle was actually my dentist, and while going in for a routine cleaning we talked about the normal stuff. The baby, work, our lives. Michelle very casually mentioned she was eloping in Iceland- and I felt so excited for her. After talking about this more, I asked who was photographing it, and then she told me ... NOBODY. haha she just wanted to go and do it and that was it. Listen, you can not just 'go to Iceland' and get married and have no photographic proof of the badass adventure you are on. The next day- Michelle called me while I was at my Monday through Friday job and told me to get a passport cause I was going to Iceland!
This wedding was so small and intimate but full of very personal details. We had Emma Bauso Designs, design an elopement announcement- a keepsake for the couple and something pretty for me to photograph. Hotel Budir, the hotel Michelle and Jesse eloped at has an in house floral designer named Agnes Lind Heiðarsdóttir who made the bouquet. The wedding gown was originally a vintage piece purchased from Etsy, but once that arrived and didn't fit correctly I sent Michelle to my friends at Isabelle O'neil Bridal- where we scored this beautiful two piece! Other little details from this elopement included custom made place cards and place card holders.
Michelle changed my life. I knew the moment she told me I was her photographer that this wedding would change my business. Since then I have quit my day job, and shot over a 100 weddings all over the country! I post my work all over my Instagram and website- but this Iceland Elopement will always be special to me.
A review from Michelle ❤️
To be honest the kind of wedding I wanted didn't involve catering and a DJ or a huge party. I didn't even think about hiring a photographer for our elopement. Getting married in another country I was more concerned with the logistics. What I really wanted was a simple, intimate, meaningful ceremony in this gorgeous old church in Iceland. Yes, I did say ICELAND. Long story short Ashley went to Iceland with us!!! Having her along didn't take away any intimacy from my wedding, she actually added to it!
She ended up being just THE best guest! I honestly consider her a friend, because that's what it feels like when she's your photographer. Her pictures captured every moment of my beautiful wedding. Everything was captured just as it was without any unnatural poses or fake looking smiles. All, without you even really knowing she's doing it! She fit right in with our little family. So much so, that she was the one who delivered our wedding rings and gifts from me to my now husband and his father! Even my teenage daughter absolutely adored her- we ended up driving in her car to the ceremony, laughing pretty much the entire time. Hiring her to photograph our elopement was literally THE best decision I've made second to marrying my best friend/love of my life.
I didn't realize that these pictures would become so important to me. THEY SO ARE. The wedding day itself goes by so quickly, it's all a wonderful blur, but when it's over it's just over-unless you have great pictures that remind you of how you felt at that moment. Every time I look at my wedding pictures I am so grateful that she even asked to be my photographer. She is truly a professional- not only did she take these gorgeous pictures of a forty -something year old bride (and made me look good), we gave her no direction- absolutely none.. we didn't give her a list of pictures we had to have, or a style we liked...nothing at all- we just trusted her and she more than delivered. Ashley is an AMAZING photographer. -Michelle A.R. Meetze, C.R.D.H.
