Michelle contacted me a few weeks before this session; she and her fiancé Tommy had decided to elope and wanted to get married within the month. Just them, and officiant and me. We planned a time and location but these two just couldn’t wait! In true elopement fashion, they went down to the Fairfax Courthouse and tied the knot before this photo session even took place! They chose Bear’s Den because it represented them: they love the outdoors and are a super adventurous couple that needs no frills or pomp and circumstance of a traditional wedding.

These portraits were a gift to themselves. We spent a short hour together laughing and crawling all over the rocks in a dress Michelle found online. I’m in love with the simplicity of this session; these two just wanted pretty photos to commemorate this stage in their life. When their kids are born, they will look at these images on the wall and imagine a time when their parents eloped and watched sunsets alone overlooking the Virginia mountains below. Here are my favorite images from their session!