East Elm Photography

  • Woman Owned

Romantic. Joyful. Candid. Timeless.

These are what we strive to make every image encompass.

These are the moments that we will capture and will become the photographs that you will one day be looking at with your grandchildren. Your wedding photos are the only investment from your entire wedding that will increase in value over time. After the vows have been said and the final toasts have been given, the only thing you will have left are your memories and photographs.

We are Aaron & Melissa. We hope to tell your love story.

  • Wandering Since 2023

What Couples Are Saying

Read reviews from couples who’ve worked with this photographer and shared their elopement experience.

  • 5-stars

    We discovered East Elm Photography at a vendor event hosted by our wedding venue and were immediately drawn to the stunning photos they showcased. After exploring their albums on Instagram and Facebook, we knew we wanted to work with them. Aaron and Melissa exceeded all expectations—we can’t recommend them enough! Not only did they capture our wedding beautifully, but their presence at our event made the day even better. They went above and beyond, helping with things we never anticipated, and their expertise, professionalism, kindness, and fun personalities made everything run so smoothly. Highly recommend!

    Janaye & Wes
  • 5-stars

    We had the best experience with East Elm Photography! The gallery we received from both our engagement session and our wedding day were beyond my wildest dreams. Having the engagement session included in our wedding package was so lovely. After 6 years, they were our first professional photos as a couple. It was great to meet the team ahead of time and get more comfortable. Before our wedding, they inquired about what was most important to us and helped us come up with a timeline for the day. They did not miss any of our important details and were extremely knowledgeable with both posing and capturing candid moments. On the day of, they were kind, calm and patient with us and all of our wedding party. As an anxious person, it was very much appreciated and reassuring. Thank you, East Elm!!

    Ellie & Dalton
  • 5-stars

    I’m so thankful I stumbled upon East Elm! Melissa is so kind, genuine, and exceptional at what she does. She is one of the sweetest humans I have ever met. It felt like we had our long time friend tagging along with us despite never having met before. She truly captured all the feelings in such an organic way. The photos are absolutely stunning! I was speechless… and that doesn’t happen often because I’m known for having high expectations. She was able to execute my vision so well without me having to say much- she just understood the assignment. Not to mention, I was so excited and surprised to have gotten the photos so much sooner than anticipated. I could not say enough good things as to why they’re the best. Can’t wait to work with them again in the future!

    Shaddaira & Michael
  • 5-stars

    We could not be more thankful for having Aaron & Melissa there to document our wedding day. They were professional, kind, patient and their work is incredible. I can't stop gushing over our wedding photos. We have had SO many compliments about their beauty and quality. Do yourself a favor and choose East Elm! You won't regret it!

    Amanda & Kade
  • 5-stars

    Aaron and Melissa are so incredibly talented! Not only did they make us feel so comfortable they were an absolute blast to work with. They perfectly captured every detail. I am blown away with the quality of pictures and cannot say enough good things. You should absolutely use them - you will not be disappointed.

    Maddie & Dan
  • 5-stars

    Melissa and Aaron from East Elm were a PHENOMENAL choice for our NYE wedding. Not only is their photography style beautiful, but they are amazing people as well. Their communication and flexibility were excellent throughout the year with scheduling our engagement photos as well as changes to our chaotic wedding day timeline. Our entire wedding party raved about how kind they both were, bringing a calm and positive energy to the day and doing things like offering to hold purses/wraps during photos as we were running around Chicago. Our photos are absolutely stunning and I get raves from our families and friends all the time with how beautiful they are. They did such an incredible job capturing the energy and aesthetic of the day, I will cherish the moments they captured always. We can’t wait to work with Melissa and Aaron again in the future for our next major life event. We love you guys!
    Read less

    Katie & Trevor
  • 5-stars

    East Elm shot our engagement photos and wedding photos (November 2023) and it was one of the best choices we made with our vendor selection. They were extremely professional, easy to get along with, and helped us feel less awkward about getting photos taken! We are in love with ALL of our pictures and will be giving out several as christmas presents this year. Again, I cannot recommend East Elm enough! Thank you guys!!

    Hannah & Ryan
East Elm Photography
East Elm Photography

Contact Vendor

Have questions or want more details? Whether you’re ready to book or just exploring your options, reaching out to this vendor is the next step toward bringing your elopement vision to life.

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
💬 Need help writing your message?

Not sure what to say?
Here’s a quick outline to help you get started. Feel free to copy, tweak, or make it your own! Your message doesn’t need to be perfect!

Hi [Vendor’s Name],

I came across your work on Wandering Weddings and love your style! My partner and I are planning to elope in [location or general area] around [date or season]. We’re hoping for something that feels [describe vibe — adventurous, intimate, laid-back, etc.].

We’d love to learn more about your [packages / availability / travel options] and see if we might be a good fit.

Thanks so much,
[Your Name]