Getting married this summer with Marissa as our photographer makes me want to recommend eloping to EVERYONE. When we had to cancel our wedding due to COVID, my partner and I didn’t know what to do next— we knew we still wanted to get married, but where? when? what would it look like? I’m not exaggerating when I say that Marissa saved our day. Not only did she roll with the punches of having to rethink what photography would look like on the day— she also helped us plan and coordinate the entire day’s events. From scouting elopement locations to hiking with us to find the perfect photo spots, she really went above and beyond to help us feel special. She made what could have been a stressful, and possibly sad, day into one of the best days of the entire year. On top of all that, the photos she took are gorgeous! They’re tasteful, intimate, and so so fun. If you’re nervous in front of a camera, don’t worry— Marissa will get to know you and make you feel not just comfortable during the photo session, but like a cool/fashionable/more confident person too. Really, there’s no downside. She’s such a blast to work with, and we really couldn’t imagine having a better day with any other photographer.

We cannot say enough good things about Marissa. Honestly, we could write pages and pages for a review, but we'll try and keep this short. When my wife and I started looking for vendors for our elopement, we knew it was not only important, but necessary, for us to find folks who are inclusive to the LGBTQIA+ community. Obviously, as a queer couple, we needed to feel comfortable when it came to who we had working with us. When we turned to instagram for photographer suggestions, Marissa was recommended. I posted screenshots of several photographers to my instagram story and Marissa actually reached out to US first! It was a small gesture that made her really stand out. We instantly clicked and could tell that she was not only inclusive to the LGBTQIA+ community, but a clear activist for many marginalized communities. After talking with her for a while, looking over her gorgeous portfolio, and seeing that she donates part of her proceeds to non-profits, our decision to book with her was an easy one. Once we booked with her, it was clear Marissa was going to be so much more than a photographer. Marissa got to work right away figuring out our needs and suggesting local, inclusive vendors. She put together location lists and airbnb suggestions. She answered countless questions. She scheduled hour long Facetime conversations. Her help in our planning was immeasurable. Planning even a very small, outdoor elopement proved difficult through coronavirus, but Marissa was with us every step of the way. Two date changes, location closures, in-person meetings cancelled, so much anxiety, last minute decisions, etc. etc., Marissa never even flinched. She was so easy going and helpful. Not to mention, she's also FUN. My wife and I both consider ourselves camera shy, but Marissa made the process easy. Our photos turned out so beautifully. She truly captured the day as it was. Looking through them feels like reliving the day and we're filled with love all over again.

From the start of communications, Marissa was clearly focused on making the wedding day perfect and comfortable for us. This was first evident when she asked us our Love Languages in order to better understand and prompt us on the wedding day. The day before our wedding we realized that another wedding was scheduled at our first look location and Marissa was immediately responsive and suggested several back up plans. Luckily we ended up being able to use our first location after all, but it was extremely reassuring that we had her on our side. Marissa (and her second shooter) managed to capture our difficult-to-reach ceremony (10' down a cliff) beautifully and despite being by a rushing river seemed to cover all angles without being obtrusive. The final photographs make our wedding feel very cohesive and Marissa captured our personalities and emotions so well. We warned her that we were not a very PDA heavy couple and she managed to find a great balance with her directions, having us just be in the moment and focus on one another. You can see the love and connectedness in the photos and we never felt pushed beyond our comfort level. We are beyond happy with all the photos we received, and cannot imagine another photographer doing as great of a job! Hire her!