Set the Table for Who You Really Are

How to build a wedding that feels like you, not the expectations of others.

I had a dream recently that stayed with me long after I woke.
I was in a beautiful place, running into old childhood friends—kind faces from a former life. They welcomed me warmly, but when it came time to sit for dinner, there was no room for me at the table. They tried to make space, bless them, but I knew I didn’t belong there anymore.
And I left. Kindly. Tearfully.
Because I had chosen something else. A life that was more my own.

Elopement on the beach in the Marin Headlands, after twelve years together, wearing a vintage red coat.

That dream made me think of weddings.
Of how many of us—without meaning to—plan weddings that are more about fitting in than being seen.
How easy it is to get swept into tradition, expectation, family pressure, or Pinterest spirals.
How many people end up at the metaphorical dinner table of their wedding day thinking, Wait—who is this all for?

So here’s my invitation to you:
Build a wedding that feels like yours.
Not your mother’s. Not Instagram’s. Not the version of you from ten years ago.
Yours.

Skip the things that don’t feel meaningful.
Add in things that do—even if no one else is doing them.
Wear red. Read poems. Have a first dance in your living room or your backyard or under the moon. Small wedding? Write hand written notes instead of meal cards to each one reminding them why you love them and why you are so happy they are here.
Walk down the aisle together. Or don’t walk at all.

Your wedding doesn’t need to look like a magazine spread. It needs to feel like you.
Because that’s where the magic is. That’s where the meaning lives.
And that’s where I want to meet you—with my camera, my heart, and a quiet promise to help you remember:

This is your table. Set it your way.

If you're dreaming of a wedding that feels like home—wild, beautiful, imperfect, true—I'd love to photograph it. Reach out and tell me your story.