I love a big, fat, blowout, kickass party of a wedding as much as the next girl, hell maybe even more, but I’m really really starting to fall in love with intimate, quiet, non-traditional elopements! Being hired to capture a moment so special that the couple only wanted their family + closest friends there (and sometimes, not even them) is an insane honor to me. Elopements allow for more one on one time with the couple and the chance to really get to know them and their story and their love and that’s really what makes my heart happy. Jennifer Ryals Photography couples aren’t just numbers to me, but real people with love stories that are even better than the best Nicholas Sparks novel.

On my last trip to San Diego, I knew I wanted to photograph a smaller elopement type styled shoot because I want to have more of that in my portfolio! San Diego beach elopements and weddings make me so happy! Bri + Tim just so happened to be recommended to me by a friend as an amazing couple that could use some professional photos. We started messaging back and forth and I just fell in love with Bri! She is a wife, a mother, and an insanely talented author that is about to release her first book in her series: The Darkling Series, called “The Woods of Dusk + Dawn”. Somehow I always seem to subconsciously gravitate to other creatives when making friends and Bri is no exception. She’s posted a few sneaks of the book on Facebook and y’all I dieeeee I am so freaking excited to be the first one in line to buy it! Check out her website Riiiiight HERE!

Anyways, haha we connected super quick when we realized we were both married to guys in the Navy haha. Her and Tim danced and laughed and played on the beach and it seriously made for the most amazing elopement shoot! Their gallery is one of my favs for sure and I’m so glad to be sharing just some of them!