Offbeat couples, you are my people.

At a recent wedding, I was seated around a dinner table with vendor friends, devouring my food as quickly as possible as to not miss any photo-worthy moments during the reception. After sharing vendor meal horror stories, the topic turned to our favorite local wedding venues. I listed a few places (Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, I heart you), which led to a discussion about advertising dollars and how we find our dream couples.

There was a time when I advertised on WeddingWire and thought supporting similar websites would help me reach my financial goals. That was before I knew what made me different and sat down to define the value of my brand.

I have a “things you love” section of my contact form, which I typically use to weed out any red flags. If the person inquiring doesn’t write anything, I’m not really excited to get to know them. Some people take the time to write a really thoughtful response, which gives me a glimpse into their lives. I can tell they aren’t just copy/pasting their email to a handful of their favorite photographers and inserting my name in the beginning. Those people, more often than not, turn out to be Offbeat Bride readers.

Their email inquiries make my heart skip a beat and turn into clients who bare their souls through DIY details, handwritten vows, and ridiculous dance moves. Weddings in planetariums. Self-uniting backyard weddings. Traditional Quaker weddings. Art center and museum weddings. Intimate bed and breakfast weddings. Couples who aren’t afraid to be themselves. It’s also important to me that Offbeat Bride is LGBTQ-friendly and consistently “celebrates all identities.”

Offbeat Bride readers or not, I’m so grateful for all of the couples who trust me with capturing their wedding day and have connected with me on so many levels. ♥