Elopement Experiences
For Authentic & Adventurous Spirits
We are your planners, photographers & fellow adventurers who will happy-cry with you on your big day.
Would you believe we've been married since ... 1998?
We first met in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, started adventuring together and never looked back. Our first trips together were by motorcycle on the Blue Ridge Parkway!
Life took us south & now we explore our beautiful "backyard" of the Carolina mountains by RV. Every year we plan an epic trip away from home - that's our big "bus" in Colorado at Monarch Pass!
Landscape photography was our focus for years, until two dear friends of ours asked us to "take a few photos" near Asheville for their engagement. As they say. the rest is history!
We soon realized how much our depth of knowledge of the area could help couples looking for their own unique wedding day experience. It brings us no greater joy than to take our couples' vision for their day and make it a joyous reality, capturing every moment for you to always remember.
Ready for an elopement experience that is more than you've ever dreamed of?
You've come to the right place.
Hi Y'all! Mark and Carolyn here.
Psalm 95:4-5
Mark & Carolyn
❤️🙏
What is an Adventure ELOPEMENT Experience?
When you choose an adventure elopement, you're opting out of the kind of day that the "wedding industry" says you "must have" to be happy.
You've probably realized already that a blowout party at a huge impersonal venue just isn't your style. You're in search of something more authentic, more organic - more you.
When you bring us on board as your elopement planners & photographers, we guide you through our carefully crafted process to create the most amazing day for you.
Our questionnaire gets to the heart of your vision for your day (like the scenery you most enjoy) and your "why" as a couple. We draw from years of experience in the Blue Ridge Mountains to recommend locations that are the best fit for you and to draw up an itinerary for your day.
All of our preparations lead up to your wedding day where it all comes together. While we're alongside you to document your day through photos, our mission is for you to have an all-day-long experience of joy & laughter together!
This is what you'll love about eloping with us - an experience that you'll take with you for the rest of your lives together.
The Beautiful outdoors + your love for each other = a positively magical day.
testimonials from our couples
Wow! There are not enough words to express how blessed we feel to have had Mark and Carolyn as a part of our wedding day! They were extremely responsive to every email, easy to talk to, and overall just super FUN people to get to know!
Not only did they photograph our wedding, but they also helped us through the entire planning process. Their thoughtful suggestions, research on the perfect location in Shenandoah National Park, attention to detail, and months of planning created the most beautiful and perfect day… truly so meaningful and better than we ever dreamed of or imagined possible!
Mark and Carolyn are the type of people that you meet and never forget. They have the warmth of family and the spirit of an energetic child. They are so kind and so passionate about creating unique and intimate wedding celebrations.
We are speechless about our entire experience. Absolutely grateful that we just happen to come across their website and send them a quick email. If you’re looking for a professional and adventurous photographer for an extraordinary wedding experience, look no further.
We would recommend Story Bright Films to anyone! They will produce stunning photos and an experience you’ll cherish forever.
"Mark and Carolyn are the type of people that you meet and never forget. They have the warmth of family and the spirit of an energetic child"
Kristianne, Karl and Gracie
Mark and Carolyn were the perfect match for our anniversary adventure shoot! We had a pretty traditional wedding so we really wanted this experience to reflect our personalities, including our love of hiking, backpacking, and all things outdoors.
From our first contact with them, we could tell how passionate they are about helping couples have a unique and authentic experience. They really want to help bring your vision of a perfect day to life.
Mark and Carolyn have the planning down pat and remove all the worry that you've forgotten something. My husband and I were truly able to focus on each other and having an awesome day. Mark and Carolyn know all of the best spots in the Blue Ridge Mountains for amazing views and no crowds. We couldn't believe how private the day felt. They were completely on board with us incorporating our hiking shoes, backpacks, and dog; all of our essentials for a great day in the woods.
The weather wasn't on our side that day, but Mark and Carolyn had several backup plans and made sure we still had an amazing time. The photos and videos are incredible! We love looking through them and can't believe how well they capture our personalities and some of our favorite places. We were worried we would feel awkward on camera, but Mark and Carolyn know how to talk you through it and make it feel completely natural. We were thrilled to have them help craft the perfect anniversary adventure and are so thankful to have their beautiful work to remember the day by!
"Mark and Carolyn have the planning down pat ... my husband and I were truly able to focus on each other and have an awesome day."
Andrea, Jarred and Kona
Mark and Carolyn were absolutely amazing during our whole experience with them. The phone calls were fun and they took everything we said to heart and made it come to life.
We wanted a fun elopement and they were willing to do anything to make it happen. 3 weeks before our wedding day, we called them saying we wanted to move our wedding to a different state, hundreds of miles from the original place. They never skipped a beat, and immediately changed their plans.
They came so prepared for our special day and we had the most fun time taking pictures with them! I can assuredly say they played such a huge role and it went much smoother than I could’ve ever imagined.
"We wanted a fun elopement and Mark & Carolyn were willing to do anything to make it happen"
Hannah & AJ
There are not enough kind words to say about Mark and Carolyn! They truly made our wedding experience so unique and beautiful.
The process leading up to our day was so simple, the two of them have got this down to a true science. Mark and Carolyn are open to so many places to explore, but also showcase so many places they have already explored.
They both answered any question we had so quickly, they provided many options to make our day even more special to us. And on top of that, their bright personalities melded so well with ours and it really just made the day that much better.
Also, the pictures we got from them are absolutely stunning. Wow. If I had to go back, I would choose them time after time. Seriously, could not recommend enough!
"There are not enough kind words to say about Mark and Carolyn! They truly made our wedding experience so unique and beautiful. "
Stormy & Sergio
I can’t say enough great things about Mark and Carolyn with Story Bright Films!
They are truly some of the best people and their passion for the Lord and making your wedding story authentic is incredible. They prayed for us throughout our planning process, checked up on us periodically, genuinely wanted to learn and know about us and our family, they are super funny and sweet, swatted gnats away from us during sunset photos with a towel, dug through my disastrous diaper bag to find a letter I had written to Brandon and forgotten and never once did they make us feel uncomfortable while capturing the day.
Honestly, they fit right in and made it feel and seem very natural. Mark and Carolyn are your people. I promise you will be blessed just by reaching out to them and meeting such a great couple.
"Mark and Carolyn are your people ... you will be blessed just by reaching out to them!"
Shelby & Brandon
Mark and Carolyn did an amazing job ... the highlight video is incredible!
The moments he chose to include in the highlight film are perfect. His video really tells the story of us, and he makes it all come alive. He captured the audio from our first look, and other very special candid moments where neither my husband nor I knew we were being filmed.
I would highly recommend Story Bright Films because they are very professional, easy to work with, and you can clearly see their passion for their work! Thank you so much for your hard work and helping us remember such an amazing day!
"Thank you so much for your hard work and helping us remember such an amazing day!"
Jackie & Kyle
Hector & Brianna
My husband and I had the BEST experience with Story Bright Films....we were incredibly blessed to find Mark & Carolyn! They took the time to really get to know us and our story ... one of the kindest, most talented vendors we worked with!
They always responded to my texts and emails right away, and the turnaround time was quite reasonable. We cannot recommend Story Bright Films highly enough!
"We were incredibly blessed to find Mark and Carolyn!"
