Available in the Blue Ridge Mountains, COLORADO + select destinations in the Southeast
Thoughtfully designed outdoor weddings rooted in connection, nature, and meaningful time together.
After 100+ elopements & intimate weddings thoughtfully designed and documented, we’ve learned how to create days that feel calm, meaningful, and truly personal.
As a husband-and-wife team with 27+ years of marriage, we bring that same steady partnership into every experience—so you feel supported from your first conversation through your wedding day.
Hi! We're Mark & Carolyn.
Maybe a traditional wedding doesn't feel right.
But “elopement” may not fully describe it either.
Maybe you’re imagining something smaller, more personal, more outdoors, more meaningful — but you’re not sure whether that means an elopement, intimate wedding, Airbnb wedding, destination experience, or something else entirely.
That is where we begin.
You know the feeling you want.
You just might not know what to call it yet.
You bring the feeling.
We help turn it into a real plan.
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Whether it is just the two of you or a small group of loved ones, we design the experience so connection, presence, and meaning stay at the center.
Mountains, waterfalls, Airbnbs, private properties, and small venues can all be incredible — but they each come with real-world logistics. We help shape the plan so the place supports the experience instead of complicating it.
We do not expect you to show up with the perfect place already chosen. We help you clarify what you want, then find the setting that supports it.
StoryBright gives you a different path: an outdoor wedding experience that is personal, fully guided, and intentionally designed from the ground up.
Most wedding options ask you to choose between two compromises.
We start with how you want the experience to feel, then help shape the location, timeline, logistics, guest flow, and photography around that — so your wedding feels like yours without you having to carry it all alone.
You bring the feeling.
We help shape the path.
From location guidance and timeline design to logistics, day-of support, and photography, every StoryBright experience is built to help you feel calm, present, and fully supported.
Documentary, storytelling, and cinematic. There’s nothing like seeing the movement of your day and hearing your spoken vows to experience your day all over again!
Highlights Film (videography upgrade)
Opt for a gorgeous heirloom in our handcrafted albums, personally designed just for you. These are made in the US and come with a lifetime guarantee!
Handcrafted Albums (upgrade)
Your online gallery makes it simple to download, share, favorite, and order professional prints directly..
Easy downloads, sharing, and prints
Your final gallery is designed to help you relive the whole experience — the place, the people, the emotion, and the quiet in-between moments.
A story-driven gallery
You don’t have to know what to do in front of the camera. We create a relaxed environment where you can be yourselves, while we guide just enough to make it feel easy.
Natural direction when you need it
We know when to gently guide and when to step back — preserving the real emotion, movement, and atmosphere as it naturally unfolds.
Candid moments, perfectly timed
Photography That Feels Like You
Your planning is led by Mark and Carolyn from the beginning. On the wedding day, you’ll be supported by us or by one of our trusted StoryBright team photographers, with the same calm, thoughtful approach guiding the experience.
A trusted team guiding the experience
From keeping vendors aligned to helping guests know where to go, we quietly manage the moving pieces so you are not carrying the day.
Proactive, behind-the-scenes management
We build timelines with enough breathing room for the day to unfold naturally — whether that means a heartfelt pause, a family moment, or an unexpected pocket of quiet together.
Space for moments that matter
Calm Day-of Guidance So You Can Be Fully Present
Our planning guide brings together what we’ve learned from over 100 elopements and intimate weddings — from travel tips and packing lists to timing, ceremony ideas, and practical next steps.
The StoryBright Planning Guide
Weather, timing, access, crowds, guest needs, and backup plans all matter. We rely on real experience from over 100 elopements and intimate weddings to help you avoid surprises.
Real-world expertise for the unexpected
From hair and makeup artists to private chefs, florists, guides, and local experiences, we connect you with the right people and resources so you don’t get lost in research.
Tailored local recommendations
We keep the moving pieces organized with clear planning steps, thoughtful communication, and a process that helps you make decisions without getting buried in details.
A calm, organized planning process
We turn the world of possibilities into a clear plan — helping you understand the locations, timing, logistics, and pacing that make your experience feel natural.
Clear experience flow
As a boutique husband-and-wife team, we work directly with you to shape your experience. You won’t be passed around or left waiting — you’ll have steady, personal guidance from people who know your story.
1:1 Personal Support by Mark & Carolyn
Your Dedicated Planning Partners
We’ve done the work to find unique places that can actually support intimate outdoor weddings — from event-friendly Airbnbs and specialty lodging to small venues and private properties. We help you find what fits instead of starting from scratch.
Vetted venue, Airbnb, and property guidance
We turn scattered ideas into an intentional plan — helping shape the flow, pacing, logistics, and emotional feel of the experience.
Guided planning with a purpose
Skip the endless Google searches and Pinterest rabbit holes. From scenic outdoor spaces to Airbnbs, small venues, and private properties, we help narrow the options to places that actually fit your vision.
Expertly curated location recommendations
No idea where to start? We’ll help turn your vague ideas into a wedding experience that feels personal, grounded, and fully your own.
We help shape your vision into something real
Your Custom-Designed Wedding Experience
Which feels like you?
Choose the Experience that feels like what you're imagining
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Elopement
Intimate WEdding
Destination
You don’t need to know exactly which one fits before reaching out. Most couples come to us with a feeling, a few ideas, or a sense of what they don’t want. We’ll help shape the right path from there.
Starting at $6,000
Best fit for:
See what this can look like, including real examples and FAQs:
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Starting at $7,500
Best fit for:
See what this can look like, including real examples and FAQs:
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Starting at $10,000
Best fit for:
See how this option can expand either an elopement or intimate wedding into a larger destination experience.
Renewing our vows in Glacier National Park
Psalm 95:4-5
Mark & Carolyn
❤️🙏
We’re Mark and Carolyn—the husband-and-wife team behind StoryBright.
From the very beginning, we’re personally involved in shaping your experience—helping you find clarity of vision, design your day, and confidently move through every decision with calm, steady support.
Couples often describe us as calming, reassuring, and like old friends—and that sense of care is something we intentionally bring into every step of the process.
Experience a fully supported, meaningful day that is created just for you — with a team who feels familiar and caring.
We’ll be taking care of you every step of the way.
Mary & Brian — Sunrise elopement in the Blue Ridge Mountains
“We honestly felt like we were spending the day with old friends.
Mark and Carolyn didn’t just document our elopement — they brought an incredible warmth and joy that made our day truly unforgettable.
We felt completely cared for and completely at peace.”
The Team Supporting Your Day
StoryBright is led by us, Mark & Carolyn, alongside a small, trusted team that includes Rebekah and Sara—photographers who share our approach and care deeply about creating meaningful, grounded experiences.
We personally shape and support every elopement from the very beginning—helping design your day, build your timeline, and ensure every detail is aligned with your vision.
From the start, we thoughtfully match you with the photographer who is the best fit for your day—whether that’s us as a husband-and-wife team, Rebekah, or Sara.
You’ll meet your photographer early in the process, so by the time your wedding day arrives, everything feels familiar, aligned, and fully supported.
No matter who is capturing your day, your experience is created and cared for as a unified whole—guided by the same intention, process, and standard we bring to every couple we serve.
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Press play to watch!
Watch this completely unscripted testimonial to find out:
While we LOVE the outdoors, the reality of getting married in far off places means you have to do without some of the comforts of a traditional wedding venue.
Or do you?
For most* of our elopements, our van comes along for the ride. This means you'll always have:
A private place to change.
A clean restroom at the ready.
Need to shower? Got you covered.
Want to keep your picnic cold? Use our fridge.
Getting cold out and need to warm up? Let's turn on the heat and make some coffee for you.
We really mean it when we say we're here to show you an amazing time!
Meet Our Van: The ultimate Elopement support vehicle.
Included when you book with Mark & Carolyn!*
*Our van cannot make it to some off-road destinations. Exclusions may apply.
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Whether you’re dreaming of a quiet outdoor elopement, an intimate wedding with loved ones, or a destination experience built around meaningful time together, share what's on your heart.
We’ll help shape the rest.
Start by filling out the inquiry form—whether your ideas are fully formed or just beginning to take shape.
We’ll explore your vision, talk through possibilities, and help you begin shaping a direction that feels true to you.
From there, we’ll design and support your fully personalized experience—bringing together all the elements in a way that feels natural, intentional, and effortless.
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Share your vision
Connect on your planning consult
Begin creating your experience
Psalm 95:4-5
Mark & Carolyn
❤️🙏
