julia + will eloped to the grand canyon and it was awesome.

Fact: Julia is one of my besties. A friend soul mate. We met teaching high school together six years ago, where we shared a cubicle and I would steal her pencils and lesson plans and the Girl Scout cookies that she kept stashed in her desk drawer. She shared (well, more like exceeded) my love of cupcakes, good grammar, sarcasm, funky jewelry, and nerdy wit. She has cool tattoos and crazy good style and somehow can spend the entire day running around in stilettos, which I just don’t understand. She is the most positive, warm and loving person I have ever met, ever.

And then there is is Will. Will is gentle, kind, gut-busting hilarious, and one of the best storytellers I’ve ever seen in action (he made me choke on pizza once). He is from Wyoming. He hunts and drives a manly truck, he can fix anything and is pretty much Julia’s opposite. He is the peanut butter to her jelly and I couldn’t imagine anyone else more perfect for her.

So, naturally, they have two of the best and funniest and cutest and nicest kiddos on the planet. And I’m not just saying that. You’ll see.

They decided to elope, just the four of them, during a family road trip back in June. On a freaking cliff in an isolated corner of the Grand Canyon. I flew to Arizona to document it. It was one of the best and coolest things I’ve ever photographed, and I’m so thankful to have been invited. There is something to be said for those who give the finger to the “traditional” wedding and do things their own way.

Basically I cried the whole time, so I’m pretty surprised that things were in focus.