About Andrea + the Experience

Where storytelling, presence, and wild-hearted connection come together.

There are those who follow the well-worn path,
and those who hear the quiet howl from deep in the forest and follow it instead.

I’m Andrea: award-winning photographer, and Michigan elopement expert.

I live on the Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan’s wild Upper Peninsula, where Lake Superior sings, the northern lights dance, and the land remembers.

This place isn’t just where I live- it’s part of who I am. The mossy forests, the ever-changing lake, the ancient quiet you feel in your bones… it all finds its way into my work. I believe the land holds stories, and when we slow down enough to listen, it shares them.

My days are shaped by simple magic. Coffee in hand, animals underfoot. I share this life with my husband, Scott: my solid ground. We’ve been together forever (or at least it feels that way, in the best kind of way). Our daughter, Natalie, is my greatest teacher: wild, curious, deeply kind. We have 3 magical cats and a whippet, Apollo. My horse, Scarlett, lives nearby on a farm.

Our house is filled with herbs, books, and little altars of meaning: rocks, bones, foraged treasures. There’s always a candle burning and always a crystal within reach. From this place, I do my work.

I work with soul-led couples: nature-lovers, introverts, rebels, magic-makers, people who crave something beyond the expectations and performance of a “perfect” photo.

Because what I’ve learned, through my own elopement, through motherhood, through years of walking beside other humans in love, is that the most powerful moments are never the most polished.

They’re the ones where you feel them in your heart.
Where you let yourself be fully seen. Fully felt.
That’s what I help you create.
A day that reflects your truest selves.
A space where you can breathe easy.
Where presence matters more than perfection.
Where the magic isn’t staged, it just is.

let’s get to know each other → 

My own elopement story?

I was with my partner, Scott, for seven years before we eloped. We already had a daughter, a home, a full life, and zero interest in centerpieces or seating charts. What we craved was meaning. Simplicity. Something that felt like us.

So we hiked into the wilderness with our photographer and our officiant and said our vows in a breathtaking place with the wind as our witness. No audience. No timeline. Just love, nature, and presence.

That day changed everything. It showed me that weddings could be intentional, intimate, and full of meaning. And now, I help others create that same kind of magic in their own way.

I’m telling you this because I want other couples like us to experience those unforgettable moments in a wild and untamed place, where the focus is solely on you and your story, without any interference from others. If you like the idea of escaping to a magnificent natural setting, free from drama and expectations, where you can truly be yourself and have a fantastic and magical time, I understand and would be thrilled to help make it happen for both of you.

Im ready for a wedding that truly feels like me →

My Philosophy

I believe presence is everything.
In the end, it’s the memories that matter most.
Nature invites us to return to ourselves.

This is more than Just Pretty Pictures.

I love creating amazing photos, but for me, it’s never just about the images. It’s about how it felt. I believe presence is everything. I want you to remember how your heart felt, the look in your partner’s eyes, the laughter, the wind, the quiet. Because in the end, it’s the memories that matter most. And nature, in all her wild honesty, has a way of helping us slow down and pay attention.

This work is sacred to me.

Where the Magic Begins →

The soul behind the lens

I walk the line between worlds. Earth and spirit, seen and unseen.
These are some of the things I hold close:

  • I believe in listening to the land. I walk slowly in the woods, speak to trees, and thank the plants I forage.
  • I live in a 1800’s historical home surrounded by houseplants, books, herbs, family, and a couple of friendly ghosts.
  • I love music and am constantly either listening to it or humming a song that’s stuck in my head. I love pretty much all genres, but my go-to favorite is thrash or progressive metal. This surprises a lot of people.
  • I practice folk magic, herbalism, and shamanic journeying. I meditate daily to keep myself from spiraling into ADHD.
  • I’m obsessed with finding magic in the mundane.
  • I believe your elopement can be a sacred threshold. A spell. A memory that lives in your bones.

I would love to meet you somewhere in the wild and go exploring with you, or even just have a fire, some good drinks and stories.

If something in your heart is whispering this is it, follow that.

You don’t have to have it all figured out.
Just a feeling. A nudge. A spark of what if…
I’ll help with the rest.

I’m Ready When You Are →