*James and Medhini read each other handwritten vows during their outdoor elopement.*

There are a lot of things I expected when I showed up to photograph Medhini and James' wedding weekend.

A beautiful waterfront house? Yep.

An intimate celebration with their closest family and friends? Absolutely.

A full-blown murder mystery party where guests argued passionately (and in some cases, with very convincing accents) over who committed the crime? Yes, although I was pleasantly surprised by how into it everyone was.

A tropical storm? Less than ideal…

But I wouldn't have changed a thing.

Their wedding weekend was one of the most creative, thoughtful, joy-filled celebrations I've ever been lucky enough to photograph. Every part of it felt intentional. Not because it followed a checklist of wedding traditions, but because it reflected exactly who Medhini and James are.

It All Started Before Sunrise

I actually met up with Medhini and James months before their wedding for engagement photos in Washington, D.C.

I am not a morning person. Like... at all.

Setting my alarm for 5:30am so I could spend thirty minutes walking through the freezing National Mall while questioning every life decision that brought me to this point wasn’t on my bucket list.

And yet... As I was standing there watching the sun come up, I remember thinking, "Okay. This was SO worth it."

We met at Tidal Basin just as the city was waking up. The air was cold, the paths were almost empty, and the sunrise behind the Jefferson Memorial honestly looked like something out of a movie.

Medhini and James told me they weren't really "photo people." (I hear this all the time.) But they wanted to document this chapter of their lives in the city where they had fallen in love and built a home together.

During that session we couldn’t stop laughing, and we (almost) forgot how cold it was.

When I look back at those photos now, they feel like a fairy tale. In fact, one of my favorite photos from that session has strong Princess Bride vibes.

Fast Forward to Wedding Weekend

A few months later they invited me back to photograph their intimate wedding weekend on the Maryland coast. Well, one of their weddings. They had already held a large celebration in Bangalore, India.

But their Maryland wedding was something completely different. Smaller. More intimate.

About fifty of their closest friends and family gathered in a beautiful waterfront rental house for not just one wedding day but an entire weekend together. And it was EPIC.

A Murder Mystery Welcome Party

The festivities officially kicked off the night before the wedding itself with a murder mystery party.

Yes. A full-blown murder mystery party.

Guests arrived in costume, mingled around the house, and fully committed to their characters. Then Medhini and James split everyone into groups and explained the storyline.

I don't know what impressed me more… The elaborate costumes or the fact that almost all of the guests committed so fully to their roles that they spoke in accents the entire evening.

By the end of the night, everyone was shouting out accusations and eating pizza. It was absolute chaos (in the best way possible).

It felt less like attending a wedding event and more like spending the weekend with a group of old friends.

The Wedding Morning... Featuring the Rugby World Cup and Tropical Storm Ophelia

Wedding mornings usually have a certain rhythm: hair, makeup, coffee, a bit of happy and nervous energy.

This one also included the Rugby World Cup.

James' family is Irish, so naturally everyone gathered around the television to watch Ireland play while the morning slowly unfolded.

Honestly, I can't imagine a better way to start their wedding day.

*Not your typical wedding morning activity.*

Then there was Tropical Storm Ophelia.

Remember that?

At one point the wind was so strong that a cup sitting by an open window blew over and shattered while everyone was getting ready. I still remember James, half-dressed for his wedding, calmly vacuuming broken glass off the bathroom floor.

Not exactly something you plan for on your wedding day. But everyone rolled with it, because that's what the whole weekend was about. Not perfection… but being together.

The Most Important Wedding Guest

*Eloping during a tropical storm? Epic.*

Eventually the rain eased up just enough that we decided to go for it.

The ceremony took place outside on the dock overlooking the water. The wind was still VERY strong. Everyone was huddled together under umbrellas or raincoats. But it was absolute perfection.

Both sets of parents watched proudly as Medhini and James read handwritten vows to each other, surrounded by the people who meant the most to them.

And of course, their sweet pup Belle was there as the Guest of Honor. She had been part of their story long before I ever met them. She was with them before the engagement, before the wedding. She was family and she was so loved, tottering around in her adorable little cowgirl skirt/diaper, happily accepting her role as guest of honor.

A few months after the wedding, Belle passed away. And I know those photographs mean even more than anyone realized that weekend.

The Best Kind of Reception

The weather eventually chased us back inside. But none of us minded.

Speeches were given in the living room while everyone squeezed together to listen. The cake was cut in a very crowded and very chaotic kitchen. Oh, and it was Medhini’s sister’s birthday so there was a birthday cake too!

And then someone turned off the lights, the music got louder, and the whole house became a dance floor. One big group of people who loved this couple, celebrating together.

A Wedding That Could Only Belong to Them

One of my favorite things about Medhini and James' wedding is that almost none of it felt traditional.

They built a weekend around the things they loved: meaningful time with family, murder mystery games, rugby, handwritten vows, and their beloved fur baby.

They weren't trying to create the wedding they thought they were supposed to have. Instead, they created a wedding that felt like them.

And that is the kind of wedding people remember.

Not because everything went perfectly, but because every decision reflected who they were and what makes their love story special.

If you're planning an intimate wedding or micro wedding and wondering whether it's okay to throw out the rulebook a little, let this be your sign to host the murder mystery, invite your dog, watch rugby on your wedding morning, dance in the living room.

These are always my favorite weddings to photograph. Be bold enough to build a wedding that tells your story, not anybody else’s.