Southwest Missouri Elopement Photographer for the people who love out loud
...BUT MAKE IT WEIRD.
EDITORIAL-ish Elopement
Photography
The wedding industry loves a good formula. Pretty, Pinterest-perfect grins. Normal bridal party. Beige color palettes. Pampas grass, probably. Dinner at 6:30. The wedding industry looooooves the kind of love that’s quiet, pretty, and easy to market.
But if you’re here, I’m guessing that’s not you. I may not know you yet, but I can guess you got the kind of love that doesn’t wait to be invited in. The kind that lingers in the doorway, shows up unannounced, makes itself at home, and never asks for permission to exist. It just does. You share a gravitational connection with your lover that pulls you across crowded rooms and cracks open quiet moments like a Pabst Blue Ribbon.
(AND THAT'S OKAY!)
Actually? It's encouraged!
It’s not about forcing anything or making it look perfect; it’s about catching what’s already there. We're talkin' the genuine sparks, the calm pauses, the honest bits that usually get missed. And when it’s all done, you’ll have more than photos. You’ll have pieces of a day that felt exactly like you.
leave the normal weddings to the normal people.
The wedding industry loves a good formula. Pretty, Pinterest-perfect grins. Normal bridal party. Beige color palettes. Pampas grass, probably. Dinner at 6:30. The wedding industry looooooves the kind of love that’s quiet, pretty, and easy to market.
But if you’re here, I’m guessing that’s not you. I may not know you yet, but I can guess you got the kind of love that doesn’t wait to be invited in. The kind that lingers in the doorway, shows up unannounced, makes itself at home, and never asks for permission to exist. It just does. You share a gravitational connection with your lover that pulls you across crowded rooms and cracks open quiet moments like a Pabst Blue Ribbon.
(AND THAT'S OKAY!)
Actually? It's encouraged!
It’s not about forcing anything or making it look perfect; it’s about catching what’s already there—the genuine sparks, the calm pauses, the honest bits that usually get missed. And when it’s all done, you’ll have more than photos—you’ll have pieces of a day that felt exactly like you.
+ Off-the-Wall
+ Bizarre
+ Creative
+ An Elder Emo
+ Edgy
+ Different
+ An Outcast
+ Queer
+BIPOC
+Weird as fuck
...YOU BELONG HERE.
if
you are...
You’ve been looking for a photographer who gets your weird. You’ve scrolled past 47 identical “TiMeLeSs & AuThEnTiC LoVe sToRieS” and wondered if you’d have to settle. You don’t. You’re here now, and you can, in fact, have it all.
I’m Chelsea. I grew up on a dirt road in the deep trenches of the Ozarks, feeling like a total alien in my tiny town of 700. That weird, broke kid who everyone kinda avoided because being different wasn’t exactly popular. But blah blah blah, it made me who I am today. I cuss. I joke. I wear weird shit. And my superpower is making sure you feel like the coolest version of yourself in front of my lens.
I’ve always been drawn to the kind of folks who don’t shrink themselves. Naturally, that spills into my work. I gravitate toward the kind of love that leaves marks on people and has a visible aura emanating from it. That’s who I photograph: people who love out loud. People who don’t shrink their love, who hold hands tight, and who choose each other endlessly.
If you feel that too, maybe we should talk.
Do anything other than whatever the hell you want!
Invite your whole fucking family
tone yourself down for ayyyyone or annnyything
Have a religious ceremony
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO....
take it from me, bESTIE. it's your day.
We can't recommend Chelsea enough to everyone looking for their dream wedding photographer.
We had a lot of trouble finding a photographer that we felt would capture our vibe. That fear was put aside working with Chelsea. She is so funny and does an awesome job putting you at ease.
Our wedding was so magical, and thanks to Chelsea we will get to relive the magic exactly how we remember it, every time we look at the photos she took.
xoxo,
The Schmidtkes
CLICK TO READ
Kind Words from my favorite OUTCASTS
- STEVEN + ALLISON
"My husband and I are music loving, kinda punk, moody and wear-too-much -black kinda people and that has shone in all our photos."
- CIERA + LAUREN
"Don't hesitate, don't wait another second, book with Chelsea. Not only did she put us completely at ease, but we felt like we were taking photos with a friend (with a really good camera) and that sort of dynamic really comes through. Can't recommend her enough!"
- SOPHIE
"One of the most talented good time gals I know. She will make you look cool as hell!"
Alright, bestie, if your love turns heads the second you walk into a room, we’re already on the saaaaame page.
This isn’t gonna be about playing nice or doing what you’re “supposed to.” YOUR day is gonna be about showing up and taking up some SPACE. SO! If you're done pretending and going through the motions of what wedding/elopement planning "should" be, and you're ready to show da fuck up for yourself and your love, let’s hop right to it! Tell me everything! I'm ready to party!!!
Let’s make this SHIT
