We recently connected with Andrea Doss and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Andrea, thanks for joining us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

Like many other creatives, I discovered an interest in photography when I was little. I got my first camera in high school, started practicing and learning, and eventually realized I wanted to make a career out of it. It took me some time to determine what I enjoyed photographing most, and after my first wedding at 19, I instantly knew working with couples was the right path for me. I photographed weddings for a few years and really enjoyed the couples I was working with, but I began to realize that photographing traditional weddings was leaving something lacking for me. While I absolutely loved my couples, I felt drawn to a more adventurous and intentional kind of celebration, which eventually led me to discover a passion for elopements. A lot of people don’t realize how different elopements and weddings really are, and it actually took me several years to grow into the knowledge and expertise that I felt it took to really take care of my eloping couples. I could see from the beginning being an elopement photographer was a lot more hands-on, and I didn’t want to jump into this new niche headfirst without knowing I could serve my couples with excellence and confidence. There are a couple of really incredible elopement photographer educators out there, so I started learning from them. I actually spent a total of about 2 years just soaking in every bit of information and education on elopement photography as I possibly could, and finally made the official transition announcement in December of 2021. I photographed my last few traditional weddings in 2022, and am now an elopement photographer full-time.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I really believe all couples deserve to have a wedding day they can look back on with joy. There are so many horror stories of couples having awful experiences on their wedding day, and it breaks my heart that such an important day can be tainted with bad memories. Elopements gained a lot of traction during the pandemic when people were forced to go smaller for their weddings, but the great thing is it’s more than just a trend. More and more couples are realizing they don’t have to do things the traditional way, and it’s such a freeing thing for couples who just don’t feel aligned with the “typical” wedding day. For people who are more introverted, really want to embrace nature in some way on their wedding day, and feel more connected to the idea of a day focused on memorable experiences, eloping is such a good fit. It gives couples the freedom to do things the way they want, without having to compromise on a single thing. It’s so incredibly fulfilling to watch a couple go from the beginning of their day to the end and be totally happy the whole time. They get to structure their day to be in complete alignment with the things they value, and it’s such a cool thing to witness.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

It may sound cliche, but I really care about my couples. For me, the vendor/client relationship is most beneficial to everyone involved when we have a good friendship going. Anything I can do to make my couples’ planning process as simple, straightforward, and stress-free as possible, I’m going to do. Planning an elopement can be a pretty involved process, and supporting my couples along every step of the way is what helps them cultivate an experience they can really enjoy not just on the day-of, but throughout the weeks and months leading up to their elopement. Watching them create a day that means something to them is the best feeling in the world, and I think it’s directly related to making sure they feel seen, valued, and loved.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

I’m always asking myself how I can serve my clients better. I have a specific process I follow to help my couples stay on track with planning their elopement so no detail goes unchecked and nobody falls through the cracks. Communicating through email and having great backend systems in place helps keep me organized so all the details are in one place, and any time I need to revisit something or help my couple address any hiccups in their planning, I have everything I need to get in touch quickly and help them figure out how to move forward. I believe that if someone has a good experience with something or someone, they’re always bound to come back for that sense of security and the knowledge they will be taken care of. It’s always my hope that my eloping couples will come back for a vow renewal a few years down the road not just for my sake, but because I really think everyone deserves to have beautiful memories associated with such important chapters in their lives.

Contact Info:

• Website: andreadossphoto.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/andreadossphoto