Art-inspired documentary photographer specializing in elopements and intimate weddings. Straying from traditional posing, instead capturing candid moments to create lifelong mementos.
Serving The Triangle, The Triad, Western NC, and The Coast & Outer Banks
My journey to becoming an elopement vendor began with me and my partner’s wedding. We’re both very shy and reserved people, and were having some anxiety at the idea of being the center of attention standing up in front of everyone we knew. We decided on eloping at the local courthouse, and then having a small gathering of 40 people to celebrate later. This took a lot of pressure off us and allowed us to commemorate our relationship privately, having a special day for just the two of us.
As a photographer, I knew that these types of intimate moments were what I really wanted to capture. I love when couples break away from tradition and choose to celebrate their love in the way that is most meaningful to them.
My goal with photography has always been to tell a story. With the weddings I capture I want them to reflect the story of the couple, to really show their authentic relationship. I want to hear your love story and help bring it to life. There are two sides to storytelling (and by extension photography): the creative and the technical. You might be surprised to hear of my background in Mathematics. I might come off as a nerd by saying this, but I think math is it’s own artform; it requires so much creativity to problem solve, and it can paint a picture of the world around us through data and equations. These same principles I use in math are ones I bring to my photography, merging together the creative and the technical. There’s a layer of problem-solving that I think some people don’t realize, of figuring out what story I am telling, of how I’m going to accomplish that, and what tools I will use. I try to keep all that in mind every time I pick up my camera.
I love working with couples who love nature, animals, and each other, are a little silly, and are looking to have a relaxed day where they get to focus on each other and celebrating their relationship. I’m rather shy and not the type of photographer to be in the middle of everything or directing every person how to pose. I’m more in the background, though I do give a little direction here and there. I appreciate that my style is not for everyone; some people need that direction and prefer a more editorialized style.
A: Stephanie Vidr, Owner and photographer
A: I have 3 cats. I love animals and would adopt every dog, cat, ferret, chicken, pig that needed a home if I could.
Q: What is your favorite thing about elopements?
A: My favorite thing about elopements is their intimacy and relaxed nature. Couples get to have a day for themselves, celebrating their relationship in the way that is most meaningful for them, without the stress of planning or trying to please other people.
A: Part of my bucket list is to visit every national park, as an extension of that it would be amazing to photograph a wedding in each park! A girl can dream..
Q: Tell us about your favorite elopement!
A: One of my favorite elopements I’ve been lucky enough to capture was at the Orange County Courthouse in Hillsborough NC. Since they do the ceremony outside, they were able to have their dogs (who are very important to them) be a part of the ceremony. I love when couples are able to include their pets since they are such a big part of their life, and getting to play with puppies is always nice.
“Highly recommend! Vidr Photography was amazing to work with for our summer wedding! Stephanie was easy going and understanding of our wedding style (small size, games, karaoke, casual food/drinks) and the types of candid photos we were hoping for. She took some of my absolute favorite pictures and got them back to us in a very reasonable amount of time. I love that she not only got great images of the people and activities we completed but also of the venue! I’m glad I’ll have these pictures to look back on forever.” -Lindsay and Nathan
