So thankful you are here!
Hi, We're Tom & Jennifer
We're the married duo that makes up Tree of Life Photos & Films. We love LOVE! We’re a mushy and passionate couple. We actually got into the wedding industry after we received our own wedding film and photos. We remember what it was like searching for a wedding cinematographer and a wedding photographer that created something that not only moved us but also reflected the personality of the couple. We wanted something that would be “us” and specifically created for us. And now, that’s exactly what we do…
We are extremely passionate about what we do. We want to get to know you and build a friendship prior to your elopement day. This is one of the most important moments of your life and we are honored to be a part of it with you. Also, we like to help you in the elopement planning process by referring awesome vendors that we trust and have worked with before. We also work with you on creating your elopement day timeline so that it's as stress-free as possible.
We love capturing all of the little and big moments throughout your elopement day. Our approach for both elopement and intimate wedding photography and videography is very candid. Our main goal is to get you both to focus on one another and just get lost into each other eyes and embrace. Some of our couples are very comfortable with this and they just do their thing. Some of our couples like to have a little more direction, which we are happy to give. We don't do any stiff type of posing or restrict you from being human, so don't worry! haha! We might just ask you to recall a specific moment together, or ask you some questions to get you thinking about your loved one. Or we might say something off the wall or ask you do do something goofy to break that ice. As long as we get you laughing and being yourselves, then we'll be all good.
Every couple is unique. Every elopement day is different.
That’s why we approach each elopement day with a new artistic vision…creating a unique, authentic, and heartfelt story.
Meet Your Elopement Photographers
Tom Mattera
Tom is an award winning filmmaker with a background studying film and media arts. He is a co-director of 2 feature films which were distributed worldwide through companies including Sony, iTunes & Amazon. His first film received favorable reviews in Variety and The Hollywood Reporter and he worked with Academy Award Winner Cloris Leachman and Tara Reid in his second film as a co-director.
Jennifer Mattera
Jennifer is an award winning photographer with a background studying fine art, photography, web/graphic design, marketing and experience working with advertising agencies.
We love LOVE! And here are some other things we love:
Our Fav Movies
Our FavTravel Spots
The Fountain (this was a actually a huge inspiration for our company name), Contact, Cast Away, The Family Man, Serendipity, Her, Arrival, Memento, Interstellar & Dirty Dancing (Who doesn't like this one? haha!)
joshua Tree, Alstrom Point, Zion National Park, Iceland, Sedona
Our Fav Music
Nothing makes US happier than
The Cure, Arcade Fire, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Bob Marley, The Ravonettes, Fleet Foxes, Ryan Adams, My Morning Jacket,
LorD Huron, Sigur Ros, Tori Amos
Hiking in Nature, Enjoying A beautiful sunset & Each other :)
Our Fav Beer
Other Loves
Belgian Beer – one of our favorites is St. Benardus 12
cats, bike rides, reclaimed wood anything, Trader Joe’s sriracha bbq sauce
Elopements are a way for you to escape the stress and production of a traditional wedding and strip everything down to the core--It’s all about you two and your love. It’s your moment. This is where you can relax, breathe and truly just be yourselves. This is where you get to have the experience of a lifetime!
We love traveling and going on adventures together ourselves. It's one of our favorite things to do. It makes us feel so alive. We love it so much that we want to do it for you too. We enjoy creating a comfortable environment and helping you plan and experience something amazing.
We are artists at heart and it brings us so much happiness and fulfillment to be able to go on these adventures with you and capture memories to look back on for the rest of your lives.
Why we photograph & film Elopements
