January 2011. Ryan played the trumpet and sang at our friend’s wedding. Alyssa made a gorgeous bridesmaid. We had been friends already and Alyssa had felt attraction, but for some reason the lightbulb finally went on for Ryan at this wedding! We distinctly remember our eyes meeting across the reception. Maybe it was because we were all dressed up. Or maybe the timing was just finally right. But either way, that’s how our love story begins! And it all started at a wedding.
January 2011. Ryan played the trumpet and sang at our friend’s wedding. Alyssa made a gorgeous bridesmaid. We had been friends already and Alyssa had felt attraction, but for some reason the lightbulb finally went on for Ryan at this wedding!
We distinctly remember our eyes meeting across the reception. Maybe it was because we were all dressed up. Or maybe the timing was just finally right. But either way, that’s how our love story begins! And it all started at a wedding.
November 2011. We sat on a blanket in the grass of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC and ate our picnic lunch. We talked about life and what it would be like for us in the future. Then Ryan got on one knee and made sure we would be spending it together forever! May 2012. We remember our “fist look” like it was yesterday. We couldn’t believe this was happening. We had no idea what amazing and terrifying things the future held, but we are so glad we met at the end of the aisle on May 25th!
November 2011. We sat on a blanket in the grass of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC and ate our picnic lunch. We talked about life and what it would be like for us in the future. Then Ryan got on one knee and made sure we would be spending
it together forever! May 2012. We remember our “fist look” like it was yesterday. We couldn’t believe this was happening. We had no idea what amazing and terrifying things the future held, but we are so glad we met at the end of the aisle on May 25th!
As newlyweds, we were just two kids trying to figure out what we wanted to do with our lives! Alyssa was working 4am to noon at Fox News. Ryan was working a 9-5 graphic design job at a small university. We saw each other for 2 hours a day. There had to be more to our calling! Then we photographed our first wedding together in October of 2012. We really had no idea what we were doing. But little did we know it was the start of something incredible!
As newlyweds, we were just two kids trying to figure out what we wanted to do with our lives! Alyssa was working 4am to noon at Fox News. Ryan was working a 9-5 graphic design job at a small university. We saw each other for 2 hours a
day. There had to be more to our calling! Then we photographed our first wedding together in October of 2012. We really had no idea what we were doing. But little did we know it was the start of something incredible!
December 2012. It was our first married Christmas. Ryan sent Alyssa on a scavenger hunt throughout the entire house looking for her present. She finally ended up opening the doors to the tv cabinet to find a blue leash! “Did you get us a puppy?!” Alyssa said through immediate tears. And a month later, our little baby Mia came through our front door for the first time! She instantly became one of our biggest joys in life! She likes chips, new toys and bubble wrap and we can’t imagine life without her.
December 2012. It was our first married Christmas. Ryan sent Alyssa on a scavenger hunt throughout the entire house looking for her present. She finally ended up opening the doors to the tv cabinet to find a blue leash! “Did you get us a puppy?!” Alyssa said
through immediate tears. And a month later, our little baby Mia came through our front door for the first time! She instantly became one of our biggest joys in life! She likes chips, new toys and bubble wrap and we can’t imagine life without her.
In 2013, we started meeting with wedding couples in our little starter home. It was the perfect house for the two of us, but with no space for our business, we had samples of our past couples all over the walls of our living room! We were driving to work one day and saw a sign for a new development down the road. And, shortly thereafter, we were in the process of building a home we love. A home that can support a marriage, family, business and a space for ministry to others!…and an energetic puppy!
In 2013, we started meeting with wedding couples in our little starter home. It was the perfect house for the two of us, but with no space for our business, we had samples of our past couples all over the walls of our living room! We were driving to work one day and saw
a sign for a new development down the road. And, shortly thereafter, we were in the process of building a home we love. A home that can support a marriage, family, business and a space for ministry to others!…and an energetic puppy!
As our business grew, it quickly became obvious that one of us was going to have to quit our job to keep up with everything we had to do: an exciting and yet extremely scary proposition for two young kids! We ran the numbers 100 times. Ryan created a powerpoint presentation showing the finance side and Alyssa cried tears of “I can’t believe this is actually possible!” And then one morning in December of 2013, we quit. Both of us. At the same time. We went from 2 jobs to 1 calling!
As our wedding photography business grew, it quickly became obvious that one of us was going to have to quit our job to keep up with everything we had to do: an exciting and yet extremely scary proposition for two young kids! We ran the numbers 100 times. Ryan
created a powerpoint presentation showing the finance side and Alyssa cried tears of “I can’t believe this is actually possible!” And then one morning in December of 2013, we quit. Both of us. At the same time. We went from 2 jobs to 1 calling!
On August 1st, 2019, our little boy Shiloh Hayes Nichols was born into the world. He completely opened up our hearts to understand true love even more! As wedding photographers, we get to see couples in love every day. But when your little baby boy grabs your finger for the first time and you realize that he is part of you, it changes the way you see love. We love our little Shiloh and we can't wait to see how he continues to grow and change our perspective in this incredible business of ours!
On August 1st, 2019, our little boy Shiloh Hayes Nichols was born into the world. He completely opened up our hearts to understand true love even more! As wedding photographers, we get to see couples in love every day. But when your little baby
boy grabs your finger for the first time and you realize that he is part of you, it changes the way you see love. We love our little Shiloh and we can't wait to see how he continues to grow and change our perspective in this incredible business of ours!
We have a saying that we repeat at least once a day without fail: “One day at a time, together.” Sometimes it’s said because we are under a heavy load and we feel like we couldn’t possibly do everything we are being asked to do. Sometimes we just say it just as a reminder to live each day like it’s the most important one of our lives. There are some exciting chapters still to be written in the Ryan & Alyssa Storybook, no doubt. But one thing’s for sure! We will be writing them one day at a time, together.
We have a saying that we repeat at least once a day without fail: “One day at a time, together.” Sometimes it’s said because we are under a heavy load and we feel like we couldn’t possibly do everything we are being asked to do. Sometimes we just say it just as a
reminder to live each day like it’s the most important one of our lives. There are some exciting chapters still to be written in the Ryan & Alyssa Storybook, no doubt. But one thing’s for sure! We will be writing them one day at a time, together.
Photograph a wedding in another country.
Visit every
continent.