THE MAEWOOD JOURNAL

Patrice and Chad Ellis

Real Weddings

November 21, 2020

Our favorite kind of love stories are the ones that break tradition—the journeys that don’t follow a script, but instead carve their own path, just like the one we witnessed during this Windmill Winery Elopement. Perhaps it’s because Michael and I didn’t follow a traditional path ourselves, so these stories resonate all the more deeply.

That’s why we were thrilled when Patrice Ellis reached out to share hers. Back in March, she and her husband Chad quietly exchanged vows at the courthouse, choosing simplicity and intimacy over fanfare. Now, they wanted wedding portraits to reflect the heart of what matters most: their love, their two boys, and their closest family members.

This week, we gathered at The Windmill Winery in Florence, Arizona, a place that holds charm, calm, and just the right amount of magic. As the sun dipped behind the lake house, I photographed the joy and connection between Patrice and Chad, while their sons—Cameron and Chadwick—danced beneath the drone overhead, laughter echoing across the golden hour light.

These are the kinds of moments that remind us what weddings are truly about: not the pageantry, but the people; not tradition for tradition’s sake, but the love that writes its own rules.

Congratulations to Patrice, Chad, and your beautiful family. Here’s to honoring love in all its forms—and to many joyful years ahead.