Mark and Allison Stephens have been taking pictures for years, having started their photography business in Gold Sun Studios in 2013.
In 2018, Allison and Mark came to Clearwater and welcomed the Florida vibes. Florida life agrees with them. They also travel far and wide for destination wedding photography.
“My husband, Mark, has always been an avid photographer,” Allison said. “He introduced me to photography about 12 years ago. I had a passion for capturing people and moments. His passion was landscape. I started offering portrait sessions to friends, and it grew into a full-blown business.”
After living in the Tampa Bay area for a while, it seemed to the couple that everyone was a wedding and portrait photographer. “We needed a niche,” Allison said. “Mark became an ordained minister, and we put together elopement packages.”
They keep the price reasonable and take all the pressure off the couples as they come prepared with everything.
“We even file the marriage license for the bride and groom,” Allison said. “The elopements have been the highlight of our business. When COVID came about, many couples decided to elope and we were very busy. We love marrying couples of all ages, and we keep adding more and more options to our packages.”
All of their clients are so thankful that they provide these services, and they have a great time during their photo sessions.
“Seventy-five percent of them fly in from out of state and stay at the beach and get married by us,” Allison said. “The other 25 percent are our local clientele that meet us at the beach or often we come to their backyard or a nearby park to do the elopement. We’ve had great referrals from our clients, which is the best ‘thank you’ we can receive. We go all over the Tampa Bay area, including Brandon, for our elopements.”
If you would like to learn more about Gold Sun Studios and the photography packages it offers or if you’d like to take advantage of its elopement packages, you can visit its website at www.goldsunstudios.com or call 727-228-2163. Elopement packages start at just $500.