Tree of Life Films & Photos

About Tree of Life Films & Photos

Hi! We're Jennifer & Tom Mattera, an elopement photographer and videographer team, based in Las Vegas, Nevada and traveling all throughout Utah, Arizona and Southern California to document couples adventuring and in love.

We're originally from Pennsylvania and spent over 10 years capturing traditional weddings mainly on the East Coast. A few years ago, we visited Joshua Tree National Park for the first time where we shot an engagement session and we were hooked. We loved the experience so much that we planned a cross country road trip to see the National Parks in Southern Utah and fell in love with the American Southwest. It literally blew our minds! So much so that we and our 3 cats, Moosie, Lala & Elf moved across the country and landed in sunny Las Vegas!

Now, we are within driving distance to so many National Parks and endless epic locations, so we are up for adventure. There is something about the desert, the mountains, the desolate beauty that draws us in. We can't think of a better place to go on an adventure together and celebrate your love. This is where you share experiences and create memories. Imagine hiking as the sky starts to glow and saying your vows as the sun rises over the mountain. Or soaking in the last bits of sun as it sets in the endless desert.

Elopements are for you if you want 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.

We are big believers in keeping this experience authentic. The way to do that is for you to have everything planned out ahead of time so you can relax and enjoy the day. We'll help you along the way for location recommendations and permits. We'll help you schedule the day to make it a fun and chill experience. We're going to get to know you two really well so it feels like you're just hanging out with your friends, Jennifer & Tom on your elopement day. It's just us (not a big paparazzi team).

One of the best things we hear from our couples is that we made them feel really comfortable and that we brought a zen vibe to their wedding day. That is the best compliment that we could get as first and foremost to us is that you have an amazing experience. We also love that our relationship often continues beyond your wedding. Many of our couples bring us out for their anniversaries, vow renewals and family sessions. we're so grateful to get to be a part of our couples lives as the years go on.

From a photography and videography perspective, Jennifer is an award winning photographer with a background studying fine art, photography, web/graphic design and experience working with Advertising agencies. Tom is an award winning filmmaker and co-director of 2 feature films which were distributed worldwide. His first film received favorable reviews in Variety and The Hollywood Reporter and he worked with Cloris Leachman and Tara Reid in his second film.

Our approach is capturing genuine moments where you two are actually into each other and experiencing the amazing environment that you are in the middle of. We'll help you get there with prompts and direction (only as much as you would like or need). We make it fun, we play music - send us your playlist! We like to do whatever works for you. Once you're in the moment, we don't need to say much at all!

On the technical side, we like to prepare by scouting ahead of time for amazing light with epic backdrops. We are obsessed with shooting into the sun and lighting up your photos and videos with all of those magical sun flares. We like to go for a dreamy vibe, because that's how we feel when we are standing at the edge of the desert as the sun blazes just before it sets.

So if you're looking to adventure, elope and make a couple of new friends, hit us up! We'd love to hear from you!!