This session was shot by GMP founder and Principal Photographer Elizabeth Millar

Steven & Elancia’s Morning Elopement at the Volusia County Courthouse in Downtown DeLand

A wide, editorial shot of a bride and groom holding hands and walking across the sun-drenched grounds of the Volusia County Courthouse. The historic architecture and moss-draped trees create a timeless backdrop for this bright and airy elopement session.

There is something so steady and nostalgic about downtown DeLand in December. The holiday decorations return like an old friend—consistent, charming, and perfectly suited for a couple looking for that quintessential small-town vibe. On this particular December morning, the air was cool and crisp, greeted by a brilliant Florida sun.

Steven and Elancia began their morning with a quiet, subdued energy. There is a specific kind of beauty in those early, shy moments of an elopement—the soft exhales and the gentle way a couple holds space for one another before the world wakes up.

Newlyweds laughing and walking together past a large, decorated Christmas tree in Downtown DeLand. This joyful wedding portrait captures the bright morning light and festive small-town atmosphere of their December elopement.

Watching them come out of their shells was a joy. By the time we were walking past the Christmas trees downtown, that initial stillness had transformed into radiant, bubbly laughter. Seeing them lean into one another for those final intimate portraits by the fountain, I was reminded that the most intentional connections often start in the quietest of ways.

A romantic portrait of a bride and groom at the historic Volusia County Courthouse fountain in Downtown DeLand. The couple is bathed in bright, crisp morning sunlight with the classic courthouse architecture and teal dome in the background.

If you’ve followed my work at the Volusia County Courthouse, you know I have a deep affection for the fountain in front of the historic building. It is a cornerstone of my courthouse sessions because the light there is, quite simply, perfect at any hour but especially beautiful on this particular day.

For Steven and Elancia, the light was especially “crispy”—that bright, clean morning glow that made the teal dome of the courthouse and the festive green tinsel on the palms pop against the sky. It was the perfect holiday gift: a laid-back morning, a historic setting, and a love story that warmed up right along with the rising sun.