Savannah Herr & Greg Herr shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Savannah & Greg, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What is a normal day like for you right now?
Right now we’re in our off-season — our busy months in Colorado run June through October — so our days look pretty different than they do in peak elopement season. We’re spending most of our time finishing up the remaining 2025 galleries and tying up loose ends from the year. And since we actually have a little breathing room, we’re leaning back into the hobbies we barely get to touch during summer and fall: playing volleyball, throwing pottery, skiing, and rock climbing. It’s a nice mix of catching up and recharging before everything ramps up again.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
We’re Sav and Greg, the married photo + video team behind Authentic Collective. Our work is rooted in adventure, intentionality, and the belief that a wedding day should actually be exciting, not stressful.
After years of exploring Colorado’s mountains and helping couples plan meaningful elopements, we’ve become known for blending breathtaking landscapes with cinematic storytelling. Every season we take on a limited number of multi-day elopements so we can give each couple our full attention – from custom planning to documenting their day in a way that feels real and unposed.
We’re also building educational resources for photographers to help them market their business and succeed in this competitive space.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who taught you the most about work?
Honestly, I’m completely self taught. I (Sav) started my first business when I was really young selling products online, and I’ve never had a traditional 9-5. I’ve always had this innate drive to succeed and the resourcefulness to figure things out on my own – whether that meant hours of research or learning through hands-on experience. That mindset shaped everything about how we run Authentic Collective today.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
The fear that held me back the most was the idea of not being “ready enough” before taking the next step. For a long time, I felt like I needed more experience, more knowledge, or a more perfect plan before putting myself out there. Over time I realized that waiting for the perfect moment was actually the thing slowing me down – most of our biggest breakthroughs in business came from taking imperfect action and learning as we go.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
I think one of the biggest misconceptions in our industry is that there’s only one “right” way to get married or one “right” way to run a photography business. Couples are often told they need certain traditions or details when what really matters is choosing what feels true to them. On the business side, photographers are told they need to follow strict formulas or trends, but the most sustainable success we’ve found comes from leaning into what makes you different, not what makes you blend in.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
We’re absolutely doing what we were born to do. No one ever told us to take this path – we both carved our own way and built a life and business that feel aligned with who we are. We also really believe that staying in a job you don’t love is one of the biggest mistakes people make. You spend most of your life working, so it should be something you enjoy. That mindset has guided every decision we’ve made together as a couple and as business partners.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://authenticcollective.blog
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authenticcollectivephoto/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authenticcollective.blog/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@elopementphotographers/videos
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@elopementphotographers
