Meet Mallory Fahey

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Mallory Fahey. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Mallory below.

Mallory, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.

Being in a creative industry such as photography means that I’m always striving to keep what I capture fresh, new and invigorating (for the client, but also for myself!) as to avoid burnout or stale work. I’m fortunate to do most of my photography outside in nature, which is the short and sweet answer to this question. I frequently turn to the natural world to inspire me. I consider myself a slow mover in the outdoors and I think that helps me notice things that I might not have if I was on a vigorous hike or a bike. I’ll be on a trail walking and stop for a moment to investigate how the sunlight is coming through the trees to hit the undergrowth in a certain way or the breeze moving tall grass in a beautiful pattern or a mule deer just so in between trees.
Moments and observations such as these really breathe creativity into my work through attempting to replicate the lighting, the movement, the framing I absorb out in nature. Not to mention that taking a technology break and rooting myself back with the Earth recharges me in a completely different way too! For me, I continue to feel creative by slowing down and observing what the natural world has to offer.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

My name is Mallory Fahey (she/her) and I run Castlehouse Videography – an elopement photography, videography, and planning business where we help curate and capture couple’s special day outside. Based in Boulder, Colorado we travel all over the state with the opportunity to capture some extremely epic love stories and couples out in the wild saying their “I do’s”! Couples we work with typically pick a place in Colorado and an activity that is authentic to them to include on their elopement day which really makes the day incredible.
We’ve captured couples snowboarding in their wedding clothes, tying the knot with their dogs as witness, eating cake in the morning at an alpine lake– whatever the couple would like to do we are ready to help bring it to life and capture the priceless moments that come with it! Being able to be outside in beautiful places with people that are in love and so full of joy is absolutely the most special part. The lightheartedness and magic are always palpable when we are out capturing elopements. It’s unlike anything I’ve experienced and I feel so grateful that it is what I get to do as my job.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

For me, it was a big learning curve of owning my own business, having such a creative job, and managing it all. An invaluable skill I quickly realized was going to be the key for owning your own business is time management. When first launching, it can truly be all consuming, but finding a balance of what needs to be done was critical for me. Also, being your own boss means you make your own schedule a lot of the time so ensuring you are working the right amount to be successful (in whatever capacity that looks like to you). First starting out, it’s critical to work as much on your business as in your business– for us at Castlehouse this means not only planning and capturing elopements, but building out our website or creating content that reflects us as a business.
Another skill that proves to be vital in today’s day and age is content creation. Of course, as a photographer I am constantly capturing moments and events. But to turn the images into content for the internet is a completely different beast. Social media and its trends evolve so quickly; it can be hard to keep up! For us at Castlehouse, it’s been lots of trial and error and being intentional about remaining rooted in our values as a company… as well as bring the vibes!
Maybe a cliche or basic answer here, but communication remains a huge skill I continue to hone for my work at Castlehouse. I’ve learned quite a bit about the way I communicate and how it impacts couples choosing to book with us for their elopement or not. Whether that’s our language on our website, our emails, or calls with our clients, the way I choose to communicate is a skill I’m constantly shaping and developing. I find it feels best to be authentically me when communicating (lots of !!), professional enough so my clients know they can trust us to do a stellar job, and always with lots of held space for collaboration opportunities with our couples.
My advice to folks who are early in their journey of building something is to be so kind to yourself. You’re not going to learn everything all at once and execute it all perfectly the first time. It’s okay to try something and find out it might not work the way you want it to. There’s a lesson learned and you can tweak or regroup from that point. Make mistakes! Take a risk or two! Try something different– you’ll find the most success in remaining positive with yourself and what you learn from your experiences and adding layers to them. You got this!

Tell us what your ideal client would be like?

Castlehouse Videography’s ideal client is a couple who is looking to have a nontraditional wedding ceremony outside, ready to be authentically themselves on their big day, and knows how to have fun. Something we love about the couples we work with is how go with the flow and open minded they each seem to be – something that plays a role in any adventure! If dogs are coming with them then that is definitely added bonus points!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.castlehousevideography.com/
• Instagram: @castlehousevideography
• Youtube: @coloradoelopementvideography
• Other: Pinterest: Castlehousevideography

Image Credits

Portrait of Mallory: Roo Smith
All other photos & graphic: Mallory Fahey