Meet Andria Edlund

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Andria Edlund. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Andria , we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

Finding my purpose wasn’t one big “aha” moment. It was a slow unfolding through a lot of different seasons.

For a long time, I didn’t really know what I was meant to do. I’ve always been someone who works hard and jumps in wherever I’m needed, but for years, that didn’t feel like purpose. It just felt like survival. When I became a mom, something shifted. Suddenly, life felt both fuller and more confusing. I loved my boys so deeply, but I also realized I’d lost touch with the parts of me that dreamed and created just for the joy of it.

That’s when photography came in. What started as taking pictures of my kids while we traveled slowly became something more. I began to see that this wasn’t just about photos. It was about connection, about slowing time down long enough to see the beauty right in front of us.

Over time, that passion grew into a business, and that business started shaping me just as much as I shaped it. I learned that purpose isn’t about finding the perfect path. It’s about showing up fully in the one you’re on.

For me, purpose looks like serving people through creativity, empathy, and presence. It’s helping couples feel seen and celebrated on one of the most meaningful days of their lives. It’s creating space for beauty, even when life feels messy.

I didn’t find my purpose all at once. I grew into it. And honestly, I think that’s the most freeing thing about it. Purpose isn’t something you chase. It’s something you live into, one honest step at a time.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I’m a wedding photographer based in Utah who believes that photos should feel as real and full of life as the people in them. My team and I serve couples across Utah, Colorado, Alaska, and beyond — capturing the kind of images that remind you not just what your day looked like, but what it felt like.

What makes my work special is how personal it is. Every couple’s story is different, and I approach each wedding with the goal of truly understanding who they are and what matters most to them. Whether that’s a quiet first look on a mountaintop or a packed dance floor surrounded by family, I want every photo to feel like them.

What excites me most about this work is the connection — the way photography allows people to see themselves through someone else’s eyes. I think that’s powerful.

Right now, our brand is growing in a few exciting directions. We’re expanding our travel weddings to include more destination locations, launching helpful resources for couples who want to plan meaningful and stress-free days, and continuing to grow our blog, which brings together stories and insights from all sides of the wedding industry.

At the end of the day, my work is about service — creating a calm, joy-filled experience where my couples can be fully present, knowing their memories are being cared for.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Looking back, I think the three things that shaped my journey the most were resilience, curiosity, and empathy.

Resilience came from living through seasons that didn’t make sense at the time — the setbacks, the learning curves, the slow seasons. Photography (and honestly, business in general) will test you. There are moments that can make you question your purpose, but every one of those moments taught me to keep showing up anyway. The clients who were meant for me always found me on the other side of that perseverance.

Curiosity has been my quiet superpower. I never stopped asking why. Why did that image feel different? Why did that client connect with that post? Why does this business feel aligned while another one doesn’t? Staying curious keeps me learning and growing without comparison — it allows creativity to stay alive.

And empathy — that’s probably the heart of everything I do. Understanding people, reading the room, knowing when to step in and when to give space. Those moments of genuine connection are what make my images feel alive.

For anyone early in their journey, my advice is this:

Let resilience be built slowly — through doing hard things, not avoiding them.

Feed your curiosity with community, books, and honest questions.

And protect your empathy. Don’t let busyness or comparison numb it. That’s where your creative edge lives.

The most meaningful growth often happens quietly, long before anyone else sees it.

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

Looking back, I think the three things that shaped my journey the most were resilience, curiosity, and empathy.

Resilience came from living through seasons that didn’t make sense at the time — the setbacks, the learning curves, the slow seasons. Photography (and honestly, business in general) will test you. There are moments that can make you question your purpose, but every one of those moments taught me to keep showing up anyway. The clients who were meant for me always found me on the other side of that perseverance.

Curiosity has been my quiet superpower. I never stopped asking why. Why did that image feel different? Why did that client connect with that post? Why does this business feel aligned while another one doesn’t? Staying curious keeps me learning and growing without comparison — it allows creativity to stay alive.

And empathy — that’s probably the heart of everything I do. Understanding people, reading the room, knowing when to step in and when to give space. Those moments of genuine connection are what make my images feel alive.

For anyone early in their journey, my advice is this:

Let resilience be built slowly — through doing hard things, not avoiding them.

Feed your curiosity with community, books, and honest questions.

And protect your empathy. Don’t let busyness or comparison numb it. That’s where your creative edge lives.

The most meaningful growth often happens quietly, long before anyone else sees it.

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