Documentary Series

2007-present day

Mormon Couples

The Mormon Couples Project began in 2007 while I was a BFA student at Brigham Young University–Idaho. At the time I was completing my studies unmarried and quietly feeling as though I had failed at accomplishing one of the unspoken tasks expected during those years at university: getting married. Out of my own confusion about my single status, I felt compelled to turn my lens inward and explore an aspect of the culture in which I was raised.

At universities like BYU–Idaho and BYU–Provo, marriage and family often become central parts of student life much earlier than at most American universities. Young couples frequently begin married life while still completing their education, stepping into family life before the security of finished degrees or established careers.

This project documents young married Mormon couples who were still students at the time the photographs were made. Each couple had been married five years or less and was photographed within their own home environment in BYU–Idaho approved married housing. Through these portraits I hoped to capture small glimpses of their personalities, relationships, and the beginnings of families in the making.

In a culture where marriage is believed to be an eternal covenant, it is meaningful to witness the determination and faith with which these young couples step into the commitments of marriage and family life.

I am currently revisiting this project and intend to create a follow-up series with any couples willing to participate, returning years later to witness how these early marriages and families have grown and changed over time.