Welcome to the Arrowhead Photography Blog | Wedding & Family Photographer in Waterloo, Iowa!

Welcome to the Arrowhead Photography blog! I'm so excited to finally have a space to share more of the weddings, families, and adventures I get to photograph here in the Cedar Valley.

I figured my very first blog post should be a little introduction of the woman behind the camera! So, hey there! I'm Marrissa and I have been photographing weddings in Waterloo & Cedar Falls (and surrounding areas) since 2019.

Here's my husband, Mike, and myself with our wedding party on our wedding day! We celebrated on a chilly but sunny March day in 2017 at the Rotary Reserve in Cedar Falls, IA. It was one of the best days ever!

• Why I love photographing weddings:

  • I knew after second shooting my first wedding in 2019 that it was exactly what I wanted my main focus of photography to be! The excitement of each wedding day, the love, the emotion, the chaos, the wild and crazy shenanigans that happen - I love all of it! I love getting to celebrate and document the love story of two people and getting a first row seat to their best day ever.

• My style:

  • Editing style - I like to edit as close to true to color as possible with a touch of warmth. I want you to be able to relive and remember the day as it was.

  • Posing style - I love both candid and formal posing and truly see the value in both styles - so with me, you get both! I usually start with prompted candid shots and then work our way into those more formal 'smile and look at the camera' shots because it's easier to do those once you have loosened up, relaxed a little, and feel more confident.

  • Personality style - I try to keep all sessions (including wedding days) as laid back and fun as possible. There's a chance you and your partner may already be nervous being in front of a camera so it's my job to put you at ease and show you how great you really look! It's my favorite thing to hear from the guys is "this was actually really fun!" when we are finishing up a session. That's my goal every.single.time.

• My connection to the Cedar Valley:

  • I was born and raised right here in Waterloo! I technically lived South of Hudson near a tiny town called Eagle Center - but our gravel road was technically Waterloo.

  • I graduated from Hudson High School. I graduated from Hawkeye Comm College with a degree in Human Resources and then also graduated from Upper Iowa University with a Bachelors in Human Resources. While I loved working in that field, it didn't leave a lot of room for being creative so in 2018, I bought my first 'expensive camera' and taught myself everything I needed to start photographing families and weddings.

  • I met my husband while working at Menards and we married in 2017. I convinced him that Waterloo/Cedar Falls was the place to be, so we bought a house and settled down. I see myself always living in the Cedar Valley but a tiny part of me wishes we lived in the mountains of Wyoming... maybe someday haha

What can you expect from my blog posts:

• Wedding day content including some Behind the Scenes (BTS)

• Engagement sessions

• Family sessions

• Photography tips

• Favorite wedding venues in and around Cedar Falls & Waterloo

• Favorite wedding vendors in and around Cedar Falls & Waterloo

• Let me know if there is anything YOU want to see on the blog!

Here's some of my favorite photos of me!

I am working on my National Parks bucket list and checked off Saguaro National Park in December 2025.

Of course I set up the tripod and camera and took our own pictures while we were there!

Speaking of National Parks - I also checked off Big Bend National Park in January 2026 with my brother and sister!

Big Bend is located in the far Southwest side of Texas and is pretty remote but wow were the views and hiking worth it. Even in the middle of January!

Okay, one last National Park picture - I visited Zion National Park (Southwest end of Utah) in April 2025 and it is hands down my favorite National Park... so far!

The views were out of this world. The wildlife was so fun. ZNP is so fun that I am already planning a trip back with friends in September.

Anyway, that's it for now!

If you're planning a wedding or looking to book a session in Cedar Falls/Waterloo or anywhere in Iowa (or beyond), I would love to connect with you!

Contact me here!