OUR STORY
HELLO, WE’RE MATT AND ASHLEY
Our story
We are Matt and Ashley … visual storytellers, husband and wife, parents to a miracle boy, animal obsessed, nature lovers, Airstream travelers, coffee drinkers, and passionate about living an intentional life.
We started in 2007 after completing a documentary about Matt's late Grandfather, Delbert. Delbert combined Matt's passion for movies with Ashley's love for family history. We talked nonstop about the project and before we knew it people were asking us to film their weddings.
We started small and simple, but with a clear vision of where we wanted to go. We still approach each project with the same excitement and passion as the first one. However, we now bring years of experience that can only be learned by immersing ourselves in other people’s stories. Hampton Road has given us experiences we never could have dreamed of and introduced us to the most amazing people!
Hampton Road allows us to not be "just a company" but to become invested in the lives of people and brands. A big "Thank You" is owed to all of our wonderful clients of the past, present, and future. They have allowed us to be able to have the best job in the world.
How We Met
We met the summer before our last year at Georgia Southern University. Matt was finishing up his mechanical engineering degree and I (Ashley) was finishing my masters in accounting. A group of mutual friends went camping on Jekyll Island, Georgia for the weekend and invited us. We hit it off immediately, but it was on a walk back to the campground from the pier when we really connected. I think it was mainly me being impressed with his headlamp!
Matt was sneaky and made sure we rode home in the same care together. Then a few days, later the same cute guy showed up on my doorstep and asked me on a date. Then, it just gets awkward, my dog runs off, I’m running late for work, the first date is 2 weeks later because of schedules, the time wasn’t communicated … like I said, awkward. But that’s just us, a little awkward and a little unconventional. The first date was so amazing, it just kept going. And it’s been going for almost 20 years. We also graduated from tent camping to Airstream camping.
Our Why
I’m emotional just thinking about how to put this into words. It’s so multifaceted and has changed and grown over the past 15 years. For me, Ashley, it’s because life is so full, we don’t have space to hold all of the memories. Moments you think you’ll never forget, get hazy as time passes. The things that were said, who was there, voices of those we love … all begin to fade. Looking back on videos and photos solidify those memories. My heart fills with joy knowing future generations get to see their parents, grandparents, and the people who mean the most to them at such a pivotal day in their lives. What a gift it would have been to see my grandparents like that.
Our “why” also expanded with the birth of our son in 2020. We want to give him the gift of valuing documenting family and life. We want to show him what it’s like to live a creative life. We want to share with him that you can impact the people around you and spread love and positivity.