Heya, I'm Sam!
I'm all about living a life of
cozy comforts and wild adventures.
You know what I mean? Cozying up with my cats on a weeknight, followed by an impromptu camping trip with my hunny on the weekend is my kinda vibe.
When I’m not third-wheeling alongside rad couples or picking up a shift in the PICU, you can find me thrifting groovy outfits, sourcing equally groovy home decor, or delving into a new art form. But let’s be honest, I’m always down for an adventure (or cozying up on the couch to recoup).
Can We Vibe For A Second?
Washington Wedding and Elopement Photographer
Halfway through planning our 2022 wedding, my partner and I had an 'Ah-Ha' moment that changed not just our wedding plans- but my future career path. Deciding to ditch our 150+ guest wedding in a industrial warehouse space in Cleveland, OH was the first step to this crazy journey.
Our photo and video crew encouraged us to follow our hearts (and promised to follow us) as we took them on a weekend-long wedding extravaganza with all our favorite things in Colorado: Mountain scenery, AMAZING food, disco vibes, ~30 of our favorite people and a portrait session in Rocky Mountain National Park.
The freeing experience of doing whatever the heck we wanted for our wedding- and then seeing that experience transformed into art- inspired me to pick up my camera and dedicate myself to other couples dreaming of their own unique wedding adventures.
My Recipe for a Killer Wedding Weekend:
+Disco Dresses
+Aspen Leaves
+Good Beer
What's Your
Recipe?
Ready
To
Party?
Your wedding day is more than just one big to-do list. I want my couples to fully live in their wedding day; I believe the best wedding photos come through when you are able to be your authentic selves. You deserve to be fully immersed and present on your wedding day, right alongside your person.
Connecting with my couples and learning all the gushy, quirky details about them is such a joy. From how they spend their time together, to who is the little spoon on the couch, and even the way they are captivated when looking into each other’s eyes… It’s those moments and feelings that remain at the end of the day.
As your wedding photographer, I’m not here to showcase your love in an inauthentic, performative way. I am here to encourage you to live your wedding organically and wholeheartedly. While you can absolutely count on me to guide you through photos with prompts, think of me as a “fly on the wall.” My goal is to blend in, capture your moments — the big, the little, and the in-betweens — and allow you to embrace your best day ever.
I have two tuxedo cats, Nori- the great Land porpoise and Science
I started taking photos of my friends in highschool in vacant parking lots around our town
I am a Registered Nurse and began my career in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Nowadays, you can still find me in the hospital at least once a week.
I prefer a road trip with a bag of sour patch kids and a Mcdonald's vanilla iced coffee over any other mode of transportation
My husband and I often make mini-camp trips out of a wedding weekends and sleep in the tent box on the top of our big green subaru
The filthier, naughtier, and more disgusting a dirty martini can be, the better. six olives please!
- Jess and Patrick
"She truly went above and beyond what we expected, and our day would not have been so perfect without her. Simply can not recommend Wilder Photography enough!"
-Ryann and Brad
"Sam was the literal best! We love all of our photos and she was kind, professional, and a lot of fun to work with! She made our day memorable and we have a ton of photos to remember our big day!"
- Ellie and Emily
"She was so personable and made us feel at ease through the whole process. Our photos turned out amazingly candid thanks to her expertise."
