Meet Your Photographer
Hi! I’m Jenn, a Bellingham-based wedding & elopement photographer who firmly believes getting your photo taken should be fun!
You deserve to work with someone who makes you feel confident and beautiful. Someone who never forgets your experience is even more important than the photos.
100+
weddings & elopements photographed
I went full-time in 2021 after photographing dozens of weddings & each year is better than the last.
18
years since I got my first “professional” camera
My dad got me a refurbished Canon Rebel XSi for $200 & I immediately learned everything I could.
10+
years experience planning & photographing couples outdoors
I planned my first adventurous engagement session in 2014 & it’s been a wild ride ever since.
5/7
continents explored—Australia & Antarctica to go
I love to travel & while I do enjoy destination bookings, I only take on 1 or 2 intl. elopements annually.
25
weddings & elopements booked each year
I limit my annual bookings to 25 so that I have all the time and energy necessary to devote to my clients.
This could be you
Why choose Wild Coast over another photographer…
You have a lot of photographers to choose from, many of whom produce comparable high-quality work—with Wild Coast you get beautiful images, plus an experience that is truly unique.
I truly believe my purpose in life is to help other people feel empowered, confident, and beautiful.
When I started thinking about my own wedding, I was thoroughly appalled by two things—being the center of attention, and being stuck inside on a beautiful day. Thankfully, my photography background and Instagram feed had already shown me we didn’t have to choose a traditional church wedding.
My own wedding showed me how important it is to feel supported by your photographer.
My husband and I invited only a dozen people out to our desert camping wedding—it was crucial we booked a photographer who could match the vibes of such a tight-knit group. I realized quickly I appreciated getting to know her on a personal level, and how my photographer’s energy contributed to how I felt in front of the camera.
My photography journey began as a photojournalist—I was taught to hide myself, my energy, and to blend into the background while I documented the stories taking place in front of me. I often lean into that documentary-style, but I also believe that with the right intention, I can show up as myself and enhance the experience of my couples.
My style is a mix of photojournalism & intentional experience curation.
I tell each of my couples, “I want you to get your gallery back & see a collection of images that remind you of your perfect experience. How you feel when a photo is taken is going to forever impact how those images make you feel when you look at them.
I want your wedding gallery to make you feel spectacular!”
By supporting you each step of the way, asking all the right questions throughout the planning process, and making sure you know you can tell me anything, I build a trust with my clients that creates a safe space for taking photos—no awkwardness, or discomfort.
I have been told again and again by past clients that what made me stand out, what made them hire Wild Coast for their wedding or elopement, is that I felt like the sort of person they could have fun hanging out with all day.
If you’re eloping, or planning a small outdoor wedding with only a few close friends or family, I recognize how special it is to be on that invitation list. You’ve curated a group of people who you feel support you 100%—I need to support you just as intentionally, just as thoughtfully, as the people who know you better than anyone.
No two weddings or elopements are exactly the same—your experience should be as unique as your relationship.
So I take a personalized approach to curating these weddings and elopements so each of my clients feels authentically represented, genuinely seen, and truly heard—you deserve more than wedding vendors who follow the same routine for each of their clients.
Wild Coast is the antidote to wedding planning fatigue—it’s the adventure of a lifetime!
Nice to meet you!
I’m Jenn, an outdoors wedding photographer based in Bellingham, Washington.
Nature is my inspiration—I love documenting couples who love adventure, whether that means getting married just the two of you on a mountaintop, or with close family at the beach.
My background in photography begins with what I can only call a childhood obsession with documenting what I loved. Birthday wish lists were topped with cameras—I got my first, used, DSLR when I was 14. I saved every penny from summer jobs to get the latest point-and-shoot, then spent weekends playing around with whatever free editing software I could access on my parents’ ancient desktop.
It’s your classic hobby-turned-career story. None of my 3 college degrees are in photography, my work history is all over the place, and yet somewhere along the way I realized a decade of hobby obsession was preparing me perfectly for this job! When I finally started Wild Coast, it was like all the experience I’d gathered doing a thousand other things fell into place. I’ve found my passion, and I feel so incredibly lucky to have done so.
A few other things unique to the Wild Coast experience—
Ordained
I can legally sign your marriage license—this comes in handy for two-person elopements, but it’s also a practical benefit if you want a family or friend to lead your ceremony who isn’t ordained.
Accessible
As the wife of an amputee, I am always thinking about accessible recreation. If you or your guests have mobility needs, I am familiar with finding places to accomodate.
Inclusive
All love is welcome and celebrated here! I believe relationships that go against the grain deserve extra support—as a queer photographer I emphasize that this is a safe space.
Agnostic
I believe in the separation of church & marriage—your reasons for celebrating are your own. Whatever spiritual or religious label you hold (or don’t) is none of my business.
LNT
Wild Coast is an intentionally sustainable business that follows Leave No Trace—I also offer guidance to couples incorporating sustainable practices into their wedding.
“Jenn is super organized, personable, easy going, flexible and makes the wedding photos process feel natural. I love how I never felt too posed and our photos turned out organic and candid and felt very “us.” — Brittni & Kody
Travel Schedule & Availability
I am based out of Bellingham, Washington. I adore this little corner of the Pacific Northwest and spend most of the year from here exploring the North Cascades, Mount Baker Wilderness, Olympic National Park, San Juan Islands, and Mount Rainier. However, I’m often traveling & can meet you along the way, or plan a trip to come & document your adventure wedding! Wherever in the world you want to say “I do,” I would LOVE to join you!
Upcoming Travel
Montana (June ‘25)
Wyoming (June ‘25)
Colorado (June. ‘25)
Utah (July. ‘25)
California (Sept. ‘25)
Vermont (Sept. ‘25)
New Mexico (Oct. ‘25)
Arizona (Nov. ‘25)
Don’t see your location listed above? No worries!
Don’t lose hope or assume I am already busy – schedules change & unless someone else has already claimed your set-in-stone date, I can probably make it happen!
When I say I’ve been in your shoes—I mean it!
Small untraditional outdoor weddings will always be my favorite!
Dillen & I were married July 2019 in a small ceremony deep in the California desert, photographed by the amazing Cedar & Pines. We invited a dozen friends & family to join us in our favorite place on Earth! We wanted to equally show them our love for each other & this place that meant everything to us. At this point I’d been photographing couples in love for a few years, but it was the act of planning my own celebration that really motivated me to focus my own business on authentic sustainability.
I believe weddings should be as unique as the couple getting married. Feel free to embrace traditions that align with your values, or throw out ones that don’t feel right for you. I’d like to help you craft a stress-free wedding experience, whether that’s on a mountaintop or in a little old church—your dream is worth it!
Your Questions—Answered
-
I have all my standard photograpahy packages listed on my pricing page of this website. The only other packages I offer are discounts for locations I'll be traveling to already, or custom packages when the standard offerings don't fit a couple's needs.
-
Yes! All my travel fees, hotel bookings & flights are included in the package pricing. The price you see is the price you pay, unless you’re requesting a custom quote.
-
I recently moved back to Bellingham, Washington after spending nearly three years in the southwest desert. Before that I lived full-time in a van traveling all over the US.
-
This depends on the type of photo package you choose & what your day ends up looking like. I'll curate your gallery to be a representation of your BEST images from the day—typically couples receive between 50-80 photos per hour documented.
-
I use a style of editing that I've developed from over a decade of photo-editing & photography experience. Your images will be consistent with the others you see on my page—colorful, a realistic portrayal of the environment & an accurate documentation of the "vibe" of your wedding. No two weddings will look exactly alike—lighting & the environment will change how things look, but ultimately what you see here is what you can expect.
-
I typically plan my travel schedule a year in advance. That said, I’ve been hired for adventure sessions & elopements with notice as short as 3 weeks, or as far as 14 months. I plan space into the schedule for last-minute bookings, so please reach out if you’re interested in hiring me for your adventure!
-
For practical reasons, I recommend keeping the guest count under 15 people. This rule applies well to general group restrictions already in place for wilderness areas. Less wild locations can handle more people.
-
Essentially, an 'elopement' is an alternative wedding celebration all about the couple getting married—involving fewer people, prioritizing their desires over other people's expectations & planning a day that aligns with their values.
-
A full day of coverage simply means that you'll receive a gallery that tells the full story! I'll document moments from the beginning to the end, but I won't physically be pushing the shutter all day—I'll also be hiking with you, exploring, fixing your hair or adjusting your attire. We'll be laughing, talking & hanging out—and when the moments are right, I'll take photos. But this is NOT an all-day photoshoot!
-
The term "guide" gets thrown around a lot in the photography industry. I will guide you toward best practices when you ask for our help, but I am not a certified guide. Outdoor industry professionals who are actual guides have gone through extensive training to earn that title—something I take very seriously.
-
Part of the booking process will be to decide if sunrise, sunset, or midday makes the most sense for your plans. Do you want the sun on the eastern mountains? Do you hate harsh light? Do you want to avoid rain at all costs? We will discuss all of these things. Taking photos outside comes with surprises. It is my job to know the landscape & give you a good idea of what will happen, and we can work together to prepare for everything else.
-
I can help you choose a location and build a day-of timeline. My extensive travels & map-reading skills can be utilized to help you find a truly unique place to share your vows. I can also recommend caterers, event planners, florists & other industry professionals to help you tackle all the little details.
-
Sustainability in the wedding industry is overlooked for a lot of reasons. First, we have been conditioned socially to believe celebrations are meant to be BIG frivolous affairs where we make "exceptions" for the sake of the party. By reducing waste, encouraging environmental stewardship at your venue, and setting an example for future sustainable weddings—you are ensuring that YOU directly protect the lands we love so much.
-
Nope! That is the simple answer. My personal experience playing in the outdoors directly correlates to my strengths taking photos of people outside in intimate settings. Those skills may not as obviously relate to weddings with 150+ people in attendance, but I promise they do.
