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 documented
17
years since I bought my first camera
10+
years photographing couples in love
Behind Wild Coast Photography is someone you can count on to
Capture candid smiles and in-between moments that let you see your true selves in your photos
Offer an extra set of helping hands when you can’t reach buttons on the back of your dress
Remind you to pause and take a deep breath in moments when time feels like it’s moving too fast
Provide expert insight into locations and dates, and to make suggestions that are best for your goals
Connect you with other vendors (florists, makeup artists, etc.) who are the best in the business
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.
“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
My Promises to You
Why me? There are hundreds of photographers you can choose from—but I hold certain values that directly result in a truly epic, personalized experience for each of my couples.
This is a safe space for you to be YOU!
Empathy + Intersectionality
I firmly believe environmental & social justice are linked—if I care so much for this planet then I must also care for people. I believe my choices impact others on a social, political & economic scale & a deep awareness of privilege is necessary to ensure my actions have a positive impact. We all succeed when we all succeed.
Inclusion + Activism
All backgrounds, identities, sexualities & personalities are welcome here. The only thing we are intolerant of is intolerance. We are body positive, believe Black Lives Matter, no human is illegal, healthcare is a human right & love is love. We’ll fight for your right to exist as your most authentic self in a just world.
Separation of church & marriage
I believe in the separation of church & marriage—your reasons for celebrating are your own & we won’t be injecting any rhetoric. Whatever spiritual or religious label you hold (or don’t) is none of my business & the most important traditions are the ones you choose to incorporate into your life & your relationship.
Environmentalism + Animal Rights
Leave No Trace ethics apply. I like to believe we’re going through life leaving places better than we came, so that means cleaning up outdoors. Everyone deserves access to spaces they feel wild & free. I really mean everyone—I disagree with the commodification of animals for sport or entertainment & will not photograph instances of racing, hunting or fishing.
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!
Why do I love small, intentional weddings so much?
Because we eloped too!
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!
More about me:
I know how important choosing your photographer is and I’m so grateful to be invited to your wedding as a vendor! You’ve curated your guest list based on friends & family you know well and want to hang out with all day, so I think it’s only fair you get to know your vendors as well!
Favorite Author: Stephen King
Favorite TV Show: The Haunting of Bly Manor
Favorite Meal: Pad Thai
Ennigram Type: One, The Reformer
Favorite Activity: Any long-form travel (road trips, backpacking & bike tours)
Favorite City (Home Edition): Bellingham, WA
Favorite City (Travel Edition): El Chalten, Argentina
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.
“Wild Coast Photography strives to assist in the cultivation of, and artfully capture, a wedding experience as entirely authentic to the individual marriers as it is respectful and caring of the natural environment we work in.”
— my business motto