Meet Bailee Ward of Wander Often Photography in Fort Collins

Today we’d like to introduce you to Bailee Ward.

Bailee, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I grew up in Helena, Montana and I remember always having a love of photography. I started out borrowing my mom’s camera whenever we would go anywhere and when she upgraded, she gave me the old one and I would take that with me on all of my adventures! I started out taking pictures of the landscape, particularly waterfalls. I loved mastering the milky smooth water look and it was so much fun being able to document the beauty that is Montana.

When I was taking photography classes in high school, I actually wanted to be a photographer for National Geographic, that was what I wanted to pursue when I graduated. However, I thought it wouldn’t be possible so I changed gears and went to school for Secondary English Education, though my love of photography never went away and I continued to practice with that same old camera my mom passed down to me!

After my husband and I got married in 2015, we left Utah and moved to Fort Collins, Colorado, where my husband is from. I started working as a dental surgeon assistant though the idea of photography never left my mind. When I would talk about it, I would always hear, “well, you know it’s super competitive” “don’t expect to be very busy” “so and so has been doing photography for x amount of years and doesn’t make very much.” It was pretty discouraging to hear, but I got to a point where I said to myself, “I don’t care about all of these reasons not to go for photography, I’m going to go for it because I love it and it is my passion. I am going to stop being afraid and start doing what I love!”

That is when I started doing free shoots and building my portfolio with that same old camera. I loved working with couples and I knew I wanted to get into wedding photography very early on, so I just went for it! When I decided that this is where I wanted to take my photography, my super supportive husband was always by my side with this, so much so that he encouraged me to upgrade my equipment and get the best, looking at my edits, listening to me rant and rave for hours about the amazing clients I have, and constantly cheering me on. His support really fueled my fire and I honestly cannot say that I would be where I am today if I didn’t have him. He is the best!

I started working for a wedding photography company out of Denver, that was an awesome opportunity and it was so helpful for my portfolio! I worked for this company for two wedding seasons while building my own brand and working as a full-time dental surgeon assistant. After photographing traditional weddings for two years, I discovered elopement weddings. Adventurous, intimate, unique, intentional… everything that I had ever wanted to photograph! I grew in the outdoors, mountain biking, skiing, camping, hiking, etc. The outdoors were apart of my identity and having adventures was second nature so when I found out that couples could combine adventure with their wedding? It felt like a perfect fit! I had no idea that this was even an option for couples, but after photographing my first elopement, I was hooked! Today, I am a full-time adventurous elopement and intimate wedding photographer who specializes in helping couples who are wild about each other and the places they explore together to plan and photograph their dream elopement wedding! I can honestly say that this is the best job in the entire world, it is so fulfilling and exactly where I want to be!

Has it been a smooth road?
Definitely not! I don’t think anything worth doing comes without a struggle of some kind but you just have to lean into them, learn from them, push through, and use them as a way to grow. One of the struggles that I have faced is the comparison game. I have had to remind myself that my journey is unique and I cannot compare it to someone else’s, that’s why I think it’s really important to compare your early images to where you are now, that is the real growth test. I think it’s also good to remember that owning your own business is a journey and to give yourself grace when things aren’t going exactly how you want them to go.

We’d love to hear more about your work.
I am an adventure elopement and intimate wedding photographer. I specialize in helping couples plan and photograph their elopement wedding, which is a pretty big honor! It is one of my favorite things when a couple comes to me looking for advice on where to elope, what activities to plan, vendor recommendations, and so much more. Being an elopement photographer is kinda like being a wedding planner, day-of coordinator, timeline creator, tour guide, and photographer, all wrapped into one person. I love it! It is also a huge honor to be the photographer of an elopement because it is very likely that it is will be just the couple and me and that is one of the biggest privileges. It is so special to be invited into that space. I would say that I am known for my authentic look. I try to capture the couple in the element as opposed to stiff, awkward posing. I try to create a safe space that allows the couple to be unapologetically them.

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I think the elopement industry is absolutely booming right now. I mean, just five years ago opting for an adventurous elopement wedding was not really a thing but today it’s such a buzz word, especially because of the impact that Covid19 has had on larger weddings. There are so many couples who have been affected by Covid19 and have chosen to keep their original wedding date by eloping and opting for a larger party when they are able to. It’s been really amazing to watch how the narrative of eloping has changed, even in the last year. It no longer means running away in secret but instead choosing to get married in a way that is much more authentic to the couple. I really feel like we’re seeing this amazing shift from large, expensive weddings to more intentional elopements with no signs of slowing down and I love it!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.wanderoftenphotography.com
• Instagram: @wanderoftenphotography

Image Credit:
Wander Often Photography

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