About Us
The creatives behind the art
Learn a bit about the people behind the camera.
Every single one of us is incredibly passionate about our work! With a combined experience of over 45 years working in the wedding and photography industries, we are experts in documenting love in all forms.
Your Story, Our Lens, Timeless Memories
We are a close-knit team of creatives committed to making your project experience effortless and enjoyable! Whether that's a wedding, portrait session, or branding shoot, we bring the same level of professionalism and fun to every shoot. Each of us brings unique strengths, creating a harmonious blend of talents that ensures every moment is captured perfectly. When we're not photographing weddings, you'll find us exploring the beautiful landscapes of British Columbia, always seeking inspiration for our next adventure
Who We Are
At Wander West Photography, we're passionate about capturing life's most precious moments in a way that's natural, candid, and timeless. Inspired by a love for preserving memories and meeting new people, our team brings over 45 years of combined experience to each session or event we photograph. We each personally know how it feels to be camera-shy, and make it our mission to ensure you feel comfortable and confident throughout the entire time working with us. Like we're your friends, not just photographers!
Your story deserves to be told with authenticity, and we're here to make that happen.
We are a team-based photography company, which means we have the capacity to document more weddings each year without compromising on quality. Our team has been working together for years, and each member is a highly vetted and trained professional. When you choose us, you’ll be working with a dedicated lead photographer who brings passion and expertise to every part of your event, ensuring your wedding day is captured beautifully from start to finish.
But who will I be working with?
Tristen, the founder of Wander West, is the primary photographer and creative behind our projects! As much as she would love to be at every wedding we book there are sometimes overlapping events and the schedules don't always align. Team members are assigned depending on our schedules and the demands of the project. While she covers the vast majority of our projects we do offer other lead photographers when she is unavailable or if you are looking for a discounted service! You will always be told ahead of time who the primary photographer is for your project. Having a trusted team also allows us to plan for emergencies that may prevent Tristen or another team member from being with you for your project. That way we always have a backup and someone will be with you no matter what! In previous years Wander West has been more of a solo business, with the growing demand (especially for popular summer dates!) we have built a team of trusted and professional creatives to allow for more availability. We want to be able to accommodate you even if Tristen isn't available! If you are curious about weddings led by other team members, reach out and we can send you examples of their work with us. You can also find their websites below for their own photography companies! If their styles are more like what you are looking for don't hesitate to reach out and start planning with them as well. We are all about community over competition here are Wander West! Not only do we want to ensure you find the perfect creative, but we also want us each to succeed in an industry that can feel very competitive.
All weddings you see on this site have been taken by a variety of team members! We also have unofficial members who work on and off with us who are amazing. Tom, Mariah, Jessica, and Sarah have been essential creatives to the success and growth of Wander West, having each documented weddings and events with and for us when we are already booked!
Regardless of who you have with you on your day, we guarantee the same level of quality, care, and creativity will be put into documenting your day! Also, all photos are edited by Tristen, our lead photographer and the found of Wander West. To ensure you get that signature luxury, true-to-life coloring of our brand.
We know having a creative team isn't too common in the industry. Our collective years of experience, team-orientated attitudes, and unique creative perspectives give us the upper edge in curating the perfect photography experience just for you.
Still unsure if a team is right for you?
We aren't the first photography company to operate this way and most certainly won't be the last! Check out amazing and established teams like Adventure Instead in the States or Purple Tree Photography out of Toronto who have been operating as teams for many years. Tristen was heavily inspired by Maddie's team of adventurous spirits on the Adventure Instead team when she first started Wander West and always wanted to have a team of fun, loving creatives herself! Kaitie and Stephanie are perfect additions to the Wander West team not only for their unique creative perspectives but our professional goals align as well. "We have been building up to this since the company first launched, and I think now is the perfect time to go all in on being an official creative team!" - Tristen The amount of weddings we do has only increased each year, and there really is only so much one creative can get done! There is so much that goes into running a wedding photography company that most clients or people don't see. It's not just showing up, taking the photos, then calling it a day.
say hello to the wander west team!
TRISTEN MACMILLAN
Founder & Lead Photographer
Hey there! I'm Tristen, the founder of Wander West.
I have always had a soft spot for touching moments, I believe that is why I love photographing weddings and elopements so much. There is so much raw emotion I always end up crying at every single one! I just love seeing people being so happy.
Exploring is also something I am passionate about, which is why no wedding destination is out of bounds for me (my dream destination wedding to shoot would be Antarctica, wouldn't that be such a cool location?! - pun intended lol). My life goal is to visit as many countries as I possibly can. I may not have had the opportunity to see the majority of the world as of today, but I know someday I will have seen it all!
I love capturing weddings because it's a day when you and your best friend promise to be with each other until your last breath, and that is truly beautiful. Which is why the whole day should be about you both! I'm here to help make your big day the best day ever by not only being your photographer, but by lending a hand if things get stressful, helping you make decisions, and being your personal guide throughout the whole day.
STEPHANIE JONES
Lead & SECOND SHOOTER
I’m Stephanie, a Vancouver, BC-based Boudoir and Wedding photographer. I moved to the beautiful Vancouver Island from the UK around 4 years ago where my love of travel photography inspired me to move into portraiture and wedding photography.
I believe in capturing the little things resulting in a style that tells the unscripted story of your wedding day with all the details, big and small. My relaxed approach will allow you to take a deep breath and really enjoy the moment!
My absolute favorite part of photographing weddings is capturing the intimate moments between friends and families that can sometimes be missed in amongst all of the excitement! It's these little moments that make up all the fun throughout the day, and they deserve to be documented and remembered!
KAITIE ZEILSTRA
SECOND SHOOTER, Second Video, & Content Creator
Hi friends! I'm Kaitie, I'm a Vancouver Island-based portrait and boudoir photographer and the owner of KZ Photography.
I have been in the industry for around 12 years now. I started out in video and moved to photography after finding my passion for portraits. Within the last few years I've fallen in love with boudoir photography, and the empowerment it brings to those I photograph. I have experience with large weddings but have moved to smaller, more intimate weddings as I love capturing the raw emotion between couples.
My goal is to make sure you are feeling comfortable and safe at all times, and most importantly that you are having fun! My approach is to document those candid moments, the hugs, the tears, the sneaky kisses and those little moments you may forget down the road.