About Wade Snider · Truckee + Lake Tahoe documentary wedding photographer
Hi. I'm Wade.
I don't do fake laughs.
I'm a documentary wedding photographer based in Truckee, California, and I've been photographing Lake Tahoe weddings since 2010. I came up shooting news and landscapes. Nobody poses for the newspaper, and the mountains don't wait for you. Same rules apply here.
From news and landscape photography to Lake Tahoe weddings
The short version.
I came up shooting news and landscapes. News taught me that moments don't happen twice. No retakes, no “can you do that again, but happier?” You read the room, see it coming and you're already in the right spot. Landscapes taught me the other half: waiting hours for light that lasts about four minutes, and knowing exactly where to stand when it shows up.
A wedding needs both. Your dad's face during the toast. Your grandma deciding she's dancing after all. The alpenglow on the mountain behind you that nobody else noticed because they were all crying. I've spent every season since 2010 catching that stuff at weddings around Lake Tahoe: Palisades Tahoe, the Ritz-Carlton, Everline, backyards in Truckee. Plus plenty of places a long way from Truckee. Napa, Maui, Yosemite, a cliff in Montana.
I still shoot for Moonshine Ink, our local paper. Mostly bears, traffic and the occasional rainbow over Donner Lake. Off the clock I'm surfing, mountain biking or somewhere in the backcountry. My favorite place on earth is my van, with my dog and my cat. They're terrible assistants.
Okay, the sincere part
Your wedding is one of the only days everyone you love is in the same place at the same time. I take that seriously. I want you to look at these photos in forty years and feel the room again. That's the job.
My documentary wedding photography approach
How I actually work.
Show up early.
Getting ready is where half the good stuff happens. Nervous laughs, the dress that won't zip, your best friend crying before anyone's even dressed. I'm there for all of it.
Stay out of the way.
No hovering. No running your timeline like a drill sergeant. One couple called me a firefly with a camera. I'll take it.
Step in when it helps.
Family photos need someone running the list. Couple portraits need good light and something real to do. I handle both, quickly, then disappear again before anyone gets stiff.
Edit like it's film.
Honest color inspired by Portra, Fuji and Agfa, and I bring real film cameras too. No AI. No trendy presets that'll look embarrassing in five years. Every wedding gets edited one at a time.
Real moments from real Lake Tahoe weddings
Stuff I didn't stage.
Wedding, elopement, engagement + commercial photography
What I shoot.
Weddings + elopements
Full weddings, tiny elopements, destination weddings. Lake Tahoe, Napa, the Bay Area, Maui and wherever else you're brave enough to get married. Two people or two hundred, same approach.
See the portfolio
Engagements + portraits
Engagement sessions, couples portraits, bridal shoots. Relaxed and unposed. Also a solid way to find out I'm not weird before the wedding. Mostly not weird.
See an engagement session
Commercial + brand
Products, interiors, lifestyle and brand work around the Bay Area, Lake Tahoe and Santa Cruz. Same eye. Fewer bouquets.
See commercial work★★★★★ 5.0 on Google
“He pulled us away for some golden hour and did so in a way that felt like he stopped time. It was like no one realized we were missing.”
Lake Tahoe wedding photographer FAQ
Questions people actually ask.
What is your wedding photography style?
Documentary first, film-inspired. Natural light, honest color, real moments. I edit your photos to look the way the day felt, and to still look right when your grandkids find them.
Do you shoot film or digital?
Both. My digital edit is inspired by Portra, Fuji and Agfa film stocks, and I also shoot actual film on a few different cameras. Yes, I'm that guy.
Do you use natural light or flash?
Mostly natural light. I work with whatever light is there and bring flash when the room needs it, like a dark reception hall at 10pm.
Do you use AI to edit my photos?
No. Every wedding is edited individually. No AI, no batch presets, no robot deciding what your mom's skin should look like.
What's it like having you at our wedding?
Relaxed. I'm calm, I'm present and I don't hover. You'll know I'm there when you need me and forget about me the rest of the time. That's the goal.
How much will you direct or pose us?
Just enough that you never feel lost. A nudge into better light, something to do with your hands. Never a stiff pose you'll cringe at later.
Can we see a full wedding gallery?
Yes. Ask and I'll send you a complete wedding, start to finish, so you can see the whole day and not just my twenty favorite frames.
Do you photograph LGBTQ+ weddings?
Yes, the same way I photograph every wedding. Your day, your people, no assumptions about who stands where.
How many photos do we get, and how fast?
Around 100 edited images per hour of coverage. I'll give you a clear delivery timeline before you book, so nobody's refreshing their inbox for months.
Do you offer wedding video?
Yes, a special moments package. For $1,500 I set up a fixed camera with audio for your ceremony, first dance and speeches. Additional moments are $350 each.
Can you recommend Lake Tahoe wedding venues?
Yes. I've photographed most of the major venues around Lake Tahoe and I have opinions. My venue guides break them down honestly.
Do you travel for weddings?
All the time. Napa, the Bay Area, Maui, Yosemite, Arizona, Montana. I'll lay out travel details before you book. No surprise fees.
Do you photograph elopements?
Yes. Two people on a mountain or two hundred in a ballroom, same approach. Elopements are honestly some of my favorite days.
How do we book you?
Send your date and venue through the contact page. I'll confirm I'm free and we'll figure out if we're a fit. No sales pitch. I'm genuinely bad at those.
Your turn
Tell me about your wedding.
Send your date and venue. I'll tell you if I'm free and we'll see if we're a fit. No sales pitch. I'm genuinely bad at those.
Check availability