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About this vendor
Adventure wedding and elopement photographer based in Asheville, NC.
As your wedding photographer, we believe weddings are more than just a white dress and a killer party; they're full of real, raw, gorgeous emotion, and that emotion needs time and space to be felt. When you look through your wedding photos, we want you to remember what you were feeling and thinking when the photo was taken, rather than remember us taking the photo. We want your children, and your grandchildren, and your great-grandchildren to look at your photos and get a very real sense of who you are as a couple and how crazy in love you are. We're wedding photographers who care more about your emotions and your family legacy than getting the perfect shot. Your love is wild and passionate, and REAL and we want your wedding photos to reflect that.
Details
Business Attributes
- Veteran-owned Business
- Woman-owned Business
Destination Weddings
- Destination Wedding Packages
Photo Shoot Types
- Boudoir
- Bridal Portraits
- Day After Session
- Engagement
Photo & Video
- Digital Files
- Online Proofing
- Photo
- Printed Proofs
- Second Shooter Available
- Wedding Albums
Photo & Video Styles
- Documentary
Wedding Activities
- Getting Engaged
- Rehearsals & Parties
- After Party
- Wedding
- After Party
Awards and Affiliations
2023 'Best of Weddings'
Best of Weddings
The Knot independently assesses vendors for this award—it’s never self-reported. We base it on firsthand experiences from real couples and guests, and they must have a 4.5-star average across 7+ reviews in the qualifying year.
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Reviews
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5
out of 5.031 reviews
Review photos
Showing slide number 1 out of 8
Wilder Weddings was phenomenal. They went above and beyond to make our wedding an incredible day. If you want a photographer team thats ready for your adventure, Carolyn and Jake a...
re your people.
We planned our entire wedding from a few states away. We were hiring vendors we'd never met for a place we'd barely seen. We also weren't doing a simple one-day event. We had a full summer camp wedding weekend at Camp Pinnacle in Hendersonville, NC, with a lot of moving pieces. We needed a photographer who could handle all of it without us worrying and was down for every adventure we threw their way!
Carolyn and Jake nailed every detail. They helped us build a schedule, photo lists, and a plan for the weekend. They were helpful (and patient) with every question and made suggestions where we needed them. They even came out to Colorado for an engagement shoot ahead of time. We dragged them through miles of hiking, some scrambling, and long drives, and they were always cheerful, fun, and taking cute pictures!
Our wedding weekend was even better. The portraits were incredible, and they weren't afraid to strap on a climbing harness or a life jacket to get the perfect shot. We had sneak previews THE NEXT MORNING. Every one of the photos felt like us; they were beautiful, fun, and captured the joy of our day.
If you're looking for an Asheville or Western North Carolina wedding photographer, book Wilder Weddings. You won't regret it.
I cannot say enough wonderful things about working with Carolyn and Jake as our wedding photographers! From the very beginning, they were kind, professional, attentive, and incredi...
bly easy to work with. They made us feel comfortable in front of the camera, captured the most genuine moments, and somehow managed to document the entire day so beautifully without ever feeling intrusive or forced.
Our photos are everything we hoped for and more. They perfectly captured the joy, emotion, details, and atmosphere of our wedding day—looking through the gallery feels like reliving the entire day all over again.
Beyond the incredible talent, what stood out most was how calm, organized, thoughtful, and reassuring they were throughout the day and days following the wedding: My husband’s grandma (Mamaw) unexpectedly passed away just days after we got married, which means some of Mamaw’s last moments were captured on camera at the wedding. Carolyn went out of her way to hand-select every photo she took of Mamaw and send them to us as soon as she heard the news of her passing, along with the most heartfelt email extending her condolences.
All that to say—they are not only incredible photographers, but the most compassionate and incredible humans as well! You will be in fantastic hands with Wilder Wedding Co!
Wilder Weddings was the perfect fit for us for our wedding photos. I knew after we saw the pictures from our engagement session up at Craggy Gardens that our wedding pictures were ...
going to be amazing! Carolyn captured the romance, the beauty, the intimacy, and the fun in all of the big and small moments. ALL of the photos are just SO good, and we've had so many compliments on them! Carolyn gave the right amount of direction for us as a couple and for our family and friends as she corralled them for group shots - enough for us to feel comfortable, but not too much to feel stifled. We had a great experience with Wilder Weddings and I definitely recommend them!
We are so happy we chose Carolyn and Jake.
They take incredible photos and just know how to make your photos and your big day as fun as possible.
Carolyn and Jake were an absolute joy to work with! From the very first consultation call we had with Carolyn, we knew they were going to be the right fit for us. Capturing authent...
ic moments during our wedding was our top priority, and they delivered tenfold. Their kindness and warmth made the whole experience super comfortable and fun! My now husband and I are kind of awkward in front of the camera, but they were able to capture this and turn it into something beautiful. We even had several wedding guests tell us how awesome they were. Not to mention, Carolyn was super communicative, organized, and punctual the whole time. We got a few sneak peek wedding photos back the DAY of our wedding, and our full album was delivered within TWO weeks! Couldn't recommend Wilder Weddings enough. I wish I could get married again just so we can work with them again!
We loved working with Carolyn! From our engagement session to our wedding day, she captured every amazing moment. Even when it unexpectedly rained during our engagement shoot, she ...
not only made the most of the weather but generously offered us a reshoot in case we weren’t happy with how the pictures turned out.
On the wedding day, she was incredibly organized and helped keep our timeline on track without ever making things feel rushed. She gave clear direction when needed, but always kept things relaxed and fun. Carolyn has a gift for making you feel comfortable in front of the camera. Our photos look natural and candid rather than stiff or overly posed.
We also appreciated how responsive she was throughout the planning process (considering she was also navigating Hurricane Helene) and how quickly she delivered our full wedding gallery afterward. We can’t recommend her enough for any special occasion - you’ll be in amazing hands!
We truly could not be happier with our experience with Wilder Wedding Collective. Our photographer Caroline captured the most incredible moments (and lighting!) at both our engagem...
ent shoot and wedding. She also helped fix a dress mishap, and kept everyone sane during the preparation process. The communication and professionalism surround our wedding timeline and shot list was exceptional. If you are even considering this company, do not hesitate to book!
We loved working with Caroline and communicating with both Carolyn and Caroline leading up to our big day felt like talking with friends who eased our minds and set us up for a str...
ess free day! We found them after cancelling with a different photographer and had some reservations and they both settled our minds with ease! We’re from IL and had our wedding in Gatlinburg, so we planned from afar and weren’t able to come in early enough for an engagement shoot that was part of our package, they were kind enough to allow us to do it after the wedding and we were so thankful! We made shirts for our wedding weekend and wore them at the shoot which added another great memory to our wedding weekend! Caroline kept us light and fun during both days and allowed us to be ourselves in front of the camera. We love our photos and would book with them again if we’re back in the area!
My pictures came out AMAZING and it was so fun working with the photographers on wedding day. They did my sisters wedding before mine and as soon as I saw the pictures I knew I wan...
ted to hire them. They didn’t disappoint- many friends told us we had the best wedding photos they’ve ever seen - especially the dance floor photos which were important to us! Would highly recommend. They were also super flexible and did photos at rehearsal dinner instead of an engagement shoot!
Caroline was so professional and the photos turned out so stunning. She made us feel comfortable in front of the camera which is not easy.
We had a wonderful experience with Caroline and the Wilder Weddings Team that exceeded our expectations. Hiring a wedding photographer seemed like such a huge decision at a time wh...
en we were overwhelmed with vendor decisions. We looked at portfolios and had introduction calls with several photographers, but the Wilder Weddings team stood out on both fronts. We were thankful that their schedule became available for our special day.
Our photographer Caroline could not have been more professional and organized on our wedding day. Before the wedding, she perfectly captured the moment while we leisurely got ready. I’m not terribly comfortable with having my picture taken all day long, but we were very comfortable with Caroline. I was impressed with how efficient she flowed through our family pictures—it was a breeze. We were thrilled with the final pictures of our wedding, reception and engagement session. What stood out the most was how perfect Caroline captured the candid moments of everyone in attendance that we couldn’t be witness to at the time. I was unsure about having someone—essentially a stranger—party to and directing us on our most special day, but by the end of our scheduled time we commented how much we enjoyed her company, quickly felt like a friend.
Carolyn and Jake of Wilder Weddings Collective were an absolute dream to work with. We are not people who are naturally comfortable in front of cameras but they did such a good job...
of making us feel relaxed about it that we barely thought about it on our wedding day. Not only did we LOVE our photos, which we haven’t stopped looking at since they were given to us but Carolyn was so organised and helpful in the run up to the event. We did not have a fancy wedding or a wedding planner and I had no idea how to sort out a timeline for the day but Carolyn already had this sorted! On the day of our wedding they both kept things running to schedule and Carolyn even gave me a bobby pin out of her hair to fix a hair malfunction, nothing was out of the question of what they would do to make your day special. If you are thinking about booking the Wilder Wedding Collective for your wedding please do it, you will not regret it!
Where to start… Carolyn and Jake made our wedding day(s) better than we could have imagined. They guided us through just about everything including, location scouting, vendor recom...
mendations, and the wedding day itinerary. They helped us create the perfect day that we didn't even know was possible. After planning for 6 months, the day finally came and rain was in the forecast. Carolyn and Jake took this in stride and pivoted our hike to the day before our original date which turned out to be sunny and perfect. This meant we were lucky enough to have two wedding days, which was awesome! It also turned out so much better than our original plan. If we had to do it all over again we would have planned it as a two day elopement because it was more fun, less exhausting, and stress free (after we nailed down the new plans).
Carolyn and Jake even hung out with us after their “time” was up for a couple celebratory glasses of wine. They are incredible people and by the end of the day it felt as though we had gained two friends. OH and did I mention Jake made us coffee on the mountain and Carolyn sewed my dress?!? Yeah, they are WAY more than “just photographers”. Best decision we ever made (other than marrying each other) was hiring Wilder Weddings Collective. The pictures were absolutely stunning!!
PS - We highly recommend allowing Jake to set the hiking pace, he saved us on our hike!
A huge thanks to Wilder Weddings for their calming presence and attention to detail, having Caroline and Taylor there was really the best part of the day (aside from getting marrie...
d of course) because I knew they were going to capture everything in a beautiful, fun way, and help our most favorite people cherish this time. In the months leading up to our big day, they had a gentle, guiding hand to help provide support and expertise to make our wedding day flow with such ease and no rush. While it flew by, it never felt chaotic or that we had to be away from our loved ones to take just photos. Their concept of having a mostly unposed wedding was the way to go! Our wedding party hung out on a vintage playground AND we got to enjoy our wedding food while there. We got to mingle with our friends while Caroline and Taylor captured our authentic interactions. And not once was I asked to just hold that pose for a minute longer. They went with the flow (even when it rained!) and just shifted to continue to capture amazing photos without missing a beat.
We had so much fun on our wedding and it is no doubt that Wilder Weddings was a big part of that.
We had a wonderful experience with Wilder Weddings. Our photographer, Caroline, made my partner and I feel comfortable from the first time we met for our engagement shoot throughou...
t the entire wedding experience. She was flexible when our plans had to adjust due to rain, and kept encouraging us along the way. The photos turned out wonderfully. We loved how she captured the candid moments of laughter and joy. 100% would recommend Wilder Weddings to anyone looking for a supportive, thorough, flexible, and fun team!
We loved every single moment of working with Wilder Weddings Collective. Carolyn kept everything beautifully organized, and Caroline and Marissa captured the most amazing shots of ...
our day. The photos were the perfect balance of candid, lively, and artistic. And Caroline helped us feel so comfortable while taking our photographs! We could not recommend them more strongly.
When we were looking for a wedding photographer Wilder Weddings Collective was an easy choice. We wanted our day to be about our love for each other and celebrating that with the p...
eople we loved. We did not want it to feel stiff or like a production. We wanted quality photos but didn't want the day to be all about getting those photos. Carolyn, Caroline, and team made us feel comfortable from day one. They were there to help make the schedule for the day. They were flexible. They were fun to be around! They managed to capture our joy and happiness in a way that didn't feel staged or posed. We will treasure these photos for a lifetime.
Jake and Carolyn were so amazing in making my fairytale come true. I told them what I wanted and they brought everything and more to the table. Aside from the beautiful photos, wha...
t you are getting is VIP service, extremely detail-oriented planning and insider knowledge to the most beautiful and SECLUDED locations in the blue ridge mountains. Examples of the VIP Service: When Richard stubbed his toe, they were on it with the FirstAid Kit. When I forgot bobby pins for my veil, Carolyn put them in my hair! When we wanted to jump in a watering hole, Jake gave us a safety brief and jumped in first to ensure we would hit the right spot....talk about SERVICE! We didn't know how to make coffee on a mountain, but Jake made it for us <3. Examples of detail-oriented planning: the location guide shows previous couples' photos and settings. You get to see what sunset vs sunrise looks like, what Fall vs Spring looks like. She creates a personalized timed itinerary and packing list so that you can relax and know everything is already planned out. They go with the flow, allow you and your significant other to enjoy eating and drinking privately, and they supported us mentally, emotionally and physically! 10/10 rating for the entire VIP Experience. Loved it and this is a memory we will never forget. My photos make me cry in joy!
Carolyn and Jake were a dream to work with. She was willing to fly out to Washington to capture our engagement photos in the mountains, which were gorgeous. Carolyn was very commun...
icative throughout the process, which was especially important when our 2020 wedding was postponed to 2021 due to COVID. My husband hates taking photos and she did a great job making him feel comfortable and enjoy it. These are photos we will treasure.
Carolyn, Caroline, and Jeremy were absolutely wonderful!! Carolyn worked with my husband and me up to a couple days before the wedding being sure we had everything we needed and a ...
complete schedule (down to the 10 minutes) of what to expect from the photographers the day of the wedding.
During the wedding Caroline was with me all day and made me feel so comfortable! She is such a calming soul and I couldn’t have imaged my photos being taken by anyone else. On the flip side, my husband couldn’t not stop singing his praise of Jeremy.
Anyone hoping for a wilder wedding should contact Carolyn Marie Photography (or, soon, Wilder Weddings Collective!!). They worked with us from day one to be sure our wedding was fitting our vision, and worked so hard to be sure that vision was photographed to perfection! I hope I have another event I can recommend them for!!
Carolyn and her team of associates are simply the best and we cannot recommend them highly enough. Caroline shot our wedding. She was so much fun to work with and did just about an...
ything (including wading into a river!) to get "the" shot. She was creative, not at all intrusive, and her photos capture the day just as we experienced it -- full of joy, laughter, and so much love. We couldn't be happier with the photos and will cherish them for the rest of our life. Thank you, Thank you, THANK YOU!
We reached out to Carolyn because her photos were the most beautiful that I found in my extensive search for an Asheville wedding photographer. Carolyn was so nice, prompt and extr...
emely helpful in discussing our needs as soon as we initially contacted her. We ended up working with her business partner, Kelsey, who was equally delightful in every way. She was genuinely excited for us and so supportive throughout our elopement session, and captured so many stunning photos that it was impossible to choose favorites. The experience exceeded our expectations in every way! Thank you Kelsey & Carolyn!
Cannot give enough stars for Carolyn! My husband and I are not typical photo people, and she made us immediately feel at ease and relaxed. So communicative and organized, which thr...
oughout 2020, was a saving grace! Her husband ended up coming home early from deployment (safe and sound, YAY), and due to COVID, she was required to quarantine with him and had to miss shooting our wedding. She handled it with such precision and had a backup, assistant and the day so well-planned, that it felt like she was there. We've started to receive her edited photos and it's just happy tear after happy tear. Can't recommend her enough, and we feel truly blessed to have worked with her!
Our experience with Carolyn was phenomenal and her pictures were even better. She was able to plan our day into exactly what we wanted. She made the whole day of picture taking fee...
l natural and easy; it did not feel forced or awkward. We had a blast and highly recommend!
Carolyn helped us plan and coordinate the 12 hour adventure elopement day of our dreams. She was kind, helpful, patient, and organized. Truly, she’s just a fantastic person. She st...
ayed in regular communication with us and provided us with a day that exceeded our expectations. I truly cannot imagine having anyone else photograph our day! Not to mention how INCREDIBLE our photos are. Seriously, Carolyn is a DREAM. You won’t regret choosing her.
We feel so incredibly lucky to have the most beautiful photos to remember our big day from. Carolyn and her team were amazing at getting us such a great variety of shots while stil...
l letting us feel like it was our day and encouraging us to enjoy the party! Everything looked incredible, and we had a great time with her and her husband!
Carolyn is the best. When my husband and I were looking for a photographer for our engagement and wedding, we wanted someone who took great photos, but more importantly, made us fe...
el comfortable. Carolyn is so incredibly kind and friendly that she was able to make us feel at ease and capture incredible photos. Case and point, in terms how kind she is: She literally offered and then shlepped our giant tote bag full of makeup and water and props up the Craggy Gardens mountain for our engagement shoot. Carolyn's speciality may be elopements, but she brought that eye for adventure to our formal Biltmore wedding. One of the things I liked best about our wedding photos is that I have so, so many great portrait shots. While some people may have a top 1 or 2 favorites, I've got like 12, all set at different backdrops of the Biltmore. She also did an amazing job for our reception, which was indoors, in a low-light setting (a stone cellar). We knew those conditions would be hard for anyone to shoot, but she captured my crying at my dad's speech, the guests having an amazing time... I look back at those photos and can remember everything so clearly. Carolyn has an impressive portfolio of elopements and outdoor weddings, but if you're considering an indoor or formal wedding, she's absolutely a great choice who will give you that "wild places" vibe.
I was in the same photojournalism program with Carolyn at UNC Chapel Hill and had followed her career even after I moved away to pursue mine. So when I got engaged, I immediately k...
new who I wanted to do our pictures. Carolyn has a documentary background, so her style of portraiture, the way she captures scenes and events is unique. From the very start of this process, her #1 goal was making sure my fiance and I were happy and would have time to ourselves on our big day. A week before our wedding, she sent a beautiful gift to us to encourage us to take time to be together, forge the stress of the wedding and just remember all the things we love about one another. Such a sweet thought! She was willing to do a rainy sunrise bridal portrait session with me because of my bonkers work schedule (though we ended up doing a gorgeous misty sunset instead). The day of our wedding, she gave us 20 minutes by ourselves after our first look so we could read personal vows to one another in private, and just be alone together (the only time we were all day!). She and her second shooter, Erin Hull, were there for 10 hours, and kept their energy and enthusiasm up even though I know they were exhausted. We just received our final wedding photos today and oh my goodness they are gorgeous! She was everything we could have hoped for and more. Thank you thank you Carolyn!!
Wow, this girl is amazing!! Carolyn and her husband Jake joined us on our adventure wedding (along with 20 guests) to St Lucia a few weeks ago. First, our photos turned out absolut...
ely amazing and we have had so many compliments on Carolyn and Jake’s level of talent!! We were super nervous about taking photos as we are not naturals- but we honestly forgot that we were even having our photo taken at most times as were wrapped up in each other and having fun! Carolyn made this such a wonderful experience and left us with photos that we will treasure forever. I would go back and hire Carolyn and Jake a million times over- they are just fantastic!
Working with Carolyn was an amazing experience. We had a non-traditional wedding - a private ceremony with family in the Blue Ridge mountains and a reception/party in our backyard....
She was easy to work with and had no hesitation about photographing our non-traditional day. Her photos speak for themselves in terms of majestic view, intense color, emotion, adventure and depth. Aside from the photos themselves, Carolyn was both incredibly professional and perhaps more importantly, comfortable to be around. My now-husband and I were nervous to be in front of the camera, but Carolyn had a wonderful way of making us comfortable. She was able to capture the love and joy we share. Having her at the wedding couldn't have been easier. She caught the most perfect moments and reviewing the photos from the day brings a smile to my face every time. I would trust her with photographing our wedding again and again and again. You will not regret working with Carolyn!!
I am convinced that there is no better wedding photographer (and step in wedding planner) than Carolyn. From our very first meeting, it was clear that she truly cares about each br...
ide and groom. She spent countless hours leading up to the wedding day making sure that she was prepared to capture every detail, and helping me plan for things I had no idea I needed. Both my husband and I are very shy in front of a camera and I was blown away by how comfortable she made us feel. Each and every picture exceeded our expectations. Every time I look through the pictures, I find another detail that I had not appreciated before. Family and friends have reached out to let us know how much they enjoyed her at the wedding (she captured every moment and had time to win the hearts of our guests) and how amazing her photos are. I am so excited to enjoy our beautiful photos for the rest of our lives and I am honored to have had the opportunity to get to know Carolyn throughout the process. She will quickly become not only your photographer, but a friend.
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