Today we’d like to introduce you to Samantha Burke.
Samantha , we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I had grew up using my parents little pocket camera! I would take it to school with me, take it just outside the house, etc. I was always taking photos!! When I was 15, I invested in my very first DSLR (Canon Rebel T5) and spent so much time taking photos whenever and wherever I could!
Fast forward to 2017, and I started getting asked to take photos for families and my friends senior photos! From there, everything just kind of took off. I started investing in more education (technical photography education and business education) while I was going to college for Web & Software development.
By the time I graduated college with my associate’s degree, I had started photographing weddings and many more portrait sessions. By December 2019, I went full-time with my photography business and have been full-time ever since! In 2021, I decided to niche down to elopements, intimate weddings, and micro-weddings.
Now I specialize in intentional elopement experiences outdoors!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There’s definitely been bumps and struggles along the way! I had no knowledge of business when I started so there’s been a lot of learning about taxes, business finances, marketing, all the things! Some of the struggles I specifically remembered having: how much to appropriately save for taxes, how important communication is, and having streamlined processes in my business when I do scale up.
It also took me a couple years to get really niched down and intentional with my business, branding and marketing.. including figuring out who my ideal couples are!
There was also the pretty big obstacle that was COVID-19 just a few months after I went full-time. It was a rough and scary time, with a lot of pivoting, but we made it!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m an elopement photographer, expert, and experience creator for couples who want a stress-free elopement experience that is grounded in nature and each other! I’m known for elopement experiences all over Minnesota and Wisconsin (mostly in the MN North Shore and Madeline Island areas!)
I’m most proud of how much I pour into my couple’s elopement experiences. I help them plan pretty much everything in their celebration, I just don’t book lodging, vendors, etc. on their behalf. I’m super involved through the planning journey to make the planning process as stress-free and fun as possible!! I’m able to actively listen to my couples, help them hone in on what they want in their elopement experience, and help make that come to life. I also think this sets me a part! I’d say I’m quite a bit more involved with the planning than most photographers.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I only see it growing and seeing more and more couples realize that eloping (or having an intimate wedding/microwedding) is more aligned with them than having a big traditional wedding.
I could also see it getting more luxurious and more couples realizing that eloping doesn’t have to mean a cheap celebration. It can mean still having a luxury wedding day, just in a non-traditional way.
Maybe more multi-day celebrations! Say a couple wants to have some loved ones present but still want their own celebration and intimacy… this is were a multi-day celebration would come in! It’s the best of both worlds.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sburkephotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samanthamburke
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@samanthamburke/featured
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@samantha.m.burke?lang=en
