What is there not to say about Tyler Wirken?!

From our very first meeting, Tyler made a point to explain his approach to photography and make sure we understood exactly what we were getting into. He was personable, helpful, and most importantly, honest. He was upfront about every aspect of his photography, making sure his documentary style was the right fit for what we wanted on our wedding day. We appreciated that transparency because we wanted to work with someone who respected their craft and felt confident providing guidance rather than simply being a "yes man."

We chose to have a small, 50-person wedding outdoors in June at a beautiful farmhouse in St. James, Missouri. We planned and put together most of it ourselves, and we knew there would be imperfections, unexpected moments, and plenty of things that didn't go exactly as planned. But that was part of it. We didn't want our wedding day to feel posed or performative, and we certainly didn't want our photos to feel that way either. We wanted the reality of the day captured, in all its forms, so that we could look back and remember it exactly as it was. And because we weren't able to invite all of our extended family and friends, we wanted the photos to tell the story of the day in a way that would make them feel like they were there.

Tyler understood that from the beginning. He was responsive throughout the planning process and took the time to understand what mattered most to us. He even helped us think through which photos we'd actually want to have in our album years down the road. For example, we don't have a traditional wedding party photo, and we have very few posed portraits in general. Not because Tyler wouldn't take them, but because he helped us realize that wasn't really what we wanted. We put together a short list of portraits with family and wedding party members, and that was it. The rest was up to Tyler to capture, or not capture, as the day unfolded. Moments of all kinds.

When the wedding day finally arrived, we enjoyed every second with Tyler. He made the entire experience feel natural and comfortable, and honestly, it felt more like having a friend taking our photos than just another photographer. At one point, a friend of ours spilled a bit of red wine on another friend, and Tyler caught a photo of the stain. Just the stain. No faces, no reactions, just the stain. And somehow, it says a thousand words. We laugh every time we see it, and it always starts a conversation when someone asks about it. It's such a small, seemingly insignificant moment, but that's exactly the kind of thing we wanted to remember.

When we first received our photos, we couldn't stop smiling. Our faces literally hurt for an hour after our meeting! Some of our favorite photos were ones we never would have thought to ask for, just like Tyler said they would be. There was no staging, no setting up shots, and no rigid photography timeline. He was simply a fly on the wall, capturing everything as it happened, including moments we weren't there to witness and familiar moments from perspectives we never would have seen otherwise. We were thrilled with the final gallery and especially appreciated having some of our favorite images in both color and black and white.

We wanted these photos for life, but more importantly, we wanted to hold on to the day for life. Tyler gave us that.

If you're looking for documentary-style wedding photography, Tyler Wirken is your guy!

I can't say enough good things about Tyler and his visual storytelling. I've only seen 15 of our photos so far and I'm already blown away. We were introduced to Tyler at a dear friends wedding a few years ago and he took one of my favorite pictures of me and my now husband dancing with reckless abandon. I knew then that he was my absolute first choice, must have piece for our wedding. We sacrificed in other areas of our budget to make sure he was there to capture this next chapter of our lives, and we have zero regrets. We were a little nervous about only having one photographer, but he was somehow always in 10 places at once. It also stormed on our wedding day, was super humid (a photographers nightmare I'm sure, moving from indoors to outdoors with a foggy lens), and the lighting was super difficult - but Tyler pulled through with some amazing captures that look like they're pulled straight from a movie poster. He has a unique and beautiful gift to capture relationships, emotions, and moments in a way that is simply breathtaking.

We 1000% recommend having Tyler document your wedding day!

Tyler just fades into the background and documents the magic of the day. Tyler stays until the very last moment so no need to do an early photo exit and even captured us walking to our honeymoon suite.

Tyler also did an engagement session for us at Kauffman Stadium. It ended up having to get rescheduled a number of times due to the K’s availability and Tyler was so accommodating. We gave him full reign to document us wherever he thought looked best and we have some incredible portraits from that session.

When it comes to something like photography at your wedding, this was an area we were willing to splurge and so incredibly glad we chose Tyler.

Tyler and his assistant were top notch. While Wirken Photography wasn't our cheapest option, we chose him because of his passion for capturing the moments. If you want a real representation of your day, this is your photographer.

Tyler Wirken, is a Genius Photographer. I live in a small town where there are only a handful of photgraphers who do almost every single wedding. I wanted something candid and artistic for my wedding, and I wanted pictures of not just me and my husband but my family and how they act everyday. I didn't just want the smiley pics you take directly following a wedding. My engagement pictures turned out stunning! And all we did while we were taking them was laugh and talk with Tyler while my husband and I were acting silly. I have not seen the wedding photos yet, but as far as working with Tyler he is wonderful, laid back, but gets an artistic real take on your wedding. I know my photos will be insanely beautiful. I will be calling him to do family shots someday. I recommend him!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tyler was absolutely wonderful! From our first meeting, to our engagement photos, to our planning session to the day of the wedding, I couldn't have asked for anything more. The pictures turned out wonderfully and every time we look at them we feel like we are back in the moment. He truly captured the energy and emotion of the entire day. The photos are all so special and we will truly treasure them for the rest of our lives! I recommend Tyler to everyone I know and plan to use him in the future to capture more of life's journeys!

I used Becca with Wirken Photography for my fall 2011 wedding. Photography was very important to me because I wanted pictures that really captured the moments and the memories of our wedding day. Becca did a wonderful job of doing just that.

Becca and her assistant Jewel were with my husband and I the entire day and night of our wedding. The thing that I like the most about Wirken is that we were able to go about our business and be ourselves and Becca was there photographing it all. Becca is friendly and fun to work with. I felt very comfortable and at ease talking with her and discussing my thoughts, questions, etc. about the way the wedding day would work. She was professional and timely during the entire process.

During our photo viewing session we laughed, cried, and were able to recall so many memories from our wedding day. Becca captured the excitement and emotion that filled our wedding day into the most beautiful photos. They surpassed my expectations. She's wonderful!!!

Tyler did a WONDERFUL job for my wedding! He was such a joy to work with and took amazing photos! I couldn't have asked for a better wedding photographer!! I would rate him a 6 out of 5 if I could!

I chose Wirken Photography from a friend's recommendation. I was impressed from the first meeting. Our photos are amazing. The documentary style photographs perfectly capture the moments that meant so much on our special day. Honestly, Wirken Photography is the best!

If Wirken is not shooting your wedding, it's because Tyler and Becca were already booked for your date :(

Their photos are so beautiful I need a tissue every time I look at them. Photojournalistic style is the way to go. They just let everything happen naturally that day - you don't even notice they're taking photos, most of the time. It really relieved a lot of pressure to not have the usual family mugshot lineup as part of the wedding to-do list. I ended up with plenty of lovely photos of my mom, grandma, etc. without the posed shots.