I'm Tyler Jordan Soucy, a documentary wedding photographer based in Connecticut, who works with couples worldwide. I believe that weddings are meant to be lived, not performed. This journal is where I share some of my quick insights as a documentary photographer, and I hope that you find something useful or inspiring here.
There's not just one way to do things, and there's a perfect photographer for every couple out there. Some couples want their weddings to feel like a big production where they can be models for a day—and maybe that's exactly who they are. But for me, weddings are about prioritizing the precious time you have with the people you love and genuinely protecting your experience of the day. Of course, we'll still capture those important portraits and family photos—but we'll ensure those moments feel natural and true to you.
Sometimes, as wedding professionals, we get caught up thinking our expertise and guidance are a key part of our value. But to me, this assumes that I know how your wedding should look or feel based solely on my past experiences, or that you're even looking for someone to step in and direct your day. That's why I lead as a photographer first and as a wedding-day resource when needed.
To walk this back a little bit, my relationship with photography started with the film cameras my mom always had around when we were kids. Back then, I didn't put too much thought into the power of photos—I was usually making some awkward face or rolling my eyes when she'd take pictures. But now, when I look back at those candid shots from family parties or vacations, they reconnect me with parts of my childhood that I'd otherwise have forgotten.
Growing up, I wasn't aware that photographing weddings in a photojournalistic, documentary style was even an option. The weddings I attended as a kid, and later as part of wedding parties, all involved traditional wedding photographers. They took the same staged photos: the first kiss, cutting the cake, bouquet toss—always following the same formula, often missing the real moments in between. It felt repetitive and impersonal.
Before becoming a wedding photographer, I worked as a behind-the-scenes photographer on film sets. Things shifted when a production assistant asked me to photograph a wedding after seeing my street photography. They specifically wanted me to capture the wedding in my documentary style, which felt exciting and different. That wedding had all the spontaneity and humanity I loved about street photography but amplified exponentially (and with consent!). I immediately knew this was the right path for me.
To gain experience, I began second and associate shooting for other wedding photographers and their businesses, learning invaluable skills along the way. I'm grateful for all of these experiences, but eventually realized I was adopting some of their more traditional habits—a lot of posing, making rooms look perfectly clean, staging special moments—and that didn't align with what I love about weddings and photography. After hitting a wall, I decided to fully commit to photographing weddings in way that is authentic to both the couple and myself.
Documentary photography celebrates individuality. It respects each couple's uniqueness and aligns perfectly with the ethos I've built around my own work. Asking a couple to pose the same way as another, or directing how they should express love, simply feels unnatural to me. I believe weddings shouldn't be treated like photo shoots or scheduled around staged moments. I believe that couples should have photographs of them making memories, not memories of them taking photos.
Love doesn't look the same to everyone, and my goal is always to capture it exactly as it is.
