Meet Stephen & Melissa Snyder | Wedding Photographers & Videographers

We had the good fortune of connecting with Stephen & Melissa Snyder and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Stephen & Melissa, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
In 2018, we were ready for a change in our lives. Stephen was successful in the restaurant industry, working for a franchise’s corporate office. Melissa had been a stay-at-home mom caring for our 3 children, and simultaneously running an Etsy shop that really took off. We spent time when we could by going places as a family, but we wanted to spend more time together, rather than apart.

Melissa’s experience in photography began in film class in high school and the old dark rooms first instilled her love for photos. It was the ability to freeze a particular moment forever; how they become a time capsule to transport you immediately back to those memories. She took photos of everything, captured a few simple weddings, but never imagined becoming a photographer was a reality, and went on to graduate with a dual bachelors in education.

Stephen has always been sort of a tech junkie. One day, he picked up Melissa’s camera and started learning about camera settings, composition, and light. We shared this hobby early on in our relationship and it grew over the years.

One weekend, we took a family trip to a cabin in Payson. There were no TV’s, and no internet, just a chance to connect as a family by playing board games, fishing, and going on nature walks. It also gave us the chance to clear our heads, and more importantly to talk about our life together. We brought along a new camera, taking photos of us and the kids along the way. That first night we stayed up after the kids went to bed, going through photos we had taken earlier in the day and remarking at how it must be a fun thing to do for a career…

The conversation continued to evolve as we found some of our wedding photos on our phones. The truth is, we were never happy with our own wedding photos. It was our own fault to hire someone less experienced, when we knew photos were a big expectation for our day. In the end we have a few photos we like, but the experience was less than memorable.

A fire was lit that night that changed our lives. Staring at those photos, we both agreed wedding photography was a unique opportunity to be a part of a couple’s lives on one of their most important days. We envisioned being a source of guidance, inspiration, and helping to calm those wedding day jitters.

We formed a plan around simple tenets. First, the wedding day experience mattered, more than the photos even. That might sound a little odd, but we knew from our own experience that it was absolutely true. Second, training was key, we trained and received mentoring from some of the best in the wedding industry to craft an experience that stands apart. Last, we knew the industry was very fast moving and we had to be able to grow or change course on a moment’s notice.

After a few weddings under our belt, and a ton of research and training, Stephen left his job, Melissa closed her Etsy shop, and we went full-time in 2019. During the pandemic, we switched gears to capturing elopements and added cinematic style videography for our couples in late 2021. With the advancement of technology and the prevalence of video in social media, it is a field that will only develop more over time and we’re excited to be a part of that change. Looking back, where we are today is because we took that leap and made the decision to choose a different path for our lives. As Robert Frost once said, “I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.”

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As artists in the wedding industry, we are paid upon our ability to generate emotion when viewing our work. The specific value of each photo or film will vary based upon how it makes the viewer react. Our art in this sense is very much subjective; everyone has their own take.

Although photographers, and specifically wedding photographers, consist of a large group of people no matter where you live, we are among a few husband and wife teams who capture both photo and cinematic video for couples on the wedding day. Our real goal is to have every couple be able to look back on their wedding day and relive it over and over again as their journey through marriage continues. We do that through an editorial of candid moments, and styled portions of the day where we capture our subjects in the most flattering light and angles. With cinematic video, we aim to capture the true emotions of the day and curate the clips in our films to best tell their story and bring their day to life.

Photography is not as much about clicking a button, as it is the study of how light interacts with the world around us. Understanding how natural light reflects off surfaces, varies in intensity and color, and shapes the depth of an image has taken our photos to a whole new level. Sure, anyone can take photos with an iPhone and once in a while they may capture a great shot. Professional photographers, however, have the knowledge, experience, and capability to deliver hundreds, even thousands, of beautifully crafted images in a timeless style we call our own.

We often describe videography as a whole different animal. While the concept is the same as photography in that we’re looking at how light interacts in the world around us, the addition of movement introduces a complex new element into the ability to tell the story of the day effectively. Audio takes all that emotion, and amplifies it. Seeing a photo of a groom wiping a tear away from his face as his beautiful bride comes down the aisle hardly compares to watching his face tighten up, tears welling in his eyes, and struggling to get the words out to thank the bride’s father as he shakes his hand. Both are beautiful, yet entirely different.

Providing a great wedding day experience is really the key to capturing great photos and video. When you think about it, you are around your photographers even more than your spouse on the wedding day. If you can’t have fun and be yourself around your photographers & videographers, you will never end up with photos that look and feel like you. We laugh with our couples, cry with them, and genuinely appreciate having the chance to be by their side on one of the biggest days of their lives. We meet and engage in conversation with the couples, their families, and friends to better understand them as people.

Directors of major motion pictures work with the talent, the camera crew, props, lighting and more to create a movie others want to see over and over. As directors in that sense, we ride a delicate balance of managing the technical side of what we do, while also allowing the wedding day to unfold without being intrusive. We help our couples to relax, and give guidance to help them look and feel their best.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If we have a whole week to explore Arizona we would actually start in Tempe – at Desert Botanical Gardens. Among our favorite locations to photograph engagements and weddings, it’s the perfect manicured desert with some of the most stunning cacti around. If you are more adventurous, head next door to Papago Park and check out the iconic ‘Hole in the Rock.’ With a short hike on the stairs up the mountain, the view from the top is a pretty incredible display of the Phoenix skyline.

The newly renovated downtown Chandler area is a fun place to check out the local restaurant scene. Drinks at San Tan Brewery and some of the tastiest tacos from Ghett’Yo Tacos are all you need, but there is so much more! You can’t go wrong with the Scottsdale area either. Speaking of local restaurants in Scottsdale, Sneakybird is now open off of Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd and we absolutely love the food there.

From there it’s time for a trip up North! You need to plan at least one day in Sedona although you will want more, guaranteed! If you are looking for a hike, try some of the lesser traveled hikes in the area since the main ones like Cathedral Rock and Devil’s Bridge are always so busy. Plan for a picnic at Crescent Moon Picnic Site, then hit up Tlaquepaque (pronounced T-la-keh-pah-keh) Arts and Shopping Village. Have dinner in downtown Sedona at the Cowboy Club and then retire to any of the nearby hotel rooms for the evening.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
This is so important for us, because we knew we would not be where we are today without the incredible support we have received.

First, our families have been instrumental in our growth and success. Melissa’s mom has helped watch our children on wedding days, and has truly been a rock for us. You can find her among the first to comment on our work we show on social media, and she is a true ambassador for our brand.

Stephen’s dad unfortunately passed away recently, but was a huge support of every turn of our business. From always looking to find the best camera gear we needed, to giving us business advice. He would refer to his gifts being from the “The Snyder Foundation” but there wasn’t a day in his life he wasn’t proud of who we are, what we became and was always excited to hear about our latest. His memory will live on with each wedding we capture thanks to his generosity over the years.

We also give credit to our children who understand that we still need to “go to work” some days, and are excited for the chance to go location scouting or to review photos and films with us before sending them off to our couples. Melissa’s sister, Sarah, has also been a huge help and deserves special recognition as she has photographed and filmed along-side of us for many weddings in the last couple years.

We also can’t go without mentioning our mentors. Katelyn James Photography was our first mentor, who helped teach the ins and outs of running a successful wedding business. She was the first to really show us that wedding photography is so much more than just taking photos. The second are another husband and wife team – Amy & Jordan Demos. They taught us how to be a great team on the wedding day, and to be a source of positive energy to all. So many vital parts of our business were established early on because of their guidance. Without these people, it may have take us years to accomplish what we have in just a short few.

We are forever grateful and it isn’t mentioned enough how support in the right areas in the beginning of any endeavor can make or break your success.

Website: https://stephenandmelissa.co/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephenandmelissa/

Other: https://vimeo.com/stephenandmelissa