WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY
For fun-seeking couples who love each other hard.
Based in Saskatchewan, available across the Canadian Prairies and beyond.
Meet your Photographer
Hi, my name is Shalissa Elder.
First of all, thank you for being here! For whatever reason, whether you're looking for a photographer or you stumbled across my website somewhere along the way, our paths are crossing and I couldn't be more excited about that.
I am a 31 year old wife and mother of five, who picked up a camera in 2013 and hasn't put it down since. The pure level of false confidence that girl had back then is truly amazing, but I have been challenged, learned and grown throughout those experiences. I have documented hundreds of families over the last decade of all different shapes and sizes and I truly could not be happier that this is the path I've moseyed on down.
I am an avid lover of coffee, I thrive in chaos, I love homemade gifts, making an adventure out of ordinary tasks and chasing the light. Golden light leaks coming in through a panelled window? Drool.
FAQs
Do you only offer wedding photography?
Absolutely not. Besides weddings and births, I offer family photography of all shapes and sizes, every version of the name. Whether you have five children (like me), you're a blended family or you're expecting your first with the love of your life. I love documenting you and your family in an environment that makes you all come to life. Are you avid card players? Did you just move into your forever home? I send out a questionnaire to each of my clients when they fill out the contact form, and we customize a session that is undeniably yours. My approach is to vocalize prompts and let your family interpret that prompt and then do it in their own way. There may be a few "smile at the camera" images, but for the most part, I like to document those connection pieces in between prompts.
How long does it take to get our photos?
For weddings and births, please allow for a 6 week turnaround time. Unless you have booked the Premium wedding package, this packages offers a quicker turnaround time of 4 weeks. For family and portrait sessions, please allow for an up to 2 week turnaround time. Typical delivery time is 7-10 days, but may take the full 2 weeks.
Do you do destination weddings?
Abso-freaking-lutely. Let me capture your love story anywhere in the world for just $1,500 CAD plus travel accommodations! This exclusive destination wedding package includes my full photography services at a heavily discounted rate, as long as you cover the roundtrip transit and accommodation costs. To keep things transparent and stress-free, your custom booking will clearly outline covered expenses like flights, hotel stays, gear baggage fees, and local ground transit. Please note this is for two (2) people, as I will have my assistant/second shooter with me. We are so ready to pack our bags, so if you are considering flying us out, or having us come along with you to your destination wedding, let's chat!
What should we wear for our session?
This is entirely up to you! Gone are the days where families are expected to wear matching outfits. In fact, coordinating outfits that flow together are actually a heck of a lot better visually anyway than matchy-matchy vibes! This means, choose two colours, and then offer a mix of both solids and prints that include those two colours. My only rule of thumb for putting outfits together is typically that you don't choose clothing with sequins or heavy print/lettering. Do not be afraid of colour! While whites and tans photograph so nicely, venturing out and going bold with the primary colour wheel is so much fun, too. If you need help with outfit coordination, reach out to me and I can help you out!
step 01
INQUIRE
Typically 12-18 months in advance, you're inquiring about wedding photography and planning with your wedding vendors. If you aren't within that time frame, don't worry, your date might still be available. Filling out as much information as you can through photographers contact forms ensures that you aren't going back and forth before getting down to the nitty gritty of actually meeting. Being intentional with contact forms shows some photographers (like me) that you are serious about working together, are excited and value the process too.
STEP 02
CONSULTATION
Once we’ve established whether or not I'm available for your special day, we’ll set up a consultation. This is where we get to actually chat all things weddings, talk about your vision, your plans, what matters most to you and make sure that we are the right fit for one another. Wedding photography is a big part of your day (I'm essentially third wheeling you all day), so having someone you trust, feel comfortable with and genuinely enjoy being around makes such a difference. If all goes well on both ends, this is where the contract is signed, your retainer is paid and we (literally) do a happy dance together, because like, for real, things are happening now!
STEP 03
ENGAGEMENT SESSION
All of my 8+ hour wedding bookings include an engagement sessions. If you aren't booking 8+ hours, I highly encourage you to still book a session! This is where we get to slow things down and make space for the two of you before the wedding day arrives. This is your chance to get comfortable with me, learn exactly how I guide and prompt you, as a little sneak peek into your wedding day. It also gives you some images for your invitations and wedding website.
STEP 04
wedding day!
Your wedding day has finally arrived, and this is where all of the planning, conversations had and trust come together. All because of you! My goal is to document the moments you expect, the ones you don’t and all of the little in-between pieces that make your day feel like yours. From getting ready to the big celebrations, I’m there to forever-freeze the feeling of the day so when you look back at your images years from now, you remember how you looked, how you felt and how dang hard you worked to pull it all together.
Wedding INFO & PACKAGES
signature
$ 4,000 plus taxes
- Up to 10 hours of coverage
- Complimentary engagement session (1 hour, 30 images)
- Full day second photographer coverage
- Minimum 30 images per hour
- 6 week gallery delivery
- Linen photo album
A $1,000 non-refundable retainer is required to book this package.
premium
$4,500 plus taxes
- Up to 12 hours of coverage
- Complimentary engagement session (1 hour, 30 images)
- Full day second photographer coverage
- Minimum 30 images per hour
- 4 week gallery delivery
- Linen photo album
A $1,000 non-refundable retainer is required to book this package.
classic
$3,500 plus taxes
- Up to 8 hours of coverage
- Complimentary engagement session (1 hour, 30 images)
- Full day second photographer coverage
- Minimum 30 images per hour
- 6 week gallery delivery
- Linen photo album
A $1,000 non-refundable retainer is required to book this package.
Testimonials
Blaine and I had such an amazing experience during our couples photoshoot! The entire session was so fun, natural, and comfortable. We were able to completely be our goofball selves, which led to so many beautiful, goofy, and genuine photos!
The attention to detail and ability to capture our silly, genuine moments made all the difference. Every photo feels authentic and reflects who we are as a couple.
Our photos turned out even better than we could have imagined, and we are over the moon with our gallery. We would highly recommend booking a session! You won’t be disappointed!
Neely Amell
Testimonials
Shalissa did our engagement & wedding photos and she is INCREDIBLE!! She made us feel completely comfortable and at ease and captured the day perfectly! I have been recommending her to everyone I possibly can since then and I can't wait to have more photos taken by her.
Natasha Maier
Testimonials
I've had the joy of Shalissa shoot our family photos over the last couples years. She has an amazing talent for being able to capture the real moments from your life. Whether it be in your own space, public park or studio.
Erin Michell
Testimonials
Shalissa is amazing to work with. I’ve had the opportunity to do two sessions with her, and have a third one booked. She made me feel so comfortable and safe during the sessions. She is professional, kind, and warm. Not to mention her photos are fantastic. I would recommend Shalissa to anyone looking for high-quality photographer who genuinely cares about her clients.
Emily Bresciani
Testimonials
Shalissa is a fellow photographer, and awesome human! I’ve known her for years now. She has worked along side me at weddings and is a bright light to be around on your special day. She also photographed me & my own babies - the moments she created were timeless, professional, images of me and my babies and I will honestly cherish them forever. They hold such a special place in my heart.
Sarah Onrait
Testimonials
I love working with Shalissa! I’ve gone to her for photos multiple times and they just get better and better each time. She has been wonderful with my kiddos, husband, and dog. I can’t say enough good things about Elderberry Photo!
Randi Peat
Testimonials
Shalissa goes above and beyond for her clients! We had a family session with her in the fall, and she was incredibly patient with our two little ones under two years old. She made the entire experience feel easy and stress-free, helping our kids feel comfortable while capturing all of those genuine, in between moments that ended up being our absolute favourites.
We also invited her to our home closer to Christmas, where she helped bring a new family tradition to life by photographing us through our front windows gathered around the Christmas tree. Those images are priceless to us and the kind of photos we will cherish for years to come.
Shalissa has such a gift for capturing authentic connection and preserving memories in a way that feels natural. We are so grateful for the moments she has documented for our family and would recommend her to anyone looking for timeless photographs.
Chelsea Plosker
Testimonials
The photos we received after our session with Shalissa are going to be precious keepsakes forever. She captured our family so beautifully, and was wonderful to work with through the entire process.
Taylor Budd
Testimonials
I have had 4 different family shoots over the past few years! Accommodating anywhere from 3 -25 people. We have been able to capture many priceless memories together. Not only are the photos beautiful, they are affordable as well! Looking forward to capturing the next family photos!
Lyndsey Schmidt
Testimonials
My son and I had a motherhood session done and the photos were amazing, something I never even thought I’d need or want turned into one of my favourite memories. I felt so comfortable and supported during our session too. Highly recommend.
Mackenzie Athmer
Testimonials
Shalissa is so patient and engaging with the kiddos! We had a wonderful session where she leaned into my kids curiosity and energy. We had fun and captured those real intimate moments. Thank you!!
Emery Wagner
Testimonials
Shalissa was recommended to us by a coworker when I mentioned how much I loooved her documentary style family photos. We’ve booked her now for maternity, newborn, and family on film sessions and cherish every photo we’ve gotten back. Shalissa is so fun to be with and we love that she rolls with our ideas and awkwardness! We can’t wait to work with her in the future.
Piper Dulle
Testimonials
We loved working with Shalissa. She was so accommodating with us and squeezed us into her busy schedule to make sure we were able to have photos of our new born and we are so grateful. The photographs are beautiful. She made us feel so comfortable and even offered some expert mom advice.
Lindsay Oleniuk
Let's chat more.