Erica Swantek Photography

Erica was a gift from the universe or from the google algorithm. Either way, after rolling our D20 and landing on the Oregon coast we were excited to find a photographer that could help us with every step of the way. If adventure elopement was a test, Erica would pass with flying colors. Technically she did pass the test of my now husband who has also professionally photographed. From the get-go Erica communicated quickly and clearly. She was a happy face in what could have been a stressful time if not for her help!
She gave excellent vendor suggestions, a few we chose to be a part of our day. I hope we have the opportunity to work with her again!- Harley & Clarence

We came across Erica entirely sight unseen and by luck. We had only a very general idea about an intimate destination elopement-style wedding, we had never been to Oregon, and we didn’t know quite where to start. A google search led us to Erica and we set up a virtual meeting with her because we loved the style of her photography and inclusive and welcoming messages delivered on her website.

We could not have been more fortunate. And the experience exceeded any expectation that we had.

From the moment that we met, Erica felt like someone we had known for years, more akin to a close friend. More than merely photography, Erica helped construct our entire day with photography as an element of an overall experience.

Erica took the time to understand our personalities and what we had in mind, constructed the perfect itinerary and found amazing locations, and made incredible suggestions along the way. She scouted out the locations beforehand and told us exactly what to expect before we even made it to Oregon.

The day itself was magical. Erica met us as our first stop, and guided us each step along the way. She was equal parts tour guide, photographer, planner, and friend, and she fit seamlessly within our group. I’ll admit that I was skeptical about the itinerary — e.g, how could she predict how long a mixed group would take to hike and return to transportation? — but I was shocked to find out how precise her predictions were. And she was prepared for seemingly every eventuality: Umbrellas? Check. Extra jackets? Check. Impromptu allergy medicine? Check.

It strikes us as incredible that our review has only now gotten to the quality of the photography (we hope that you get a sense that Erica is far more than the word “photographer” gives her credit for). Our pictures captured everything that we wanted from our day and more. From the portraits to the group pictures to the special moments along the way, Erica captured everything with her special and extraordinary touch.

If we could give 10/5 stars to Erica, we would — but 5/5 is what we are limited to. We have no hesitation in recommending her to you: quite simply, she is the best. And in just the course of a few months virtually and a day in person, she became our friend. -Shamoil & Brently

Erica Swantek Photography was our best decision when it came to creating a seamless and beatifully documented wedding day experience, despite weather not being as hoped for in the gloomy but magical Olympic National Park (Lake Crescent Lodge!)
Erica's photos speak for themselves but what complements those photos and make it a whole lot easier to look happy;) is the patience, flexibility, and positivity that Erica brought to our wedding experience. While many photographers take great pictures because of their experience and perhaps education, Erica is able to take beautiful pictures because of the experience, education, and HEART you are equipped with.

In making the decision to get married, just the two of us, not having any friends of family in attendance to witness, we knew how crucial documenting the moments for ourselves and for our family would be. While in a traditional wedding there are dances to arranges, bridal parties to organize, food to cater, etc - most of the time in an elopement setting (or at least ours) all of that doesn't exist - so the photos of the ceremony are one of the only and considerably the most important decisions for the day. It is a way to demonstrate the love John and I share for one another that we can look back on for the rest of our lives..... Otherwise meaning - WOW - Erica is beyond amazing at her job. We planned for a sunrise elopement at Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park and really wanted light and bright photos (quite the ambitious goal in the PNW) and Erica helped us pivot to an arguably even more beautiful location where she was able to research and execute on plans to optimize the light and thus the photos!

A couple of things that come to mind when I think of Erica's business includes

Erica's ability to...
* create an authentic and comfortable experience shines through the output of the photos!
*make couples feel seen and validated in what they are doing, goes beyond simply providing photos to someone
*research and time spent picture-influencing factors such as identifying what time the sun will rise in a particular area, the type/number of crowds to expect, any rules/instructions to consider for a particular location makes the world of a difference in creating a seamless and well prepared for experience
*demonstrate sincere interest and commitment to her customers, John and I felt SO seen and heard by Erica. We greatly appreciated her time spent in learning what makes us US and so perfectly and subliminally incorporating those elements into the day/photos/overall experience.

Erica, thank you again, for documenting and overall enhancing our wedding day experience :) - Nicole & John

I cant tell you how thankful I am we decided on Erica for our elopement in Bend. She was easy to talk to, responsive with emails and ideas for our day, and extremely quick to send us our gallery! Before our big day, she asked all the right questions and made me feel 100% secure that all our photo needs would be met, all over email! On our wedding day, she was everywhere! Getting the perfect shots and giving us feedback. She was easy to trust and we were so happy to try all her fun photo ideas! After our big day, she was so quick with first looks and the whole set of hundreds of photos came within weeks of our day! I have so many favorite images from our day thanks to Erica!

Ten years ago I married the man of my dreams; our wedding was less dreamy. We were young, we had a lot of help, but the day was a far cry from a dream come true. The venue was dark, the families were stressed, and compromises were made leaving the day feeling more like a dry reunion gone bad. Luckily I had enough sense at the time to have my dress preserved with the hope that someday I would have the chance to feel like a glowing bride. Here we are closing our first full decade as husband and wife and in walks Erica to make my dream wedding come true. Adventure Elopement Photographer Extraordinaire! She picked the location, the timing, and met us on the Oregon Coast. She captured the love and joy in my husband’s eyes; the sappy sentimental tears as I renewed my vows; the all out goofy weird and wild awkwardness as we lock stepped up the beach grinning from ear to ear. Every moment we missed 10 years ago, and every moment spent strengthening our bond, friendship, and love is captured perfectly in every shot. I have cried every time I look at our photos. I have been dreaming of this shoot for a decade, and Erica blew all those expectations and hopes out of the water! We made new memories, took chances, and trusted a perfect stranger whole heartedly and we have the most stunning photos to cherish for many more decades to come. Thank you!!!

Meeting Erica was such a blessing. My now husband and I are from Vancouver island BC and we had no clue where to start when it came to eloping. We knew we wanted to he married in Oregon at our favorite beach on the coast. Erica listened to our vision, supported every idea and was fully on board. My biggest fear was feeling pressure, or stress. My husband and I literally had the elopement of our dreams.
We nodded “I do”while signing the papers on our drink fridge in our travel van. Proceeded to run on the beach, laugh, get sandy and eat chicken burgers. It was like a great day spend with friends. We met strangers asking of our story, and it was the perfect hilarious non traditional event we dreamed of. The photos Erica was able to capture for us, are something I can’t even describe. Not only did the coast provide the most stunning sunset I’ve ever seen on that faithful day. But it was captured beyond any expectation I’ve ever had. Erica continues to check in with us, and we are in the plans to hire her for a family or anniversary shoot with our new puppy. Erica is more than just our elopement photographer, she’s now a friend and that was the experience we were hoping for that can continue through our travel milestones through Oregon!
Thank you so much Erica!- Jessi & Brook

We absolutely loved working with Erica for our wedding and engagement photo shoots! We planned for an intimate wedding (which became an even more intimate wedding when we cut back our guest list due to COVID), so it was incredibly important to us to find a photographer who would match our energy, respect our vision for the day, and capture the beauty of the Central Oregon landscape. Erica ROCKED it (even on a cold, cloudy, windy day) and the images from our Black Butte Ranch wedding are more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. She was also amazing at working with our dog, Ellie. She's a shy, sensitive pup and Erica was so patient and sweet with her! Most importantly, we had so much FUN with Erica throughout the whole process - she brought such a relaxed, can-do energy to all our interactions and never once made us feel silly for any of our questions or requests. If you're planning a PNW wedding (especially an elopement or intimate wedding), I'd recommend Erica in a heartbeat! She is an artist and a true professional, and we feel so lucky to have found her.