travel wedding photography
engagements
elopements
travel wedding photography
elopements
engagements
I'm sara
You can find me editing while singing Taylor Swift with an iced dirty chai in hand.
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connect with sara
When your job is your passion, it doesn’t feel like work at all..
My journey with photography is a love story in itself. I dabbled with it here & there, flirted with it if you will. Mostly iPhone photos with my cousins, taking turns being the photographer & the model in the woods across from my grandma’s house in good ole Southern Illinois. But once I got my hands on a real camera a few years later, a true love started forming. A slow burn at first. I started with maternity, families, and newborns - but when I photographed couples, I fell head over heels & I knew I wanted to capture more of that. There was something about seeing someone else’s love through my lens. Knowing I was preserving the start of their entire life together gave me butterflies as if theirs were contagious. Fast forward - A move from Colorado Springs to the suburbs of Chicago later & I am now living out a dream that I didn’t know I always had, a full time travel wedding photographer. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I believe deep in my soul I have the BEST job in the world. It combines so many of my favorite things like celebrating, love in all its beautiful forms, traveling, city lights & of course cake. I am always ready to embark on a new adventure thanks to my never ending wanderlust. So pretty please take me to New York, Cali, Hawaii, Alaska, or dare I say EUROPE for your special day!
As Taylor Swift sang, “Hold on to the memories, they will hold on to you.” It’s my pleasure to help you hold on to your memories.
All my love,
Sara
No, seriously. Not only do I have to start every day with a cup (or 4), but I really feel like coffee brings people together! I will never say no to coffee & I LOVE getting together for coffee dates with my clients to discuss wedding deets!
Coffee is my love language.
It’s me, HI! I’m the photographer, it’s me! I have been a fan since the very beginning & getting to go to The Eras Tour KC N1 in 2023 is a CORE memory.
Can you tell I’m a Swiftie?
My favorite city in the world is New York City (with Chicago being a close second). Shooting a wedding there is one of my dreams!
Alexa, play "welcome to new york"
Crab legs are my absolute favorite food. Maybe because I’m a Cancer? Not sure, but hot wings are my second fav. Pickles & chicken nuggies are tied for 3rd.
let's dig into some crab legs!
I’m a sucker for a good romance. Well, clearly. But give me cheesy rom-coms & spicy faerie romances all day, any day.
I'M A ROMANTIC AT HEART - OBVIOUSLY.
I have a loaf of a British Shorthair named Sushi & she is literally the BEST cat ever, but I may be biased.
PROUD CAT MOM HERE!
"Her warm personality and genuine enthusiasm for capturing our love story made the entire process enjoyable..."
I aim to capture the raw, romantic moments that make your love story unique, preserving your most cherished memories. With every wedding, elopement, and session, I bring attention to detail, honoring the beauty and significance of your moments as they deserve to be remembered.
Now that you know me a little bit better...
let me get to know you & your dreams for your
once-in-a-lifetime day!
learn about weddings
save your date
learn about portraits
let me get to know you & your dreams for your once-in-a-lifetime day!
once-in-a-lifetime day!
once-in-a-lifetime day!
Portfolio
THE
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Elopements
Weddings
Engagements
Portraits
A little glimpse at the moments and everlasting memories I’ve captured that makes my heart sing…
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Weddings
Elopements
Engagements
Portraits
"We were thrilled with our experience choosing Sara Bowdler as our photographer for our wedding and engagement photos in Chicago!
From our very first meeting, Sara made us feel comfortable and at ease, which is so important when you're planning such a big day. She is organized and professional. We felt very reassured when she arranged 2 separate video calls before the shoot to plan and ensure we were all on the same page about our vision and what was important to us. Her warm personality and genuine enthusiasm for capturing our love story made the entire process enjoyable..."
from: zoey & tim
WEDDING + ENGAGEMENT SESSION
- ZOEY & TIM, WEDDING and engagement session
"... On the day of the wedding, Sara blended seamlessly into the day, capturing candid moments that perfectly reflect our joy and the love surrounding us. Her attention to detail and creative vision are truly remarkable!
The final photos are absolutely stunning-each image is a beautiful reminder of our special day.
I can't recommend Sara Bowdler enough for anyone looking for not just a skilled photographer, but someone who feels like a friend. Thank you for making our wedding unforgettable!"
from: zoey & tim
WEDDING + ENGAGEMENT SESSION
- ZOEY & TIM, WEDDING and engagement session
"Thank you for everything yesterday and leading up to the day of, you were more than a photographer last night; you felt like a bonus friend excited to celebrate us and we're so glad we found you for our Wedding.
I hope we can find a way to stay in touch now that the wedding is done!"
from: courtney & aiden
WEDDING
- Courtney & aiden,
wedding
"I have nothing, but amazing things to say about Sara... After speaking with numerous photographers, I trusted Sara after our phone call. She exceeded all expectations during our engagement shoot and l've received SO many compliments on her work.
We had our wedding... and my family and bridal party agreed she was so nice to work with and gave great direction to the group. I felt like our candid moments were captured even more beautifully than they were in real life. I don't know how she does it but her work rich with bold colors, candid yet still a work of art."
from: Nicole & Adam
WEDDING + engagement session
- Courtney & aiden,
wedding
"Sara Bowdler Photography was a dream to work with and so talented!
My engagement photos looked like they were out of a movie and my wedding photos were stunning!
She gave great direction to the guys and it doesn't hurt that she has such a fun vibe!."
from: Nicole & Adam
WEDDING + engagement session
- Courtney & aiden,
wedding
"Sara is an absolute sweetheart! Even though I had not met her before our special day I felt like I was talking to a friend when I reached out looking for a photographer for our elopement.
She was so flexible and down for all our ideas and moments we wanted to make sure were captured. Her photography is beautiful and we are so glad she was part of our big day!"
from: Starr
Elopement
- Starr
Elopement
"Working with Sara is nothing less than terrific.
She was the best partner in capturing our vision, we could have ever dreamed of! She has great command of her craft and a tremendous vision that we were happy to have in our photoshoot.
Additionally, her rates are a great value for the caliber of talent and services she provides.
It was a gift to get to know Sara and have her for our quixotic request - and she delivered. We look forward to booking with her again and recommending her to anyone in search of a great photographer in the Chicagoland area!"
from: Fabian
ENgagement Session
- Fabian
ENGAGEMENT SESSION
"My fiancée and I had a wonderful session with Sara! She did such a great job capturing our love and making us feel really comfortable. Posing was well explained and really easy with Sara's help. For those reasons, amongst others like how attentive she is to her clients, I highly recommend Sara Bowdler Photography. I can't wait to see the final product and to continue to follow her work in the future!"
from: KATIE
ENgagement Session
- KATIE
ENGAGEMENT SESSION
"Sara is AMAZING!! She did a great job in capturing beautiful pictures of my little family and was so kind and patient with our 1-year-old.
She went above and beyond to ensure that we are happy with the session.
We are obsessed with the pictures and so glad that we found her.
I would highly recommend her to anyone!! Thank you, Sara!"
from: LEONITA
PORTRAIT Session
- LEONITA
PORTRAIT SESSION
"I had the most amazing experience with Sara!
My boyfriend and I love our pictures from the tulip mini photo shoot. It was the first time we got pictures taken and it was a wonderful experience. We will cherish the pictures forever.
I would recommend Sara to anyone!"
from: Samantha
PORTRAIT Session
- Samantha
PORTRAIT SESSION
"Sara is magic and such a joy to be around!
Her talent for capturing moments is truly exceptional and she made the entire photoshoot feel effortless and fun!"
from: Zaina
PORTRAIT Session
- zaina
PORTRAIT SESSION
"I planned my wedding in 6 months, and I wanted to make sure I had quality for a reasonable price.
After hours of searching and lots of inquires, I came across Sara's Instagram. After our phone call, we meshed so I signed the contract and never looked back. My engagement and wedding photos turned out STUNNING and I get so many compliments on them. I've referred multiple people to her and for good reason...
from: Nicole
Wedding
- Nicole
Wedding
"... She's such a great photographer that I just used her for my maternity shoot :)
She listens to what you're looking for a gives you just that and sprinkles a little extra magic on top. On top of her skill, she's such an amicable woman as well."
from: Nicole
Wedding
- Nicole
Wedding
"We had an amazing experience working with Sara Bowdler as our wedding photographer!
From the very beginning, she was incredibly personable and easy to be around —she made ... feel comfortable and relaxed. Sara was also organized and professional throughout the entire process. She listened closely to our style preferences and the kinds of shots we wanted, and she truly delivered. We felt confident going into the big day knowing she had everything covered..."
from: zoey
Wedding + engagement session
- zoey
Wedding + engagement session
"...She also did an incredible job with our engagement photos, which gave us a great opportunity to get to know her and her style beforehand. We couldn't be happier with how both the engagement and wedding photos turned out—they perfectly capture the joy of our big moments.
We highly recommend Sara to anyone looking for a talented, thoughtful, and easygoing photographer!"
from: zoey
Wedding + engagement session
- zoey
Wedding + engagement session
"From the moment we met Sara, we knew she was the perfect photographer for our wedding.
Her warm and professional demeanor instantly put us at ease, and as we got to know her better, we felt like we were working with a dear friend rather than just a business vendor.
Sara's meticulous attention to detail and creative eye were evident throughout the process - she listened intently to our vision and even suggested ideas we hadn't considered that ended up being some of our favorite photos..."
from: courtney
Wedding
- courtney
Wedding
"Amazing energy. Heirloom-level photos.
Sara was a joy to work with – a true creative partner from start to finish. She is warm, organized, and asks great questions. The quality of Sara's work was extraordinary. Our photos came out looking natural, personal, crisp, bright, and perfectly edited. Sara's sweet and bubbly energy made us enjoy our shoot even more. Don't think, just book! Sara is the one!"
from: zoe
engagement session
- zoe
engagement session
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