Hola! and Hello!
I'm Sandra.
My pronouns are She+Ella.
40 some years young. Aries.
I am the founder and lead photographer of Sandrachile.
I was born and raised in Chile. I moved to the United States in 2006, and I have been working as a wedding photographer for the last 12 years.
Sandrachile's legacy to you
Nothing fancy, just love.
This is a picture of my parent's wedding.
They got married at home, in Chile.
My mom was 24, and my dad was 25 years old.
My parent's marriage lasted 20 years only, not the happiest I should say.
I got to witness their bitter years, which was most of them.
I never saw my parents happy, but I like this picture because both are smiling in it.
This photograph is my reminder of the value of photography.
Life might take us through unpredictable roads, and even if things turn ugly; wedding photography can show us feelings that existed.
We can pretend we looked different by photoshopping the way we look, but we can't photoshop happiness, joy, or love.
That's the kind of work we produce here, pictures that show you how you felt because. Nothing fancy, just love.
Beyond the wedding day
Sandrachile's core belief is that if we are gonna spend a ton of money on something, we may as well spend it well.
With Sandrachile I've tried to breach the gap between the wedding world and the real world by encouraging couples to use their consumer power to produce social change with their wedding day.
If you are about to get hitched...
we encourage you to think about these things
Food waste
When I first noticed the amount of food at the end of every wedding, I felt uncomfortable.
After thinking about what could we do, I realized change-making starts in us first, so I began gathering leftovers and feeding the homeless with them.
With each wedding, we have successfully spread the love of each couple beyond the constraints of a wedding day.
BE THE CHANGE:
Pack your car with leftovers from your event, and drive around downtown. If you see anyone homeless simply ask them, would you like some food today?.
PRO TIP: Prepare ahead with these supplies
Plastic waste
Love is the only thing I want to remain forever after weddings, so when I noticed plastic cups, stirrers, and cutlery, I started talking to couples about it and making them accountable for their trash.
Today, I can proudly say that together we are making an impact and reducing single-use plastics at weddings.
BE THE CHANGE:
Ask your vendors to abstain from using single-use plastic, and request ways to properly dispose and recycle waste.
PRO TIP: Prepare ahead with these supplies
Compostable dinnerware number 1
Compostable dinnerware number 2
Intention
Most wedding traditions are rooted in patriarchy.
By encouraging couples to be mindful of the traditions they choose to include, I am empowering couples to set an egalitarian tone for their marriage, beyond just the wedding day.
BE THE CHANGE:
Read THIS book by Meg Keene before falling into the rabbit hole of wedding expectations.
The Team
And although Sandrachile started with just Sandra, today we are a circus with several monkeys, all unified by these 4 principles:
- We believe in being affirming to everyone.
- We believe on going the extra mile.
- We believe in the value of candid pictures.
- We believe the way we live, the way we work, and the work we produce has the power to change the world.
Tori
photographer
Jenni
photographer
Levana
photographer
