Meet Rachel File | Documentary Wedding + Elopement Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rachel File and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rachel, we’d love to start by asking you about lessons learned. Is there a lesson you can share with us?
All things have a season. Life, work, relationships. You’re not successful only in the good seasons, when it feels like everything is going right. Success has little to do with how you feel things are going, but rather what you do in spite of those feelings. When it feels like it’s all crashing down, do you throw in the towel or keep trudging through? Because the “crashing down” seasons are temporary. When you feel like you’re doing everything wrong, when you’ve made mistake after mistake, when you think you don’t feel the passion you once had, it’s not forever. You’ve got to keep going to reap the rewards of all your hard work.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Growing up, weddings did not excite me. It just seemed too overwhelming and over-the-top when it should just be fun. As someone who feels awkward in front of the camera, hates the spotlight and feels nervous in large groups, weddings were just not for me. And yet, I love photographing them. Especially knowing I have the unique opportunity to give couples the space to be themselves and enjoy quality time with their favorite people.

The photographer tends to control a large part of the wedding day and I knew there were many other people like me who wanted a day that was real and messy instead of an endless photo shoot of recreated moments from magazines. The purest, realest moments on your wedding day happen in bad lighting, in front of piles of clothes on the floor and heaps of fast food bags on the table. Weddings are full of drama, sadness, joy, excitement, irritation. So many times wedding photographers only focus on the beauty of a wedding day. I capture all facets of it. Weddings are a symphony of beauty and chaos. A beautiful disaster, if you will. I find it all to be beautiful even if the wedding magazines don’t.

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?
Oooh okay Xaman Cafe in Bishop Arts is a must-visit! Think Mexico City versus Tex-Mex. They have homemade pastries, wonderful espresso, and great brunch choices (I love the chilaquiles), as well as a mezcal speakeasy in the back!

In Irving, there is a small, family-owned restaurant called La Margarita which has been a staple in my family’s life since the 90s. They call themselves “Mod Mex”, which I think is a good fit. My go-to entree is the Pollo Maria and favorite drink is the prickly pear margarita.

If you like diner breakfast without the greasiness, Triple A Cafe is just a few miles south of DFW airport. They have a great 90s and 00s playlist going constantly and I’m obsessed with their hashbrowns and biscuits.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are a million people who have had a hand in my success. One person has been a constant in my journey over the past 11 years. I met Laci Coker, owner of Tease to Please Hair and Makeup in 2013 when both of us were in the infancy of our businesses. This girl has believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. She has watched me spend most of my time being afraid of my own success, selling myself short and not taking necessary risks to achieve my goals. She is my biggest cheerleader and I am so so happy to call her friend.

Website: www.weddingswithrae.com

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