There is something about a courthouse wedding that just gets me! There’s something so old-movie and romantic and spontaneously fun about it. When Olivia contacted me about being her photographer for her & Sean’s downtown Seattle courthouse nuptials a few weeks ago, I was totally excited. When I met her in person … funny story about that, ahem. At the Shoreline Central Market (read: grocery store). Yes, I met with a bride in the grocery store deli. Perplexingly, it turns out Cafe Appassianato is actually a latte stand in a grocery store … an actual (super)market, not a hippy fun coffee shop in a neato market ala Pike Place. Lucky for me, this adorable girl with her 20’s flapper vintage vibe was completely awesome and sweet, and thought it was funny too.
Seattle Municipal Courthouse wedding; reception (including the most delightful cake toppers evah, check em out in the slideshow, too cute for words) at Mulleady’s Pub in Magnolia. (They’re having a bit of a technical thing with the website right now, but it should click through soon.) Anyway, I’m going back at my earliest convenience to flirt with the adorable bartenders and try out the espresso cocktails, and oh, yeah … the food looked incredible.)
Just for fun, give yourself a little treat and go to Owl City’s site and play the slideshow with the Hello Seattle song. Where it says, “click to play” at the top right, click back one song to track 7, where it says “previous track” … sadly, I can’t set the slideshow to music here, but it’s the next best thing.
The last and final, for sure, for sure, Luce Bella wedding photos for 2009:
At last … my very last wedding of 2009 … and what could be a more perfect way to end the year than a wonderful bride and groom who I love and adore (and who obviously love and adore each other) at a beautiful fairy-tale castle nestled in the trees in Lakewood, WA.
When I arrived, the bride was getting ready in Anna’s suite, where it’s been reported that if you take photos of the bride in Anna’s dressing table mirror, you may see a ghostly appearance … you’ll have to take a look for yourselves to see if she showed up. We had a lot of fun looking in every room for spirits, including the shiver-inducing hall of mirrors at the very top of the mansion, and the adorable pink chapel, where I was sure “someone” would turn up.
I loved the cozy, intimate ceremony in the richly paneled Great Hall, with Allison coming down the stairs to meet her father, and joining Nick in front of the fireplace to be wed. Nick and Allison’s much-anticipated and much-practiced first dance, which was so beautiful. The amazing cake made by their friend (yes, we all know I’m obsessed with cake…and yes, this one passed the test) The secret-hiding-place bathrooms. The secret garden, which I did not get to spend enough time in. Nick’s quick laugh. Allison’s sweet smile. The cutest little kids (and family) you’ve ever seen … there are probably way too many photos of them in the slide show. The best garter-tossing moment ever when the thing flew into the fireplace, and was fished out by the best man (which is a good thing, if you read my blog, you’ll know that it’s my personal mission to get this guy engaged so I can fly back to Virginia, where he lives, to shoot his wedding. If his girlfriend isn’t too mad at me for trying to fix up her man (oops … )
In all, it went by way too quickly, just like this year has … I hope you love their wedding photos as much as I do. Nick & Allison, thank you both so much for the perfect ending to this year.
Tags: bellevue, bellevue wa, boutique, bride, bridesmaids, couple, eastside, engagement, fun, issaquah, kirkland, love, north bend, photograph, photographer, photography, photos, pictures, portraits, redmond, renton, seattle, tacoma, vancouver, wa, wedding, wedding cake, wedding photographer, woodinville
Last weekend, I was such a lucky girl. Megan & Sean invited me to Virginia to shoot their absolutely delicious autumn wedding, and I have to say, I am a smitten kitten where that’s concerned. Picture this: rolling, green, gorgeous golf course … like the ones on TV, of which I think it’s safe to say we have none of here in the Northwest. Not being a golfer, however, I am sure I don’t know. Anyway … gorgeous, rolling greens, these skyscraping orange leafy trees (I’d tell you what they were, but not one person in Virginia knows what they are, which cracked me up! I kept asking everyone!) and out-of-season summer weather … heaven. And just a wacky, hilarious bride and groom and their awesome friends and both of their darling families … it was such a blast, I can’t wait for one of them to get married so I can go back. Like, right now. In fact, I am so obsessed that I have made it my mission to fix up the best man at the wedding I shot a week later, who coincidentally lives in Virginia, (you’ll see him in the Castle wedding, coming up next on the blog…) so I can fly back East again and shoot his wedding too. (Virginia girls, he’s adorable and hilarious and nice to kids, and yet has a little bit of a naughty side … total catch. Call me … )
Oh! And this is too cute: while I was there, I made a quick trip in to DC to visit the Lincoln Memorial. I’m snapping away, sending sparkly monument pictures on my Blackberry to my family back home, when out of the blue, the guy next to me drops on one knee … the cutie girl he’s with goes, “Oh … BABY!” Like that, you know? And covers her face with her hands. I’m like, “dude, no way,” and start in like the paparazzi on Britney Spears at Starbucks. Totally nuts, I know, but I’m a wedding photographer; I can’t stand there during a proposal like that with a camera in my hands and not do anything! Anyway … William, and William’s fiancee, I wish you the best!
Okay … the pics:
Saturday, October 31, 2009 Posted in baby, bellevue, families, kids, portraits, seattle, sneak peek, tacoma, teens, urban, wa
I wanna guy who’s tough but sweet … he’s so fine he can’t be beat…I want candy…I want candy…
Okay, my 80’s roots are showing. =P
Anyway … these boys are all so sweet and schmushy regardless of their tough appearance. Plus it’s Halloween, so I had to throw in a candy reference somewhere… oh, well, it’s probably not so good if you have to explain it. Hehehe…
The one lonely girl in the mix is one of my favorite repeat clients. Is the baby not cute? His hair is to die for. Love him. Quick mini session just to update their family photo for the year. B., I wish we’d had longer … did you see those awesome brightly colored broken-down vintage trucks as we drove away? Darn it.
Happy Candy Day everyone.
Tags: baby, bellevue, bellevue wa, buckley, child, children, eastside, families, family, fun, high school, issaquah, kids, kirkland, love, north bend, photograph, photographer, photography, photos, pictures, portraits, redmond, renton, seattle, senior, tacoma, teenager, teens, vancouver, wa, woodinville
Did I not call it when I said that Julia was going to be the most amazing bride? She’s this smokin’ hot little firecracker with magnificent fashion choices and a mile-wide smile that lights up the room. Jon is such a lucky guy in every way, but no one is more perfect for her than him. They are magic together, and so happy it’s contagious. Love them.
They were married outside at the gorgeous Willows Lodge, the perfect storm of to-die-for food (Jon & Julia offered a spectacular Mexican buffet), hospitable staff (love, love, love the staff … the girl tending bar is adorable) and home of The Herbfarm, where they pick fresh herbs from the garden (irresistible to flower girls, who ditch the wedding ceremony to play in the kitchen gardens) to create spectacular meals that make you cry … but I digress.
Here’s the pics (warning, there might be a few kissy parts) :
Tags: bellevue, bellevue wa, bride, bridesmaids, couple, eastside, engagement, flowers, fun, groom, herbfarm, issaquah, kirkland, lodge, love, north bend, photograph, photographer, photography, photos, pictures, pink, portraits, redmond, wa, wedding, wedding cake, wedding photographer, willows, woodinville
Ummm…nummy!! I was asked to join in on a fun night out for Seattle area bride Jenn and her girls. Sweet Decadence offers a Chocolarette party as a fun night out to hang with the girls while creating gorgeous handmade chocolates with which to treat your wedding guests on the big day. If you haven’t been there, I want you to get in your car right now and go; I was okay until I tried their hand-crafted coffee … YES! They brew every single magical cup by hand, oh em gee. I’m now so spoiled… if they ever build in a drive thru I’ll be totally lost forever to any other coffee house, EVER.
Chocolate, coffee, wine, and sparkly edible glitter dust. Yeah, baby!
Tags: bachelorette party, bellevue, bellevue wa, boutique, bride, bridesmaids, chocolarette, chocolate, coffee, couple, cupcake, eastside, engagement, espresso, favors, food, fun, gifts, handmade, issaquah, kirkland, love, north bend, party, party favors, photograph, photographer, photography, photos, pictures, portraits, redmond, seattle, tacoma, top wedding photographers in seattle's eastside, vancouver, wa, wedding, wedding cake, wedding favors, wedding photographer, wine
Tuesday, October 20, 2009 Posted in bellevue, hockinson, portraits, seniors, sneak peek, teens, urban, vancouver, wa
Tags: bellevue, bellevue wa, eastside, fun, high school, issaquah, kirkland, north bend, photograph, photographer, photography, photos, pictures, portraits, redmond, renton, seattle, senior, tacoma, vancouver, wa
I know Jes is dying to see her wedding photos, so I’m keeping it short and sweet like the bridesmaids’ hot little cocktail dresses … and can we talk about the red shoes!? I can’t stress enough how this particular trend in wedding fashion makes me ridiculously happy. Not to mention that the groom showed up with his own awesome footwear, as well. Throw into the mix a rare vintage car named for famed Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne plus the super-creative-and-extremely-cool second photographer John Huson and the most-excellent Valerie … end the night with awesome dancing, (including grandparently awesome dancing and the bride twirling in her dress squee!!!) … and it all unfolds as a fabulous vintage/modern/retro wedding day that is truly unforgettable! Thanks, J & W, for asking us to be there…I adore you both, and I know that you will have a really fun, happy, sweet life together.
Tags: auto, bellevue, car, couple, eastside, farm, hot, issaquah, kirkland, north, north bend, photograph, photographer, photography, photos, pictures, portraits, red shoes, redmond, retro, rockne, rural, seattle, stanwood, tacoma, tazer valley farms, top wedding photographers in seattle's eastside, vintage, wa, wedding, wedding photographer, wingtips
That song by the Black Eyed Peas will forever remind me of the night when Christa & Lars tied the knot by the riverbank at the party of the year. You may remember them from their super awesome engagement photos, where they had me laughing so hard that I almost couldn’t focus, and where (apparently) I earned the new nickname “Granny Panties” … uhh…long story, not interesting. I’ll, umm…tell you later. Some other time. I’m not sure how I felt when one of the groomsmen exclaimed, “That’s Granny Panties!? I thought she’d be someone old!” Hey. No one wants a wedgie while they’re trying to work.
Christa would appreciate right now if I mentioned the sheer gorgeousness and perfection of her wedding day. A private residence on the riverbank (I’d tell you which one, but as we all know, I am desperately geographically challenged and I’d hate to steer you wrong) in the woods … the end-of-summer sunshine streaming through the trees … the most stunning model-y wedding party I’ve ever seen … catered by Pizzicato (how fun is that!?) the most amazing wedding cake I’ve ever tasted (yes, we all know that I only shoot weddings for the cake) and awesome dancing under the stars. A good, good night.
Also, take a minute to check out my more-than-awesome second photographer, Jenny Wells-O’Donnell. She’s an amazing girl and a truly outstanding photographer in the Vancouver area!
I love shooting the younger siblings of my seniors that I’ve done portraits for. I get so attached to my clients through the process of prepping, helping them decide what to wear, what type of location fits their personality, shooting the session, agonizing over the proofs and helping them to decide on final prints and what will actually be displayed in the home. When it’s all said and done, I may not see them again for a year or so, until they need a family session or their younger brother or sister is now finally graduating, and I get to hang out again, catch up on what the first kid is doing and how profoundly their lives have changed since I last saw them.
Tyler’s sister Nicole was my very first client, three summers ago, and I am still so in love with the images we created. Back then, it took us five or six hours and a whole bunch of locations over two days, so the good news for Tyler is that I’ve improved on my speed a lot. I think this time, we did it in about an hour and a half, and two locations … quick and painless. We did things a little differently this time, ditching the wildflowers and pretty chair for some highly textured walls and an awesome wall/mural that we found in his hometown down town. I grabbed these on my way home from shooting a wedding in the Portland/Vancouver area, where we lived before moving to the Seattle area a year ago.
Also, his sister was a lot more smiley. Hahaha…sorry T. =)
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