How We Met

Brianna and I met at the Skagit Valley Wedding Show earlier this year. Brianna later sent me an email wanting me to capture her and JD's wedding day in August, and we were both ecstatic! It always make me extra excited when I get to meet my clients beforehand because it puts a face to the name, I get to feed off of your energy, and we just naturally get to connect better when we talk in person.

Leading Up To The Big Day

Bri and I had been in contact since she had booked me. I schedule three phone calls with my clients (I call them Connection Calls) so we can stay in touch, you can update me on your wedding day plans, and to help you feel supported by me. I am a resource and letting me answer all of your questions not only helps you, but ultimately makes my job easier!

Bri had selected a photo package that included a Bridal Session. This is something I offer to brides or couples, so they can get the most out of their wedding outfits. This was the first one I had done this year, so I didn't know what to expect from a client. Bri went above and beyond by borrowing an Audi car for our photoshoot since her fiance is such a diehard Audi fan. How cool! Check out how Bri's bridal session turned out here.

Bri and JD were originally going to get married on JD's family property, but ended up renting this cabin on Camano Island that had the most gorgeous water view! It had the tallest trees sprinkled throughout the backyard and provided the perfect amount of shade during this summer afternoon. It was an intimate celebration with only their closest friends and family surrounding them, and it couldn't have been more perfect!

The First Look and Couple Photos

Bri and JD decided that they wanted to start their day off with a first look. A great thing to do if you want to do most of your photos before the ceremony. (If you want more info about whether you should do a first look or not, check out my blog post here).

Bri was so excited to see her man that she came downstairs 15 mins early and insisted that she wanted to see him! I placed JD so he could wait for his girl with a beautiful view of the water, prepped him for what was going to happen, and which shoulder to look over. Other than that, I let them have this moment for themselves. These two were immediately so happy and at ease once they were together. JD soaked in all of Bri's beauty and Bri loved how JD looked! They talked about how their mornings had been going so far, and how excited they were for the rest of the day.

After the nerves were gone, and they looked over to me, we started couple photos! I originally thought we would be doing these photos on the beach below, but the stairs were a bit questionable, so we stayed in the backyard, and it couldn't have been more beautiful (and easy)! We used the view to our advantage and used it as the backdrop for all of our photos. We explored the area and even went down a little ways on the staircase to find a small platform to get a little privacy. These two could not have been more natural in front of the camera and took all of my prompts in stride. Their love was oozing out of them and we had so much getting these photos!

Details

These two put so much love and care into every detail of their day, and you could tell! It's a misconception that you need everything to be over the top for a wedding to be beautiful, but simplicity can be just as effective. Since they were getting married near the water, they chose to use seashells as decor. How smart! It's simple, timeless, and tied everything together. The color of the shells went with the peachy tones of the table runners and the pink flowers, the texture on her shoes reminded me of bubbles, and the ring box! THE RING BOX. I am now a huge fan of unique ring boxes.

When planning your own event, choose a few things that you are going to prioritize and do those things well. And as long as you have a color palette, it's going to look great!

Ceremony

This ceremony was short and oh so sweet. Bri chose to walk down the aisle with the veil covering her face, and it was such an elegant and traditional decision. Her father had the opportunity to lift it once they reached the altar and it honestly made this moment between father and daughter so much more special. It gave them an opportunity to truly face each other and have a moment together before he handed her over to JD.

To make the most of the space that they had to work with, they decided to have the guests sit at their reception tables instead of having a traditional chair set up, and it couldn't have worked better! When getting married in a small space, you have to make logistical decisions and this made it so they didn't have to reset the space after the ceremony. One set up: done!

Wedding Party and Family Photos

Since it was an intimate celebration, the wedding party only consisted of 5 people, and the entire guest list was between 30-40 people. I truly felt like I got to connect with most of the people there and got to share in the true joy they had for the couple. Everyone knew each other and were already so close, so it encouraged people to act like themselves in front of the camera. This made taking their photos even more rewarding for me!

First Dances

How could you not love a first dance with a view like that?

Bri shared first dances with her new husband, her father, and her uncle (who she said was like her second dad). I'm so happy that she was able to carve out these special moments for the important men in her life. However, I'm not happy that Bri did all of these dances barefoot and destroyed her feet on all of the pinecones on the ground!

JD shared a dance with his mom and I have yet to see a mother not cry while dancing with their son on their wedding day. She later explained to me that she normally doesn't like to show emotion publicly, but that this was such a special day for her, she just couldn't help it!

Reception

Party time! By this time of the day, the couple was ready to simply enjoy time with their friends and family. I stood back and witnessed countless beautiful moments whether it was a speech, happy tears, a warm hug, or two people enjoying each other while looking out at the water.

Bri is an artist and decided to get creative with their guest book! Instead of having people write words, the guests were asked to contribute brushstrokes to a canvas so that together, they would create a new piece of art unique to this event!

They also purchased an audio guestbook where people could leave "voicemails" for the couple to listen to later. Unfortunately, it didn't work, but my lovely assistant, Rochelle, had a great idea! She was already filming behind the scenes content for me, so she had people come up and talk into the phone as normal, but now she was recording them so the couple could still have their messages. It was so sweet!

Bri and JD's wedding day could not have felt more special and loving. I am honored to capture any wedding, but these smaller celebrations always pull on my heartstrings a little bit more. I'm so happy that Bri and I found each other, and am even happier that she found JD. I wish them nothing but all the love and happiness in the world!

If you are looking for someone to capture your special day, fill out my inquiry form and we can start the process!

Vendors

Dress: Belle Bridal

Suit: Men's Wearhouse

Her ring: Kay Jewelers

His ring: Ben Bridge Jewelers

Food: Island Girls Catering

Desserts: James Street Cakes