Laurel McConnell Photography bio picture

Hey folks!

Thanks for stopping in! This is the place to read about the latest shoots, new products, and general shenanigans going on around here. Please visit the website for full portfolio, pricing, and details.

In case we haven't yet met, I'm a sunshine loving, coffee drinking, picture taking, prank making, pizza loving, movie watching, spider hating, hysterically laughing, late sleeping, late working, people watching, veggie eating, animal loving, big dreaming, fast thinking, funny-face making, sarcastically joking, super dirty martini drinking, shoe collecting geek. The kind with REALLY thick glasses and mall bangs in her 6th grade class pictures. Let's vow never to let another picture like that be taken again, eh?

Hitched: Erin & Josh At Tacoma’s Annie Wright School

October 7, 2008 – 1:04 am

Erin and Josh.  Oh man, where do I begin… laughter.  One thing that nearly EVERY image has from the weekend I spent with them has is laughter.  Hysterical, joking, loving laughter.  I love it.  They love each other so much, and their family and friends loves them, and they love their family and friends.  In fact, Josh loves Erin SO much that he called 24 Ann Taylors to find the right sizes for the bridesmaids dresses.  Apparently this is what he does at work.  Awesome Josh, awesome.  (you can see their West Seattle engagement portraits here!)

It was just such a fun, fun, weekend.  First to Gig Harbor, Erin’s home town, to spend some time with their families who flew from as far as Japan!!  Then to the gorgeous and totally undiscovered Annie Wright School in Tacoma for the wedding day and ceremony (yes, you can rent an old prep school!).  Then, a few private moments for some post-nuptual jumping on the bed (shh! Don’t tell the folks at Annie Wright :) and then onto a great, great party, where the kids stayed up late, and no one wanted to leave.

A super special shout-out to miss Barbie Hull for co-shooting with me that day (daaang, she’s good at what she does!), Gallucci’s for yummy food, and the super talented family and friends responsible for the cake, hair, makeup, flowers, and programs/invites!  Mark Tsui for some awesome beats, and Jane Treleven for a stunning cake that was so fun to watch the destruction of :)  And especially Father Gerry, Erin’s highschool pastor who was able to marry Erin and Josh and keep us all laughing.

I just couldn’t narrow it down to a few for the blog (probably because its way past my bedtime, or maybe because I spent TWO days with them!), so here’s a really long, but fast moving slideshow (cause really, I’m sure you have other things you SHOULD be doing right now then watching a blog slideshow…).

Congrats you two!  And thanks so much to you and your friends and family for having such a fun wedding and being such fun people to photograph!  Babs and I had a blast!!!  It was truly an honor!  I do have the best clients, eh?  So much fun, so much fun.

By Laurel | Posted in real weddings | Tagged , , | no comments         No Love Yet | Add Some Love

October Events Not To Miss!

September 27, 2008 – 12:10 pm

I love the fall- the leaves, the air, the hot cocoa, the scarves, the sweaters.  October is also Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so it’s only fitting that two of these events are centered around that!  Here are some great events I’d LOVE to see you at:

Sunday October 5th- Join us Get Hitched, Give Hope gals at the Walk for Hope to Cure Breast Cancer to support City of Hope’s breast cancer research, education and treatment. You can join our team HERE!

Thursday October 16th- An event like no other, our friends Sharlane Chase and Jesse & Travis of True Colors are hosting their yearly celebration and exhibition of couture wedding and event planning at Urban Unveiled.

Thursday October 23rd- The Get Hitched, Give Hope Auction and Benefit, where you can get gorgeous goods for your wedding while giving back.  Help us raise $50,000 to grant wishes for breast cancer patients through auctions, raffles, and donations.  Click here for the latest details, sponsors, goods, and for tickets!

By Laurel | Posted in giving, stuff in general, wedding planning | Tagged , , , , , | no comments         No Love Yet | Add Some Love

Oh, For the Love of CHOCOLATE!

September 12, 2008 – 12:42 pm

This is totally un-wedding, un-work, and un-photography related.  But I just had to share this recipe that my step-mom passed along to me… whoever thought this one up is a complete and utter genius.  I know it’s still feeling like summer outside (and man I hope that lasts!!!), but this looks like a great little recipe to keep in mind the next time it rains and you’re totally craving some comfort sweets with your honey!

5  MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

1 Coffee Mug
4 tablespoons flour(that’s plain flour, not self-rising)
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons baking cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional) some nuts (optional)
Small splash of vanilla

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well . Add the egg and  mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.
Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla, and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes on high.
The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don’t be alarmed!

Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired. EAT!
(this can serve 2 if you want to share!)

By Laurel | Posted in stuff in general | Tagged , , | 3 comments         Hide The Love | Add Some Love
  1. Michelle Engvall   -  

    Im excited to make this! Yumm. :)

  2. Ashley   -  

    Wow! I Have to try this! How many have you made? ;-)

  3. Eliza   -  

    YUM! What a great idea…and I love it that after you’ve had your mugful there isn’t an entire cake still sitting in the kitchen, beckoning to you every time you walk by. Perfect!

Hitched: Sarah & Tim at the Seattle World Trade Center

September 1, 2008 – 10:27 pm

Modern. Glam. Blahnik.

In July, Sarah and Tim had me over to their fun cocktail party of a wedding. A five minute ceremony. Ultra glam details and decor. And lots and lots of friends. Easily one of the hottest days of our super short summer (what the heck! we totally got shafted this year!), it was a really fun one. I couldn’t wait to see what they had planned, all of the details sounded so stylish! Here are some of my favorites!!! (and you can see their engagement portraits here)

I get really excited by the most random little things. 1. shoes. that’s a given. 2. how the end of bouts are wrapped. Aria Floral did a fabu job here. 3. the ceilings of the wedding venue- they end up in a great deal of the images, so it’s always nice if the ceiling DOESN’T look like the one at your office. They did good here too. Awesomeness.

It was SO sunny! Abnormally so! I couldn’t resist this one, sorry guys. Super cheesy, noted.

Ha! Running across the street while holding down the shutter comes out cool only one time out of 100 ;)

Venue: Seattle World Trade Center

Dress: Jenny Packham from Voletta Couture

Earrings: Glam By Pam (Pam is a hoot if you ever get the chance to browse her Redmond studio!!)

Shoes: Manolo Blahnik

Suit: Versace

Flowers: Aria Floral

Sweets: Trophy Cupcakes

Hair/Makeup: Erin Skipley

Favors: caramels from Fran’s Chocolates

Music: Greg Lowder of Affairs To Remember

Photography: Me!

By Laurel | Posted in real weddings | Tagged , , | 3 comments         Hide The Love | Add Some Love
  1. Sarah Rhoads   -  

    hey purdy lady! great great work. love the personality you captuered in these! wonderful work

  2. jenny gg   -  

    wow - that bouquet was the coolest - what a great set!!!

  3. ONE LOVE PHOTO   -  

    WOW! This is an awesome set! I think the shadow is one of the best shadow shots I’ve seen, ever! I like it and usually I hate them. The out of focus dancing one rocks my world. Love that!

AJAXed with AWP