So… here I am going through the barrage of emails that came in while we were up in Alaska this last week shooting Amy and Brad’s wedding, and I was led to a popular blog here in photography land. Â Little did I know that my website was featured on my web design company’s blog!! So cool… so here’s a shoutout to my favorite web folks down in Bend, OR!! Fellow photographers, check out Big Folio - their sites are fabulous and their customer service is unbeatable. Â I love how they can customize just about anything to suit what you’re business needs- it’s tough to stand out in this business and a great website is a must!
There are just some people, who, after meeting them and knowing them, have made your life even more fun and delightful. Â Juli and Christopher are two of these people. I am so happy and thankful to be the one who has documented such a special time in their lives. Â They met at one of the best places to find a friend and the love of your life, like many of my other clients and friends, online. He works at Microsoft (and is of course, therefor, totally into photography. What is it about Microsoft employees?! ;), and she brings technology to the masses through programs at UW and Seattle Schools.
With the last few days of crazy April weather (yes, rain, sun, hail, AND snow all in a one hour period this afternoon) I remember the gorgeous, warm sun quite clearly on their late February afternoon wedding.
They wanted their wedding to be all about bringing two families together and celebrating the love that they all have for each other. They each had their pastors speak during their ceremony, Juli wore the cuff of her great grandmother’s wedding dress around her ankle, and they had all sorts of great little surprises in honor of Chris’s two boys. There was a fun moment during the ceremony where Juli was presented a necklace: it was originally a gift from Christopher, and to welcome the boys into her life, she had Greenlake Jewelry Works amend it to include the boys’ birthstones. During the reception, Chris and Juli had a special surprise song planned just for the boys- the Muppet’s Muhnahmahnah song (I know you’re totally singing it in your head right now…). The drink du jour was from Juli’s brother’s award winning cider company, Blue Mountain Cider (you HAVE to have some of this- their cherry apple hard cider goes down like… er… apple juice?). Even the flowers had family importance- you could see tulips everywhere (invitation, programs, table tops, bouquets, even the bridesmaid’s earrings) because when Juli was a girl, her dad would tuck her in at night saying “Time to plant the tulip!”
Thank you guys both so much for welcoming me into your lives- Victoria and I had such a great time at your wedding and everyone made us feel like we were part of the family and welcome guests!!
Here’s the story as Andrea thinks it is: she’s flying from New York, where she lives, to Seattle, where she grew up, for her mother’s retirement party. Her boyfriend Carlos really wants to go, as he loves loves loves her family, but he just can’t tear himself away from work. So Andrea and her mom are to arrive at 6 at the Columbia Tower in downtown Seattle before the dinner starts. And woah, there’s a photographer there who wants to take her mom’s picture for the newsletter. And then her mom has to go give a quick interview, but none of the family is there yet, so Andrea has to wait in this nice little private dining room to the side while mom is being interviewed and the larger room is being set up. And this weird photographer sure is bossy, trying to keep her in the room by herself… What could be taking the family so long to park the car??!!
Here’s the story as Carlos knows it, and what is really going on: He wants to propose to his girlfriend, who he just thinks is the bees knees. For months, he and her family has been lying like crazy to get Andrea to fly across the country so that he can propose to her in her home town. He flew to Seattle right before she did, nearly running into her at the airport since his flight was delayed, and was lucky enough to be able to stay with Andrea’s sister while taking care of all the final details. He has the whole Columbia Tower staff in on it- there is even a sign at the entrance to the Tower Club that states what ballroom the “United Airlines Retirement Dinner” is in! With months of careful planning, and a whole lotta nervousness, Carlos finally enters the room.
Andrea is quite confused about the whole thing- first to see her boyfriend there. Then, that he’s proposing to her during her mom’s retirement dinner. Then, that there is no retirement dinner and the family really isn’t looking for parking, and finally, that yes, she got all dressed up just for this. There is no dinner, no retirement even. Just a guy asking his girl to marry him, holding a stunning and sparkling marquis diamond ring, what she’s always dreamed of.
Here’s a slide show of the moments leading up to the big one, a mini impromptu engagement session right afterward when they’re still all aglow with happiness, and finally, the brunch with the whole fam the next morning.
Thank you Carlos and Andrea, so so much, for letting me document this incredible moment for you. It was so exciting being in on the big secret and watching the events unfold, especially Andrea’s confusion at it all. And I’ll never forget what you said, Andrea, when Carlos pulled out your ring, “Where DID you get THAT?!”
Because, alas, Andrea does work at Tiffany’s, so she KNOWS rings ;)
I’m sure I’ve said this a THOUSAND times, but I love seeing my clients’ lives change and their families grow. This was the case with Suzanne and Ty. A couple of years ago I documented their engagement portraits. Then I had the honor of photographing their wedding in Whistler. And now, they are so excited to welcome their first baby to the world.
Welcome, Elliott Jack!!
And of course, there is ALWAYS that moment when shooting a naked baby…. “Quick! Get a towel!!” I think I’m going to start keeping a file especially of these moments, and someday publish my book about photo shoots and peeing babies :)
