Last Sunday, I headed back towards Renton, but this time my destination was high up in the hills of Newcastle – the magnificent Newcastle Golf Club. You may remember the gorgeous bride and groom for our recent engagement session, Chrissy and Milo.

Newcastle is one of those places where it would actually take more effort to take a bad pictrure than a good one. I love the views of downtown Seattle and Bellevue, the rolling hills, the wild flowers …

I started off in the roomy bridal suite with Chrissy and her bridesmaids. The two moms floated in and out too – it’s great when moms are included in this fun part of the day.





The moms brought out their old wedding photos – it was most entertaining checking out the 1970s outfits and decor … and wow, they had some seriously tall cakes back then!





Chrissy and all her bridesmaids wore Vera Wang dresses – aren’t they gorgeous?

After hanging out with the girls for a while, I joined the guys in the Wooly Toad bar nextdoor where they were playing pool.




A little later than scheduled, I headed out onto the golf course to photograph Milo and Chrissy’s first look:








We couldn’t resist a couple of putting shots:

One of the bridesmaids suggested taking the formals outside the main entrance in front of the blue hydrangeas – it was the perfect spot.




I try to sneak in a few candids during the formals if I can …





Another of the bridesmaids suggested this very cute shot:

Chrissy was a dream to photograph …

The ceremony was held in a large white tent overlooking the best view at the club.





I love taking photos of guests waiting for the ceremony to begin – there’s always a great atmosphere then:




Chrissy’s mom looked gorgeous too:



I love this one of Milo and his groomsmen watching Chrissy walk down the aisle:





They had a sand ceremony part way through while one of Chrissy’s friends sang.




As Chrissy and Milo made their exit, Milo’s uncle brought out an enormous ball and chain – it was hilarious to watch and I love Chrissy’s reaction!

The ceremony was followed by a cocktail reception on the terrace, then dinner in the ballroom.






During the speeches:



At sunset, we headed outside for some final portraits. The light was amazing:



Around 9pm, resident bagpiper Neil Hubbard came out and played on one of the little hills on the course. I’ve never been a big fan of the bagpipes, but Neil was amazing – the music was beautiful and it created such a magical atmosphere.

I had Milo and Chrissy scramble up the hill towards him while I took some photos:



After a few minutes, they started dancing – perfect!


After the bagpiper was done, we took advantage of the gorgeous sunset lighting for a few final couple photos, and a fun golf cart shot.





Thanks for inviting me to be a part of your beautiful day, and congratulations to Chrissy and Milo.

© 2008 Kate McElwee Photography
by Kate
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