Hello. You've found my brand new blog!

Thanks for visiting! This is where you'll find all of my latest photos and news - teaser photos from weddings and engagement sessions, samples from boudoir sessions, tips and ideas to help you with your wedding, and even some vacation snaps. Pretty much anything and everything that I feel is newsworthy!

If you're looking for a wedding, engagement or boudoir photographer, have a look at the portfolios on my main website. As well as lots of photos, you'll be able to find my rates, an online calendar to check if I'm available for your date, and a contact form. If you just can't wait, then ... I'd love to hear from you!

One last thing: I love comments! It's really nice to get feedback on my latest work, and what better way to let me know what you think than to leave a comment. Thanks, and have fun looking around.

Boudoir Teasers for Sarah

Last week, Sarah came to my home studio for her boudoir session and we had a blast creating these images for her to give to her new hubby on their wedding night (they are getting married this December and I am so bummed that I wasn’t available to shoot their wedding!)  Sarah was so much fun to work with and I just love how her photos turned out.  Isn’t she gorgeous?  And she totally has that sassy look down too.  Thank you so much Sarah for an awesome session, and for letting me share so many of your photos.  As usual with boudoir posts: this content is not safe for work!  Please continue reading only if you are comfortable with viewing gorgeous images of a sexy lady wearing very little clothing.  Thanks!

Click to continue reading “Boudoir Teasers for Sarah”

Fall Flavor at The Lake Union Cafe: Kris + Chris

My second wedding last weekend was at the utterly adorable Lake Union Cafe on Eastlake, with the utterly adorable Kris and Chris.  I was so excited about this wedding, and it was every bit as emotional and raucous as I had hoped!

The already beautiful space was transformed in a fall wonderland with pumpkins and leaves and tea lights galore.  After spending some time photographing the setup, I headed down to the bride’s room to hang out with Kris, her mom and sister, and various friends and cousins while they sipped champagne and dressed (twice!)  Chris and Kris chose not to see each other before the ceremony, so we did two sets of family photos in the gorgeous but very small living room space upstairs.

The ceremony was amazingly short (less than seven minutes from start to finish) but it was filled with laughter and teary eyes.  We headed out for some couple portraits at Lake Union Park afterward, and I was highly amused to see how well the newlyweds responded to my request to “get it on”!  Before and after dinner we were treated to some beautiful toasts - there wasn’t a dry eye in the house after Kris’ father was finished - and then it was off to the after-party at Clever Dunne’s for an evening of drinking and debauchery.  Thank you all for a wonderful afternoon, and for inviting us to party with you into the night.  Enjoy the teasers!

Click to continue reading “Fall Flavor at The Lake Union Cafe: Kris + Chris”

Reception at The Fairview Club: Natalie + Scott

Last weekend was another busy one for me, but my two weddings were so much fun.  I started on Saturday afternoon with Natalie and Scott’s slightly unusual wedding day.  They had a magical sun-kissed destination wedding in Cabo, Mexico a week or two ago (I am so jealous!), and so there was no ceremony this Saturday - just a lot of partying!

We met up in the afternoon for an hour or two of family portraits at the Center for Urban Horticulture, then Scott, Natalie and I went on a mini photo safari for their couples photos, first at the Sculpture Park, then around Pike Place and Post Alley.  We had just an hour to work with, and two fabulous dresses to photograph (I just LOVE her mini dress!), but the weather was gorgeous and I love the photos we got.  So much fun!

At around 5pm, I headed off to The Fairview Club just north of downtown and started on the reception details and set up for some extended family portraits.  The evening was very relaxed, full of great food by Tony’s Catering and a LOT of booze.  After dinner and toasts we used the entryway to the club as a photobooth and everyone went crazy with all the props.  As well as my own bag of tricks, Natalie and Scott had brought along their crazy huge Mexican sombreros - as modeled by Natalie’s sister Andy and her boyfriend in the photos below.  As well as the photobooth, Scott’s dad’s band rocked the dancefloor, and one of my favorite funny men Fred Northup played host and DJ.  Thanks all for a fabulous evening, and enjoy your teaser photos!

Click to continue reading “Reception at The Fairview Club: Natalie + Scott”

Juanita Beach Park Engagement Session: Andrea + Andy

Last week was a funny one - torrential downpours, gusting winds, that biting cold … and then there was Tuesday.  Ah, Tuesday.  The perfect day for an engagement session with the delightful Andrea and Andy.  They suggested we meet over on the eastside so that they could show off one of their favorite spots, Juanita Beach Park.  It was a little bit windy still, but the sun was warm and golden and the sky was this amazing deep threatening gray.  Gorgeous light, a gorgeous location and two gorgeous and utterly silly people to photograph … heaven!  We spent the bulk of the session wandering around the beach park and the attached bay park, getting a mixture of cute, funny, romantic and goofy shots, then for the last 20 minutes I attempted to get some fun photos of them playing football and tackling each other.  These guys are football crazy!  And of course we had to get a couple of ring shots too - I love the football as a backdrop.  Thanks Andrea and Andy for a very fun afternoon … and thank you Mandy for referring them to me via Andrea’s mom!

Click to continue reading “Juanita Beach Park Engagement Session: Andrea + Andy”

The Northwest Room at Ray’s: Amanda + Tieming

On Saturday, I had my first of several weddings at Ray’s Boathouse, or rather the very cute Northwest Room there.  I started off with Amanda and the two moms at Amanda & Tieming’s apartment in Queen Anne for some getting ready shots, then headed over to Ray’s to meet with Tieming and the guys for their formal photos.  I arrived in time to see my favorite florist Alexa of Fiore Blossoms and her lovely husband setting up, and what a beautiful job they did.  The tented ceremony area was transformed into a bright, colorful space with fall-inspired flowers and gorgeous bright green and cream paper lanterns.  Alexa also provided much of the indoor dinner decor and the entire place looked beautiful.

A little later than scheduled - isn’t that always the way with weddings? - Amanda and the ladies arrived, and we staged the first look in the ceremony space.  It seems to be the perfect solution to uncooperative weather!  After that, we did a few more family photos, then right at sunset the ceremony began.  It was such a lovely service, short but sweet, and Tieming was just beaming throughout, very cute!

The reception was a mixture of great food (yay for seafood!), animated conversations and possibly the largest set of toasts I’ve ever seen; it became an open mic event and it was great hearing so many different people get up and tell their favorite anecdotes about Amanda and Tieming.  Thank you all for a lovely evening, and enjoy your teasers!

Click to continue reading “The Northwest Room at Ray’s: Amanda + Tieming”

UW, Pike Place and Kerry Park Engagement: Melissa + AJ

Last Sunday, I met up with Melissa and AJ for their engagement session.  We started out with glorious sunshine at the University of Washington and had fun playing around in some of my old favorite photo spots as well as finding a couple of new ones.  After an hour or so on campus, we had a lightening fast tour of Post Alley (Melissa loves the red brick and the silhouette in the alley shots) and then up to Kerry Park for a few last photos before sun down.  Oh, and they didn’t *actually* lick the bubblegum wall … although they did come dangerously close … ew!

Melissa and AJ were a ton of fun to hang out with, and I’m super excited for their wedding next summer.  They are taking me on a little tour of Tacoma’s coolest spots and devoting LOTS of time to couple and wedding party pictures - yay!  Thanks for a really fun evening guys, and enjoy your teasers!

Click to continue reading “UW, Pike Place and Kerry Park Engagement: Melissa + AJ”

The Arctic Club: Kellie + Dan

Last Saturday I went downtown for Kellie & Dan’s wedding at the recently restored and utterly gorgeous Arctic Club Hotel.  It was really exciting getting to photograph at one of Seattle’s newest venues, and from the beautiful bridal suite where the girls were getting ready to the huge and impressive Dome Room, it was everything I’d hoped for, and more.

I started the afternoon with some overview shots of the space, and I hung out with Kellie and her friends as they got ready.  We had a special treat, too - one of her friends had just rescued a 4 week old kitten, and he joined us for the afternoon.  Isn’t he cute?

Annemarie Juhlian, one of my all-time favorite officiants, was doing double duty as coordinator, and the whole day was perfectly timed.  At around 4pm I met with Dan, his groomsmen and family, for their group shots, then when he was safely hidden back at the hotel I worked with Kellie’s side.  We found some great outdoor spots in the neighborhood, and we had some beautiful weather to work with too.

Both ceremony and reception took place in the Dome Room - and how could you not take advantage of that beautiful space?  During the room changeover, I headed back outside for some final group shots with the combined families and wedding party, then had fun playing with Kellie & Dan in the amazing lobby.  I love all the rich colors and textures, those really cool blue panels in the bar, and of course we had to have some fun with the framed photos of all the original members of the Club.

After good food and some quick toasts, we finished the evening with lots of candids and dancing shots … and by home time for me, the party was in full swing.  Congratulations Kellie and Dan, and enjoy your teasers!

Click to continue reading “The Arctic Club: Kellie + Dan”

Friday in Hollywood: Jackie + Ryan

OK, so I didn’t really fly down to LA on Friday, but I was back at The Hollywood Schoolhouse for another gorgeous wedding, this time with Jackie and Ryan.  I started the day with the girls - they were getting ready at Willow’s Lodge (one of my favorite hotels of all time), and after some final-touch getting-ready shots we all headed out onto the lawn for some very silly and totally fun group shots.

The guys were up next - I met Ryan and his buddies at the Schoolhouse, and took a lot of candids as they made their own final touches (who knew that putting on boutonnieres could be so much fun?!)  After a slightly chaotic but very enjoyable hour of group and couple photos, we all headed inside for the ceremony.  And what a wonderful ceremony it was.  Dispensing with tradition, Jackie walked herself halfway down the aisle (to the sound of the bagpipes), where she met with Ryan so that they could walk the final steps together as a couple.

Jackie’s son Jake is a huge part of their lives, and I loved how much he was integrated into the celebrations.  He even had his own personal wedding cake!  What a cutie-pie too, he was a doll in front of the camera.  After dinner, there were some wonderfully long toasts.  I adore the toasts as it’s my best opportunity for getting great candids, and Ryan and Jackie’s friends and family did not disappoint!  One of my favorite moments was when Ryan’s best friend gifted him the Bud Light poster that Ryan had been lusting after since his childhood.  Awesome!  I finished the night capturing some riotous action on the dance floor - even Ryan’s 90-year-old grandmother joined the crowd for a boogie!  Michael Fort of Events with Integrity did another stellar job DJing, and it was neat getting to see him double up as officiant too.  Thank you all for a very entertaining and emotional evening, and enjoy your teasers!

Click to continue reading “Friday in Hollywood: Jackie + Ryan”

South Lake Union Engagement Session: Anne + Peter

Last Tuesday, I met with Anne and Peter, one of my June ‘09 couples, for their engagement session.  They suggested the park at South Lake Union, and honestly I was a bit nervous about it.  Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE photographing new places … but I’d passed through before and been decidedly unamazed by the teeny tiny new park.

Well, it turns out that the park - and even more so The Center for Wooden Boats, right next door - is an absolute gem of a spot.  There are so many cool features and textures and colors … and it was tons of fun playing around with the boats.  The kind folks at The Center for Wooden Boats gave us pretty much free reign and it was fun picking our favorite boats for the photos.

Thank you Peter and Anne for a very fun session, and for opening my eyes to a great new engagement spot in Seattle.  I owe you!

Click to continue reading “South Lake Union Engagement Session: Anne + Peter”

Boudoir Session with Kat

So … I am about three months behind schedule with my boudoir blogging (which means lots more boudoir teasers through the winter, yay!)  I am so behind, in fact, that the gorgeous and amazingly photogenic Kat had to remind me to post her boudoir teasers.  Oops!

Kat came to my home studio a few months ago to get photos for her groom’s gift (she got married in Montana this month) and we had a blast getting not just the standard lingerie shots but also some pretty racy images with a few props she had brought along, as well as some gorgeous fine-art nude photos.

Please note that the content below is not safe for work, and if you are offended by nudity and/or bedroom accessories, then this post is not for you!  And for those who are dying to read on … enjoy!

Click to continue reading “Boudoir Session with Kat”

The Hollywood Schoolhouse: Misha + Liam

Last Sunday, it was finally time for Misha & Liam’s wedding at The Hollywood Schoolhouse up in Woodinville.  These guys kept me waiting almost a year from our first meeting, and I was super excited when their big day finally rolled around.  Misha had spent the year planning and designing and researching like crazy, and her vintage Parisian theme was picture perfect.  From the gorgeous invites by Cry Baby Ink, through the perfectly coordinated color scheme (such pretty hues!) to the cute Eiffel Tower replica by the fireplace, Misha and Liam pulled off a visual feast (heaven for detail-obsessed photographers like myself!)

I started the day off at Misha’s parents’ house for some getting ready pics of the girls, then we headed down to the Schoolhouse for their first look and group photos.  The wedding party was awesome to work with - totally up for my crazy ideas, and upbeat and goofy all day.  It was great working with Jed Rusyniak again, and I loved his ideas for the group shots (thank you Jed!)

The ceremony was beautiful, the reception awesome.  These guys know how to party!  With a little help from superstar DJ Sean Denard, everyone had a blast on the dance floor … as you can probably tell from the photos!  And towards the end of the day, Fiona and I set up the photobooth, props and all!  It was, as always, a huge success.  Thank you so much to Misha and Liam for a wonderful day, and for being such a warm and welcoming couple.  And thanks again to the fabulous Laura Gram who helped make the day run smoothly and the venue look gorgeous.

Click to continue reading “The Hollywood Schoolhouse: Misha + Liam”

Roche Harbor in the Rain: Anna + Denny

Last weekend was miserably wet and it was with a heavy heart that I arrived at what is probably the most beautiful venue I’ve ever photographed: Roche Harbor Resort on San Juan Island.  It was raining cats and dogs, and probably lots of fish too.  Luckily, everyone was in high spirits and in total denial of the icky weather - the ceremony would be outside and the sun would come out.  That’s how Scandinavians like Anna’s wonderful mom Lena think!

Being a little less optimistic myself, I spent an hour or so scouting around for wet weather locations, and found a few really gorgeous spots.  Then, it was back to Anna’s room for some getting ready shots with the girls.  It was still raining by the time they were ready, so we staged the first look on the covered balcony.  The light was perfect, and I was cheering up.

The next hour was spent running around getting wedding party and family shots against a number of beautiful backdrops, then time for some candids before the ceremony began.  The ceremony was beautiful - the rain held off, the seats had been freshly dried off, and there was barely a dry eye in the house.  The magical location and Denny and Anna’s beautiful vows set the stage for an amazing evening.

I didn’t get to stay long into the reception, but I did get to enjoy some very funny speeches, two (yes, two!) songs and a wonderfully choreographed first dance.  Oh!  And of course a fantastic spread by the catering staff at Roche.  Thank you Anna, Denny and family for making the sun come out in more ways than one - it was a treat being part of your beautiful day.

Click to continue reading “Roche Harbor in the Rain: Anna + Denny”