seattle wedding photographers blog of candid wedding photography

A romantic and intimate wedding with family and close friends. That was what Sarah Hayden and Steve Forman who were married at the Alexis Hotel, in downtown Seattle successfully accomplished in mid-October. It was so apparent to see how much in love they are. What also was apparent was their sense of humor. They really know how to have a good time and laugh. Tradition is also important to them. The wedding cake topper was originally used on the top of Steve’s parents wedding cake. They brought their wedding album of old black and white pictures and it was fun to go through them and see how some things have changed and others are still the same.

Sarah hid herself away in the unique suite they would later spend the night while Steve got ready in the room his parents were staying in. They followed the tradition of not seeing each other before the ceremony and so the picture of Steve seeing Sarah for the first time as she walked down the aisle is priceless.The small group of friends and family numbered about 65 and it was great to see how Sarah and Steve got to spend time with every one there. After the wedding ceremony, there was a reception in the Library Bistro.

It was great to watch the children’s table where they had games set out and then to watch them eat spaghetti. The toasts to Sarah and Steve were heartfelt and touching. They are both very close to their families. I would like to present some photograph showing the highlights of their day. Thanks to officiant Pat Stimac of A Heavenly Ceremony , Amber Zbitnoff, my associate photographer and to Angie Casper of the Alexis Hotel for making everything run smoothly.

The is the outside of the hotel at night.There is a real bookstore on the corner and the bar is called The Bookstore. Here is a link to Sarah and Steve’s  previous post of their Alexis Hotel Wedding.

Below is a mini-slide show with a larger selection of wedding pictures from Sarah and Steve’s wedding . Click on “toggle images” at top right to hide the thumbnails; to start just click on the right arrow on the image.

Intrepid is the word that comes to mind when I think of Tegan Wallace and Chad Lindhorst.  Bold, dauntless, greathearted, gutsy, and undauntable are synonyms of intrepid and that is what you would have to be to schedule your outdoor wedding on October 1st in Seattle.  They selected one of their favorite places near their home to do it, the Washington Park Arboretum Meadow. I call them intrepid because they had no backup plans for a tent in case of rain. Tegan got ready at Blue Ribbon Cooking, where the reception was going to be, and as we headed out for the park, there was a light sprinkling of drops.

In fact skies were grey and threatening at the beginning of the day. Off to the west was a huge, dark cloud hanging over the Olympics. But the rain held off and in fact the sun peeked out after the ceremony as we made some pictures. The rest of the day was beautiful and we made a lot of pctures at different locations of the Arboretum including the one above on the foot bridge over the roadway. I love those old lamp posts. Tegan and Chad are one very lucky couple, but they are also a lot of fun to hang out with. I almost for got to mention how funny there vows wre. They are a really sweet and fun couple.     

Monica Frisell and I had a great time photographing that day and we got a good number of wonderful moments preserved in these pictures. Here is a set of our favorites.

Here is a link to Tegan and Chad‘s previous post of their Blue Ribbon Cooking & Washington Park Arboretum Wedding.

Below is a mini-slide show with a larger selection of wedding pictures from Tegan and Chad‘s wedding. Click on “toggle images” at top right to hide the thumbnails; to start just click on the right arrow on the image.

September 25th started out as a grey day and then it became a rainy day. Not so unusual in the Puget Sound area for late September but the garden of Laurel Creek Manor was where Jocelyn Byers and Stephen Randalf Jaeger were hoping to be married surrounded by the beautiful flowers and greenery. So they moved the ceremony indoors. We were warm and dry inside as the rain poured down outside.  A funny thing happened towards the end of the ceremony. Just as they were proclaimed husband and wife, the rain ceased and brilliant sunshine burst through the clouds. As Jocelyn and Stephen  walked down the aisle and came out into the daylight the sun kissed them on both cheeks with its rays.   Jocelyn and Stephen are one joyful couple and it was a pleasure to hang out with them and their friends. Monica Frisell and I had a great time photographing their day and we got a good number of wonderful moments preserved in these pictures. Here is a set of our favorites.

Here is a link to Jocelyn and Stephen‘s previous post of their Laurel Creek Manor Wedding.

Below is a mini-slide show with a larger selection of wedding pictures from Jocelyn and Stephen‘s wedding. Click on “toggle images” at top right to hide the thumbnails; to start just click on the right arrow on the image.

On Saturday I was out at Snoqualmie Falls and Salish Lodge & Spa, one of the most romantic destination wedding locations in the Seattle area for the wedding of Kristine Harrington and Steve Rutkowski. They had a lovely intimate wedding with a small number of family and friends in attendance.  It was a late afternoon wedding on a terrace overlooking the Falls and although there had been some grey skies mid day the sun began to burn through the mist over the falls and light up the hill sides above the falls and river. All of the pictures form this wedding in Snoqualmie are now in my computer and backed up on two external hard drives but in the process of backing them up, I was scanning the images to see how they looked There are a whole lot of nice ones there. Here a few selected pictures to preview what will come after editing and processing all of them. This first one they are holding hands but did not see each other.  It was not until after Kristin walked out onto the terrace that Steve saw her for the first time. As the bottom pictures show.  it was beautiful to see how they incorporated elements of the Thai water ceremony into their wedding ceremony. More to come after an edit. Thanks to Rachael Mates, Event Planning Manager at Salish Lodge, Annemarie Juhlian, Seattle Wedding Officiant and Amber Zbitnoff, my associate photographer

The Cutting Garden in Sequim  was the amazing setting for the wedding of a beautiful couple.  Sequim is know to be in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains and get less rain than almost any other community in the Puget Sound area. Angela Williamson and Robin Aijian however were married on a day when the sun was hidden behind the clouds over the Olympics for most of the day with rain threatening.

It did not rain and finally the sun burned through the grey and showered us with glorious light. Robin’s uncle performed the wedding ceremony and included the story of how they got together. Here is the short version. Although Angela and Robin attended University of Puget Sound together for all four years, and had several mutual acquaintances, they never met while in college. It was not until Angela was in graduate school for physical therapy, and Robin had returned to the northwest after his Fulbright year in Germany that they met.

They first met when Angela was invited to a party at Robin’s house by a friend who knew Robin’s housemates. She was interested in Robin, and Angela ended up getting asked out by Robin’s housemate, Joe (groomsman). Joe (Robin’s housemate and good friend) and Angela dated briefly and during that time, and Angela and Robin got to know one another. After Angela and Joe stopped seeing each other, Angela and Robin began running into each other at the grocery store and other places around town.

After bumping in to each other a couple times, they decided to go hang out at a basketball game and then another time we met for a movie. They slowly started spending more and more time together and then he asked her on a “real date”. They went to a very nice Thai restaurant in downtown Tacoma. She says: “he called ahead and got us a table at the pond/fountain they have in the restaurant (you are sitting right next to the water). It was one of the most romantic and thoughtful dates I have ever had.”

It was a storybook wedding day in a delightful location and having the sun pop out at end of it and the moon high over their getaway car was a nice ending touch. Here are some pictures of the highlights and a slideshow below.

Below is a mini-slide show with some more pictures from Angela & Robin’s Wedding at The Cutting Garden, Sequim . Click on “toggle images” at top right to hide the thumbnails; to start just click on the right arrow on the image.