Next to my husband and my parents, there are probably two sure things that I know for sure I love to death.  One…photography of course, and two…weekend lunches!  I don’t know what it is, but there’s something about waking up on a weekend and making a nice breakfast for the hubby and myself that just makes me really happy.

One of my favorite weekend lunches...a Bagel-wich!

I’m a food lover.  I really am.  And I really want YOU (our readers) to know this.  Because sooner or later, many of you will be asked to dinner by yours truly!  :)  I love to eat, and my thighs thank me for this everyday.  But I really do believe that people connect through the act of eating food.  If you’re one of our brides, you know (or probably will know) that I prefer to meet up over dinner or happy hour appetizers when I’m ready to deliver your photos.  I’d like to believe that I’m a pretty social person, but what I believe more is this: if you chose us to photograph you, you not only liked our photos…more importantly, you liked us as people.  So…hopefully with that, you won’t mind meeting us for some drinks and good eats.

The weather was a low 40′s or so this morning when Chris and I met up with our lovely 2012 wedding couple Jackie+Justin.  What made the cold even more unbearable was that the wind was blowing about 150 MPH!  OK, I exaggerate a little…but it was sure a windy day in the great Northwest.  But Jackie+Justin were such great sports.  The couple wanted to get together so we can take some shots for their upcoming Save-the-Date cards they’re sending out to their guests for their September 15th wedding.  We shivered, teeth chattered, knee buckled, and laughed the whole time through the shoot this morning and honestly, I can not wait to work with them on their engagement and wedding day.  What ultimately melted my heart was this: through the chin quivering cold, Jackie every once in a while uttered, “I love you, Babe” and Justin said back “I love you too”.  SWOON!!!

Jackie’s not only my client, but ever since we met earlier last year, we’ve become really good friends.  She’s shared with me her wedding planning process and details so far and I’m super excited for 9-15-12 to come.  But in the meantime, here’s a sneakpeek of their Save-the-Date pics!

If you’ve ever ventured over to our blog’s “About Us” page, you’ll notice one sentence that is the heart and soul of what we believe in:

“Our job is to capture you at your best, in the in-between moments, somewhere between the pose and self-consciousness where life is lived.”

We’ve really built our whole business around this motto and while we believe posed and directed photos are important, it’s what we call the “in-between shots” that ultimately make our heart melt.  Whether it’s a bride and groom laughing and joking uncomfortably infront of a vast open ocean, or a ring bearer pouting right before he’s needed to do his job, or a bride that’s slightly embarrassed {but smitten} with her silly {but utterly funny} groom, or a mother feeding her hungry baby right before our shoot, we believe these moments are worth more than any words can describe.  When we think about our clients, and how they’ll feel thirty years from now looking back at these photos, we want them to think about these natural moments, when they melt into themselves in that fleeting moment between trying to nail the pose and realizing you’re not all alone.

I love a good hanging piece of art on the wall and although I am a huge fan of a nicely framed picture or a statement canvas piece, what I’m currently obsessing over is an image printed on metal.

You know I love something when I give them as gifts and I’ve given metal prints to my friends a couple of times.  I’ve never really splurged on it myself…until now.

The quality of the image is very clear and crisp.  Better than most photos on photo paper.  We decided to simply print an image of the iconic Seattle Pike Place Market sign for our first piece.  I just thought the negative space of the clouds made a big statement.

The best thing about these prints is the floating backing that comes with every piece.

You simply hook the piece on any type of art hook and you are done!

Once it’s hung up on the wall, the backing creates a distance between your wall and the piece itself.  Making it look like it’s floating.

Voila!  Simple and done.  This type of print isn’t for everyone.  It’s a very contemporary approach to displaying a photo.  But for those that want something different, I would suggest trying this.

We offer metal prints to all of our clients and I think it definitely makes a statement.  In the future, I’d like to print more of my brides to display around my work office.

Growing up in Seattle, every Christmas I’d wish for snow.  This year, that wish didn’t come true.  In fact, our Christmas was pretty mild.  Some light rain scattered around the city but the temperature hovered mostly around the high 40′s in the day time.  But just this past weekend, I was a happy clam because Snowpacalypse 2012 finally arrived to the Pacific Northwest.  Sunday morning when I woke up to walk my little Chewy monster, our streets were covered with snow.  And our neighborhood was already filled with kids and their parents outside making snowmen, sledding, and sliding off hills.  It was a wonderful sight and our winter had officially arrived.

That was Sunday and now it’s Wednesday night, Chris and I have been stuck at home for three days.  We’ve been snowed in for some time now and I’m still loving it.  All in all, our area got about 6 inches.  Oh and if you’re from the mid-west reading this, you read right.  Our city closes down even if there is an inch of snow.  So 6-10 inches in the area, well…you can only imagine.  But being cooped up didn’t stop me from snapping some photos around the house and in our yard.

My little Chewy paws. They are perfect!

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful {and safe} Wednesday!

As we celebrate this time of year with our families, we (Cindi, Chris, and Chewy) would just like to wish everyone a happy holiday season.  Be merry, eat lots, and stay safe.

One of the best things about working in the wedding industry is meeting people that are just as passionate about weddings as we are.  When Chris and I met Ashley+Christina of It’s Your Day Events and Expressions during a local wedding event we almost didn’t quite make, we immediately knew they were just like us: just because you’re passionate about your craft, and take your business seriously, doesn’t mean there’s no room for fun.

Best friends for 15 years, Ashley+Christina help brides plan their perfect wedding day.  One thing that sets them apart from other coordinators is that they tag team and plan every wedding together.  They believe a bride deserves the best, and working side by side on every wedding event provides the bride with an extra ounce of sizzle on their day.

Having fun doing what you do and doing it with the person you can have fun with is one of the key elements to having a successful business.  And even before we started our photo shoot, I immediately knew Ashley+Christina were not only the type of girls that have fun together, but they’re the types I could have a blast with.  To call these two wedding coordinators is going to be an understatement by the time your wedding day gets here.  Because I believe, not only will these girls plan the perfect wedding for you, but more importantly, they’ll probably end up being your friends.

Our photo shoot location? The beautiful old Hollywood School House in Woodinville, WA.

Christina warned me about not being photogenic before we started the shoot. But I beg to differ! Just look at that smile...

These two lovely ladies look so nice and coordinated all because of Ashley. Definitely a natural planner!

I think Edward and Jacob were being discussed here.

Brides, you spend thousands of dollars on your white dress, and countless months planning THE perfect day…just to wear that dress for THAT perfect day.  Whenever I think about my wedding dress, which is still sadly hung on an office chair I have in our guest bedroom closet, I feel a little…saddened.  I wished I could have worn it one more time, frolic around in the city or in a nearby park, and just have a blast of a time.

Even before Wai+Tats wed, Wai decided she’d squeeze into her wedding dress post wedding for a trash the dress shoot.  Her favorite spot in Seattle for photos is Discovery Park, so why not take a stroll in one of the most amazing parks in THE most amazing dress.  In a post wedding trash the dress shoot, the bride and groom both are way more relaxed than on their wedding day.  And a more relaxed couple usually means a couple a little bit more comfortable in front of the camera.  And well…the result?  An amazing shoot.

Wai+Tats Trash the Dress Shoot

Discovery Park, Seattle WA

Song: David Choi – By My Side

Have I ever mentioned how much I love my iPhone?  I love my little i-baby so much that I don’t think I can ever live without it again.  I recently got into a fairly heated (but all for fun) debate over which device is better…the iPhone or the Blackberry.  It wasn’t an apples to apples (PUN…get it eh???? *wink wink*) comparison, but I think I won the debate nonetheless!

The hubby and I took a week long vacation trip with our dearest friends to Chicago recently for our high school friend’s wedding (more photos to come).  And without our iPhones and our map apps, we would have wandered endlessly for hours on unfamiliar Chicago streets.  We also carried our phones and used them as our primary cameras for the trip.  And here you go…our Chicago vacation…by way of our iPhones!  Enjoy!

We stayed up the whole night the night before we left for the airport so we decided to treat ourselves on the flight and upgrade!

The hubby has never sat in first class before. Can you tell?

We stayed in the Financial District and it was eerily quiet on the day we arrived. Reminded me of Gotham City.

One of the first things we did was go for Chicago style pizza. It was the hubs' first time and the verdict? He no likey!

The famous Millenium Park. I won't lie, the faces scare me a little.

But the bean was awesome!

Navy Pier...a little underwhelming but I got this awesome shot of the ferris wheel!

The view from the Willis Tower (formerly known as The Sears Tower)

The glass box hung from the 103rd floor of the Willis Tower. Freakin' scary! I was shaking as I took this.

We met up with our friends at the John Hancock tower for some drinks. The dirty martini was my choice that night.

My high school girls! I'm pretty sure we all sat here on our last trip together to Chicago more than four years ago.

The EL station. Oh how I wish Seattle had a subway system!

A Seattle girl in Chicago has to have her morning coffee. The latte from Cafe DeLuca in Bucktown.

After coffee? Tacos!!! At Big Star in Bucktown.

And since we're on the topic of food, Chick-Fil-A should really come to Seattle!

I'm not sure what was happening here!

Would it be a true trip to Chitown without visiting the King of Bball himself?

We're not sure why there was a 3 story high statue of Marilyn outside of the NBC tower. But it was fun!

We also took the opportunity to meet up with fellow Chicagoan and good friend, Bessie! We did a photoshoot with her and there's more pictures to come!

Ann Sather's cinnamon rolls!

On the wedding day, all the guests rode a school bus to the wedding venue from downtown!

Also on the wedding day, the bride herself gave me Macarons for my birthday! Her wedding day was on my birthday and it was so sweet of her for her to have remembered out of all that was going on that day!

A breath of fresh air! The wedding was beautiful!

Happy wife, happy life! Traveling with the hubby makes me smile from ear to ear!

There you have it!  Chris and I had so much fun in the windy city.  We hope to come back one day but for now, we’re back to the grind that’s called life.  Oy!  Happy Sunday, everyone!

In the afternoon, she shines hella bright,
Filling up the room, reflecting off the light.
Shimmer in the walls, and everything between,
Lens to the sky, F16.
Picturing the scene, framing up the shots,
Children in the street, turn in to a park.
Mountains in the back, trees in the front,
Shutter speed set, click, turn ‘em into art.
-Blue Scholars, “Marion Sunshine”

It’s been uncharacteristically sunny as of late.  Yes, I know August means we’re deep into summer, and this is how it’s supposed to be.  But it really hasn’t been that way all summer this year.  Good old Pacific UpperLeft rain, wind, and even the occasional freak hail has forced us to reschedule more shoots than we’d like to think about.  Deep into summer.

But this week has been bea. u. ti. ful. Driving home today jammin’ “Marion Sunshine” I thought back about our past few sunshine-laden shoots, and I just had to share at least one…

…Stay tuned for more from Margi+Travis.  Swoon.