The Thanksgiving holiday has Chris and I stuffed like two lazy turkeys because we are OH SO behind on blogging the remaining of our 2012 weddings and portrait sessions.  We’ve got a lot of exciting things coming up so I thank you for sticking around and being patient with us!

Now that I feel a little less lazy and a couple (or three, or four…or…) of pounds heavier, let me introduce you to Bre+Casey.  These two got married in Winthrop, WA at the Sun Mountain Lodge  on a brisk, but sunny October day.  Bre’s vision for her special day was to wed in a remote location, surrounded by her closest family and friends, embraced by the essence of fall.  Her beautiful decor and color scheme screamed “Autumn Chic” and I think she definitely succeeded.

Hanging out with these two for the whole day on top of a mountain allowed Chris and I to really get to know them as good people.  Bre’s the type of girl I felt immediate chemistry with.  She talks to you like she’s known you for years when she first meets you and that’s a gift that’s hard to come by.  Casey is a man’s man.  The whole day he was cool and collected.  I guess someone that’s bravely served our country for so long has been trained to stay calm.  You see, Casey is a hero, having served our country overseas for almost 4 years.  So it was an honor for us to be in his presence to capture his wedding day with Bre.

Take a look at their beautiful wedding sneak peek below and enjoy!

Play the slideshow below for more of Bre+Casey.  If you are on an iPhone or an iPhone, click HERE.

Jackie and I met when we worked for the world’s largest online retailer headquarters’ Accounting department.  We immediately bonded, not just because we worked long hours and spent lots of time together, but because I think she’s a cool chick!  When Jackie’s introduced to you, her face lights with the warmest smile as she reaches out her hands to shake yours.  It kinda makes you feel like she’s a childhood friend of yours whom you haven’t seen for a long time!  I’ve since left my job and Jackie’s moved onto another department within the company.  But you know that saying when people ask you if you miss your work, you say “I don’t miss the work, but I miss the people”?  That’s exactly how I feel.  Jackie and I used to take coffee breaks to vent about ginormous spreadsheets that’d make our eyes cross and send us home with migraines.  And we’d laugh about it before returning back to those dreadful spreadsheets.  It’s the friendships that we’ve made as we struggle to work 12 hours days that I miss.  The actually working 12 hour days part, not so much!

During one of our coffee breaks, I asked Jackie about wedding planning and whether she was excited about the big day.  And her answer back to me was, “I just want to be married to Justin”.  It was such a simple answer, but it was a pure one.  I can tell she loved Justin with all her heart and immediately knew these kids were going to make it.  Justin has always been a calm guy. At least he was always calm, cool, and collected when he was around me.  So when it came to him reading his vows to Jackie on the alter and he had trouble getting out his words, it truly touched my heart.  Their personal vows to each other were so sweet, I had to try to compose myself behind the camera view finder.  And it’s weddings like this that makes me love what I do.

Take a look at these two kids’ wedding sneak peek below.

 

 

Play the slideshow below for more of Jackie+Justin.  If you are on an iPhone or an iPhone, click HERE.

We arrived in Portland the night before the wedding just so we can fit in an extra meal because Chris and I love love love Portland’s food scene.  Every time we go there, our first top has to be Pok Pok’s for their spicy garlic fish sauce wings.  After two stomachs full of wings, we checked into our hotel to get a nice night’s rest in anticipation for an awesome wedding the next day.

And what a wedding it was!  Kat+Jeff’s nuptials were held at one of the most unique locations we’ve ever shot at.  The octagonal barn was in the middle of a baby forest right in the center of town.  Once inside, you couldn’t tell there was a Fred Meyer right across the street.

Kat+Jeff are young lovers who met in high school, so you can call them high school sweethearts.  A lot of young loves that start out this way don’t actually last this long.  But we know these young love birds are going to make it.  Why?  Well, Kat is a loving and nurturing sweetheart who’s totally dedicated to her family.  And Jeff is a responsible, patient, and loving man that tends to stick around the people he really cares about.  With this combination, there’s no doubt they will be the poster couple for all high school sweethearts.

With that said, enjoy some of their wedding sneakpeek photos below and help us in congratulating this awesome couple.

Play the slideshow below for more of Kat+Jeff.  If you are on an iPhone or an iPhone, click HERE.

When we first met with Kathy+Angelo about a year ago, we sat at their dining table gabbing away about everything for more than THREE hours!  We felt like we were old friends from the very beginning, so how can we NOT photograph this wedding?  And we were so glad we did.  Couples like Kathy+Angelo don’t come often and weddings like theirs are a wedding vendor’s dream.  This was the first wedding where the Bride included a thank you to all her vendors in her speech to her guests.  They made us feel THAT special.

Kathy+Angelo got hitched at the St. Catherine’s Church in North Seattle.  The reception followed at the Washington Athletic Club into the wee hours of the night…or next morning!  And what a party it was.  We had so much fun with the couple, we were a little sad when it was all over.  And when it was over at 1:30 am, Angelo even helped DJ Spinja pack up his gear.  Kathy+Angelo, you’re good people!

Take a look at their wedding sneakpeek below and make sure to check out their own Personal Wedding Preview site.

http://kathyandangelo.cindiandchrisphotography.com/

 

Play the slideshow below for more of Kathy+Angelo.  If you are on an iPhone or an iPhone, click HERE.

The setting was at the lovely Sleeping Lady mountain resort in historic Leavenworth, Washington.  The flowers were lush, colorful, and vibrant.  The dress was fit for a princess. And the bride and groom looked as if they stepped out of the pages of your favorite fairy tale.  We first met Suryn+Shawn last winter immediately after they picked a venue location.  Right after we began to speak to Suryn about The Sleeping Lady, we realized just how much she was in love with it.  Suryn is the type of bride that believes in the details.  When Chris and I arrived on site, we were happily greeted by Suryn, who was helping the wedding party arrange her favors.  One of the calmest brides we’ve seen yet, she continued to help set table linens, help her bridesmaids into their dresses, and even practiced the first dance with her husband-to-be, all before she even thought about getting ready herself.  It was very evident that Suryn put her blood and sweat into making her perfect day by designing and hand making every one of her bridesmaid dresses, their hair clips, as well as a second white gown for herself to change into during the reception.  She is truly a talented person, it’s no wonder Shawn is head over heels over her.

Suryn+Shawn opted out of a first look because Shawn wanted to see her walk down the aisle for the first time.  As I stood in the aisle infront of Shawn when Suryn was walked down the aisle by her father, John, I heard, “Oh, she looks good!”  It made me smile and appreciate these little moments just that much more.

Suryn+Shawn wanted to share their special day with the most special people in their lives.  Their main goal was to make sure that everyone had a blast of a time and we believe they’ve succeeded.  The dance floor was alive and full from the moment the first dance was over until the DJ played the last song.  All of their friends looked like they were having the time of their lives, which made photographing the dance floor an awesome experience for Chris and I.

We were so honored to have been able to join Suryn+Shawn on their wedding day and we hope their photos will help them relive those special moments.

I read before somewhere that the second most common place to meet a mate is at work.  That was sure the case for Chris and me, and it was also the case for Maiko+Craig.  What’s great about their love story is that Maiko found Craig by way of an interview… where Craig was the interviewer and Maiko was the interviewee.  As nerve-wracking as interviews can be, Craig didn’t make it better by not even looking up to say ‘Hi’ when he entered into the room and went straight into the questions.  But Maiko must have worked her charm because she was hired and the rest was history.

When we first met Maiko+Craig, I must admit, I was a little intimidated.  Before Chris and I could pull out our iPad to show images in our portfolio, Craig took out his iPad ready to fire questions and take notes.  He was intense but through their wedding planning process, we began to realize that his intensity stems from passion.  When Craig loves something, you’ll know it.  Just one example — biking has been a part of Craig’s life for a long time, and something Craig+Maiko enjoy together.  Which is why you’ll see cycling-inspired details in the wedding invites, wedding party ties, and even the getaway tandem bike.  His passion and love for Maiko is no less obvious, and apparent in his quest to see their wedding day to go on without a hitch, because it was a day she’ll remember for the rest of her life.

Maiko+Craig are both architects, and the architects Chris and I know are all extremely detail-oriented.  These two love birds are no different.  From the personalized specially-made sake cup favors, to the beautiful centerpieces made from Maiko’s favorite flowers, to the intricately made kimono Maiko changed into at the end of the night, the day went perfectly.  Not to mention they had personalized sake cup favors for all their vendors, including us!  We LOVED working with Maiko+Craig and wish them the best!  Enjoy the sneak peak of their beautiful wedding day.

 

More from their big day in Maiko+Craig’s slideshow below.  To view the slideshow in HD or if you’re on an iPad or iPhone, click HERE.

 

If there’s one thing for a bride to worry about in the Pacific Northwet, it’s rain (har har, see what I did there?).

It comes up all the time when we chat with brides up here.  Should I shoot for mid or late Summer?  Is September too late?  Where should my backup ceremony location be?  Do I need to pick up cute umbrellas just in case?  Contingency plan.  What locations will we use for portraits if it does happen?  You lied to me Steve Pool.  How can I best keep the rain off the dress?  Is that makeup waterproof?  No, I don’t mean for tears.  Rain is such a fact of life up here that you can’t help but have it on your mind, all. the. time.  And it’s enough to drive your stress level through the roof and back.

That is, unless, you’re Suzanne.

Remember Suzanne?  We shot Suzanne+John this past March for their engagement session, and rain tagged along for the fun.  But it didn’t phase them then, and it sure didn’t phase them this time.  Nerves of steel, these two.

I’ve always known Suzanne to be calm, composed, and refined.  She gave me my first ‘big break’ out of college when she hired me into my first real job as part of her team.  To this day I’ve never worked with someone who rolled with the punches and embraced Murphy’s Law better than Suzanne does.  Or was as thoughtful and nurturing.  She never failed to make sure I was squeezing all the learnings out of my experiences, or getting enough to eat in spite of my not-yet-broken-bad-habit of skipping lunch.  Suzanne was my first work-mom.

On Suzanne+John’s big day, it rained sideways, and they shrugged.  It rained upwards, and they waved it off.  We had lightning and thunder and they ooh’d, ahh’d, and smiled through it.  And you know what happened?

It stopped.  Right on schedule for their first look.

Suzanne+John are at the same time your gorgeous classic couple frozen in elegance, and your quintessential young lovebirds those romantic feel-good movies are made about.  Surrounded by the closest of family and friends, it was an honor to be a part of their celebration.

More from their big day in Suzanne+John’s slideshow below.  To view the slideshow in HD or if you’re on an iPad or iPhone, click HERE.

Well hello there!  We are finally back and well rested from our New York City vacation.  I will be blogging a special post about that soon so stay tuned for that.  But for now, welcome Megan+Tim to the C+C Photo family.  After we returned from NYC, we were itching to grab our cameras and start shooting again.  Megan+Tim wanted one of their locations to be the Seattle SoDo area, which made my heart skip a beat because it was one of the locations Chris and I chose for our engagement.  So it was pretty near and dear to our hearts.  SoDo also is meaningful to Megan+Tim because they are tying the knot at SoDo Park  this fall.  The couple also wanted their photos to represent where they first met, which was at work at Amazon.com.  And so we also went to the Jose Rizal bridge which was close to where Amazon.com used to house their corporate headquarters.

Like Chris+I, Megan+Tim met at work.  Folks, if you didn’t believe in love at first sight, you will after you hear their story.  Tim first spotted Megan waiting for the elevators at work and the rest was history.  And to this day, when he describes her captivating laugh, you can still see his heart melt a little.  And who’s to blame him!  Just look at these photos and you’ll see what Tim saw that very first time.

Tim proposed to Megan during a game of Bananagrams the day before they were scheduled to fly off to Mexico for vacation.  I love a guy who proposes before taking a trip because what’s a better way to celebrate and have a great, relaxing time when floating on Cloud 9 after a proposal right?  You’ll all get more of Megan+Tim in November when they are wed, but for now, enjoy this sneak peek of their engagement session.

See more of their engagement session in their slideshow below.  If you’re on an iPad or iPhone, you can catch the video here.

On a rainy winter Seattle night, Chris+I met up with Suryn+Shawn at a Seattle Starbucks to discuss their wedding in more detail.  I remember getting really amped up for the meeting because I was extremely excited about their wedding location.  This August, Suryn+Shawn will tie the knot in Leavenworth, WA at The Sleeping Lady resort.  Chris+I had previously shot a wedding here before and we just fell in love with this place.  However, after we talked and chatted over coffee with Suryn+Shawn, we fell in love with them even more.

We were definitely excited to work with Suryn+Shawn after postponing our initial shoot due to rain (Seattle…figures!).  They arrived at our first location, Pioneer Square, looking prim, cute, and super nervous.  And as luck would have it, the Sounder’s game had just let out.  Meaning…loads of people were walking around in the area.  It didn’t phase them though, and as these pictures show, they totally brought their A game.  There’s this vulnerability about Suryn that’s hard to describe in words.  But her eyes are fierce, her smile is mesmerizing so it’s no wonder Shawn is crazily in love.  And well…Shawn…I mean…just look at that smile!  These two made our job that day so easy, so we can’t be more excited to work with them again on their wedding day.  For now, take a peek at their engagement photos below.

Check out more of their engagement session below in their awesome slideshow!  If you’re on an iPad or iPhone, you can watch the video here.

Chris and I have known Suzanne for quite some time now.  Chris knows her more than I do because she was the first person to give him his big break right after college.  Yep…she gave him his first real job.  And I would have to tip my hat off to Suzanne as well because if she never gave Chris that chance, I would have never met him at work!  So you see, it felt only fitting for us to photograph Suzanne+John’s union because she was the one that first helped unite Chris+me.

Suzanne+John are truly meant to be, and deeply in love.  She’s a spunky Southern girl that (sorry Suzanne!) doesn’t always eat her vegetables.  And he’s a rugged (Daniel Craig look-a-like *wink wink*) football coach that will forever treat her like the Queen that she is.  They are tying the knot this June at the beautiful Salish Lodge in an intimate ceremony with their closest family and friends.  It was extremely important for Suzanne+John to have the people they care most be apart of their special day.  And we are humbled and extremely grateful that they’ve included us by giving us the gift of capturing their wedding.  We can’t wait for June…but in the meantime, enjoy this beautiful couple’s engagement photos!

More photos in Suzanne+John’s slideshow below.  To view the slideshow in HD or if you’re on an iPad or iPhone, click HERE.