On a nice Saturday afternoon, we went out on a stroll through SoDo with Samantha+Nicky.  Leading up to this engagement shoot, we’ve only worked through and met with Samantha.  Nicky currently lives in Arizona as he’s helping us serve our country in the military.  Just for that, we should applaud Nicky for his dedication to our country!  We should also applaud these two for doing one of the hardest things in a relationship…maintaining a long distance relationship.  So we thought the song “Near or Far” by Carissa Rae would be suiting for their slideshow.  Hopefully after the wedding, Sam+Nicky can finally live in the same city again.

Since we haven’t met, we didn’t know what to expect from Nicky.  But we knew since Sam was such a sweet person, the person that she loves will probably be pretty cool as well.  And cool he was.  He was more than that…he was outright wonderful!  It didn’t take us long to realize Sam+Nicky are a perfect match for one another.  They are both the kind of people you meet and immediately feel comfortable to be with.  There’s no awkward small talk with these two.  They’re genuinely nice people who listens to what you have to say and laughs at your corny jokes not just to be nice but truly because they find you funny.

Sam+Nicky’s marrying this September on Whidbey Island at the gorgeous Fireseed Catering.  It is truly a fabulous location and I just can’t wait for their wedding day.  September is one of the most gorgeous months in Seattle and how fitting because Sam+Nicky are a gorgeous couple.  Just take a look and judge for yourselves!  Enjoy their engagement sneakpeek below!

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

Jamie and Wai were two of the first friends I made in high school.  I remember us as kids…just 15 years of age…hanging out in the lunch cafeteria.  We didn’t have impossible dreams but we did dream.  We knew we wanted to go to college and possibly work in the corporate world.  And that we did.  The three of us continued to college together.  Jamie graduated earlier from the Running Start program while Wai and I graduated together a couple of years later.  Wai and I also entered the corporate world together at the very same company.

Fast forward 10 years to current day and I can hardly believe they are both mothers.  Sometimes when I’m around them and their two beautiful daughters, I think about our high school days.  Back then, who knew what those naive, heavy makeup wearing, baggy clothes donning girls thought about children and kids.  Because it feels like it really wasn’t that long ago that we were calling each other using 3-way to gab about our boy crushes.  And every now and then, I have to remind myself that we’ve all grown up.  But as always, I am so happy for my two friends because they are truly amazing people.  Our friendship has lasted more than 15 years and I know it’ll continue until we are all old and gray.  And I hope our kids will all be good friends like us when they grow up.  Just check out these little cuties…they’ll make any one proud parents!

It took several months of emailing for Linh+Celso to finally meet one another.  It started as what Linh thought was a networking opportunity, but turned slowly, rightfully, into true love.  It’s the way they talk, not just to each other, but about one another, that makes people like us who have only been around them for a short amount of time, know that they will make it as a couple.

Linh is the organized planner and Celso is a fabulous artist in his own way.  Together, they are planning for one of the year’s greatest weddings.  Linh+Celso are both connected with their heritage, and want to respectfully honor their culture on their wedding day.  They also both have families from all around the US and the world coming to their special day.  It will be a day filled with tradition, reunion, and celebration.

We cannot wait for their wedding, but in the meantime, enjoy a sneak peek of their engagement session below.

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

Hello world!  Please say hi to my newest love…Max!  While my husband was out of the country on business, I fell in love with another man…and that little man is baby Max.  Max’s father and I used to work together.  He used to be the Yin to my Yang as we slaved hours on end at our jobs.  When I heard he became a dad, I was so excited to get to meet his baby boy.  And oh my, did I fall head over heels for him.

Max is probably the sweetest little 6 week old I’ve ever met.  His mommy told me that he was on his best behavior that day because not one tear ran down those cute little cheeks.  He was happy as a clam…but definitely cuter than a clam.  His parents are new at doing the whole…well…parenting thing.  But I can tell they’re a great team.  They both kept telling me about how great it feels to be a parent and the overpowering joy that Max brought to their lives.  Max is very lucky to have such awesome parents and will grow up to be a fine young man.  I just know it!  But for now, enjoy this sneak peek of Max below!

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.

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.

You can find everything you need on Amazon.com, from ‘A’ to ‘Z.’  And for J+J, that included their 1 and only.

Jackie and Justin first met while working at the tech giant, and it couldn’t have been a more perfect fit.  She’s a spunky go-getting firecracker who makes things happen.  He’s a laid back go-with-the-flow box of mystery, intrigue, and hilarity.  Together, they’re a harmonious balance of fun, excitement, sexy legendary good times, and love.  Oh, the love!

Leading up to a wedding, we typically work more with the bride to make sure we see her vision for the big day, and plan how to capture it best.  As we’ve gotten to know Jackie more over these past few months, it’s become very apparent how nurturing, caring, and welcoming she is.  This is the girl that will take you to coffee happy hour on your first day, play tour guide when you visit her city, or walk you to that hard-to-find-whatchamacalit when you find yourself lost.

We get more and more excited as we learn more and more about what Jackie+Justin have in store for their big wedding this September.  And knowing how friendly, hospitable, and absolutely fun Jackie is, we have no doubt it’ll be one smashing shindig.  We cannot wait!

Congrats you two crazy kids. <3 C+C.

 

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

 

Today Chris and I had a chance to meet one of the cutest little things in the world, Baby Zoey!  Wai+Tats are our dear friends and I’ve known Wai since high school.  It’s hard to believe that life has brought us here and we’re now welcoming her first little baby girl to the world.  Zoey was born yesterday morning.  She made a grand entrance, surprising both her mommy and daddy by arriving earlier than expected.  But it was a great surprise indeed because it allowed Chris and I the opportunity to meet her just that much earlier.

Just last weekend though, some of us friends threw Wai+Tats (and Zoey) a baby shower.  Little did we know at the time that it would just be one short week before she’d arrive.  Nonetheless, the then to-be parents had a great time and here’s some pics for them (and you) to enjoy!

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.

Jump Jump!

In a few more years, will Kris Kross references be lost to history?  Will the Daddy Mac and the Mac Daddy be as forgotten as the 3rd crew member of the Apollo 11, Crystal Pepsi, or the Strawberry-n-Creme Twinkies of yesteryore?

I don’t know.  But I do know that it’s strange to start a thought-thread with 2 of 1992′s most prolific hippity hoppers and end with a delectable discontinued pseudo-food snack treat.

Oh yes, and we believe in fun.  That much I do know.  In fact, I did have a reason for posting today:  While finishing up edits on Kat+Jeff’s session from a couple of weeks ago, I came across several shots that I just had to share.  They were just too much fun, and deserve to not be lost to historic obscurity.