Jen and Jody's Blog

Tara and James are such a cute couple. We originally met and booked them at a little cafe on Capitol Hill in Seattle just around the corner from their house. Naturally we had to hang out with them around their neighborhood for the engagement session. We started at Stumptown, a trendy little coffee spot just off Madison and 14th. From there we walked around town, using the area's urban look. I have to say it was one of my favorite engagement sessions ever. Here are just some of the photos Jen and I took. Tara and Luke will be getting married next September at the Kiana Lodge. I know they needed a save-the-date photo, so I took the liberty of creating one using a sign that was in the window of a building... Kind of cool don't you think? Cheers! Jen and Jody

I'd never heard of a "surprise" wedding until I met with Tricia and Joe. They are such laid-back people, when I heard about their idea to invite all of their friends and family to a "BBQ" then actually get married, I was so impressed! What a cool idea, and they certainly pulled it off. The only folks who knew it was a wedding were the immediate family members and a couple of friends. The venue (seemingly perfect for a BBQ) was the Blue RIbbon Cooking Center on Lake Union and the decor was very sweet. Each place setting had a wooden spoon. They hung colorful paper lanterns from the ceiling, and Tricia looked amazing in her fun and informal peacock dress.

Patricia from A Heavenly Ceremony (who also married Jody and I), was the celebrant. The couple did a wine ceremony in lieu of a unity candle or sand ceremony. We'd never seen a wine ceremony before. Very unique, very "them." Tricia had the cabernet and Joe had the merlot. They mixed the two together to form their own blend.

It was also the biggest cake-smashing episode I've ever seen! Sometimes Jody and I place bets on which couples will smash....neither of us expect them!

-Jen (and Jody)

Bethanee and Rey, such a sweet, sweet couple! From the moment I arrived to capture getting ready shots of Bethanee and the girls, she so was so giddy and excited. I loved hearing about all the personal elements they put into their day. Check out those hot red shoes! They even did their own flowers the day before.

Photographing the couple together was a breeze. They have such chemistry, and I adore the way Rey looks at his wife. You can see the love!

It is common thought that no matter how much planning, there will be a few bumps in the road on the day of the wedding. Nothing could shake the day for Beth and Rey...not even the limo failing to start after the ceremony (turns out, it was low on gas and on a hill, so the engine would shut off) to the cupcakes not showing up at the reception (I personally made several calls to the cupcake store up the street and with persistence, was able to recover the cupcakes which were sent to the wrong venue) you'd never know anything was amiss!

Of course, you'll never see any of those "oops" in the photos. They turned out great, guys!

-Jen (and Jody)

Holly and Rob are a remarkable couple! They are so very warm and welcoming. For example, after their engagement session, they took us out for drinks and we talked for well over an hour. Amazing storytellers, we heard about some of their travels and even learned about their passion for scuba diving and Rob's love of Safeway white layer cake (I must say, I share the same taste in cake!).

Their wedding day was awesome! I don't know too many people that could truly shrug off rain (real rain, not the little sprinkle rain that we can work around). After their first sight at a dock in the Clyde Hill area, Jody and I took them over to some of our favorite indoor locations in Bellevue for portraits.

Their hospitality continued well through the evening. From making sure we were ok with the dinner selections (I am vegetarian, Jody is a part-time vegetarian :-), giving us place settings with name tags, and insisting that we indulge in wine and cake, they made sure we really felt like artists and guests.. They even drug us onto the dance floor to boogie down! Gosh, we loved that!

We would both like to express our most heartfelt thank you to both, Holly and Rob, for making OUR day fantastic. In return, here is sneak-peak at some of your photos. Let us know when you are ready for those trash-the-dress images on your boat!

--Jen (and Jody)

With fingers crossed, we were able to avoid any rain for Angelina & Derek's wedding! I think one of my most memorable parts of this wedding, was before we even arrived. Jody called the bride to find out which room she was in at the Westin, and her ring-back was "Going to the Chapel." It was so sweet (her ring-back was something else just a few days prior when we called to discuss the photography schedule.) The song fit her very classic look and overall feel to the day.--Jen & Jody