Weddings at The Davenport Hotel & Tower are automatically classy events. It’s such a beautiful place with so many little places that lend themselves to beautiful photos. It helps when you have a couple like Flori & John who, in addition to being supremely photogenic, were willing to follow me wherever I wanted to go in hopes that we’d find a little photographic magic. I think we did, but I’ll leave that up to you to decide.

Once again, I’m posting a wedding where there were so many subtly wonderful moments that came back to me as I looked through them again (& again). Just one of the little parts of my job that I love so much. In addition to that, it’s yet another couple that I’m such a huge fan of. Over the nearly 80 weddings I’ve photographed, I have yet to work with a couple that I don’t love (knock on wood). My couples are the absolute best. I’m a pretty lucky guy.

Best. Table. Decoration. Ever…

4th time’s the charm. I’ve shot several weddings at the lovely Beacon Hill, but it wasn’t until this last one that I got a truly stunning sunset. Finally. The day began with Patsy getting beautified by Shasta Hankins & the beauty continued throughout the entire day. The weather played nicely with us & the event—from the beginning to the end was a blast for everyone involved. I think you’ll see that.

Bet you’ve never seen a wedding party photo like this one…

Ok, just like the scenes added to movies after the credits, I really felt like this photo had to be here, but it didn’t work with the rest of the story. I crack up at it every time I see it. The look on Kevin’s face is priceless.

Normally when I blog I try to show the photos in a way that tells the best story. But there are times when I take a photo that is so special to me because it tells the best story all on its own. When that’s mixed with a light that is nothing short of magical, even I get a little humbled. That usually happens when I have nothing to do with the photo, but I happen upon a scene and able to capture it. That’s the case with this first photo (the texture, the light, the gown, the light, the reflection, the light, the room, the light, the symmetry, the light, & the vail hanging on the lamp). It’s definitely one of my favorite photos I’ve ever made & if you press me on it, I don’t know if I could come up with one that I love more. Most amazingly, this is pretty much what the photo looked like on the back of my camera.

For the rest of the post, I’ll mention that the wedding was held at Trezzi Farm on a day when nature decided to be as friendly as it’s ever been. The light was gorgeous. The clouds & skies were perfectly dramatic. And the temperature was perfectly—which was helpful since Erin’s vintage gown (which has been worn by several brides in her family) wasn’t made of a terribly forgiving/breathable fabric. Erin’s beautiful makeup was done by DeAndra Toney & her hair was done at Elite Salon.

When you add to that a wedding where everyone was encouraged to wear various & sundry hats (yes including a viking helmet!) you have a recipe for a great day (& great photos).

I’m so excited to share Sarah & Will’s wedding with you. It’s been a while since I’ve posted. We spent a week in New York (blog post coming) & a weekend in Seattle for family time & I feel rejuvenated & ready to edit, edit, edit, shoot, edit—well you get the point. I’ve got a ton of work in front of me & I couldn’t be more excited about it!

The fact that I was able to shoot Sarah & Will’s wedding was nearly an act of God since so many things had to go right for it to happen since her first (very excited) email asking if I was available (I wasn’t). Add to that the fact that their wedding was held at one of my favorite wedding venues, Red Barn Farms. Sarah’s beautiful makeup was done by Shasta Hankins which helped her become the radiant bride she was.

Enough words, on to the photos(!)…

It’s not very often you get to shoot the wedding of someone you babysat. But that’s the case with this one. I remember Spencer when he was a rambunctious little guy who wanted to talk about nothing other than baseball. I must be getting old because now that kid went & got married & I think we barely even discussed the current horrors of the Mariners. In other words, it was pretty cool to be able to photograph Spencer & Tara’s wedding. Not only that, Since Spencer & I share a few cousins I got to hang out with Emma & Deonna a little too.

I don’t think there’s much I can say that the photos don’t other than the wedding took place at one of my favorite places on earth, Tacoma’s Point Defiance (I think I’ve mentioned that a few times before)! I loved the uniqueness of the whole day. The orange & gray colors were perfect. I love Converse shoes & the fact that they matched Spencer’s tie & even the wallpaper in his room was a nice touch.

Then there’s the Donuts. Mmmm, donuts as Homer would say. Spencer & Tara met while she was in line buying donuts for her class so they’re a pretty important part of their relationship (I wish I had a reason, any reason, to like donuts like that). These donuts were brilliantly good & they were specially prepared for the bride & groom by Legendary Doughnuts.

Since this was the third of four weddings that weekend (& the only one west of the mountains) we didn’t have time to shoot the “day after session” the  day after their wedding. So we’ll call it a “week after” session since I had a Seattle wedding the next weekend. We decided to meet up in downtown Tacoma & hang around the Museum of Glass. I loved the challenge of trying to take unique portraits in a location that’s so loved by photographers. I’ll let you decide whether I succeeded or not. Regardless, we had a blast & these two super-photogenic subjects were a great inspiration.

Photos from the “Day (week) After Session” we had in downtown Tacoma.

I had a great time taking engagement pictures for Michelle & Jeff. They’re a rarity because they’re one of the couples who’s wedding I’m not actually shooting. Too bad I wasn’t available, because they were so easy to work with & I know their wedding is going to be gorgeous.

We lucked out & got one of the rare beautiful days we’ve had during our especially horrid spring. I like looking for good light—much more than I like looking for shelter from rain.

Sunshine. Hiking. Mountain. Pond. Love. Laughing. Plants. Ducks. Rain. Fast hiking. Soaking. Kiss. Awesome.

I had a blast hanging out with Katie & Dan around downtown Spokane & taking some engagement photos while we dodged raindrops & sought out the good light. It was obvious from the beginning of shooting that these two just like hanging out with each other which makes my job way too easy. Can’t wait to shoot their wedding at the Glover Mansion which is coming up soon!

You might remember that I took some engagement photos of Nikki & Clayton during our last visit to Hawaii. You might also remember that we missed the light on the beach by about a half hour & we ended up playing a round of mini-golf. I figured it would be a good idea to brave the wind and looming storms & give it another go. I’m so glad we did!

I’ve already covered my affinity for Point Defiance in previous posts. It really is an amazing place. So many places to explore. That’s why I’m excited to present another engagement session that took place at Tacoma’s crown jewel. This time it’s Kortney & Aaron’s turn. All I can say is it was one of the easiest sessions I’ve had & I had such a great time hanging out with these two for a while. I think the photos show that pretty well, or at least I hope they do.

I’m excited to bring you the wedding of Samm & Nathan which took place on a (rare this year) beautiful spring day at the amazing Davenport Hotel in downtown Spokane. I think you’ll notice the sweet & overwhelming emotion of the day that I felt fortunate to see & be able to capture with my camera. I had a blast during their wonderful day, beginning to end. Congratulations, Samm & Nate.

Some sessions are perfect from the beginning, and some aren’t. This one wasn’t. I started the session by locking my keys in the car—along with my camera gear. The only thing I had in my hand was a Diana F+ camera with 5 shots of Polaroid film in it & a flash (the last shot in this series is from that camera). So we had some time to just hang out while waiting for someone to arrive to break in to my car. I had a great time just hanging out sans camera with these two. And to be honest, I think it actually helped the final product be what it is—stellar. So good, in fact, that I still don’t believe that these two don’t have extensive modeling backgrounds—regardless of what they tell me.

This session is also a great example of how I like to work, a nice mix of natural light & lighting with flashes. Basically doing what ever’s necessary to get the best photo.

I can say that there’s no better way to spend my birthday than driving down to Lewiston, Idaho & shooting a wonderful wedding.

It was a pleasure to photograph Katie & Olin’s wedding. I’m knocking on wood, but the weather couldn’t have been better. The forecast wasn’t giving us a feeling of optimism & the days leading up to the big day were all rain-soaked as well. The warm sun shone down & it got better as we were getting set for a portrait outside the Lewis Clark Plaza Hotel the clouds started to come in, lending us some drama for the night portrait, & making me happy.

I had a great time celebrating with the couple & their friends and family which came from all over to witness the event. The prep all took place overlooking the Washington Idaho border aka the Snake River at the bride’s parent’s beautiful home. The shopping took place at the beauty supply store by Katie’s sister Ellen. I still think she ‘stole’—or allowed her sweatshirt to steal—the lost eyelash as an excuse to buy Koen some new baby shoes. We then took some portraits as we walked (!) down to the Lewis Clark Hotel Plaza where the ceremony & reception took place.

Thanks to Katie & Olin & their families for making me feel so welcome (and for the birthday cake)!

This wedding was a little extra special since it was the last family celebration before the couple headed off to New Zealand to start working in the ministry. It was also a bit of a first celebration as well since Samuel’s parents & sister made the trip to Spokane from The Netherlands. It was a first chance for the families to get to know one another. It was an honor to be a part of such an important day. As such, my entire focus was capturing moments that would only happen once—things like one dad helping the other dad with his collar. In fact, that’s become an increasingly large focus of what I find important about what I do. I still love my portraits, but moments & emotion are what thrill me about what I do. Congratulations Amber & Sam. Happy travels as you start your lives together.

A while back I had the great pleasure of being able to take part in a special photo shoot along with some great area wedding vendors including Rachel, the brains behind the great Apple Brides Blog. The shoot took place at one of Spokane’s truly unique wedding/reception venues, Barrister Winery. It’s a special bit of big city modern in our own little burgh. I fell in love with it instantly when I shot Joanna & Andrew’s reception there last year. If you’ve never been there, you should definitely make the trip.

As a photographer, a good understanding of using your flash creatively is helpful since one of it’s attributes is the dark ambience. All of these shots have some amount of flash in them except for the first one (and it’s black & white brother near the end of the post), the close ups of the bride which were shot near the sole window while the beautiful natural light shone on us (there was a reflector though), and the flowers on the paint palette. The last photo even used a strong flash since the light outside was fading & I really wanted a strong silhouette photo.

Unlike some editorial shoots where models are hired, Erica & Tyler are actually engaged. To even add another level of realness, Tyler is an employee at the winery. He gives a great tour of the place, by the way. Thanks to Shane Savage for his help in assisting during the shoot.

Fun with shutter speeds.

I love this portrait.

The power of a tilt/shift lens.

Flash blast.

Flowers: Angela Austin, Floral Design and Home Decor

Make-up: Shasta Hankins Freelance Make-up

Hair: Lindsey Wilson (509-362-6510) of the K Salon

Stationery: Carli Marie Design

Gowns: Storybook Bridal

Headpieces/Accessories: Finder’s Keepers

Tuxedo: Tuxedo Gallery

Jacqueline & Josh love to throw parties & were engaged so they figured there’d be no better time to have a wedding than to make it a New Year’s Eve wedding/party. The festivities took place at the Doubletree Hotel overlooking Riverfront Park next to the Spokane River while the ceremony took place at the gorgeous St. Aloysius on Gonzaga’s campus.

We were blessed with an incredibly beautifully day. The Skies were clear, while all of the trees were flocked with white snow. The downside—it was COLD. For most of the day it was at the low end of the teens, then as we walked outside to watch the New Year’s fireworks show, one final check of the iPhone showed a brisk 3 degrees. Needless to say, our ventures outside for portraits only lasted a few minutes each time.

It’s always wonderful to be a part of a wedding where the bride & groom are so purely happy being with one another. Jacqueline & Josh were a perfect example of that.

Thanks for letting me party with you guys!

**For the best viewing experience, open up the first photo & use the left & right arrow keys on your keyboard to navigate through the photos.**

What can I say? Sarah & Matt brought us to Hawaii to shoot their wedding at The Poipu Plantation Resort on the island of Kauai, AKA the most beautiful place in the world. Beginning to end it was an amazing experience. They spent their time surrounded by their family & closest friends. You’d have to think it’s a little taste of heaven. Granted, we did have some rain to work through—which ended up contributing to my blackened toe I earned by smashing it in to a wall after slipping only hours before the wedding—but it held off at all the right times & allowed us to get some really beautiful photos. Plus, I was the photographer for one of Sarah’s best friend’s wedding this summer at the Hayden Lake Country Club in Idaho, so it was great to see Naomi & Sean again. The gorgeous wedding wrapped with an amazing party at the resort restaurant that toed the line of out of control without crossing it. Perfect. It was obvious that everybody had a great time—me included! Thanks Sarah & Matt—enjoy your photos! I sure enjoyed taking them.

**For the best viewing experience, open up the first photo & use the left & right arrow keys on your keyboard to navigate through the photos.**

While we were in Hawaii for Sarah & Matt’s wedding we were able to meet up with a couple of our brides who live on the island. First up is Nikki & Clayton. They’re actually getting married in Spokane but Clayton is stationed in Hawaii so we didn’t think we’d have an engagement session, but we were thrilled when it worked out to go take pictures while we were there. We rushed to the beach after getting back to Oahu from Kauai & by the time we got there, it was dark. Not, “oh there’s still some light left-dark.” It was black. So dark I had to give my iPhone to Nikki to hold to her face so I could focus the camera. They were both troopers as we waited for the waves to crash & splash.

Then after shooting some shots in the back of Clayton’s truck on the beach, we headed straight for the put-put course. I’m guessing there’s usually a little competitiveness to their competitions, but this time they were on their best behavior. It was a blast watching them interact with each other as we moved from hole to hole. Even though the light at the course was about as bad as I’ve ever shot in, it’s easy to see the sweetness that exists between the two of them. One of the highlights was that right after the session Nikki & Clayton took Gina & I out to dinner. It was awesome just getting to hang out for a while (the pulled pork BBQ wasn’t too bad either).

We get to go back in May for Chelsey & Barry’s wedding (yes, I have the best job in the world) so maybe we’ll have to get some more traditional ‘Hawaii’ photos of the two of them—maybe with a couple of bulldogs—then.

**For the best viewing experience, open up the first photo & use the left & right arrow keys on your keyboard to navigate through the photos.**

Here’s Lindsey & David’s engagement session we shot in downtown Spokane. We had a blast getting these shots. At least I did, & they said they did. That’s good enough for me.

**For the best viewing experience, open up the first photo & use the left & right arrow keys on your keyboard to navigate through the photos.**

A bit of  double post since I’m trying to get caught up on my blogging. Both these sessions were great. Not much more I can say about it than that. I think the pictures tell it better than I can. When Katie & Brady both start their modeling careers, they can say this was the start.