After a decade of love, Hannah and Ash finally eloped along the Washington Coast! We made the five hour drive from the Bellingham area the day before and did a walkthrough together to visualize our plans. On the morning of their wedding, we started with a sunrise ceremony and quiet vows, followed by a first dance and portraits along the beach. It was just the two of them, their officiant, myself, and my second witness, and it was beautiful. These two have been engaged as long as I can remember, and witnessing their happy tears and laughter has my heart absolutely full of joy. Scroll through to view my favorites!

Gerald and I planned a surprise proposal and engagement session at Boulevard Park. He and Hannah were visiting Bellingham for the week, and he wanted the special moments captured on camera for her. After he proposed, I introduced myself and we took a walk through the boardwalk and Fairhaven. It was a beautiful memory, and I'm so glad I got to be a part of it!

Claire and Nate married on Lummi Island, a place that's been special to Claire's family throughout her life. When their original venue fell through, a friend opened their backyard as a place to celebrate. It was a bright, sunny day in July complete with blue skies and eagle sightings. Dried floral arrangements lined the tables and ceremony aisle, and the colors fit perfectly with their beach wedding. After two portrait sessions with Claire and Nate, it was such a joy to witness their big day. Scroll through to view some of my favorites!

1. Celebrate and enjoy this time together
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​Congrats!! The choice to get married is so exciting. Before jumping into wedding planning, take a week or two to celebrate together and focus on why you’ve chosen each other. Over the next few months of decisions, that “why” is what it all comes back to. Enjoy the moments when you personally get to share your news with close friends and family. It’s happening!
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Lauren and Ben chose one of their favorite beaches in Bellingham for their engagement session. Just off of Chuckanut Drive, this special place perfectly captured that feeling of the bay and gave us privacy for a beautiful session. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to get to know them better, and I'm looking forward to photographing their upcoming wedding at Creekside Celebrations!

I've been photographing Madison and Jimmy since 2016! They both value documenting their lives through photos, and I've had the joy of photographing their engagement, wedding, one-year wedding anniversary, and a snowy couple session up on Mount Baker. Two of my longest clients and biggest supporters, it's been such a gift to get to know them over the years. This time around, they wanted a Bellingham sunset session in the flower fields. We captured these on a smoky August evening, and I love all the bright, golden colors in these images. Scroll to see my top favorites from their session!

Christianson's Nursery in Mount Vernon is one of my favorite places for portraits and weddings. The gardens and greenhouses photograph beautifully and keep my clients warm and dry year-round. It's always special to be back at the place where we got married, and it brings me so much joy when couples choose me to capture their celebrations here, too. I'm grateful to offer mini sessions at the nursery each year, and as I prep for my May 2022 mini sessions, I've brought together a handful of favorites from the past two seasons.  

Chelsea and Andrew wanted a session near Mount Baker, a favorite place where they've spent time camping and canoeing together. We connected over Zoom first, and it was such a joy to learn more about them and the story of how they met years ago on an airplane. Adventure session require an adventurous attitude, and when our original locations ended up closed, we were stoked to find this expansive waterfront spot instead. Their pup Marley had the best time exploring for sticks, and it was so special to be able to include her. The rain downpoured at the end of the session, and Chelsea and Andrew did an incredible job embracing it. Originally, they planned to only book engagement photography and focus on videography for their wedding day. After receiving their engagement previews, they asked to book wedding photography too, and I couldn't be more excited to work with them again!

I'm a big advocate for mixing up tradition and having fun with your wedding plans. Marla and Matt chose to have a brunch wedding at the Bellingham Ferry Terminal complete with a waffle bar, fruit, scones, quiche, bacon, and donuts.  We started their day with a first look and portraits down the street at Marine Park, and we included their dog for a few special photos, too. It was a smoky August morning, and the pink tint from the sun tied in beautifully with Marla's blush dress from Belle Bridal. Scroll to see my favorites from this colorful, happy day!

Keith and Pauline found me through a Google search and had their hearts set on Washington coast engagement photos. I almost said no. It'd been years since I drove out there, and I was in the middle of moving and a busy wedding season... but I could feel their joy, excitement, and trust in what we could create together! After a five hour road trip from the Bellingham area, my travel buddy and I arrived and could not believe how gorgeous these locations were. Simply put, this was a DREAM session. Keith and Pauline aligned so well with my style. As always, I told them where to stand and how to move, and their ability to focus on each other, not take it too seriously, and laugh together was what really brought out the magic in these photos. I could not be more excited to share these photos, and I really recommend watching the behind-the-scenes video on Instagram to get the full idea of how much fun we had!

​I'll be back for more coast sessions in March! Send me an email at cayliemashphotography@gmail.com for details.