When I heard Jordan and Marco got engaged, I really hoped I'd get the chance to take their photos! To my excitement, they reached out to book an engagement session at their favorite little park, Zuanich.  We set plans for September, and they ended up eloping just a couple weeks prior to our shoot.  ;)  So call it an engagement session, or a "we just got married" session, but either way, these photos are so full of the joy they share together, and I'm so glad I got to spend an hour laughing and running around the waterfront with them. The sun broke out two minutes before their session on an otherwise cloudy and stormy day, giving us bright light, dark clouds in the distance, and a whole lot of waves!

The new Baby Greens plant shop was our first stop on this three-part Bellingham engagement session!  Elyssa is one of my very best friends, and it's been such a joy getting to know Curtis and seeing how happy they are together.  It only takes a few minutes with these two to realize they were made for each other, and I can't wait to watch them get married!

Cydni and Antonio wanted to shoot "rain or shine" for their April engagement session at Bellingham's Whatcom Falls. We ended the hour together muddy and wet, but we went into it with an adventure mindset and had a blast!  Scroll down to take a look through their sweet walk in the woods.

When Jack sent me an email asking if we would photograph him and his new puppy on Mount Baker for their first Christmas card, the answer was a big fat YES!!  The reindeer antlers, gift wrap, and Snuggie were icing on the cake, and we loved designing a custom Elf-themed card for Jack to send out to friends and family.

The only thing better than celebrating an engagement, is celebrating an engagement and becoming a little family.  Hannah, Dan, and their puppy Lenny arrived to Bellewood Acres dusted in an early November snow, and it was a magical way to welcome in the holidays!

The kind of love that Lauren and Dane have is exactly why I love my job. Spending the past three weeks re-living their wedding day over and over through editing has filled me up with so much joy: the way Lauren and Dane look at each other with so much appreciation and respect, how excited their families were for her to walk down the aisle, the endless supply of laughter at the reception... I love all of this. As a wedding photographer, I see it becoming more and more common for my clients' families and friends to spend the wedding day watching the ceremony and first dances behind a phone, or texting at the reception. Aside from how difficult that makes things for the photographer, it makes me sad that they're not enjoying these moments. The Siegfried wedding shows what everyone else is missing out on. I can feel their presence in these, and I hope you can, too. Get ready to feel some love!

Hair: Carma Jean
Catering: Brotha Dudes
Flowers: Triple Wren Farms
Hotel:Bellwether Hotel
DJ: DJ Scoobalicious

Please feel welcome to share the link to this blog post! Prints and websize digital files are available for purchase through Lauren and Dane's online gallery.

I started following Gathered Confections a while back because of her commitment to using local, seasonal, and organic ingredients whenever possible. Though our professions are different, I know how difficult it can be financially to choose local suppliers over cheaper options online. When I told Sarah I loved this about her business and wanted to feature her on my blog, her first instinct was to include a favorite local farm and show where the desserts come from!

Hannah and Ashley were so fun to work with! We laughed a bunch, shared a few happy tears, and enjoyed a gorgeous Bellingham sunset from Marine Park and the Community Boating Center. I hope you all can feel the love in these!

I've known Mackenzie and Bryan for years, and when the opportunity came up to do their engagement photos, I couldn't wait! We went back to where it all started—Western Washington University—got real silly, laughed a bunch, and made some new memories for them to hold onto. They're going to make a pretty cute married couple!

Alyssa and Lucas were the winners of our Local Summer Picnic Giveaway! They got to celebrate their one-year anniversary with a photo session at Semiahmoo, styling by Hair by Areca, a bouquet from Pozie by Natalie, and a basket full of treats from Gathered Confections and Root Catering. Here are some of my favorites from their session!