Ready for something a little different?  Elyssa is one of my very best friends, and she and Curtis decided to have a small elopement along Nooksack River.  We finished beading her dress the night before, spent the morning getting ready together, and drove out toward Mount Baker!  Their first look was beautiful and so sweet. Not only was it Curtis's first time seeing Elyssa that day, but it was his first time seeing the dress that she had put months of time and love into.  I love the way she included pieces of family history in her lace, beads, and jewelry.

And as soon as the ceremony began, I swapped out my camera for Elyssa's bouquet, and my talented friend Kestrel Bailey took over as a second shooter until the ceremony was over. Kestrel and I met through our work in non-profits years ago and spent each of my volunteer shifts talking about our shared love of photography.  Elyssa and I knew we could trust her to document the ceremony beautifully.  (Thank you, Kestrel!)  We laughed, shivered, and shared hot cocoa, and it was one of the most fun, light-hearted, people-focused weddings I've ever been a part of. No decorations, no setup, just a well-scouted location that served as the perfect setting to say "I do" in front of their closest friends.

Hair by Crowns of Gold Styling

After photographing the Appel family last summer, Nicole and Richard reached out and asked if I would also photograph their upcoming elopement on the family farm.  Yes!  This was the smallest wedding I've ever been a part of, just Nicole, Richard, their daughters, and their parents, and it was so special.  We took portraits along the river, played with their daughter in the backyard, and gathered under the twinkle lights for their ceremony.  It was such an honor to be a part of their tiny elopement, and know that their siblings, friends, and extended family would later get to be a part of the moments through my photos.

Richard's sister Elizabeth (Beauty by Elizabeth Marie) and sister-in-law Erika (Crowns of Gold Styling) are my go-to hair and makeup artists, and they did a beautiful job getting Nicole ready for her day!

Taylor & Matt booked me as their photographer before we even had a chance to meet. Taylor said she had a feeling, based on our emails, that we'd be a great fit, and I couldn't agree more! We eventually got the chance to meet over coffee and to do a walk-through of their backyard venue, but on their wedding day it felt like I was spending the day photographing friends. Their Deming wedding was decked out in greenery, her bouquet and flower crown from Pozie by Natalie were beautiful, and everyone was so kind and friendly. I'm so excited to share the details, the candid moments, and all the joy that tied this wedding together. This right here is exactly why I love backyard weddings. Even in the hottest, driest, smokiest month of the year, the Pacific Northwest is the perfect place to celebrate the choice to get married. Scroll to see my favorites!

Samantha, Tony, and I had so much fun getting to know each other at their engagement session!  When we were emailing back and forth about their wedding plans, they really emphasized how much they love Bellingham's coastline and water views.  Larrabee was the perfect spot for their autumn engagement photos!  We talked about how they met, fell in love, got engaged in Disneyland, and their excitement for their upcoming wedding, and I don't think I had to ask them to smile once.  ;)  I've really enjoyed seeing Sam and Tony share their favorite images as they count down to May, so here's a handful of my favorites, too!

In addition to Erika being my go-to hair stylist, Erika and Chris are both partial owners of their family business, Appel Farms. When we talked about a location for their anniversary portraits, they knew there was no place they'd be happier than at their farm. They brought their dogs, we threw a few sticks, and left with a huge gallery of photos and some sweet memories, too. If you love dogs and golden hour, this blog is for you!

Erika styled her hair herself, and her sister-in-law Beauty by Elizabeth Marie did a gorgeous job on her golden makeup. I couldn't recommend them more for your next portrait session or wedding!

We photographed Lauren and Dane's Bellingham backyard wedding in September 2017, and this year we got to celebrate their first wedding anniversary with an autumn portrait session at Bellewood Acres!  I have to admit: we all laughed when we pulled into the parking lot and it was so foggy we couldn't see the entrance, but I knew it'd be gorgeous. I assured them that their session would be dreamy and magical, and that if the fog became too thick we could wait it out inside over some hot cider.  Lauren and Dane fully embraced the fog and the fun—skipping through the pumpkin patch, dancing in the corn fields, and even playing some catch in the orchards.  Scroll to see some of my favorites!

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!

We've both known Mackenzie and Bryan for years, so when they got engaged and asked us to photograph their wedding, we were SO excited! They're both so sweet, silly, and kind-hearted, and it was no surprise that their friends and families were the same way. Keep scrolling to take a look at some of my favorites from their Rein Fire Ranch wedding.

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!

When Anni and Brian first asked about doing maternity photos together, Anni told me she wasn't looking for a "glamour" session.  I teased her that I could more easily imagine her cracking up and tossing on a dinosaur costume, like that silly viral video (keep scrolling to see the best party crashers).  We loved the idea of planning a fun weekend getaway, and having me tag along for a portion of it.  We picked a place special to them, took the ferry from Anacores to Orcas Island, and enjoyed puzzles and ferry coffee along the way (their favorites!).  It was the perfect way to celebrate one of their last adventures before becoming a family of three!