Essential Stuff

Here is Sara and Ben. If you are a regular reader of Essential Stuff, they might look familiar. Last summer, we spent a warm afternoon in Pullman, wandering around WSU, even going down on the turf of Martin Stadium, taking engagement photos. Now, this summer, it was their turn to get married.

Their ceremony was at Camden Ranch in Elk, Washington, both a Christmas tree farm and event venue, out in a meadow surrounded by trees. We had lots of time for a long, festive portrait session, which included adorable kids, walking through forests, wild dancing, and a little football.

Sara and Ben’s wedding ceremony included a wonderful set of vows, which they wrote, that had people laughing through tears. And then, after the kiss, the bogeyed up the aisle together.  The reception had some lovely dancing, a bit of frosting on a nose, home-made jam, and some dandy Mickey Mouse ears.

The result of all the fun and excitement was that I had far more wedding photographs to edit than usual, but it was definitely worth it.  To take a look at the day, click through to the wedding photographs.

One of the cool things about having been in business for a while is photographing the weddings of friends and relatives of former brides and grooms.  Such was the case a few weeks ago at Katie and Bret’s wedding.  Just last summer, I had been the photographer for Katie’s sister Danielle when she married Ryan.  There is a picture of both happy couples together at the right, Ryan, Danielle, Bret and Katie.

This day, however, belonged to Bret and Katie. We started with some portraits at the park (and field) near the childhood home of Katie. She had played there as a little girl.  After a fun portrait session, we ran off to the church.

It was a beautiful ceremony, complete with joyful singing, and was capped with a very cool first kiss. Cheers all around.

Then it was on to CenterPoint for a reception with lots of friends, family and good cheer.  It was another perfect wedding.  Here is a gallery of photographs from the wedding day.

Kandace and Andre had their reception covered, but they wanted a photographer for portraits and the ceremony; happily, they selected Essential Moments Photography.  The day started with a first-sight and portraits in Riverfront Park.  Their wedding was on a Tuesday, so there weren’t a ton of other people in the park, even though the weather was gorgeous. The blue sky (and blue bridge) went nicely with the blue wedding dresses. After a small crisis regarding flowers, everyone was relaxed and had a good time.

Then it was on to Dance Street Ballroom just up the street for the ceremony and reception. The ceremony was very well-attended, and elegant, and Andre and Kandace were fun to watch.  Connected, looking into each other’s eyes, and very much in love.

Leaving before the reception was a bit unusual, but all accounts are that a good time was had by all, and from facebook pictures, it appears that the Hawaii honeymoon was spectacular. Click here for a gallery of the wedding photography by Essential Moments Photography.

Natalie and Jake’s wedding was awesome for so many different reasons. The setting, overlooking Priest Lake, was gorgeous. The ceremony was filled with personal touches, such as the children bringing Natalie flowers and the guests taking part in the vows. The ceremony was tender and heart-felt, the highlight perhaps being when Jake sang “The First Day of My Life” to Natalie.  (And the bonus was the bald eagle gliding overhead.)

They extended the personal touches to the reception. Natalie and Jake have traveled the world together, and lived together overseas, so each table was marked with a flag of a country they had traveled to. And they incorporated wedding traditions from different cultures, including a flower-lantern ceremony on the water.

I had been looking forward to their wedding for personal reasons, too.  For one, I had photographed their engagement session, and watched them a bit via facebook as they finished their teaching in Viet Nam, so knew they were fun, bright people, and I looked forward to seeing them again. Secondly, their wedding was the first where I would be joined by my new partner, Eric Ashley, in addition to our assistant Deborah.

Above all else, what made the day awesome was Natalie and Jake. Their warmth and generosity set the tone for the entire day, and their kindness and compassion was reflected back to them from their family and friends. Most of all, their love and support for each other was evident in everything they did.  If this was the first day of their lives, then it couldn’t have gotten off to a more perfect start. Click here for a gallery of Natalie and Jake’s wedding.

Emily and Mike were married at the Glover Mansion in Spokane, Washington, which is always one of my favorite places to shoot. Gorgeous hardwood floors. Rich wood paneling. Lots of architectural flourishes. And nifty overhead views besides.

I had photographed Emily and Mike’s engagement photographs, which is always nice, since it gives us the opportunity to work together before the wedding and get to know each other better. So when I saw them both getting ready for the first time, it was great to see them again.

The wedding itself had lots of personal touches, including a homily that told the story of their courtship. Apparently Mike knew right away the Emily was the one for him; it took Emily a bit more time than that. But since then they have become best friends, and it was fun to watch them engage with each other.

My favorite part of the day was sneaking away from some sunset pictures, with a view of Spokane and some good color in behind the clouds, and just the three of us (plus a few), very much like that first evening when we took the engagement pictures together, except, of course, with a little more excitement and joy.  A gallery of wedding photographs can be seen here.

This is Sherry and Denver, and they are awesome. From the first time Sherry contacted me, I really was excited about the possibility, and then reality, of shooting their wedding. It had awesomeness written all over it.

First, the idea: almost kind-of an elopement, but not really, since there was nothing hasty about it.  Really just a small wedding.  How small?  The two of them, the minister, and me and my assistant.  That’s all. And no one else knew.  Not the parents (though they had been warned that it might one day happen), no friends (who had had a brunch with them that very morning, and didn’t suspect a thing), no distant relatives. It was a ceremony as small and simple as small and simple can possibly be. A wedding completely on their terms, by their design, the wedding of their dreams.  And it was awesome.

Second: the location.  Cataldo Mission, about 30 miles east of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. I had been there once before and had been struck by its elegance and rustic beauty. It’s a gorgeous building with a deep history, nestled in a perfect setting.

Third: somewhat foolishly, when I had pictured the wedding, I had kind of imaged how the grounds looked in the summer, when I had visited it before.  In other words, I was surprised when I drove up and there was 5 inches of snow everywhere. It took a moment of readjustment, but in the end, the snow was so much better than dead winter grass. Fortunately, Sherry had thought ahead and had brought warm boots; she was ready and willing to go traipsing around in the snow in her boots and bare-shouldered wedding dress, and that almost guaranteed an awesome portrait session.

So how did it all go down? Perfectly. I had worried about doubling the attendance by bringing an assistant, but she proved very useful in the putting on of the dress. The ceremony was probably about 15 minutes, simple but meaningful, with a very kind and thoughtful minister. The interior of the mission was a perfect setting (if not a bit cold). And Sherry and Denver are as nice as people can possibly be. Connected, fun-loving, joyous, and did I mention nice? Really, really nice. And, it ends up, Denver and I went to the same small college!

And for the portraits, we not only had snow, but dramatic clouds swept through a deep, rich blue sky. And we all wandered around in the snow, Sherry and Denver giddy (and maybe a bit in disbelief!), just enjoying the moment.  The only bad thing about it was that Sherry and Denver wanted to tell their family and friends in person, after their honeymoon in India, so I couldn’t post the pictures until now, but, really, that’s not so bad.

Check out the photographs from their wedding right here. As one of the only witnesses (and this was the first time I had been called upon to sign the marriage certificate), you’ll have to trust me:

it was awesome.

If you’re going to get married at 11:00 on a Sunday morning, why not make it at the Davenport Hotel?  And if you are going to get married at 11:00 on a Sunday morning, what better processional music than “All  You Need Is Love”? And staying with a Beatles theme, what better song to walk out to than “The End”?

And at the reception, why not serve brunch fare, including make-your-own-omelettes and have itty-bitty Tabasco sauce bottles available? And that’s exactly what Jenessa and Collin did. The day also included, by request, a quick Abbey-Road-style portrait of the bridal party. Jenessa and Collin had LOTS of great ideas for their wedding.

And if there were people who’d rather sleep in on a Sunday, you couldn’t tell it at the reception, which was as lively as lively gets, with a spirited tussle for the bouquet, a gorgeous first dance, and some wild dance moves later on. I’m not sure that, in the long, storied history of the Davenport Hotel, the ballroom floor has ever been quite so cut up by a pair bridal Converse shoes before. Click here for photographs from the wedding day.  (A few of their engagement pictures can be seen here.)