A Gaia Wedding

I was super privileged to photograph this wedding last November at the Gaia Hotel, in Anderson. Despite the super rainy and dreary day that pretty much turned all our well-laid plans upside down, this wedding was too much fun! Gina and Matt definitely know how to throw a party.

The rain meant that the ceremony got moved inside, and we had to strategically place all the pictures so that the entire bridal party wouldn't get completely soaked, but the day continued smoothly with lots of laughs along the way. As John and I spent the day with the groom and bride, respectively, we learnt a lot about this sweet couple. What great friends they were. How they both made each other better people. How great Matt was with his soon-to-be step-son.

Their vows were sweet and funny, and had everyone crying, even me! The unity sand involved Matt, Gina and her two kids and was beautiful to see. The reception was a lot of fun with a lot of dancing.

All in all, we had a fantastic day and it was so great to see such a great pair of people commit their lives to each other. It was such a privilege for us to be there.

The Help + Sneak Peek

I've watched The Help a couple of times and the second time I saw it, this scene just stayed in my head:



I've found myself saying that to myself at random throughout my day and seeing how powerful it can be to speak something positive over myself. It can be easy for me to let my insecurities dictate who I feel like I am, and for some reason, these three little statements counter those insecurities pretty well.

I've also changed it a few times to fit what I need in that moment. This afternoon, at my first newborn photo shoot (with twins!!!), I started feeling nervous and overwhelmed. In my head, I just said, "Be confident". And for some reason, that made all the difference and I started feeling relaxed and, surprisingly enough, confident! Later on, I thought to myself, "Hey, that was like that thing she did in The Help. I should have said "You is confident!"

"You is kind, you is smart, you is important." I think I want to start saying something like that to Sophie every day.

On another note, I'm busy editing, editing, editing from the wedding back in November and here's a sneak peak (this wedding was tons of fun!):

Bradley-Schmidt Seattle Wedding

I had the privilege last year to photograph my friend's sister's wedding up in Seattle. I was both excited and super nervous as it was my first paid wedding. I felt quite honoured to be trusted with this endeavour!

Alex and Tiffay's wedding was beautiful and intimate. They had moved the wedding forward a month in order for her brother to be there, as he had been called back to his airforce base and would have missed their original date. It was mostly family and a few friends, and they held a larger reception a month later in her home-town, Yakima, WA. It made it really special and cosy.

The weather of course was freezing and overcast, but fortunately the rain mostly held off. I remember expressing hope for more sun and getting chuckles from all the native Seattlites! The weather didn't dampen anyone's spirits however, and the ceremony was filled with beautiful moments, from Tiffany being given away by her parents, to Alex washing Tiffany's feet. After pictures, we moved onto the reception which was a in a really fun restaurant, called Buca di Beppo where again the atmosphere was cosy and intimate. All in all a lovely day: