Jenna and Skyler planned a thoughtful & sweet wedding day at Christianson’s Nursery in Mount Vernon, Washington. The venue, with its lush gardens, greenhouse, and historic 1888 Schoolhouse, was the perfect venue for these two. They fell in love with the front of the Schoolhouse, considering they are both teachers, and “the plants, flowers, and greenery at Christianson’s sealed the deal” for them that this is the spot they were meant to get married.

If you are planning your wedding, take a deep breath and remember how exciting and special this season of your life is. You are marrying your person. I know you are most likely feeling overwhelmed with planning and that is so understandable. It’s hard to know where to start. I recently was a vendor at the Wisteria Gardens Wedding show in Anacortes and want to walk you through the experience virtually! Wedding shows are how I have met some of my very favorite local wedding vendors & I would love to introduce you to all of them in this blog post. If you are planning your wedding in Whatcom, Skagit, or Island County — this post is for you!

If you’re planning a couples shoot in the Pacific Northwest, especially during the springtime, you’re in for a treat. The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival is my a seasonal gem that beautifully captures the whimsy & joy in your love story. Whether you’re wanting to take your engagement photos here, celebrate an anniversary, or wanting to take photos together just because during the month of April — Roozengaarde is my #1 location recommendation :) 

If you are planning your engagement or couples photos session, chances are you might be feeling a little nervous. That is such a normal way to feel!! I don’t expect you to have everything perfectly planned or know what to do. That’s my job! All I need from you is to show up and be yourself. Taking photos can feel awkward, especially when you aren’t sure what to expect, so I want to make sure you feel prepared to have the BEST time during our portrait session.

If we have already picked a location & date for your session, we are now in the in-between-anticipation time. You are probably feeling excited, thinking about what to wear, and might be feeling a little nervous.

In this blog post, I’ll share my best advice for how to prepare for your engagement or couples photos. Below is a photoshoot checklist of actions & items to bring that will help you feel prepared, comfortable, and hopefully as stress-free as possible. I also included my checklist of items that help me feel prepared & ready to take your photos!

Spring is my favorite season. I feel most myself frolicking through flower fields, so anywhere with flowers is my favorite place to take photos. I’m always looking for flower gardens to take photos at, and over the years I’ve found my top few favorites. I am sure there are so many gardens that deserve to be on this list that I haven’t discovered yet, but here are my top 6 favorite flower-filled locations near Seattle and Bellingham that make great locations for engagement or couples sessions.

As a wedding photographer, I photograph 1-2 (sometimes 3!) weddings a week from May through October. You are most likely planning a wedding for the first time & I don’t want you to feel like you have to figure it out alone. After photographing so many weddings, I’ve noticed what makes a day go by seamlessly & I’m here to make sure your day goes by seamlessly, too.

In this post, I’ll walk you through some of the big events of your day with tips to ensure your day is as perfect as possible & share an 8-hour photography timeline template with you.

Here are 7 cute ways to incorporate your pets in your wedding:

• Give your dog a special “job”

• Have your dogs walk down the aisle with wedding party members

• Ask your florist to make a special flower collar for your pet

• Have cake toppers that look like your pets

• Create napkins with a design of your pet’s face

• Name your signature drinks after them

• Order custom cufflinks with your pet’s face on them

Nona & Nick celebrated their 13th anniversary by getting married on December 13th. How perfect to get married on their golden anniversary! Their intimate elopement was at an iconic Bellingham spot — Babygreens in Fairhaven. Babygreens is a gorgeous plant shop in a historic building — with exposed brick walls and beautiful floor-to-ceiling windows looking out into the bustling Fairhaven streets. Their immediate family was present for the ceremony & while we took portraits, their family was able to walk down the street to grab a drink :)

Cassie & Kyle’s beautiful (yet windy!!) day at the Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham. I was obsessed with the purples & blues & how perfectly their florals & outfits matched the view. These two are so sweet & I had been looking forward to their day for such a long time!! Cassie made friendship bracelets for all her bridesmaids, and even made me a yellow “evawaltzphoto” bracelet!! Cassie put so much time into making such creative little details & it was so special to see it all come to life :)

Deciding what to wear is such a tough decision. Even when couples ask me, I get a little nervous — I don’t want to tell you advice that doesn’t feel like you. So, let’s work through a few questions that will lead us to the perfect outfits.

Jardin Del Sol is a dreamy garden venue in Snohomish, Washington, where Jessica & I grew up. We went to high school together, and what a gift it’s been to grow closer to these two & capture their love over the years. I took photos of them when I first started taking photography seriously in 2021, I was there for their proposal, we took engagement photos last summer, and now here we are at their wedding. It means the world to me to grow with my couples & become such close friends with them. Their day was full of thoughtful details, intentional moments, and so much joy. It was a beautiful day, and for spring in Washington, we were so lucky to have overcast skies and not rain.

Being your photographer means everything to me. Your memories are my memories. Grandma & Grandma gifted me a hot pink point-and-shoot on my 10th birthday, and I’ve never been without a camera since. I fell in love with taking portraits when so many of my friends asked me to take their senior photos. I got to hang out with my people AND celebrate life & milestones with them. As someone whose love language is quality time, my heart was so happy. I knew I wanted to experience more of this feeling.

Caitlin & Dan’s beautiful wedding on Whidbey Island. We started with their first look at Fort Casey before spending the rest of the day celebrating at Crockett Farm. These two are golden retrievers in human form & I’m so lucky I got to be a part of their day.

Hovander Homestead Park is located about 15-20 minutes from Downtown Bellingham in Ferndale, Washington. The park has a historic farmhouse, barn, and other buildings that belonged to the Hovander Family from the 1890s-1970s, now it’s a public park for all of us to admire and enjoy. These two bought a house last summer and have fallen in love with gardening. Broderick’s mom suggested they check out Hovander for inspiration, and it’s been a special place for them ever since. Walking through, each plant and flower is tagged so you know what everything is. Getting to experience this with them was one of the highlights of my summer.

Josh & I love San Diego. We’ve been twice and absolutely fell in love with it. We brought a tripod to take photos of us at some of our favorite spots. I set my camera to take photos every 2 seconds, so most of the photos turned out silly or were kind of out of focus, but we had fun with it. We love San Diego so much that we will shoot your wedding for free as long as you cover the cost of travel :)

Hailey & Jaime got engaged last year in a bookstore in Port Townsend (I got to go undercover & capture it all!!) and this fall we took their official engagement photos at Marine Park & downtown Fairhaven in Bellingham. They’re getting married at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal, so taking their engagement photos right in the same area felt pretty perfect. We started at the beach so their sweet dog could be included, and then Hailey’s sister kept him company while we wandered around downtown Fairhaven & got drinks at Galloways. I am always so happy to include your pets in your photos (you’ve seen the way I love my girls. I know how important it is for our besties to be there!!). If you want to bring your dog to your engagement photos or wedding & don’t have a friend or family member able to watch them, Wags Down the Aisle is fantastic!

Family Photo Tips from a Photographer’s Perspective:

1. Have a list of ALL the combinations of people you want photos with. I include a template in this blog!

2. Make sure your special people know where & when to meet you for photos.

3. Keep the list of combinations as short as possible. The less we have, the more time you have to be in the moment & celebrating with your people!!

Alex & Rory decided to elope at Mount Baker and have a bigger celebration & reception with their families back in Texas. They had their time to really soak in getting married & then got to spend lots of quality time with their people later, which is such a smart idea. Rory’s best friend officiated & one of Alex’s close friends was there to witness and celebrate. I also got to sign as a witness!!

Shannon & Jakob chose to have their ceremony at an airbnb on Chuckanut Drive with their closest friends and family before heading to Aslan Depot for their reception later.

Shan got ready in a room with a view of Bellingham Bay, and Jakob was just across the way from her. Down the hall, loved ones were mingling—eagerly awaiting the ceremony. The deck outside overlooks a view that is so iconically Bellingham—a view that feels like home. A view that feels like the perfect place for the king and queen of Bellingham to married (more on that later)