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)

A few tips to ease awkwardness/nerves at your couples session:

The best advice I can give you is to keep moving and focus on your partner. Interact with your person as much as possible. Hold onto them, look at them, play with their hair, squeeze them tight — do whatever you normally do. I’ll prompt you with actions & keep you moving. I know that when I’m feeling nervous, I like to prepare and think about what the plan is & start imagining what I’ll do. Here are my top 3 favorite couples poses that I pinky promise we will do at your session:

• Hold hands and walk towards me

• Hug attack

• Snuggle in close and smile at me

6 Tips for the Best Engagement Photos:

The dreamiest Seattle engagement photos I’ve ever taken! We started at a beautiful Japanese garden and ended at the Seattle Pier.