A Walk Down Memory Lane With Kelly and Ryan ~ Featured Now On Seattle Style!

Kelly & Ryan ~ Villa Academy

www.seattlestyle.com/kellyandryan

Kelly and Ryan just made my afternoon! I married this marvelous couple last May at Villa Academy in Seattle and I just received a very sweet note from Kelly saying "hello!"

Kelly and Ryan's wedding was absolutely gorgeous and memorable in all ways ~ featured now on the Seattle Style wedding website. I invite you to take a peak at Kelly and Ryan's Wedding Day here!

Kelly & Ryan's Wedding Day

www.seattlestyle.com/kellyandryan

Islandwood on Bainbridge Island Hosted Steve and Gabe's Wedding Weekend ~ Kudos To Everyone!

Steve & Gabe ~ Islandwood/Bainbridge Island, WA January 30, 2010

Steve and Gabe were married at one of Bainbridge Island's treasures - Islandwood. Islandwood is now hosting seven weddings each year and Steve and Gabe were fortunate to be "wedding #2." Allyson, Jaime, Marla and the staff at Islandwood did an extraordinarily job in helping me to pull together this couple's Interfaith wedding ceremony. Olympia-based Photographer Andrea Latham (www.andrealathamphotography.com) created lifetime memories for our couple with exquisite photos.

There was so much joy in the room as Steve and Gabe were married under a hand-made Chuppah. Family and friends participated in the wedding ceremony and Steve and Gabe incorporated rituals and elements from their Jewish and Catholic traditions. In this work that I do, I love it when a couple creates a robust wedding ceremony that is full of sacred moments, gratitude, fun and joy.

The Marvelous John and Anri ~ Married At Home, Seattle Style!

Congratulations to John & Anri!

Anri has a sparkle to her that lights up a room with her grace, style and smarts. John is one of those "great guys" who flys under the radar doing amazing things in this world...including being a Father to four terrific children.

John and Anri were married at home with their closest family and friends at their side.

I love all weddings. I treasure small weddings.

Small and intimate weddings have a sweetness to them...a "cozy factor" that you can't replicate at a venue, near the water or elsewhere.

Perhaps I love the small home wedding because that was what my wonderful husband, Greg, and I chose for our wedding. Two couples we treasured (and still do!), our Officiant Tom, and our four dogs as our "back-up witnesses!"

And of course, a wedding isn't about the size of the guest list. It's about the heart of a ritual that celebrates two people choosing each other for life.

Happy February 1st!

Brian and Marjan's Persian & Jewish Wedding Ceremony At The Rainier Club - Joy And More Joy!

Brian and Marjan Disler ~ The Rainier Club

It was truly an honor for me to create and deliver Brian and Marjan's Inter-Faith wedding ceremony at The Ranier Club. Brian and Marjan live in New York City and took a leap of faith on the "marrying lady" in Seattle sight unseen! We worked together via email and phone to create and craft a beautiful ceremony that wove together the traditions and rituals from Marjan's Persian Heritage and Brian's Jewish Heritage.

Jen and Jody from www.jenandjody.com captured the true essence of this beautiful couple with lasting photo memories.

Brian and Marjan - "may your love be as difficult to break as it would be to put back together the pieces of this glass!" Mazel Tov!

An "Aloha" Wedding At The Willows Lodge - Congratulations to George & Kris!

George and Kris ~ The Willows Lodge ~ A Winter Wedding

The Spirit of Aloha! There was so much "Aloha" at George and Kris's Winter wedding at The Willows Lodge. So much love.

For their ceremony, George and Kris included a wide variety of personalized elements and pieces to include family and friends in the moment. Thinking back, there was so much and what stood out was the exchange of leis, warm words to family and parents, a "surprise" to open on a special wedding anniversary, a song by the Bride's Mother with a chorus of cousins and much more.

George and Kris - I wish you every happiness! And thank you to Alyssa of Alyssa Rose Photography for this gorgeous photo! www.alyssarosephotography.com

Annemarie

Having Worked With Dozens Of Wedding Photographers, Here's A Little Guidance From The "Wedding Front Line..."

Dustin & Erin ~ Alderbrook Resort, Waterside Fall '09

photo: the fabulous Jenny GG www.jennygg.com

I was visiting Photographer Jenny GG at her new Studio in Seattle yesterday and fell in love with a canvas portrait she had just completed of Dustin and Erin - it is an incredible shot of the bottom of their legs - wedding formal wear, bare feet on the Alderbrook Resort boat dock - very fun. And a perfect wall memento for this terrific couple whose wedding we fondly remember from this past October.

Each year, I work with dozens of photographers - many of whom I see more than twice. As one of the only "vendors" at a wedding on a wedding day, I have the remarkable opportunity to know these terrific guys/gals who take on the enormous task (and stressful) of capturing a wedding day.

If you are selecting and/or working with a wedding photographer this year, here are a few important pointers to keep in mind:

- Personality: Find a photographer or team whose personality you like. This is a big/huge job and finding a Photo God/Goddess whose approach to life is key in extracting those "once in a lifetime shots." In other words, if you are out-going and charismatic in personality, go with a photographer with a similar approach.

- Money: Yes, it costs a pretty penny (no matter what the budget) for a Photographer. And in my book, spend a little more to get the best Photographer possible - shave money from the cake, favors and flowers. Cake - a lot gets left behind at weddings. Favor: many get left at the reception. Flowers: what about giving each Bridesmaid a special/beautiful flower instead of a bouquet?

- Fun: Most of my couples want "happy wedding photos" - not the structure "line-ups" of years past. Work with your photographer to create a purposeful fun photo or two ahead of time - you'll love the result!

Forget The Perfect Wedding Ceremony - Let's Go For Synchronicity And Those "Unexpected Moments!

"An Unexpected & Sweet Ceremony Moment"
Diane & Fred

I'm fond of saying a wedding ceremony is a "one time shot." This is "Officiant speak" for the gentle tension I always feel going into a ceremony knowing I have "one shot" to get things right - meaning I can't give you a gift certificate for a "do over!"

And what I absolutely treasure about a ceremony is the synchronicity that seems to follow each couple I work with - i.e., the "unexpected moments."

During Fred and Diane's wedding ceremony, there were several including this shot captured by Joe and Jill (http://www.joejill.com/) that reflects Diane's joyful devotion to the handsome guy in front of her who was so enjoying their ceremony!

So, bring on those unexpected moments. Forget the "perfect wedding ceremony" - the wedding ceremony where everything is orchestrated and "perfect." I much prefer an enjoyable ceremony that is comfortable, real, romantic and with a dash of the unexpected!