If you haven’t done your family photos for the year, and you want to do something generous for a child somewhere across the globe who has a lot of odds stacked against them, I invite you to participate in the Spirit of Giving Portrait Sessions I’ll be doing the first week of December. Sessions are 15-minutes on location between 12/4/11-12/10/11 and are limited to the first (12) families who book their session to participate. The session fee is $40 and will be donated entirely to Compassion International to sponsor a child for 1 month in 2012. One complimentary high-resolution image file will be included with the session fee, and all other orders are optional but must be placed by midnight on December 22, 2011. The session fee & an electronic model release will be due at the time of booking to reserve your place.

Please join me in making a difference in the life of a child in 2012! Even if you are unable to participate yourself, please pass this along to people you know. Many thanks!

Ellina & Chad are a fun couple with a zest for life and a love for the beautiful colors of fall. They’re planning a traditional Jewish wedding for early next summer, and I can’t wait to experience it with them! For their engagement session we headed to the UW Botanic Gardens at the Arboretum to capture some lovely fall colors, and ended at Golden Gardens where they had one of their memorable early dates as a new couple. One of my favorite parts of the session was seeing Ellina’s lovely engagement ring up close. So beautiful! It was also heartwarming to see just how in-love these two really are. Thanks for a fun evening, Lina & Chad! Looking forward to your fabulous wedding next June.

Have I mentioned lately that I totally love my job? Well, I do! Earlier this month, I was present as Alex & Andy committed their lives to one another at Northshore Baptist Church, and I was reminded why I do what I do. Every wedding is special, but this wedding was especially meaningful for me to both witness and capture because, simply stated, Alex & Andy are a wonderful match. Both of them are a bit on the shy side – never calling attention to themselves, and the toast/speech time during the reception was incredibly moving. One person after another stood up to talk about this couple and their hearts for others…I was so inspired to hear how many people had been impacted by them. It was also an excellent reminder that in the midst of all the awesome wedding-day details at any wedding, what really lasts are the memories made with loved-ones. Congratulations Alex & Andy, and truly – thanks a million for letting me be there to witness your wonderful day. I wish you many delightful years together!

PS. Gorgeous wedding flowers done beautifully by Courtney Kroymann of Designs by Courtney!

Michael and Regina tied the knot a few weeks ago at the lovely Antheia Ballroom in Snohomish, Washington with all their friends and family to celebrate with them. It was an amazing sunny day in the midst of a stretch of rainy weather, which was the icing on the cake of their wonderful day…even if the groomsmen did complain about the heat while they were all in their tux attire! The bride’s adorable dress was a From The Gown Up find, located just down the street from Antheia Ballroom, and the flowers were beautifully done by Tiffany Cole of Flowers By Tiffany.

Congratulations Michael & Regina! I was so honored to be part of your day!

I love this couple’s sense of style, and I’m so excited to photograph their September wedding at the Antheia Ballroom in Snohomish. For their session, we ventured up north to La Conner, Washington to this amazing, remote beach that is special to them. We had such a great time, and these are some of the highlights from the session.