Lindsey Trashes the Dress!

Ever since I first heard of the trash-the-dress phenomenon, I've been chomping at the bit to do this kind of shoot. As it turns out, most new brides shudder in horror at the idea of doing anything that might harm their precious gown! Thankfully after eight years of marriage, Lindsey's attachment to her wedding dress has diminished enough that she responded to the suggestion very enthusiastically! A talented graphic designer by trade (she's the girl-wonder responsible for my new logo!) Lindsey and I had a blast participating in a little creative collaboration. Along with great enthusiasm and a love for being photographed, she brought a bunch of fun accessories for us to play with... all we needed was some great locations which we found around downtown Bellingham. We created so many great photos together that I had a really hard time narrowing down the ones I wanted to share! Here are some of my favorites... After kicking around a couple of alleys in downtown Bellingham, we headed down to the waterfront where we stumbled upon a gal who had an old bike that perfectly matched some of the accessories Lindsey brought along. Too good to be true! Of course I asked immediately if we could borrow her bike for some shots and she happily obliged. I love it when these unexpected moments occur.... they make for the best photographs!
The setting sun provided just the perfect golden glow to accompany Lindsey's cowboy hat and denim jacket. How cute is she?

That's the look of shock after hearing a train whistle blow while walking on train tracks... oops!I've saved my favorite photos for last. I admit I was laughing my butt off at this scene while continuously shooting. I could not believe Lindsey was able to keep such a serious face for so long! You can see the facade starting to crack in the very last picture : )

Lindsey's trash-the-dress shoot has my mind whirring with ideas for future shoots like this so I'm putting out a call to all you women itching for an opportunity to wear that dress hanging in your closet just one more time. C'mon, let's have some fun!

Keli & Jonathan 7.5.2008

Keli and Jonathan were married on the afternoon of July 5th at Tail Skid Meadows in Custer, WA. I first met Keli & Jonathan last October so we had plenty of time to get to know each other prior to their wedding day as Keli diligently stopped by my place to drop off monthly payments. I was really excited to shoot this wedding because I learned quickly at our engagement shoot that Keli absolutely loves the camera and I knew she would rise to the occasion. She didn't disapoint... here are a few shots of Keli and the girls getting ready...
I'd never been to Tail Skid Meadows before so I was a little disappointed that Mother Nature delivered gray skies and rain on the day of the wedding, as the ceremony was originally planned to take place next to a lovely pond. Thankfully the owners have created a nicely decorated site to move to when the forecast is for rain and there are nice covered places with full views of the gardens. Still, it is infinitely frustrating to this photographer to be in such a beautiful location and be limited by the whims of the weather! Despite the gray skies and rain, the wedding was wonderful and we did manage to get some time in the garden between showers, and eventually Mother Nature threw us a colorful little surprise!
Keli found a wonderful way to honor her deceased Grandpa and have him be part of her special day by adding a small framed photograph of him to her bridal bouquet : )
By nature I tend to spend a lot of time with the bride on the wedding day but I try to pull aside the groom for some time with the guys too. It seems every time I tried this with Jonathan it would start raining, so unfortunately I didn't get too many shots of him and his buddies!

I love the look on Keli's face as she and Jonathan are announced husband and wife : )
After the ceremony I steal the bride & groom right away to capture their first moments of wedded bliss! This is my favorite part of the day... usually the bride & groom have not seen each other all day so it is always fun to be part of the conversation when they privately size up each other in their wedding garb : )
Gathering a wedding party of eighteen people for a group shot on a nice day is difficult at best... throw in some rain and it's nearly impossible! We managed to get off a few shots of the entire party and this one of the girls before the rain let loose again and the girls were off and running...
After family photos I had finally released Keli & Jonathan to go enjoy their guests... until I rounded the corner and discovered this beautiful rainbow over the field. Suddenly I turned into the typical bossy wedding photographer and demanded they rejoin me in the garden- NOW! I'd never been blessed with a rainbow at a wedding before and I was afraid it would disappear at any moment! Of course I thought of a hundred shots I *should* have taken after all was said and done but I was so excited about this good fortune that my wits were trailing somewhere behind me... maybe next time : )
After dinner and toasts, Keli & Jonathan enjoyed their first dance together as husband and wife... then the party was on! The photo of Keli dancing with her grandma is probably my favorite one from the entire day : )
To Keli & Jonathan... thank you, thank you, thank you for the opportunity to be part of your wedding! It was so fun experiencing the build up to the big day with you and I am oh-so-grateful for your enthusiastic support of my work : ) Congratulations to both of you, I wish you a long life of happiness and good health!