We had been to this farm once before for an August wedding that seemed to set records on the heat scale. I actually thought I wasn't going to make it through the day...it was that hot.
We had returned for Alison and Chris's wedding and we were super excited to get a new experience at the farm. I can't say that it was much cooler than last time, but the breeze kicked up and made it possible to survive.
As we drove up to the farm it made me rethink all the great memories of Jessica and Matt's wedding. We had so much fun and we knew that we were setting out for another great day. As soon as I met Alison I knew that she would make our day easy. Not only is she a completely knock out, but she is fun, laid back and makes the most amazing expressions.
The day cooled off, the sun dropped and the moon rose on an amazing evening at the farm. As the guests danced under the lights I looked around and realized that this was a great wedding. It was classy, simple and completely low key in a beautiful way. People were comfortable and able to laugh with each other freely. Boys played on the golf cart while the kids ran through the wheat fields. People talked out in the twilight and the DJ sang a song to the new couple. It was just so fun for everyone who attended.

Congratulations Alison and Chris!!








She is so adorable.

















So this little girl decided to play in the mud while her parents looked away. It was incredibly messy, but hilariously cute at the same time.







I love father daughter dances. It always says so much about their relationship. There are the cryers, the laughers, the quiet nervous dances, and the ones where the father is stoic while he fights back tears. Alison and her father were laughers. So cute!









I love sunset pictures! They completely rock my world!





Alison if you are reading this...just know that you are a knock out. These pics are so pretty of you.













My other favorite...night time pics!!!








Portland Oregon Wedding Photographers (Beaverton)

Ahh, Pike's Place. It's one of the busiest streets in America. Actually, I made that up, but I can totally see it being true. We have had dozens of photo shoots down on these crowded streets and every time it's a little different.
On Sunday we showed up to our meeting place next to the famous golden pig and waited. We met 2 gals who were waiting for their photographer (who was 1 hour late) for senior portraits. And we introduced ourselves to two more couples who we thought might be Libby + Alec and weren't. Ooops!
No offense to those two couples...they seemed sweet enough....but I was so happy to meet and get to know Libby and Alec. They were so fun and easy to be around. I always love it when we find our perfect photographic match. We are looking forward to shooting their wedding!!

Here are a few images that we can offer you for the moment.







Seattle Washington Engagement photographer

We love doing senior portraits so when the skies parted and the rain disappeared we were super excited to head up to Ben's House from downtown Seattle. As always I think about the shoot and who our "subjects" will be. Is he outgoing, a class clown or just completely quiet. Sometimes the anticipation kills me to the point of silence. I know...crazy right?
Ben turned out to be...well a great guy. He was quiet, but you could tell that he had a serious sense of humor. We headed out to the beach that overlooks the sound to capture most of the images. It was sooo gorgeous out!

Here is a few photos to wet your pallet.









Seattle Washington Senior Portrait photographer

The small bed and breakfast offered hundreds of places to disappear and get photos. As I walked through the gardens I found so many little spots to feature the rings and bouquets. It was perfect.
We were there to capture an elopement. Janelle and Brian were looking for something simple, stressless (if that's a word) and quiet. As we stood next to the pond and listened to their vows, birds chirped in the background. It was then that I realized that they got just what they wanted. The afternoon was amazing and so beautiful.

We will have more photos to come, but here is a very quick sneak peek from our Saturday wedding.












Gig Harbor, Seattle Washington Wedding photographer

Before my eyes even opened this morning I heard the rain falling outside. I sat there forever just feeling how amazing being in bed was. I could have stayed there forever. And then the thoughts of our photo shoot started to creep into my mind. It's raining, but I hate to cancel, so should I find a backup plan, or should I just go and see what happens, I need to bring an umbrella, and a towel, I should leave extra travel time for traffic, I wonder if the place will be open........

And so I was up. Throughout the 100's of photoshoots that we have done we have never had to shoot in the rain. Maybe sprinkles, but never a downpour. So as I drove to Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden I was feeling pretty confident. I figured that as long as Kelly was down for a bit of moisture...then we are game. As soon as I met her I knew she was going to be laid back enough to handle the elements. The rain held off just long enough for us to get what we came for and then the sky let go. Rain fell in buckets as we walked to our cars and said goodbye.
So for now....our record is still good!!!! Thanks Kelly for being so great today!!





Senior & Graduation Portrait photographer, Portland, Oregon

Thank you everyone for signing up and following our blog. If you are reading this and haven't had the opportunity to sign up to follow either this blog or Eddie's Blog please do so. We will be announcing a new giveaway at the beginning of each month and will try to have a drawing around the 17th. We drew the winner using the website: Random Line Picker.

The winner of our first drawing for a Cold Stone gift card was P.J Hoff. If you are P.J Hoff please e-mail us at info@lyfephotography.net with your contact info and we will get the gift card sent out to you right away. Congratulations P.J. and thanks to everyone for following our blogs!



Portland Oregon wedding, senior portrait, family, and baby photographer

I snapped a photo of Erika peering out the window at the numerous chairs that had toppled over from the wind. Everything was falling over and blowing away. Guests were running all over the lawn trying to catch various items before they blew away and into the ocean. For so many brides this would have been the point of panic. The wind ruins wedding hair, decorations and...well plans. But, as I released my shutter Erika turned around with a huge grin on her face and laughed it off. Though the situation wasn't what she had been dreaming of since she was little, it was still special to her. Which is the way it should be.
They embraced the tough things and had fun with it. Collin who is a total kid at heart anyway embraced it and helped turn every situation into pure comedy. While Erika's veils were blowing all around her during the ceremony, Collin has this adorable grin on his face as if to say, "Sweetheart, you look amazing, but you have to admit...this is pretty funny." And it was. I was dying while watching Collin's reaction. Priceless.
Erika and Collin are truly a perfect couple who love life and each other. Who can lose? Congrats you guys!!! We love you!

"Don't worry. Once you see him it will change everything. Just wait!"
It happened to me. Two years ago on September 14th I woke up in the strange bed of a rental home that was obtained just for our wedding day. From the moment my feet hit the floor everything became a surreal chain of events that seemed to go too fast for my comfort. Things weren't how I had planned, envisioned or even hoped for. It was a mess. But, there was one sure truth, and that was that I needed to see Eddie. As the entire world buzzed around me I was screaming inside desperate to nuzzle my face against his neck. I just wanted to wrap my arms all up inside him as he surrounded me, but he wasn't there. I later found out that he was struggling on the other side of town trying to get our music sorted out.
I dressed in a blur, fixed my hair from the poor job that the salon did and drove to our wedding in a complete fog. "Realize" by Colbie Callait came on the radio and I just lost it. Tears poured down my cheeks and I started to shout in the car. "I am about to marry Eddie and I am the luckiest person in the world!" I realized that I was about to marry the man that I had been dreaming of for so long. I was about to commit to him when I felt like that just wasn't enough for how I felt. I realized that I had been blessed beyond anything that I could ever understand....I had to turn off the radio.
I waited 30 minutes for him to arrive. And then an hour. It was killing me...I was sure of it. Finally my girlfriend Laurie popped her head in the door and said, "he's here."
As I walked the extremely long path along the lake I saw him. There he stood just a few feet from me looking like the strong and handsome man that I loved so much. The moment I tapped him on the shoulder and just looked in his eyes was a feeling that I will never forget for the rest of my life. One glance and I knew I was okay. All I needed was to look in his eyes to know that my world could slow down and start to rejoice in what was about to happen.

We sat there next to the lake all by ourselves. As I crawled onto his lap we just held each other and talked about the day. The rest of our wedding was a pretty big wreck in which I have yet to experience anything else like it. But, I look back on that one moment and it made everything seem so right.

Two years ago I married the man of my dreams. Eddie, if you are reading this, I want you to know that there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about making that same decision to marry you......and how I would always say yes, again and again. I thank God for you everyday! I love you honey!!!!




If you ever ask us if you should do a first look or not you will always get the same answer. Do a first look. That one moment made up for everything else that went wrong or crazy throughout the day. If I could give one bit of advice it would be to do a first look, make it special, and make sure you plan a little extra time so you can spend a few minutes completely alone. And that means to photographers after we get what we need.

The day finally arrived and we were so excited to get started on Elizabeth and Matt's wedding. The day was embellished with gorgeous floral arrangements, candle lanterns, green ribbon and everything else that was rich in color and beautiful to the senses.
Looking back on the day and what touched me most was the wedding cake. For the most part cakes don't rock my world, but this one was special. I didn't even count how many layers it had, but there had to be 6??? Then there were several smaller cakes that framed in the main tiers. BUT, what made this cake so perfect was that Elizabeth's 87 year old grandmother had baked it with every ounce of love she could muster. It's amazing to me that she was able to even think about making such an intense cake at her age, but to also want to do it to honor their marriage and show her love just blows my mind.
Elizabeth and Matt had an amazing day and the cake was the frosting on the.....I think you get the point!