We sat at a long table inside Pagliai's Restaurant surrounded by people that we didn't know. As conversations warmed up, bellies got full, and introductions were made we began to get a glimps of who Mark and Lana were. Mark is a strong and passionate man. He is the son of amazing parents. A brother to look up to and a man who will go to the end of the world for his bride. Lana is a stunning gal who is shy and radiant at the same time. She is the everything to her father and a best friend to her mother. She is passionate about Mark and being an incredible wife.

Their wedding the next day was incredible and I thought many times throughout the evening that I am a very blessed person. Thank you Mark and Lana for bringing us out to Illinois. For allowing us to be a part of your day and for treating us as though we were part of the family!!! You're the best!










Chicago Illinois/ Portland Oregon Wedding Photographers

This is just a reminder to everyone that there are only a few days left to be entered into our drawing for a $10 Starbucks card. The deadline to enter is October 31st!!!
To enter you must sign up to follow one of our blogs or leave a comment. Each comment you leave is another entry. Good Luck!!

For those who have been checking in to find our latest entries we apologize that we have been away for so long. We have been gone for the last two weeks traveling to Dallas Texas and Southern Illinois to shoot two fantastic weddings. I am so excited to share the weddings with you!!! We are back now so keep on checking in!!

Thanks for your love and support!!



Dallas Texas, Illinois Wedding Photographers

I had never been to Dallas before so a small part of me thought that weddings in these parts might be a little more country than I was used to. I wondered if they all wore giant belt buckles and large puffed up hair. Feel free to laugh at me at this point. It was pretty ridiculous right? I just didn't know what to expect.

Taylor + Josh's wedding turned out to be nothing like that and everything I had hoped it would be. There wedding was set in a an old 1920s, 3 story loft. The bricks were exposed, the windows opened by large pulleys and cranks and light poured in through huge factory like windows. It was the perfect setting for a wedding. It was beautiful and so unique. I just gooshed over the windows, the decorations and the entire vibe of the night. I walked away satisfied and completely warn out.

I can't wait to share the rest of the photos with you. So look for them in the future!



Taylor was a stunning bride. Stunning.



I must share. If you don't know about ETSY.com you need to go check it out. Everything lovely that I have seen at a wedding has come form ETSY.





The day was incredible...and the view....even better.








Dallas Texas Wedding Photographers

The conditions were not at all what I had hoped. We always wish for a slightly overcast day, but a sky just soaked with rain isn't good. It's not good for hair and makes a the surroundings seem so gloomy. But....we were so lucky to be photographing Kelly that day. She is one of those gals who are super laid back and just runs with the fun. The gloomy weather didn't bother her a bit. She wasn't afraid to sit on a wet bench or stand under a tree of heavy drops. She made things easy and super fun. I loved her roll with the punches personality and I know that is going to help her go far.
Congratulations on making it to your senior year. And thank you for being so incredibly easy going on such a messy day. It turned out to be really fun....even as it started to pour!





























Portland Oregon Senior Portrait & Graduation Photography

Every senior portrait photo shoot takes me back to high school. I try so hard to understand the person that we are photographing so we can catch them as them...not someone we are trying to make them. So as I think about the person we are capturing I think about who they are in high school. What about them is unique?
As we spent our afternoon with Ben I thought of someone I would have been friends with in school. Someone who is laid back, fun to be around and crazy about sports. He has this extreme closeness with his family that he will probably appreciate much later in life. He is a soccer player, a Seahawks fan, and has great manners. He's a total catch.

Ben, it was really great photographing you. We wish you best your senior year and hope that we will have a chance to photograph you more as bigger events come along. Congrats!!























Seattle Washington Senior Portrait & Graducation Photographers

I just can't wait to get on the road again.....
Seriously, I love traveling. If you asked my husband about it he would say the opposite. Only because I get completely stressed out the few short days before our plane leaves ground. I worry about how board our dog Lucy will be. I actually plan play dates for her. And then I panic about what I'll forget and all the things I have to take care of before we walk out the door. But, once we are in the air....I get so excited.

We are flying to Dallas first thing in the morning for Taylor & Joshua's wedding. Then we are flying to Illinois for Lana & Mark's wedding. We will be gone for two weeks total...and we'll try to keep you updated on our travels......but, don't hold it against us if we are M.I.A. for a while.

We love you guys and thank you for your love and support!!!

So we got the warning in an email and again verbally as we strolled through the park. Mary just had to give us a disclaimer about their "posing abilities." I reassured her that we will give her lots of ideas so she won't have to even think about it. After all we want it to be fun...not stressful.

Under a small tree we started snapping away and then all of a sudden Mary slid her hand to her hip, she popped to one side and gave me the "I got this look." In fact I must have said that 10 times that day. It happens when I ask for a sassy look and all of a sudden I get that and a bit more. She nailed it. Everything I asked for, she gave it.
Fred had his own flair that matched Mary's fun personality perfectly. He seemed to be having plenty of fun watching his gorgeous bride strut her stuff. He just kept looking at her with a huge, very satisfied looking smile on his face. The two of them turned out to be a huge surprise and was super fun to photograph. So once again...no disclaimer needed. Mary and Fred...you take great pictures.....and I hope it was fun and not to painful!














Portland Oregon Engagement & Wedding Photography

'Would you mind rolling in the grass?"
Okay, I didn't actually ask that, but it I did ask if they would at least lie down. Crystal and Mike had been up to this point willing to do anything. I held my breath as I wondered whether they thought I was insane or not....
Jenkins Estate has thee most beautifully manicured lawns and we wanted to take advantage. We had a vision, but we needed one couple (Crystal and Mike) to be willing to lie down. Would they do it. And with a big grin Crystal said sure as though she would have done it without asking. Fhew!!
Crystal and Mike are laid back and super fun people who love anything that has to do with sports and has a hint of competition. We had so much fun pouncing all around the gardens looking for good spots around the trees or on the open lawns. They were laughing and teasing each other while Eddie and I ceased the opportunities. We are so excited to be shooting their wedding next year...we will have so much fun with them!!!












Portland Oregon Engagement & Wedding Photographers

Mmmm....Mmmm....Mmmm....

Ahh, as you guessed it's our newest give away. Fall is creeping up all around us with that stay in bed and cuddle type a feeling. What better to bring you out and wake you up than good ol' Starbucks. We are giving away a $10 gift card to one lovely reader who does one of the following...
- Sign up to follow our blog (starting today)
- leave a comment on one of our blogs (each comment is worth 1 entry)

Deadline to enter is October 31st...Halloween!

Enter as much as you want and good luck!!!



Portland/ Seattle wedding & senior portrait photographers

Tonight I sat listening to a friend ponder what it will be like to fall in love. He's desperate to have that one person that he knows will forever be by his side. In every avenue of his life he has countless opportunities to meet women...but, he doesn't want just anyone. It made me think. It's pretty amazing to ponder how every person has a different story. Some meet online, some through a friend or some during a softball game like Eddie and I did. It happens anywhere.
For Jessie and Brandon they met at work. While spreading pizza dough and mixing toppings they built a friendship based on past stories and funny jokes. They hit it off immediately and soon enough they started making their own history. They found their perfect person in the most obvious place.
I love hearing the stories. What makes a couple completely different from the next.





















































Bellevue Seattle Washington Wedding Photographer