Modern Boho Garden Wedding at Stonehouse 101 & Cle Elum

Getting to know my couples during the wedding planning process is one of the most rewarding parts of my job, but even more rewarding is when I do work with clients from other areas of my life. Case in point: my husband has a music school in Seattle (Sound Music School, look it up!), and Scott had been a student for a while. Scott is also a mortgage broker and helped us buy our house earlier this year. When he and Theresa got engaged, one thing led to another and soon we were going down the wedding road together, too! Love keeping it all in the family. :)

Theresa floored me with the amount of countless hours she poured into her wedding details. She did basically everything you see with her amazing mom. The love that went into those hours was really tangible. This was really a day created around her vision of bringing her loved ones together in a beautiful setting to witness something even more beautiful. Their ceremony left everyone in a fit of laughter and tears as the afternoon sun glowed into the Stonehouse 101 garden yard in Roslyn, just over 1.5 hours from Seattle. (What an amazing crew there, by the way.)

Driving across Snoqualmie Pass on their wedding day was one of those perfect Seattle/PNW fall days where the sun lit up the just-beginning-to-change foliage and shone brilliantly off of Lake Cle Elum where they got ready in a large cabin overlooking the water. Something I loved is that they opted for a first look, but privately. Usually I’m there to capture those moments but Theresa wanted it to be just the two of them. I really respected that notion of a true moment of peace between them before the busy day set in. After that, the bridal party made its way down the steep, steep rocky slope down to the lake where the wind nearly killed us but the photos nearly killed me. ;D

I captured this wedding on a blend of digital and film, both shown here. I shoot most weddings on a hybrid, and have been using more and more film lately. It’s such a beautiful way to add a little modern nostalgia and a classic vibe to your wedding day photography, especially in Seattle where the blues and greens that are so beautifully represented in film can really bloom.

Vendor Team:

Getting ready rental: VRBO

Venue, Bar & Catering: Stonehouse 101 in Roslyn, WA

Photography: Emily Keeney Photography

Seattle Garden Wedding at Center for Urban Horticulture

Nathan and Malia planned their wedding during a cross-country move during a pandemic. For that alone they should win an award. They should also win an award, however, for pulling together one of the most heartfelt, artful, meaningful and essential weddings of all time. The day was so beautiful (much due to some talented contributions from the vendor team), but it wasn’t “about” the details. Nathan and Malia were so focused on each other and their guests, and were fully immersed in each moment. It was a joy to be part of it.

The UW Center for Urban Horticulture is a gem of a Seattle wedding venue. It’s right in the mix of things for ease of traveling guests but its pastoral reaches are vast and lush, surprising for a venue so proximate to the city. The garden for the ceremony is just far removed enough from the reception area that it feels like you’re transported to another little plane. Chanel from Elevine Field did the most beautiful arrangement for their ceremony space. She also created one of the most fragrant and dreamy bouquets ever, filled with fresh geranium leaves. Kirstie from Simply Wed kept the whole day running smoothly and made everyone feel right at home.

For their wedding, Nathan and Malia decided to put their trust in me to capture a good deal of it on film. Shooting film is my favorite way to capture weddings. It helps me stay present moment to moment because I’m not checking the back of my camera. It makes me more conscious of my compositions since I can’t shoot a thousand frames and it helps me feel so connected to a tangible art form. And your wedding photos should feel artful, not just document the day! I’m also drawn to the natural texture and colors inherent in film. The only editing I do is a little exposure correction here and there, maybe a crop. Otherwise it’s a real piece of the day physically created in the moment. I think that’s really cool.

Vendor Team:

Wedding Planner Simply Wed - Kirstie Warren simplywed.com

Photography Emily Keeney emilykeeney.com

Catering & Cake Table Catering Co. - Brooke Perez tablecateringco.com

Florist Elevine Field & Flora - Chanel elevinefield.com

Band Blue Wave Band - David Dawda info@bluewaveband.com

Hair & Makeup Katherine Esque

Gown Veka Bridal (Brooklyn, NY) vekabridal.com

Alterations Jill McGowan (Portland, Maine) jillmcgowan.com

Groom's Attire Suit Supply suitsupply.com

Rentals Cort Party Rentals - Renee Eddy cort.com

Farm Tables Seattle Farm Tables - Mike seattlefarmtables@gmail.com

Towncar Seattle Elite Towncar seattleelitetowncar.com

Kalaloch WA Coastal Elopement on Film + Digital

As winter sets in in the beautiful PNW, I’m sitting writing this with rain pouring down my windows and a cup of coffee I’ve reheated at least three times. Covid living is a temporal mystery, with hours stretching into full afternoons and many toddler requests on repeat. I’m grateful for our health and safety, but very ready for a sense of normalcy to return.

With this year looking so incredibly different than most, I’ve been able to harness my creativity and explore new worlds that previously I just didn’t have the time for. My biggest and most exciting foray of the last 12 months has been in introducing film to my work. I began my photography journey just as the industry was making the switch from analog to digital, and I feel like I missed out on the foundational darkroom training that was such a rite of passage for many photographers. Though my analog journey takes me only so far as sending rolls off to a lab to be developed and scanned, I’m excited for the vastness of this unexplored medium and the incredible addition it’s bringing into my work.

For as long as I can remember, my mission has been to invoke some magic of human connection in my work. Whether it’s between the subjects in the frame, or a direct and subtle communication from me as an artist to my viewer, I want my photos to reach people at a soul level, not to just simply document. Film has brought a new set of tools in invoking nostalgia, embracing imperfection, and giving up an element of control in a tech-heavy world. I plan on using analog 35mm film in all of my wedding work (and likely lifestyle work) going forward. It’s the blend of digital and film that is so magical in telling a full story.

The shoot I’m sharing in this post was born of a need to create freely. I first met Sammy & Alejandro, the “models,” when they reached out to me for an engagement session earlier this year. I loved working with them, witnessing their love, and knew it wouldn’t be the end! They’re planning a destination wedding and I asked them to come out to the coast to create with us, and I’m so glad they agreed. Shooting a creative editorial is such an opportunity to dig into new ideas, work with a talented and like-minded vendor team, and push yourself into new growth. It wouldn’t be the same if the models weren’t truly in love or actually getting married, it really makes a difference.

We set our location to Kalaloch Beach on the Washington Coast. It’s a truly magical place for me, as I’ve been going yearly with my husband to camp. It’s just down the road from the more-popular Ruby Beach, but since that area gets so much attention, we wanted to celebrate the beauty and solitude that Kalaloch has to offer. We stayed in their beachside cabins and truly immersed in the environment to create this shoot. A highlight memory was a bonfire overlooking the darkening ocean and sky after the shoot with the team.

The team:

I did the planning, along with my friend Marnie Cornell, who also did makeup. I did the hair! We wanted to keep it simple and easy, wanted to sip coffee and chat together while getting ready, and make it an experience for all of us to enjoy.

The florals: Colibri Blooms

The stationery: Sablewood Paper Co.

Dress: Lulus

Groomswear: H&M

Venue: Kalaloch Beach & Kalaloch Lodge

Film (Fuji & Kodak) developed by Indie Film Lab

The following is a mix of digital, film and instant film:

And a few personal shots from that weekend:

Whidbey Island Elopement on Digital + Film | Seattle Wedding Photographer

When I first met with Marcela + Max, I felt instantly connected to their outlook and plans for a very intimate wedding with just their immediate family. Marcela, also a talented photographer, has a passion for film too, so I knew I could bring more of it into this gallery in a creative way. I had some rolls of expired Fujifilm that a previous groom had gifted me, and it was so fun (scary?!) to experiment with it and see the result. I love the sepia vibes that those frames add to the sun-soaked ceremony.

The wedding took place at Max’s parent’s house on Whidbey Island, one of my favorite places in Washington. Just a short ferry ride from Seattle, it feels drastically different with small towns, incredible mountain views, and lots and lots of beaches lining the shore. It’s also where one of my favorite movies ever, Practical Magic, was shot. (Don’t judge me!)

I met the couple at The Inn at Whidbey where they stayed, and we took some quick portraits there before heading out to a private beach for the rest of their photos. 2020 has given me so much appreciation for these simple and sweet days. No overwhelming timelines, all the connection, and so meaningful. I feel so much freer to create and love to enmesh with the families.