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

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.