2011 is all ours and a look back at 2010

Many of you know this, but some of you don’t.  11 happens to be a GREAT number for my family.
My Birthday is April 11
Justin’s birthday is May 11
and Izzy’s birthday is October 11
and no I did not have planned c-sections they were both normal deliveries… I just have insane luck with 11’s.

What about Josh you ask?  Well after Izzy I thought of finding someone else with a birthday on an 11, but since his birthday is in November which is the 11th month I decided to keep him around.

There was a time between Justin and Izzy (9/11) if you will, that I grappled with liking the #11, I almost felt guilty for it.  But then I decided I couldn’t let that 1 day stop me from enjoying it.  11 stood for many other things not just a date in September… there were births, celebrations, weddings, etc… so I put it behind me and then I got Izzy!  🙂

What does that all mean, what relevance does this have?   Well, I certainly thought 2010 would be our year.  After re-branding the business and Josh joining forces with me, we started to take everything to the next level.   Then he got laid off and things declined quite rapidly.   Although the business was better then the prior year, without a full time income it was just a struggle to hold on and a struggle to maintain things…  He still doesn’t have a job but I have a feeling (much like the Black Eyed Peas) that tonight’s gonna be a good night… make that this year’s gonna be a good year… It HAS to be… It WILL be.  I am putting faith in the number 11, faith in remaining positive, and faith in just about anything.

So I am claiming 2011, not hoping it’s not great for anyone else… of course I do.. but it’s going to be INSANE for us!   It’s going to transform our lives and give us a renewed hope.

2010 had many different moments; making friends, losing friends, life changing “a-ha” moments, Izzy starting and doing AMAZING in Kindergarten, Justin growing in leaps and bounds before my eyes, amazing weddings and amazing clients. But with 2011 a few hours away, I know it’s going to be BIGGER and BETTER and be a positive driving force for our family.

So now I am going to share a BUNCH of favorites from my 2010 Weddings, Events, Projects, and Personal moments… ENJOY!

Beautiful flowers by from the Claypool wedding at the Grand Holiday Ballroom…

Amazing cake by Sugar Rush Baking Company

I can always count on amazing, detailed bouquets from Tanya of Elements in Bloom

Going to Las Vegas every year for WPPI is one of my highlights. Not only is it a learning experience but I meet new people, make new friends and without a doubt come away with amazing images I am proud of. Here are just a few:

Stephanie and Michael were so fun to work with. They had such an amazing energy about them. From the detailed Ketubah, to their dance moves, this was a wedding that had it all.
Wedding and Reception at the Lakeside Events Center, Flowers by Elements in Bloom



We also took on a new event this year, something that was new to us but that we had a BLAST photographing. A Bat Mitzvah. This was taken during the run through at Temple B’Nai Torah and the
reception was at Kaspars.

During the year I also organized a photo shoot at Hotel 1000 (one of my favorite hotels here in Seattle)
We got many vendors involved and were happy to have an amazing turn out.
We had a cake from the smashing Sugar Rush Baking Company, flowers from The Petal and The Stem and wardrobe provided by La Belle Elaine’s.


Working with La Belle Elaine’s has been amazing. During trunk shows we often go down for the day and take photographs as a “day in the life” and we post the photos later on our facebook page for the brides to see. We also give any bride who purchases their dress 10% off our wedding collections and we have booked a few fantastic weddings for 2011 that we are super excited for.





Since Los Angeles is pretty much our home away from home (we moved to Seattle from their 5 years ago) we LOVE shooting weddings in the area. We also do not charge any additional travel fee’s for this so if you are in the So Cal area, give us a call.
I was very happy to be part of this particular wedding as the bride is one of my best friend’s sister. We had such a great time and I truly felt like family while we there, and we feel that is a very important part of working with people. While we are vendors, developing that sense of friendship lends to an incredible experience on your wedding day.
For this wedding Gina and David chose to get ready at the gorgeous Omni Hotel before heading over St. Anthony’s Croatian Church.

One of our favorite moments with Mike and Tara was being able to get 30 minutes in at the Edmonds Marina Beach for photos between their Ceremony at Trinity Lutheran Church and their reception at Edmonds Yacht Club.

If you have never been to The Sorrento Hotel, you really should, it is the region’s first and longest operating boutique hotel (it opened in 1909)…
Katherine and Marvin were such troopers on their wedding day, as it rained most of the day. It did let up a bit so we were able to grab some fun pictures at Pike Place Market, Post Alley, and the infamous gum wall. We wont even bring up the limo accident…ssssh. 



We met Sarah and William and loved their small intimate wedding they had at an estate out on Vashon Island in the Puget Sound. We are always happy when we are given a meal by our clients and this was an extra special treat as their wedding was catered by Il Fornaio.

Not only do we live across the street from Brian of Wave Link Music, but we also use their space, The Wave Wedding Loft to meet our clients. It’s great to get away from the Starbucks crowd and be able to sit in a small space and really interact with our clients. We have worked with Wave Link at a few weddings and events and we took a few photos at their open house.


Some of our wedding collections include Engagement Sessions, which we LOVE. It not only gives us a chance to get to know our clients more, but they get to know us, and our working style. That way on the wedding day there isn’t just some wedding photographer following you around with a camera… it’s Emma or Josh following you around with a camera, but their cool so it’s ok! 
Mike and Tara chose a family friend’s barn out in Snohomish County as their Engagement Session backdrop and we had amazing weather.

Stephanie and Mike chose a few different areas, we went to Volunteer Park as well as Magnuson Park.  We spent a few hours together and that is great! We never put a limit on engagement sessions and did I mention we take you to lunch first! 

So, as you can see from this sampling of photos, we had a pretty good year. We know 2011 is going to be even better. With weddings at the Arctic Club and DeLille Cellars just to name a few already on the books, we are EXCITED to shoot at some amazing venues. We are also taking part in the Wedding Preview Event hosted by My Big Day Planner.

Also, in February we will be headed out to WPPI again and coordinating numerous photoshoots, you can find information here and check our facebook page for updates.

We look forward to a great 2011 and we hope each and every one of you have the same!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!