Jacob & Janessa's Vintage Disney Wedding {Spokane}

 One year ago today I was at the happiest place on earth.   Even though Disney may try to claim that title, this Disney themed, vintage wedding was one of the most creatively beautiful events I’ve ever attended and the couple that put this whole event together will forever be some of my favorites!  

To begin this amazing love story you have to go back to high school when I met the groom.  Between super bowl parties and bowling league games I was able to get to know Jacob and Janessa as a couple and right away I knew that they were something special.  There are couples that just make the world a better place when they are around and that is what I would say about these two.  Their smiles are bigger and more authentic when they are with each other, they delight in each other and support each other through thick and thin.  

Every part of the day was planned with precision and Janessa sent me the most beautiful schedule of the day that she designed!  She is a graphic artist and her immense creativity was seen in every detail of the day.  The pastel colors she chose crafted an experience for the guests that really did remind us of Disney.  Just like the parks that give visitors an experience that is magical, this wedding duo transformed a dark ballroom into a magical setting to commit their lives to each other.  Being downtown Spokane at the Historic Davenport Hotel allowed us to continue their theme of vintage elegance and the staff here was so willing to help us in any way possible, including a rooftop first look which was a dream come true!

Although all of the pieces of the night were spectacular, one of my favorite parts of the night was when Janessa’s whole family danced with her on the dance floor, there are few families I have seen with the bond, inside jokes and history that you can tell they have with each other and it was so special to watch them enjoy this amazing night with the couple.  Congratulations on your first year of marriage Jacob and Janessa!  I can’t wait to see what this next year holds for you, including the beginning of your life as parents!

 The Knitting Factory staff were also wonderful to work with and quickly transformed the ceremony location to the dinner portion of the night and the pizza options were a fun touch that gave guests a variety of options.  The dessert buffet was complete with so many chocolate covered confections that it was hard to pick a favorite. 

 One hilarious moment of the night was when Janessa's dad got a close up of the garter being removed, much to the surprise of Jacob! ;)

Vendors I loved working with:
Flowers: Rose and Blossom 
Getting Ready: The Davenport Hotel
Ceremony & Reception: The Knitting Factory

Saige Mendenhall {Kennewick}

 Whenever I’m planning a newborn session with a family there are always a lot of unknowns, especially when it’s a first baby.  So when we talked about Saige’s newborn session I was hoping she would be around when I was in town at the beginning of August, little did we know she would show up almost 3 weeks early!  This perfectly sweet girl was so very alert and happy while I got to work with her and I had the best morning meeting her and her adorable family!  

Getting to do outdoor pictures for newborns in the summer is always a win and the ones we were able to capture with her are just the best!  Her mom chose simple colors for the family pictures and I absolutely recommend that because it keeps the focus on the emotions and perfection of the sweet baby!  That also allows your images to have a timeless quality that means they are just as beautiful years later.  I have always loved bright colors and a lot of my style has a wide range of color but I’m really loving neutrals lately since it tends to highlight the important pieces of the session!  Congratulations Andrew and Stacey!

Jennifer's Orchard Quinceanera Session {Brewster}

This session belongs in a storybook!  When you combine a girl and a horse with a dress fit for a princess there is something magical that happens and since today is Jennifer’s quinceanera I finally get to share these images that we took at the beginning of summer!  We worked on making this session happen for months before because horses have always been important to her and we wanted to make sure to include them.  Everything about the session, from the exquisite red dress to the golden hour we were able to do the session in meant that it made all of my photography dreams come true!  I have some really amazing people in my community that allow me to use their property for sessions like this and I’m always so grateful for their help!!

I hope this day is everything you’ve been dreaming of Jennifer!  I’m so glad I was able to be a part of this celebration!!

Caley, Juan & Gracie {Brewster}

A little over a year ago I first met Caley when she asked me to do newborn pictures of the adorable Gracie.   Roman and Gracie are less than 2 weeks apart so right away we connected over the newborns we both had!  Now, over a year has passed and it’s amazing to me how much they’ve both changed.  For this family session I was able to meet Juan for the first time and their family was just the sweetest to hang out with for the afternoon.  We played down at the river and then ventured to an orchard since they are so perfect right now!  I’m currently training my 4 year old, Kamden, to be my photo assistant since a lot of sessions include both my boys ;) So he was able to play with Gracie and loved every minute, which meant we were able to do some couple pictures of just Juan and Caley.  I know for me, I’m always more prone to only have pictures of me if my kids are in them, but I really do love it when couples are up for doing some on their own too.

I love the fact that in one of these pictures you can actually see the camera and I in Gracie’s eyes because they are just so bright! See if you can spot it!  

Kamden Turns 4 {Brewster}

While this is a little late, it is still Kamden's birthday month which means I couldn't pass up the opportunity to share how wonderful this kid is at 4 years old!  Every day he surprises me with how much energy and exuberance he possesses. 

At four years old Kamden has the vocabulary of an older, wiser person and is always surprising me with the new words and phrases he picks up and inserts in everyday conversation, like "Mom he frightened me because I wasn't expecting to see him there!"  The local library may be small but it is one of his favorite places and he begs to go there daily to pick out a new pile of books.  There are many days where he would be content to sit and read with us for hours and that is not an exaggeration!  

He really enjoys little ones and is always careful to help them out and watch out for them.  Sometimes that includes his little brother but more often than not, his brother is a wrestling and exploration partner that sometimes gets trampled in the process.  Lately all he wants to do is hear stories either from our childhood memories or from some outline he provides for Kyle and I to perfectly follow and finish.

  There is never a dull moment in our house, whether that's because he's climbing and exploring something around or because he's peppering us with questions about everything he hears others say or just comes up with in his own mind.  I'm really excited for the upcoming year when we are planning to start some preschool curriculum at home because lately he is incredibly interested in learning to write letters and numbers and identify words.  His favorite superhero is Batman and he wants to be a firefighter, pilot, diver and Spiderman when he grows up.

We love you Kamden and can't wait for so many more adventures with you!

 At the end of this little mini shoot he wanted to get pictures with me, so even though I didn't prepare for it I couldn't pass up that opportunity ;)