Rachel & Nate’s Wedding
Wedding: Private Home, Maple Valley WA
Reception: Intimate dinner at Private Home, Maple Valley, WA
June 27th, 2020
Sometimes life doesn’t go the way we expect or dream. Rachel and Nate didn’t let that deter their wedding plans. Though we had to pivot this past year, they took it all in stride. Rachel & Nate’s wedding day unique and fun. The original plan was a church wedding with bridesmaids and groomsmen. But as the year changed, their wedding day took a clever and different path.
I went to visit with the bride and her mom prior to the wedding. We discussed having the ceremony on their deck vs. indoors. I wasn’t sure what would be their chosen spot. Because of the chance of rain, they choose to move it indoors.
At the time, we were limited in number of people at a gathering to 12 people or less. In order to allow additional guests, a Zoom video was set up to record and stream their wedding day. Though the actual guest list was small, Rachel and Nate still found ways to make their day unique.
The Details:
When I arrived at the parents of the bride’s home, the sky looked cloudy and breezy so they had decided to move the ceremony indoors. They had moved furniture to create a little wedding spot in the living room complete with a wooden arch decorated with bouquet of red roses and a silk bow.
There were clever little signs placed around the room with candles and red roses with baby’s breath as decorations. The bride kept with her “red roses” theme. In the front sitting room, there was a table of their family members who had passed away to include them on their special day.
I met the groom and his parents for the first time and then started by capturing the bouquet and rings and little details already on display around their home.
Bride:
When the bride was ready, I went upstairs and took some pictures of just her. The gown was a simple, spaghetti-strapped, pure-white dress. It had a gathered, crossed bodice and flowed down with a bit of a train. The bride’s hair was curled and left down except for a barrette to hold her veil. She had a seed pearl headband crown atop her head. The fingertip length veil was edged with delicate lace. Her makeup was classic with a touch of red lipstick.
Groom:
Nate wore dress slacks with red suspenders, silk red bow tie and a red rose and baby’s breath boutonniere. Sweetly, he smiled from ear to ear when he first got a glimpse of his bride.
First Look:
A first look is always unique to each couple. Surprisingly, this bride and groom had a first look moment standing on each side of the front door. They exchanged little love letters they had written to each other just before the ceremony. Then, they shared a prayer to kick off their day.
Ceremony:
Rachel and Nate’s Wedding began with the father of the bride stopping a moment to link arms with the bride. With care, he escorted his daughter down the aisle. They walked together from the front door to the wooden arch. Waiting with great anticipation, the groom met them and took her hand. The bride and groom gifted their parents and siblings each with a red rose that they passed out during the ceremony.
Each of the parents were each able to share little pieces of advice to the couple as part of the ceremony. They lit a unity candle and read personal vows to each other ending with an epic kiss to seal the moment.
Favorite Guest:
Honestly, my favorite guest was Bridget the golden lab. She carried the rings down the aisle as the official ring bearer in a specially made collar. Bridget was the perfect model. The stacked hand/paw moment to show off the wedding rings was perfectly done.
It’s those little candid moments where they hugged and shared a kiss in the hall that make this wedding one to remember.
Couple Shots:
I then took some time to get some intimate couple shots. I love the dip and under the veil photos. Of course I never miss the close ups, too. One of the unique moments was capturing the couple with the VW Bug complete with a “Just Married” sign.
The Reception:
For the reception, the couple cut their lab-silhouetted, homemade cake. Each of them sweetly fed the other with the tradition as old as time. With toasts, laughter and smiles. A clever first dance, father/daughter dance on their deck and family photos out front with their lab Bridget, too. We managed to capture all of this just before the sky opened and poured cool rain.
I love that I could be a part of Rachel & Nate’s Wedding. If you’re looking for a professional photographer in Washington State or elsewhere in the Pacific Northwest for your Washington wedding, contact me. I would love to help you document these special moments!
