lisette + matt (part one)

this past weekend, will and i drove to tacoma, washington which is about two hours from the portland area. i shot a wedding reception on saturday at the pagoda in point defiance park. get this- the bride is from belize. the groom is of scandinavian descent. the reception had a caribbean theme... and it took place in a japanese style pagoda! woo hoo, i loved it! :) every unique cultural aspect was absolutely amazing.

the actual wedding was earlier this month in belize, and this reception was mostly for friends and family from the groom's hometown who couldn't make it. as we were driving up on saturday morning, the rain came and went but by the time we got up to tacoma- amazing, amazing sunshine. as you can see, this venue was PERFECT for that kind of day and natural lighting is just my favorite. :) so full of pretty.

here are the newlyweds in front of the pagoda:



and now for the fabulous details!

so, so many pretty colors.











ah! all so gorgeous and appealing.

the day was spent listening to great, caribbean-themed music, eating fabulous food, and chatting up a storm. at one point i believe the music had to go louder because all the voices were drowning it out! :D it was one of those effortless parties where the fun just happened. no one had to try very hard!







lisette wore her wedding dress for a while which was just great- everyone loved to see what it looked like on her. here she is inbetween her mother-in-law (who was the hostess of this amazing party!) and her mother, who flew up from belize for the event. three beautiful women, for sure!



... to be continued! part two coming soon.

a family affair

so, a lot of know you i've been dating this guy, right?


he's cute. :)

well, he has four siblings. up until a few weekends ago, none of them were married- then one of his sisters and her fiance unexpectedly eloped! it was awesome, and just what they wanted. no fuss, very romantic, and extremely spontaneous. they took a honeymoon weekend at the beach, and invited their families to join them for an informal celebration a few days later. it was a blast.

when we first got there, will and i spent some time on the beach with a dog not belonging to us. :) this pup, fin, is INSANE when it comes to fetch. there is nothing this guy enjoys more! check out the bounce in his step and the look on his face:



us, inbetween fetches.





oh fin, he just can't quit. :)





here are the newlyweds, haley and rory, opening the champagne-



and will's mom, handing out glasses for the toast.







the rest of the night was spent sharing stories, laughing, eating fresh crab, and just enjoying the time together. it was so great to be there and to share in their happiness. congratulations to haley & rory- we're all so thrilled for you and your life to come. :)

(it's personal), vol. 5

change. sigh.

fair warning: tonight is the night when i get slightly sappy and introspective and decide to share it all on this blog.

well, maybe not ALL. :) this is when i decide to share a small slice of what i'm trying to wrap my head around. it doesn't really have to do with my business or goals for 2010, although i am super excited about the weddings and events i've been booking for this new year. i'm finally completely caught up and settled from that crazy time in '09 where i was moving and beginning the first season of doing this full time and trying to balance everything and not feeling like what i was doing was adequate... although i'm sure it was :) i'm just rather hard on myself sometimes. trying to lighten up on that end and cut myself some slack, yo! anyway, RAMBLE RAMBLE, i'm so excited to try again! i had some great experiences with amazing clients and lots of travel in the past year- this year i'm thrilled to be working with the people i already have booked, eagerly anticipating meeting those i don't know about yet, and super pumped to apply some of the skills i learned and the ideas i have floating around my brain. it's gonna be a good year.

back to sappy introspection. :)

have you ever listened to a band called the weepies? they are charming, airy, and beautiful in the type of music they sing and the lyrics that they write. there's one song called world spins madly on that has one line which perfectly sums up what i'm feeling tonight:

the whole world is moving, and i'm standing still.
i know it's not, i know i'm not, but sometimes it feels like i am. for example, my baby sister. when did she go from this little ham trying to mimic every crazy thing i did:



to THIS!? a blonde bombshell with a husband and a home!



i just don't get it.

this past week two dear, dear friends of mine had their first baby, a boy. i'm SO excited to meet little jonah, and no one could be happier for them than i am. i just know that my friends are going to be amazing parents that will help & guide him through his life- but wait, wasn't it just yesterday (2+ years ago in actuality) that i was the maid of honor in their wedding? or wasn't it just last night that jonah's mom (his mom?!) and i were up all night in our dorm room chatting, eating, and "studying" for final exams?

i am a lot the same. not on the inside, but on the outside. a little bit older, a lot bit wiser, but the details are the same.

change is good. (deep breath.) change is good? change is good.

:) i'll keep telling myself that.