Usually when I go back to Seattle, the rain fades and the sun starts to shine.  But not this time, oh no!  It was pouring with rain most of Saturday, and I have to say that although I wasn’t surprised, I was disappointed.  Indoor portraits can be beautiful, but they’re technically pretty tough, and I definitely stretched my gear to its limits this time.  Still, if you’re going to work inside, the Hyatt Olive 8 couldn’t be better; just outside the ballroom is a huge, bright space filled with natural light and cool, modern furnishings.  The perfect spot for a joyous first look:

While we took a few portraits, I had one of the bridesmaids round up the bridal party for some group shots.  Everyone was in great spirits and seemed more than happy to work with my silly suggestions.  🙂

I loved the girls’ dresses, and just look (again) at those amazing flowers.  So pretty!

We were hoping to start in the ballroom area, then move around the hotel for a mix of backdrops and lighting – but it was pretty busy in the foyer, and the funky pool area was actually being used by swimmers (who knew?!) … so we stayed put and brought out the mustaches.  Thank you, Archie McPhee!

Huge thanks to Becky and Deric and their fab friends for trusting me on this.  I hope you like the results!  Coming next: the ceremony.