You may remember Nicole and Chris from their engagement session earlier this year … well, it was finally time for their wedding, and it couldn’t have been more perfect. The entire event happened at the Monte Villa Farmhouse in Bothell, another fantastic indoor-outdoor venue.

I started with the getting ready photos and we were blessed with the cutest little room with amazing light flooding through the old windows. It’s unusual for me to post a bouquet shot in black and white, but when the light is so perfect, only black and white will do.

Just after 5pm, I set up Nicole and Chris’ first look moment with the help of my superstar assistant Mike. We didn’t have much time or space available, but I love how much emotion there is between them – it made my job so easy! We followed with a few group shots on the balcony, and then it was time for the ceremony. After a decidedly gray day, there was a small miracle – just as Nicole and her dad began to walk down the aisle, the sun broke out! The ceremony was amazing – there were so many tears and hugs and giggles, and they even shared communion out on the lawn. I welled up a little myself at one point, although I think I managed to keep it hidden from the guests!

After the ceremony, I took Chris and Nicole off to an old willow tree that Chris had spotted, and we spent a few minutes taking couple shots – I think these are my favorite photos from the day.

Then back to the reception. There was great food by the Farmhouse’s catering company, good tunes from their friend’s laptop, and lots of drinking and dancing.

One of the guests, Jeff Bradshaw, is a photographer in California, and I am so grateful to him for encouraging me to get out my fish eye lens and some strobes to capture all the fun on the dancefloor – I had a great time with this!

One of the most remarkable things about this perfect wedding was how much of it was done by Nicole and Chris and their friends. Apart from the photography and the catering, the entire wedding was “homemade”. The cake, the decorations (I loved the orange and pink color scheme!), the bouquets (Nicole made an early morning visit to Pike’s Place Market for the flowers) … and, most extraordinary of all, Nicole designed and made her own wedding dress! She is finishing up her degree in fashion design – but still, what an accomplishment! It was one of the most beautiful and striking dresses I’ve ever photographed, and of course it is completely unique. Huge congratulations to Nicole and Chris, not just on their marriage but on pulling off a perfect event. Enjoy the teasers!