Seattle Real Weddings - Ross James Wedding Photography

Ross James gallery show this thursday

2011-01-03T23:53:00.000-08:00

We usually use this blog for posting about weddings and wedding related photography but I thought would post about a gallery show of mine just in case anyone is in Seattle this Thursday evening.

"Snow Haunt" Ross James Gallery Show for Jan art walk 2011 [Facebook event link]

This will be the 2nd and final showing of Snow Haunt, a projected photo installation. The projected video features Anastasia Wahyuni in photos from a photo shoot we did in the snow on Rattlesnake Ridge in November. Hair was styled by Scotty Provo.

If you happen to be at the Seattle art walk or around Pioneer Square on this first Thursday evening please stop by :) I also plan on having my gallery space open every 1st Thursday of the month for a while.

Come find us and say hi!

Stacy and RC: Montana Ranch Wedding

2010-11-16T19:45:00.000-08:00

As you may recall from their engagement session blog post, Stacy and RC have a mega-rad life: living and working on a ranch in Montana. Let me tell you, the ranch was a spectacular wedding venue.

This was a total DIY wedding, and Stacy and RC are very creative people. Stacy made her silk dress using various pieces of her friends and families' wedding dresses. Very impressive! She constructed her hair flower using feathers and netting, and also made her bridesmaids' hair flower and the bouquets.

After seeing each other for the first time, they headed to the nearest town of Emigrant, MT for a drink at the town's (only) saloon. We also took more pictures around the ranch.

The bridal party was a group of friends, and they were a lot of fun to work with. Just before the ceremony, Stacy and her girls shared some champagne and touching moments. It was emotional and sweet.

Since they spend most of their time at the Montana ranch, Stacy and RC were so grateful to their family and friends who came from all over to come to attend the wedding.It was a joyous ceremony and reception.

This was a hilarious, fun lovin' crowd. Somehow, spontaneous games of leap frog and limbo were started on the dance floor. Awesome!

Stacy and RC: You are an inspiring couple to be around and you are so sweet to each other. Thanks for involving us in your wedding. It was truly unforgettable!

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Mike and Corrin: Fashion After Session at the Puyallup Fair

2010-11-12T17:10:00.000-08:00

It was quite a challenge to set up lights and do a photo shoot amidst the crowds and activity of the fair, but people were very gracious and understanding. Especially when you have a beautiful bride in her wedding dress with you :) Apparently, people have gotten married on the rollercoaster before, so this was nothing new to the fair employees.

It took some smooth talking to be allowed on a ride with our cameras (“we have insurance!”). Ross and I sat strapped in across from Mike and Corrin. Before the ride began, we set our manual focus and hoped for the best. Thinking about composition and focus while spinning around on a ride was something I have never done before. I must admit, about half of mine were blurry! But of course, ROSS got most of them in focus. How does he do it?

After some cotton candy and a ride on the ferris wheel Corrin decided she still wasn't “trashed” enough so she volunteered to go on a water ride!

This was an amazing experience. What other bride would ride the huge swing in her wedding dress? Mike and Corrin: you guys are up for anything and we LOVE you for that!

*Special thanks to photography assistant Rylan Wallette for all the hours you have trekked along with us. Not only this shoot but all the others also! :)

Starr and Sean: Kirkland, WA Wedding

2010-11-01T18:32:00.000-07:00

We had the privilege of shooting Starr and Sean's rehearsal dinner at the Mercer Island Community Center as well as the wedding. The photo booth was set up at the rehearsal, and it was a great way to get to know the wedding guests before the big day.

I loved the moment of nerves that Starr expressed right before they saw each other. She spread her hands out and the look on her face was priceless. Ross saw the moment and focused on each of them within 2 frames. So cute! What an exciting moment!

The next morning after everyone was camera-ready, we all piled into a limo and headed to the University of Washington campus for some wedding pictures. There was just a limited amount of time, but everyone co-operated and we were able to squeeze all of the pictures into our time limit.

The ceremony was held at the City Church's Kirkland, WA campus. Starr walked down the aisle to "You Are So Beautiful". When they reached the front, they paused and let the song play for awhile, as Starr and her dad faced Sean. This moment really made the entire scene so much more emotional. Loved it!

The reception was a good time, and it was nice to see the wedding guests again in the photo booth!

Starr and Sean: You are both so considerate and loving towards each other. It was so fun to be a part of your day!!!

Mike and Corrin: Seattle WA wedding

2010-11-01T16:48:00.000-07:00

We've shot with Mike and Corrin on 3 occasions now and they are really fun people! Can't wait to post about their post-wedding shoot very soon. Here's a couple from their engagement shoot that we posted about a while ago.

Mike and Corrin's wedding was truly a Seattle city wedding. It was a fitting weekend to shoot in the city since we'd just moved to Pike place that very week! It only made sense to start this city wedding at Mike and Corrin's new city apartment.

About half way through Corrin's getting ready pictures, Ross went over to photograph the guys “getting ready”. They must have gotten ready really fast because they surprised all of us later with some hilarious groomsmen pictures taken around Queen Anne.

After seeing each other for the first time in the Queen Anne neighborhood, we headed to Cafe Vita for a coffee break. The baristas very kindly allowed us to snap a few of Mike and Corrin while they enjoyed their coffee.

Then we went to Easy Street Records (in Queen Anne, Seattle) for some more pictures. When we walked in, the Easy Street record guys were asking, “Are you really getting married today? Are you a bride?” They were very welcoming and even followed us around and took some pictures of their own. Rock on!

After talking with Mike and Corrin before the wedding, they let us know that they weren't trying for a sexy or flirty style. They just wanted to be themselves. They brought along plenty of ideas, including a “prop box” to use during the couple pictures. We love it! When we got to Kerry Park for more pictures, it was super crowded. (There were two other brides getting pictures too!) While Ross went to go find a unique spot, Corrin's brother put on some of their favorite tunes. They started slow dancing right there on the sidewalk and we realized there was no need to find a spot- they're already ready! It was a really cool moment, and we just hung back and spied on them while they did their thing. This was the real first dance of the day!

The ceremony was held at Bhy Kracke Park in Seattle, WA. The looming city skyline and string quartet made for a stunning atmosphere. The reception was held at The 415 Westlake event center. Corrin provided hilarious props for the photo booth and the guests loved it! (We did too).

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Mike and Corrin: You have both been extremely fun to photograph and your affection for each other is so cute! Can't wait to see what kind of crazy adventures you both end up on in the future. :)

Kyle and Sammy: Ritter Farms Wedding in Cle Elum, WA

2010-09-21T13:33:00.000-07:00

Sammy and Kyle were married at Ritter Farms in Cle Elum, WA. The theme was a mix of vintage and country. Neither of them wanted their wedding day to be stressful, so they both were very relaxed and easy to work with. The part of the day when they first saw each other was everything you would imagine in that moment. Sammy was gorgeous and Kyle was in awe. It was so cute!

While taking pictures, they kept having all of these little moments between them. Kyle was just staring at Sammy the whole time, and he'd lean in and kiss her on the cheek or forehead when no one was looking. Ross and I both noticed right away that we didn't even have to pose them, we just had to give them their space and “spy” on them so we could capture some of those hidden moments. At times, they were both able to forget about the stress of the day and the fact that we were taking pictures, and just tune into each other. I love moments like that!

Later while photographing the groomsmen, one of the guys yelled out, “Let's do the Can-Can!” I'm not sure if he was kidding or not, but we thought it was a great idea!

Sammy and Kyle: beautiful wedding, wonderful family and friends, and a great love story between you two! We know you will have a great life together. :)

Mike and Stephanie: Roslyn, WA wedding and Ritter Farms

2010-09-16T18:11:00.000-07:00

Every single time Ross and I (Melissa) visit the little quirky mountain town of Roslyn, WA, I always look up at the white church on the hill and think, someday we'll do a wedding there. And the moment has finally arrived! Mike and Stephanie had a cozy wedding ceremony inside the little white church nestled in the mountains of Roslyn. It was such an intimate, awe-inspiring atmosphere, and the ceremony was especially emotional when Stephanie surprised Mike by singing him a song!

After the ceremony finished, everyone headed out to Ritter Farms in Cle Elum, WA for the party. Ross and I are always honored to photograph a wedding at Ritter Farms. As usual, Ritter Farms did not disappoint and everyone had an amazing time.

One of my favorite moments was when everyone grabbed Mike and Stephanie's grandma and pulled her out to the dance floor. I am not kidding- their lively grandma danced to Black Eyed Pea's "Imma Be" like nobody's business. It was AWESOME! This truly was a group of family and friends who loved each other and knew how to have fun!

Mike and Stephanie: You two are wonderful and we know you will enjoy spending the rest of your lives together. Thank you for including us in your white church wedding!

Bryan & Megan: Pasco, WA Garden Wedding

2010-09-16T15:52:00.000-07:00

Ross and I were married on a HOT July day in Pasco, WA six years ago, so we knew what to expect at Bryan and Megan's outdoor July wedding. With reflectors and lights in the blazing hot sun, we were able to take some pictures at the Gazebo at Badger Mountain park and at Howard Amon park in Richland, WA. Bryan and Megan did amazing in the summer heat and everyone smiled and posed despite the 95 degree rays.

The ceremony was held inside Bryan's family's residential garden. There was plenty of shade and flowers to go around. Bryan sang a heartfelt song to Megan during the ceremony, which was really sweet. The wedding area was very well sized, and they were able to set up multiple white tents for the guests to eat under.

The reception was in full swing when we set up the photobooth. I must say- this crowd was very fun to photograph. At one point, some of the bridal party ran out of photobooth pose ideas, so the crowd called out animals to imitate. About 70 pictures later, everyone was laughing so hard it hurt, and now Bryan and Megan can cherish those silly photobooth pictures forever.

Bryan and Megan: you were a joy to photograph and we're so grateful for your trust in us to take your wedding pictures. You were open to trying new things and your belief in our creative ability was uplifting. We hope you love your pictures as much as we do!

Jessica and Dan: Kirkland Marina Seattle Wedding

2010-08-05T01:40:00.000-07:00

Dan and Jessica's big day started with the groomsmen and bridesmaids getting ready inside houses that were located on the same block. While getting ready, there are some pictures of the girls cheering and smiling HUGE smiles. It appears to be that they're all extremely excited for Jessica, but in reality, the World Cup finals game was on TV and they were rooting for Spain. :) (They were excited for Jessica, too).

After an emotional moment of seeing each other for the first time, we headed to St. Edwards Park just a few miles northeast of Seattle. Dan is quite the craftsman, and he made most of the reception details. He also made the wooden book and ring box that he presented to Jessica at their proposal. So of course we had to re-enact that. CUTE!

Then, we headed to the wedding site: Heritage Hall and the Kirkland marina. Dan and Jessica's bridal party were a hoot! It wasn't hard to get them to smile or act crazy in front of the camera. They even found me (Melissa) at the reception and begged to do more pictures! I can't say that's ever happened before. :)

The ceremony was outside Heritage Hall in the back garden. It was a sunny Seattle day and the water was a gorgeous blue. They had a casual, festive reception under the Pavilion at the Kirkland, WA marina. The acceptance and love between the two families- who spanned several cultures and countries- was a lovely experience. And it wouldn't be right to have a marina reception without a boat, so they left on a motorboat after dark- with all of their guests holding lit candles and wishing them well.

After the wedding, Jessica emailed us and said, "...We can't thank you enough for being part of our day and being such good troopers... we're excited to see pictures of all the things we missed, and wanted to thank you in advance for being such a professional, talented and fun pair!" Well, to both Dan and Jessica, we wanted to say thank YOU for making it so easy to get such great pictures! Overall, it was a very fun day and we enjoyed getting to know everyone there. Dan and Jessica- we know you will be blessed in your life together and we're honored to be a part of your day.

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Sean and Starr: Seattle engagement pictures

2010-06-06T16:21:00.000-07:00

Starr and Sean are a super cute couple who were very easy to photograph. They were already cuddling and saying sweet things to each other before we even had our lighting equipment set up. :)

Although Starr grew up in Yakima, WA and Sean was raised between California and Boise, they met here in Seattle. They definitely wanted some pictures that would remind them of the city they met in, so we decided to shoot in Belltown, for the brick buildings and interesting alleys. We made a quick stop at Kerry Park to get the “traditional” Seattle shot. And we ended the night at Golden Gardens park. Although it was raining throughout various parts of the city all day, it was bright and sunny at Golden gardens!

The "I Love You" ring -that we took pictures of alongside Starr's wedding ring- was a Valentine's Day gift from Sean.

To the happy couple: you were both so fun to photograph and it was a pleasure to capture your engagement story. Looking forward to August!

Jessica & Dan: University of Washington and Pike Place Engagement pictures

2010-06-02T20:51:00.000-07:00

When we'd met with Jessica and Dan before their session, Ross and I could tell that they were up for adventure and fashion inspired pictures. We had a lot of fun suggesting ideas during the shoot. Jessica and Dan met at U-Dub, so it was only fitting that we started their session at the quad, where the blooms were still on the trees. I (Melissa) enjoyed hearing how they met on campus. (Both insist the other one was the one to make the first move)!

Before we had a chance to start shooting in the quad, a herd of mascot farm animals came running up to us to advertise for a campus event. We said, “We can't go to your event, but do you want to be in a picture?” And that's how we ended up with this hilarious picture! What a way to start an engagement session!

After leaving U-Dub, we headed to Downtown Seattle to get some Pike Place and waterfront pictures. Someone had the idea that Jessica and Dan should kiss in a crowd, so they stood amidst the Pike Place shoppers and smooched for the camera! I (Melissa) was holding a light while Ross shot and I enjoyed hearing all of the comments as people walked by.

Jessica and Dan: thanks for being up for anything! We're looking forward to your wedding to see what other adventurous pictures we all come up with!

R.C & Stacy: Engagement pictures

2010-05-26T02:46:00.000-07:00

R.C. and Stacy wanted to have their engagement pictures taken in Ellensburg, WA since it's where they met, dated, and got engaged. They currently live and work together on a ranch in Montana, but they wanted to return to their roots. When I (Melissa) asked R.C. how they met, he got a big grin on his face and said he met Stacy at the D&M Coffee drive through on his way to drive to Spokane. "I drove all the way there thinking about her eyes the whole time." Cute! Well, the rest is history and now they're planning a Montana fall wedding out at the ranch.

For part of the session we shot at the D&M coffee drive-through window where they first met:

While walking around Ellensburg looking for new portrait spots, Stacy pointed to a doorway on Pine street. I almost passed right by it because we already used this doorway once, years before at Samantha's senior session. (See her session with this same doorway HERE). But I'm glad we stopped. I love the pictures we got there!

Stacy and R.C. were seriously up for anything. We saw a yellow wall and Ross half-jokingly suggested some martial arts action. They were doing kicks and throwing punches within seconds! We ended up at Bailey's Bibliomania book store because they read a lot (.i.e. the "living in a log cabin" lifestyle they lead). Always the comedian- R.C. chose a book titled "Soulmates".

R.C. and Stacy: Thank you for making the day so awesome and we are looking forward to taking a Montana roadtrip so we can document your amazing wedding day!

Kyle and Sammy Jo: Engagement pictures

2010-05-23T23:45:00.000-07:00

Sammy and Kyle met at CWU, where they both currently attend. They both love a country lifestyle, so we all agreed that their engagement session should be out in the country near Ellensburg and Yakima. We started the session in a gorgeous field near Sammy's house, complete with wild flowers and a sunny, blue sky. Kyle is your typical guy- showing up for the engagement session because his fiance wants him to. But about 30 minutes into the session, he said, “This is easy. We just hang around, I flirt with Sammy, and you take the picture. I can do this.” Exactly! They were both so easy to work with and we all had a good time hanging out.

After the pictures in the field were done, we got into our cars and started to head towards the Yakima Canyon for more pictures. About 2 minutes later, their car skidded to a stop and Sammy pointed to an old cattle shoot on the side of the road. Could we use that? Ross ended up being very inspired and we spent awhile there. Sometimes those unexpected moments are our favorite!

We eventually made our way towards the Canyon and made a few stops down by the Yakima River for some more pictures. Next, we drove to Sammy's childhood home- an apple orchard in Yakima. There were chickens, tractors, red barns, an old farm house (with a real claw bathtub!), and lots of blooming flowers. Sweet!

Sammy and Kyle: we can't wait for your August wedding! We hope you love your pictures as much as we do! :)

Bryan & Megan: Seattle engagment pictures

2010-05-12T18:23:00.000-07:00

Bryan and Megan live in the town where Ross and I met in high school- The Tri-Cities, WA. So we were more than happy to travel over the mountains and take their engagement pictures there, but they wanted to avoid the usual Tri-Cities "Howard Amon Park" pictures :) So they wanted to visit Seattle and see what it could offer as far as portrait options. We started at the Arboretum and had a great time shooting. BUT the moment at the park didn't end so great when we found that their car had been broken into while we were taking the pictures! It was an awful experience for them both so Ross and I took them to our house so they could tape up the broken windows and re-group. They were fantastic through the whole ordeal and even wanted to take more pictures! So after a two hour break, we headed to the First Hill neighborhood for round two. It was raining by then, but we still managed to get some good pictures.
To Bryan and Megan: since you both handle stress so well, we know that your wedding day is going to be a breeze! You can handle anything! We're looking forward to your summer wedding and hanging out again. :)

A Busy Winter Season!

2010-03-30T01:10:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! We've been busy this winter season photographing fashion shoots, musicians (including a U2 concert in Vancouver), and portraits. Recently some of Ross' fashion images have been featured on FashionPhotographyBlog.com and TheStillImageWithCrashTaylor.com, and concert photos of the band Metric were just published on BeatCrave.com. So even though we haven't posted for a while, quite a bit of exciting things have been happening! :)

(Also see Ross' new portfolio for more along these lines.)

Here are two lovely portrait sessions that are overdue to be shared here on the blog:

Mike and Corrin's Engagement Session

We are going to be photographing Mike and Corrin's wedding in August this summer. In the meantime, we got together for an engagement session. We started at the University of Washington quad, where the cherry blossom trees were in full bloom. Then we headed to the Sculpture park near downtown Seattle for more pictures. This had extra special meaning because they had just gotten engaged there on Valentine's Day! We can't wait to photograph the August wedding. (Hot pink is one of their wedding colors. Yea!)

Dana and Raquel's Winter Wedding

We also photographed Dana and Raquel's intimate winter wedding in Yakima recently. From the cozy ceremony to the little house where the guests gathered to celebrate at the reception, the theme of Dana & Raquel's wedding day was: keep everything relaxed and joyous. Since Dana and Raquel started dating back in high school, it was only fitting that the wedding took place at La Salle Catholic high school. We even got to photograph them playing tennis on the very tennis court they played on back in the day. Cute!

At the reception, delicious (and I mean DELICIOUS) decorative cupcakes were served instead of traditional cake. Among other flavors, guests could choose from applesauce, pumpkin, and vanilla. Sage Restaurant catering service in Yakima also did a fantastic job. Yum!

Click on the slideshow below to view over 40 pictures from their winter wedding day.

Dana and Raquel: We were both honored to be a part of your truly special day. Thank you for including us!

About Us

2010-01-31T19:04:00.000-08:00

Hi! I'm Ross James, how are you? Even though you're staring at a screen and we haven't met in person (yet!), it's nice to meet you! I am a freelance fashion/portrait photographer based out of Seattle, WA USA and Seoul South Korea. I am available for worldwide photo shoots wherever and whenever. You can read about my professional credentials below, but none of them can begin to describe how rewarding and just plain fun it is to be involved in documenting people's greatest moments. Life is good!

What type of wedding photography is your favorite? Do you prefer bright colors or are you more drawn to black and white? I'll do my best to describe my preferred photography style in the following paragraphs, but the most important question is: What do YOU want your wedding photos to look like?

My approach to wedding photography is a combination of fashion directed pictures and photo-journalistic story telling. Based on your preferences and photography style, I collaborate with you to create the mood and concept of your wedding pictures. If you are open to the idea, I also like to shoot a post-wedding fashion session to get more fun and creative photos now that the stress of the wedding day has past.

Since 2006 when I first picked up a camera, I've been obsessed with applying extreme lighting to otherwise ordinary situations or landscapes. Although I'm always experimenting and evolving, my “style” consistently lends to colorful, fashion inspired images. I always knew that I wanted to create creative, conceptual photography and I have found fashion to be a good outlet for that. Of course, your entire wedding day can't be all about fashion photos, but I try to sneak in a few "mini-fashion sessions" whenever I can. :)

I prefer to be on-location most of the time where I can constantly change my outlook and be on the move. Shooting on-location often requires a team of lighting assistants, who help me create outdoor photo "sets" for you to interact with your environment and pose for the camera. I tend to make things a little complex... I like a lot of color and maybe different themes happening at once.

A little more about me and my photography career:

I am a mostly self-taught photographer currently residing in Seoul South Korea with my wife, Melissa. Since officially launching my business in 2007, I've attracted clients worldwide and have been commissioned for portraits and weddings everywhere from Orlando, FL to B.C. Canada. I've shot for several magazines such as Fabturn, DList magazine, Fashion Network Seattle, Washington Magazine, Yakima Bridal Magazine, Yahaemag.com, and Groove magazine (Korea). My fashion photography has been featured on websites such as FashionPhotographyBlog.com and TheStillImageWithCrashTaylor.com and my wedding photography was featured on the nationally acclaimed "Trash the Dress" wedding fashion website. I've also received awards for my photo editing on the "DBUI" internet network. Besides photographing weddings and commercial jobs, I enjoy shooting my favorite bands. In the past year or so, I've had the privilege of photographing U2, Metric, and Spoon and concert photos of mine have been published on Beatcrave.com. If you haven't already, you can check out my commercial portfolio here.

If you have any questions about my photography, or if you want to see if your wedding date is still available, you can click HERE to complete a contact form. We will send you a personal reply within 3-5 business days.

Contact Us

2010-01-30T18:58:00.000-08:00

Questions about pricing and availability? Comments, jokes, or secrets to share? Click HERE to complete a simple contact form and we'll get back to you as soon as we check our email.

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Josh & Natalie's Wedding

2010-01-13T17:32:00.000-08:00

Natalie has been my (Melissa) best friend since 9th grade, so it was an honor to not only be a bridesmaid in her wedding, but also to photograph part of her wedding day. Their intimate wedding was held at the Masonic Center in Spokane, WA and her colors were various shades of green, turquoise, and gold.

When it was time to photograph Natalie and Josh before the ceremony, we chose to take some at the Davenport Hotel (where they were staying) and in front of the ceremony room at The Masonic Center. Both locations captured Natalie's wedding style perfectly, and it was so hard to focus my lens since I was teary-eyed the whole time! :)

And here's a slide show with 56 photos:

Natalie and Josh: you've both been such great friends to Ross and I. Thank you for including us in your wedding!

Tommy & Morgan Wedding: Ritter Farms

2009-11-01T11:26:00.000-08:00

Morgan is a former rodeo princess from Ellensburg and Tommy is a sweet, nice guy who runs a family business with his dad. Both Tommy and Morgan are both so sweet to each other. You may recognize them from their "airplane proposal" and engagement session on our blog. (See their engagement blog post HERE).

Morgan's outfit had just the right mix of classic and "bling bling", and her Maggie Sotero dress fit her to a tee! Her mother is a hair dresser, so between her mom and her bridesmaids, they made sure her curls weren't too tight, but hung in loose, flowing waves.

Morgan was looking for a wedding location that some country charm, but that was also "classy", as she put it. They chose Ritter Farms near Cle Elum, WA. Ritter farms is a very well kept, landscaped property. The red house, barn, and surrounding buildings are this delicious shade of crisp, apple red. There are willow trees and fields, plus its surrounded by the forest of central Washington. Pretty cool.

There are so many options of where to have an outdoor ceremony at Ritter Farms, and they chose to have the ceremony on a little island in front of the red barn. The bridal party was staggered behind them and it all made for a stunning presentation. Morgan teared up during her vows and there wasn't a dry eye in the crowd- or none that I (Melissa) saw anyway (myself included). I can't help it- I always cry when someone else cries. Well, I'm pretty sure Ross wasn't crying because every time I saw him, he was running in a field to get a good shot, or standing on a fence or something crazy like that :)

It's a lot of fun to photograph Morgan. She's this interesting combination of super fun and super serious. One minute, she's smiling and laughing real hard, and the next, she glares right at the camera with a fierce look in her eye (which is very fun to photograph). So in case you think she's not happy or something, she is! She's very outgoing and full of life, but she can really bring it in front of a camera with a variety of emotions. Not to leave Tommy out or anything- he did great too. He looked at Morgan with love the whole time, and he kissed her every time we asked. :)

Tommy and Morgan's parents are all friends, so there was a closeness between the two families, which was nice. Also, it seemed like most of Morgan's bridesmaids all knew each other, so they all had a lot of fun together throughout the whole wedding day. Everyone enjoyed the photo booth!

For a total of 69 photos from the day, here's a slide show :) Or open Tommy and Morgan's slide show it in a separate window.

Tommy and Morgan: It was so much fun to photograph your surprise proposal, and then your wedding. You truly have a wonderful love story, and we wish you the best!

After her wedding, Morgan wrote on Ross' facebook wall:

"...we absolutely love the pictures! They are beautiful. Thank you! It was so fun working with both you and Melissa. You truly made our day even more memorable, fun, and absolutely unforgettable. We enjoyed every moment of the time we were able to spend with you both, and were so happy you were such a big part of our day and this season of our lives. You both have been such a blessing. Thank you for everything!"

Lucas and Jackie Wedding

2009-10-21T15:00:00.000-07:00

Jackie and Lucas are both such friendly, completely genuine people- so they were super easy to photograph. Just don't try to make them be serious, because this couple loves to laugh and kid around with each other. I can't tell you how many pictures there are of Jackie throwing her head back in laughter. And Lucas is a very polite and good natured guy. He's a great dad, too. (You may recognize them and their son, Landon, from their engagement shoot earlier this year. Check it out HERE). It was so nice that we'd already spent time together during the engagement session. On her wedding day, Jackie said, "Normally I'd be all nervous about the pictures, but I just think, it's Ross and Melissa! We're friends!" That's exactly how we felt too!

Their wedding was held at Springwood Ranch in Thorp, WA and Jackie and her bridesmaids got ready at a family friend's home in Ellensburg. This was a great house for getting ready pictures. The bathroom was long, narrow, and very well lit with lots of mirrors! The adjacent bedroom had an ivory leather couch, tan carpet, tan blinds, and a tan wall. Like a studio set up for a bridal photo shoot!

On the slideshow (bottom of this post) you'll see a picture of the bridesmaids crowded around a laptop. That's because one of Jackie's bridesmaids couldn't make it to the wedding because she was deployed to Afghanistan one month before the wedding. So they all made a "Skype" appointment and her extra bridesmaid got to chat with the girls and see Jackie in her dress. And speaking of her dress, Jackie had a corset built into her dress so that it was all one piece. Genius idea! Her dress stayed put throughout the day- without her having to constantly pull it up (which almost every bride ends up having to do).

The ceremony at Springwood ranch was casual, and there was even a beer table set up for guests to "partake" during the ceremony. Doesn't that tender wedding kiss just make you fall in love with love all over again?

At the reception, the party favors were custom made bags that guests could fill with apples and pears from Jackie's parents' orchards. Cute! And creative! (Guests loved it). We also had another chance to introduce our newest feature: a photo booth. You'll notice that even Ross and I tried it out this time!

While planning her wedding awhile back, Jackie told us she wanted her wedding pictures to be "fun, fresh, classic, cute, adventurous, realistic, and simple". I wrote those words down in big letters on her schedule and read them often throughout the day. It really is ALL about the bride and what she envisions her pictures to look like. :) I hope we achieved the vision you were looking for, Jackie. We had a great time!

After her wedding, Jackie wrote: "...you're more like friends than photographers :) It was a blast working with you and we are stoked to see the pictures. Thanks so much for everything, it was a ton of fun. Everyone really liked the slide show and the photo booth!"

Below is a slide show with 55 photos from the day. I had to put in a U2 song since Ross will be photographing them in one week from today! :) Click here if it doesn't show up below.

Rick & Misty Wedding: Elk Landing House at Suncadia in Roslyn, WA

2009-10-06T17:31:00.000-07:00

ick and Misty live in North Bend, WA and they wanted to find a wedding location that would provide a constant atmosphere of celebration for their intimate wedding. They chose the Elk Landing house at the Suncadia Resort near Roslyn, WA. Elk Landing is a stunning 3 story, 6,200 square feet home with 7 bedrooms that overlooks the 14th green on Suncadia's Rope Rider golf course.

Because this was an intimate wedding with fewer than 75 guests, Misty's best friend was her maid of honor, and her best friend's son was Rick's "groomsman". Before the wedding started, we all headed to the tiny Western town of Roslyn to get some interesting pictures.

They had a short ceremony outside behind the house, directly overlooking the golf course. It was a sweet, simple ceremony with their guests casually sitting on benches or chairs, or standing with drinks in hand.

Immediately after the wedding, Misty's caterer had fresh food displayed in the living room. Since most of the guests were family or very close friends, they all knew each other and didn't waste any time getting the party started. Music started playing in the living room and everyone started dancing. (See the slideshow below)

We were able to display 100 of Misty and Rick's pictures on a large screen TV in the living room. It was so amazing to see both of them (and their guests) so excited about the pictures. Misty later recalled, "Rick and I were blown away by the fraction of the pictures we got to view. In fact, we kept asking ourselves, 'Is that really us?'" Meanwhile, the party was also jumping down in the basement. There was a pool game going, and sports games were playing on the TV's. The guests were loving the basement's full bar and it was an exciting atmosphere!

As soon as the photobooth was announced, everyone jumped in on it! This was the first time we introduced a photobooth at a wedding. I (Melissa) took silly pictures of the guests while Ross and Jeff (our assistant) continued to get shots of the reception festivities. After the wedding, we edited all of the photobooth pictures and grouped them into sets of 4. These pictures are going to be included on the Disc of fully edited pictures that Misty and Rick receive. PERFECT for thank you cards! (Photobooths and all of the photobooth pictures are now part of most of our wedding packages!)

Here's 64 highlights of the day in a slideshow: (If it doesn't show up below, you can open in it a new window)

Rick and Misty: we had a blast meeting with you earlier this year and we KNEW this was going to be a very fun wedding. You both are wonderful people and we wish you all the best in the future!

P.S. Here's part of an email we received from Misty: "We want to express our gratitude for the amazing day we experienced with the three of you. You were so gracious, professional and tremendously creative. You are extremely talented individuals that have been given a gift." Thank you so much, Misty!

Chuy & Jessica Wedding: Kennewick, WA

2009-09-30T01:11:00.000-07:00

Chuy (a.k.a Jessie) and Jessica had a traditional Catholic wedding in a quaint little chapel. The deep red of the roses mixed with the dark wood and stained glass windows created an enchanting ceremony atmosphere. They had a live mariachi band playing the songs for Mass throughout the ceremony. It was a gorgeous, touching ceremony and it felt so sacred. We loved it!

Jessica's dress was a more fitted gown with lots of lace details. Both Chuy and Jessica thought they weren't the best at taking pictures, but we think they looked amazing! They've been together for 7 years, I think, and you can tell they're the best of friends. Chuy is kind of quiet, but he looks at her with so much love- you can really tell how much he cares about her. It started to rain during the couple pictures after the ceremony, but they went ahead with them anyway.

They chose not to see each other before the ceremony, so we spent a lot of time shooting the bridal party. The guys wanted urban groomsmen shots. Where do you find urban in west Pasco when you have 30 minutes? Leave it up to Ross to make the back wall behind Yokes Grocery store look great! You'd never guess where they were!

Chuy and Jessica: thank you so much for including us in your magical day. You are both beautiful people and it was a pleasure to document your wedding!

Cal & Hanna: Ellensburg, WA wedding

2009-09-15T17:06:00.000-07:00

Even though Ross and I had never met Hanna or Cal, we'd spoken on the phone and traded enough emails to learn that Hanna wanted a laid back, no-fuss wedding without too many complicated poses or photo directing. Ross and I did our best to be photojournalists for the day, and Hanna and Cal are so gorgeous and in-love that the pictures turned out great without much direction from us. This was a country girl meets city boy type of story, since Hanna grew up in Ellensburg and was involved in the Rodeo, and Cal grew up in Bellevue. They chose to have their wedding out at Springwood Ranch's Party Barn near Ellensburg.

Hanna's dress was gorgeously simple with a purple sash- lovely! Her hair was long and flowing and pretty natural, with just a yellow flower in her hair and no veil. Flip flops on her feet and she was ready to go.

Hanna didn't want the pictures to get too formal at Springwood Ranch, so we stuck around downtown Ellensburg for the bridal party and family pictures. Their entire bridal party was lots of fun, and they were all were so supportive of Hanna and Cal.

The ceremony and reception was a whirlwind of joy, laughter, and love. The toasts were touching and the dancing was festive. Instead of a traditional wedding cake, they served fruit tarts- which were a big hit.

Hanna & Cal- thank you for your trust in us to capture your wedding memories. You both are so full of life and we know you have lots of adventures ahead of you. Best of luck!!!

Trash the Dress -Waterfall Style- with Courtenay and Josh

2009-08-28T15:18:00.000-07:00

We met up the day after Courtenay's Portland wedding for her fashion after-shoot (or sometimes called "Trash the Dress" session depending on exactly how dirty we plan on getting :). There were lots of family and friends who came along, and we all formed a long caravan of cars as we drove to the waterfalls. The first waterfall, Latourell Falls, we went to had a ton of wind and water spray at the base, so we were all soaking wet after standing by it for about 10 minutes (which made Courtenay look smokin' hot!).

The whole time we were shooting, I (Melissa) had a Bose speaker sound system strapped around my waist, blasting tunes. Can't have a fashion session without the music! At the second waterfall, Horsetail Falls, Josh and Courtenay started wading in the water. There were lots of people staring at them, and driving up and taking pictures on their cell phones. Everyone was saying, "Is that her real wedding dress?" They couldn't believe it. I was trying to play the part of a fancy photographer, but I ended up losing the facade as I constantly hollered at Ross to be careful! He had two cameras slung around his neck as he ran through slimy water in flip flops. We've already had to replace a camera from water damage. Don't remember? Re-live it HERE :) So I was the lunatic with music blaring from my waist, yelling "Be careful!" to everyone. But everyone kept their balance and we got a lot of great shots.

Third waterfall was at the Bridal Veil Falls, and it was time to get completely wet! Courtenay and Josh started by just sitting in the water. (And more of me yelling CAREFUL as Jeff, our lighting assistant, waded across a rocky stream to place light stand amongst the rushing water and rocks).

Courtenay and Josh planned to jump off a cliff into the base of Bridal Veil waterfall. I won't lie- I was nervous for them! Josh kept on his full suit coat and shoes! Courtenay removed her necklace and earrings, but she had rain boots and her veil on. The whole family counted "1,2,3" and they leapt off the cliff and into the water! It was an exhilarating moment, and they were glad they did it. With family cheering, they swam to the shore and we did a few more pictures of the brave couple.

Of course, Ross had to jump off the cliff too, so he climbed up and got ready to jump. Always the photographer, he spent about 2 minutes yelling directions to Jeff and I about how to take the perfect picture of him jumping. I kept laughing because we couldn't really understand him with the rushing water and all. But he's always got to get the perfect picture and it was killing him that he couldn't take it himself! He jumped, and we took the picture, so all was well (In the slide show below). We ended the day with a picture of Ross, I, Courtenay and Josh.

And here is a slide show with 45 photos from the day below!! Or open it in a separate window.

Josh & Courtenay's Wedding: Portland, OR

2009-08-28T03:06:00.000-07:00

Josh and Courtenay are truly two unique people. I (Ross) could tell just by being at the wedding that all of their guests knew it too. Remember how awesome their engagement session was? (You can see the session HERE). The entire wedding day reflected their unique taste and creativity. By mere coincidence, we were staying in the same Portland hotel as Courtenay and all of her wedding guests! So it was easy to start the getting ready pictures on Saturday morning.

There's just something special about the moment when a bride puts her dress on. My (Melisfavorite "putting on the dress moments" are the ones where the bride's mother helps her lace up the back and fusses over all of the details. Don't get me wrong- a busy circle of 10 bridesmaids helping the bride is fun and touching as well, but I just love that quiet moment as the mother of the bride helps her daughter step into her dress. I'll never get tired of that moment!

Courtenay and Josh wouldn't be seeing each other before the wedding, but Courtenay came up with a great picture idea of the two of them together with out spoiling the surprise. Lots of fun!

Next, we headed to the Gerding Theatre at the Armory in Portland, OR, where both the ceremony and reception were to be held. This historic building is located in the Pearl District of Downtown Portland and it's recent renovation project received many awards for its environmentally-friendly methods. If you are looking for a Green Wedding location in Portland, then you should definitely consider the Gerding Theatre! I found it fascinating that rainwater captured from the roof is used to flush toilets and urinals. This rainwater harvesting system, combined with other water saving methods, reduces the building's demand for potable water by 88%. Sweet!

Anyway, back to the wedding. :) When we stepped inside the Theatre, we appreciated its contemporary, art-studio vibe. Almost immediately upon arriving, the ceremony was about to start. Just before Courtenay walked down the aisle, her dad lost it. He was trying to hold it together and it was so cute because you could tell how much he loved his daughter and that it was all hitting him at once.

The ceremony was intimate, cozy, and relaxed. The crowd consisted of just their close friends, and there was lots of laughter and 'oohs' and "ahs" among the guests. Josh had teased Courtenay for weeks saying he was going to fix his long hair in braids and rubber bands, but he surprised her by cutting it on the day of the wedding. Since they didn't see each other before the wedding, she let out a huge gust of emotion when she laid eyes on him once she made it to the bottom floor and turned to walk down the aisle.

The main lobby where the reception was held had a very open floor plan, with room for people to mill around. They had a live DJ with music pumping through the speakers and a caricature artist available for drawings.

Courtenay emailed us recently and said, "We absolutely love, love, love the pictures!!! You guys are truly amazing!! We can’t thank you enough for all your hard work, professionalism, and attention to detail. It was so good working with you and we had so much fun!! We are completely in love with our pictures and cannot tell you how many times we’ve looked through the hundreds of them."

Below is a slide show of 49 of our favorites from the day. (It may take a minute to load)

Or see it on a separate page.

Venue: The Gerding Theater at the Armory, www.pcs.org
Coordinator: Heather Burkhalter
Caterer: Food In Bloom, www.foodinbloom.com
Dress: Maggie Sottero – Vogue Royale
Flowers: Fleur Bliss, www.fleurbliss.com
Cake: Papa Haydn, www.papahaydn.com
Caricature Artist: Heather Nichols, yourfacemystyle.blogspot.com
Photobooth: Stumptown Photobooths, www.stumptownphotobooths.com
DJ: DJ Ruff Kuts & Jowed Hadeed from Eclectic Approach