Weddings

 the first thing that tickled me about melissa was her enthusiasm. she is positive, upbeat and made me feel like a very special person from the first time i met her. she has been a loyal blog reader and always writes me kind encouraging words right when I need them most. she even switched her wedding date so i could photograph it, since i was booked for her original date. (talk about making someone feel special).

and then there is mike. i fell in love with mike's style and talent before i ever knew him. at my old job as a photographer for a newspaper i would often photograph high end homes for the real estate section. it was a perfect fit since i love home decor, decorating and "before and after" projects. there were several  homes in the area i photographed that had a unique and special flair to them. after photographing them i would find myself driving by, keeping a watchful eye to see when they would sell and who the lucky new owner would be. one day when i showed up to photograph one of these special renovations, mike answered the door. and that is when the connection was made that mike was the one behind these beautiful remodels. he was the man with the impeccable taste and gorgeous vision.

melissa shares a similar love for the restoration
of old homes. she sees potential where others may not. a perfect saturday for her is going from one open house to another, these two were always meant to be together. they make a perfect little house remodeling pair. beyond
their mutual love for houses these two love each other even more! their chemistry is energizing, sparks were flying on their wedding day.

their wedding was at a beautiful private home on fox island. but their eyes kept wandering next door, to an empty neglected home with an amazing view. mike and melissa admitted to sneaking over to the old house after wedding planning one evening a few weeks prior. they shared a bottle of wine while brainstorming about what they would do to the old place to make it sparkle again. on their wedding day it seemed quite appropriate
for us to leave the perfect house and visit the imperfect one full of potential. i know these two already have a strong foundation
and together they are going to transform a lot of ugly into pretty. maybe someday, we'll be the lucky ones moving into a melissa and mike house. one can only dream!

my favorite detail of the day were these historic house information cards. each table setting featured a different home located in the surrounding area. i kept spotting people picking the cards up and reading away. becoming a little more wise while sipping delicious wine and enjoying the sunset.

 i will end with this beautiful and simple poem about marriage and habitation.

Habitation

Marriage is not
a house or even a tent

it is before that, and colder:

the edge of the forest, the edge
of the desert
the unpainted stairs
at the back where we squat
outside, eating popcorn

the edge of the receding glacier

where painfully and with wonder
at having survived even
this far

we are learning to make fire

-margaret atwood

robin hood. this is what i keep thinking about as i look at these ceremony shots. and then "everything i do…." starts playing in my head. my mind wanders to thoughts of halloween and if jon and i would make a good robin and marian. that's what these two reminded me of as they made a sacred promise under the shadows of these tall giants. although i think this forest is much more dramatic than sherwood.

elly made all the centerpieces and flowers herself. am thinking we
are all looking at a future talent in the floral business. pretty
amazing!

the wedding was at kitsap memorial park which is a washington state park. i think parks are sometimes overlooked, but they can be gorgeous, flexible and very affordable venues. one huge advantage is that you are able to bring in your own choice of catering, which can mean huge savings. and of course most of the state park wedding sites are so beautiful you don't have to do much decorating, mother nature has done it for you!

elly and stephan planned a beautiful wedding with all the right special touches. they simplified wherever they thought they could without sacrificing the details and moments that were important to both. are you missing summer yet?