{Hitched!} Jennilee+Randy 5.9.9

It was a beautiful day for a wedding, May 9th 2009. A Saturday that woke up all sunny and full of promise, ready to take on whatever the world had prepared for it. A perfect day to put on a dress, a suit, to make a promise and celebrate that promise in the company of friends and family.

Randy arrived first. ”That’s my photographer right there!” he’d shouted props at me to his groomsmen (still gives me a tingle to hear that from my clients!). We shook hands and Amar, my assistant, went with them to take their prep shots.

I sat and waited for Jenn to arrive to her staging room, and when she did, was she a bundle of nerves! Every once in a while, when she was putting on her dress, checking her makeup, she let out a little cry, “OH, MY GOD!”, possibly indicating that she was perhaps just a tad anxious.

But nothing compared to when she saw what Randy had gotten her for her wedding present, for Jenn just looked at them silently for a while and starting waving her hands frantically in front of her face. “Oh NO! I’m going to cry!!”

In a gold Nordstrom’s box, nestled a pair of Chanel diamond earrings. Jenn works in fashion and the double Cs not only paid tribute to her passion, but also Randy’s family name, Chan. “Double Cs, for the Chans,” she’d said as she tearily but happily put them on.

Here are some of my favorite shots of the wedding:

Jenn and Randy’s wedding rings, by my assistant, Amar. Please check out more of his work here. 

Insane shoes!

The dress.

Getting a breather.

Bad-ass bridesmaid!

Almost there!

After the vows.

The kiss.

Throwing it up for married!

Hailing a limo for a ride to the reception!

Catching some bubbles on the way.

Dancing the night away.

A few things were clear on your wedding day, Jenn and Randy. That you have friends who adore you and family who love you to both to death. That you guys have a damn fine sense of style. That even when things don’t turn out the way you’ve planned them to, you always find a way to work it out and move on, which are crucial ingredients for a marriage. And man, can both of you DANCE!

Thanks for letting me be part of your day, Jenn and Randy. It was an honor and I wish you both every happiness!

{Engaged!} Jennilee+Randy

My third shoot of the week was with Jennilee and Randy, two crazy-fun kids who are getting {hitched!} this May 9th, and guess who’s the photographer?

We did our shoot at Seattle’s Pike Place not only because it’s all photographable hotness with its buskers and tourists, but it’s also Jenn’s childhood haunt. Her parents run a jewelry business right here and she and her sister Michelle grew up here so she knows every inch of this beautiful, busy, fishy place.

Randy and Jenn met in school, hooked up, broke it off and met nine years later and fell hopelessly in love with each other again. Randy proposed March of this year.

“Why wait?” he’d answered my question with a question, looking at Jenn in a way only a man in love could. 

We started with the great Pike Place underground, where the infamously gross Gum Wall is. This is a wall literally plastered with pieces of colorful gum, some as high as a storey.

“People have been doing this for, like, 30 years,” says Jennilee, as she sticks her umpteenth piece of gum in this place. I remind them not to lean on it as we make some pictures in this eerily isolated alley which tunnels under Seattle’s busiest market.

We walked through Pike Place, visited with her family, stopped by a cute little Chinese deli which serves mocha alongside char siew kabob, and then winded our way up through the shops and even stopped by for a little dance and song on the way.

My assistant Amar took this beautiful shot of Jenn and Randy playing around.

We ended the shoot at the park overlooking the freeway and lake with the stadiums Safeco and Qwest in the distance.

And as we mingled around with protesters, street people and tourists on this lovely sunny Sunday afternoon, I can’t help but feel thankful to Jenn and Randy for giving me such a wonderful first engagement shoot. Thanks, guys. I cannot wait to shoot your wedding!