Jennifer & Charles

Jennifer and Charles were married in a short and sweet ceremony at the Fox Hollow Chalet in Anchorage. The skies were gray and threatened to rain. From behind the camera, the sky seemed washed out and uninteresting. I was a little disappointed that we didn't have a magnificent blue ceiling and powdery clouds. However, the camera seemed to pull out a bit of drama that contrasted against the greenery and the brilliant fireweed. As always, we loved hearing the speeches and reading the guest book, which was cleverly done as a Jenga set. Though it was a short day for us, we managed to capture some beautiful moments. 

Cindy & Joe

Cindy and Joe had a beautiful ceremony and reception at the Dena'aina Center in downtown Anchorage. I love how the clean architectural lines of this building and the surrounding area highlight this gorgeous couple. I also loved the combination of the traditional dress of both of their mothers, the respectful bows of the couple to their parents, with the Western styling of the ceremony - a wonderful blend of cultures and traditions. Absolutely loved working with this couple and honored to have shared in the fun!

Tee & Jeff

We headed back out to Girdwood for another summer wedding but this time at Crow Creek Mine. The area is filled with old buildings with random tools and vehicles strewn about as well as forested areas, which made for a fabulous diversity in shots. You can also go panning for gold if one wishes ... or get married ... 

Tatiana was a bubbly bride with Jeff serving as her anchor. Tatiana's dress was incredibly unique and had the all important twirl factor (plus pockets!) I had a hard time choosing these photos and many of them made me laugh thinking back to this day. This couple had such fun personalities, which made them easy to work with, and reflected in their wedding. And yes - those are hand painted silk ties on the boys (painted by the bride herself). Another thing I enjoy about many of these photos is seeing the expressions of people in the background reacting to the happiness of the couple.

We did a first look with this couple. Maybe 10-15% of our clients choose to see each other before the ceremony. The plus side is that it allows you to get a lot of your formal photos out of the way, makeup and clothing are fresh, and people usually aren't hot, hungry, and tired yet. We still captured a great reaction from Jeff as he watched Tatiana walk down the aisle, even though he had seen her moments earlier. 

Taija & Hal

Girdwood is a small town tucked off the side of the Seward Highway south of Anchorage. We love going down there to eat at the restaurants, ski, and ride the Bird to Gird. We were very excited to be able to shoot our first wedding at the beautiful Alyeska Resort. 

The wedding was outdoors beneath a cooperative but moody Alaska sky. The reception was held in the well lit Kahiltna Court, overlooking the pond. The resort provides many beautiful opportunities for photographs, albeit, perhaps a bit difficult to navigate in stilettos and a wedding dress. Taija was an awesome sport for wandering out at the top of the mountain in her heels with metal grates covering most of the walkway. 

We headed back to the party where the little kids were eager to show off their dance moves and we had a great fight for the garter and bouquet.

Monica & Glenn

We showed up to this wedding a little early to check out the site on the grounds of Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson. As we pulled up, we noticed a fire truck and several concerned men looking at the power lines. This meant that there was no electricity to the facility, which powered everything including water flow to the toilets. Monica's parents were quick to handle the situation and planned to set up a generator with flood lights into the main hall. Fortunately, the power was restored and the wedding went on without a hitch. We even got to spend some time outdoors for pictures.  As evidenced by the pictures, they were a joy to work with - Glenn keeping us quite entertained with his energy and Monica gracefully accepting his antics. Congrats to the two of you!

Gayla & Mike

We joined this couple on the shores of Lake Lucille in Wasilla. We were treated to amazing views of snow covered mountains across a frozen lake. While Gayla was getting ready, Scott hung out with the guys and their guns. This is, of course, an Alaskan wedding, right?

After an especially touching ceremony led by Gayla's father with prayers from Mike's mother and father, we headed out into the cold for some quick photos. This wedding was the product of the love and help of many family and friends. We enjoyed being a part of this family. Congrats Gayla and Mike!!