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Andrea and Matt were married on August 27th, with a ceremony and reception at the Sleeping Lady Resort in Leavenworth, WA.

I started out the day with the lovely ladies as they were getting ready before we headed down to a first look for Andrea and Matt in a private garden on the property. This is one of my favorite venues to shoot at, as we are surrounded by a sweet, intimate environment with a gorgeous backdrop. We took a few shots in the garden before we went down by the the mountain view so we could show off what makes the Sleeping Lady so neat—from the resort, you can see the mountain topography that looks exactly like a sleeping woman!

The wedding party joined us and we got the group shots set up down by the river as well as a more forested area for group shots and family photos. These two picked such a stunning, rustic, natural environment, and I was so in love with the lighting we had!

The ceremony was held down by the river. They literally tied a knot to seal their union using climbing rope, since they’re both avid rock climbers and love to be in the mountains. One of the things I enjoy the most about wedding photography is I get to see everyone's creativity shine in so many fun and interesting way, and this couple had that everywhere.

Their seating chart for dinner was organized by National State Parks—and the seating chart was a huge map of the United States! Instead of a traditional guestbook, they provided postcards and invited their guests to write down memories of the couple or shared advice to be mailed to the couple through their first year of marriage!

After cocktails outside on the Kingfisher lawn, it was off to the Salmon Gallery for the party, complete with dancing and donuts! They did an amazing Hora dance, and it was truly my favorite moment of the night. I always feel it is a fabulous way to celebrate the bride and groom, with so much life inside the dance! It gives me goosebumps (the good kind)! After the couple was hoisted up on the chairs, I had to be quick on my toes to properly capture this amazing tradition, especially because I can very quickly find myself on the outside of the dancing circle if I’m not careful. I had to be willing to “spin” with them and weave between them without interrupting the flow—and I loved every bit of it! It was the perfect way to celebrate the happiness and joy of the entire day.

I deeply appreciated being a part of Andrea and Matt's celebration. The day was full of life, love, and joy. Thank you both for trusting me to capture these most important moments.