Chris and Sydney were married on February 3rd, with a ceremony and reception at the Mountain Springs Lodge in Leavenworth, Washington.

Fallen Tree

While a wedding day is mostly wrapped up in absolute, ear-to-ear joy, happy tears, dancing, tons of hugs, and heartfelt words . . . sometimes, little surprises or hiccups happen. For this wedding, that happened when I was driving up to Mountain Springs Lodge, a path that I’ve driven probably a hundred times now. I usually blast some good tunes as I drive down the windy road, singing out loud and getting my heart, mind, and spirit ready for a wonderful day.

On my joy filled drive up a surprise came in the form of a fallen tree lying across the entire road and on some electric lines. Oh my! My thankful spirit was in high gear as it had happened just minutes before I arrived - so glad it didn't fall on me or anyone else. It was simply an inconvenience.

Years ago, I may have panicked (not gonna lie). One of my photographer nightmares is to arrive late to a wedding. But with years of experience, I’ve learned to give myself plenty of extra time to get to a venue. In this case, there was only one other way to get to the lodge: a 40-minute drive around the other side of the mountain. Cue more music, and 40 minutes later, I arrived exactly on time to a very happy crew of people. Don’t sweat it, adapt to it—and all will work out.

Let the Wind Blow

When you’re at a place like Mountain Springs, with the backdrop of majestic mountains and beautiful pine and aspen trees, you have to do outdoor photos! But with how windy it was, we had to brace ourselves before heading out into the snow-covered grounds. As you will see from the photos, the wind turned out to be a blessing and made for some amazing and super fun photos—the kind you can’t get without the marriage of big wind gusts and troopers like Chris, Sydney, and their wedding party.

The Waltz

Marriage truly is a dance, so I always find it fitting and endearing when a couple takes the time to learn, practice, and perform a beautiful dance at their wedding. For Chris and Sydney’s waltz, it was like watching them literally float through the air. They are perfect partners, and everyone around them got completely lost in the moment of their pure connection. They only saw each other during that dance, and it felt like the perfect metaphor for their love. In life, after all, sometimes you step on each other’s toes, but you get back in sync and keep on dancing—and make something beautiful!

My Quote for Chris and Sydney:

"When you get the choice to sit out or dance, I hope you dance!"

In watching you two dance together, I have no doubt you will always choose to dance—not just hand-in-hand when the music is playing but also metaphorically through your marriage together. You guys are beautifully in sync (even born on the same day!!!), and I wish you two the most wonderful journey together!