I had the opportunity to shoot not one, but two beautiful Shadow Lake Ranch Wedding days this year! My first was in June, and it’s safe to say, I think we were all grateful it was a little cooler on this gorgeous day. I loved spending time with Chris and Whitney and their families, and watching them start on this crazy adventure!
The three days leading up to their wedding day, we were inundated with smoke from 4 major wildfires. There’s fires in Montana, a few here in Washington, Idaho, Oregon-basically the entire PNW is on fire. I had texted Whitney to let her know that we would do their photos quickly but efficiently outside, and then i’d get them back inside so we didn’t have to sit outside in the unhealthy/hazardous air. That sweet girl told me, “don’t worry about us! Worry about you and that baby!” She’s the cutest. I told her we would hope and pray that the smoke would clear out, and that we wouldn’t have to worry about it.
Friday came, and the smoke was lingering still. I checked about every smoke calculator/estimator thing on the internet to see what they were saying was going to happen and it didn’t look promising. I kept checking throughout the day Friday. I’d go outside every few hours to see if I had seen a difference, but sometime in the evening, something happened. The wind picked up and shifted, and I just knew it was a good sign. Saturday morning, I woke up, and if you follow me in Instagram, you saw how excited I was. The sky was clear (and blue!), and most of the smoke was gone. Our prayers were answered!!!
If that wasn’t a testament to how great the day was going to be, I don’t know what was. We had clear skies, good weather, and it came together so perfectly. Whitney’s bridal details were so beautiful, and she made the most gorgeous bride ever. It was no wonder that Chris was pretty much speechless during their first look. We hid in the willows for their portraits, then had way too much fun during bridal party shots.
It turned out that the boys had been kind of stinkers the few days leading up to the wedding. Typically boys, right. The bridesmaids knew they wanted to do something to get them back and they came up with the perfect idea. If you know me, you’ll know that i’m stuck watching little kid’s movies all day, practically, and it made me think of Zootopia when the bunny and the fox are talking to the Mole, who’s like the Godfather, and he tells his big bad polar bear meat heads “Ice ’em!” HA! Well they did. And it was hilarious.
We got through all their photos seamlessly, and all that was left was to make it official. Their wedding ceremony was great. At one point, their officiator had them turn around to the crowd and everyone stood up to give THEM a vow. A vow to support them in their relationship, and be there indefinitely. I loved that! Those are some of the most important people in the couple’s lives, and it was such a special thing! So cool. They then vowed to each other, exchanged rings, and sealed the deal with a kiss.
Then the party started! And it didn’t stop until long after I left.
Chris and Whitney- Thank you SO much for entrusting me with documenting this special day. I’ve loved getting to know you guys more, and seeing you tie the knot was just icing on the cake. I’m excited to see what adventures lay ahead of you!! Congrats!!!
Shadow Lake Ranch Wedding Vendors
Venue: Shadow Lake Ranch
Bride’s Dress: Amy’s Bridal Boutique
Bridesmaid’s Dresses: Azazie
Groom and Groomsmen Attire: Men’s Wearhouse
Florist: Twigs and Petals
Cake: Grayson Corrales
Invitations: Dawn Marie Creations
HMUA: Lindsey Rodgers
Second Shooter: Tammi Meade
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