Nate and Marianne – Wedding Day Portraits

Originally, Nate and Marianne were not going to have a photographer for their wedding, but just a week prior they changed their minds. They contacted me and I just had to help so I rearranged my schedule and cleared my day for them. I am SO GLAD I did! 😀

Even though there were no bridesmaids or groomsman…

No flower girls or big bouquets of colorful flowers, no formal wedding gown or veil… there was BEAUTY…

and LOVE…

and SMILES…

and COMMITMENT…

and SPECIAL MOMENTS.

There was a story to be told… a very special story and it deserved to be captured.

The wedding was at the church where Nate and Marianne met for the first time. They have dated for 4 years and are now committing to one another for a LIFETIME and even though there were only 21 guests, they were ALL very special and had the honor of witnessing this sweet couple’s love for one another.

During the ceremony Nate surprised Marianne with a song he had written just for her.

The tears, they came in abundance! I love this image with Marianne in the background completely sobbing and Nate walking away with a grin on his face. Priceless!

How fortunate to have a beautiful day for the wedding, when almost every other day has been rain!

The reception was at Pacific Grill in Tacoma.

It was cozy and warm.

There was no dancing, but there was laughter and good times.

The cake was small and elegant.

The rings, shiny and new :)!

And… they made US feel special too! We were surprised to find out that they had a special table for us too. As the wedding party ate a delicious meal from Pacific Grill, we had the same at a private table.

Then, we took it one step further and even ordered a YUMMY dessert. We felt like we were on a date!

What a wonderful day… we had so much fun capturing this day!

This was Joe’s FIRST time actually photographing with me (he is usually my gofer, support person, pack mule and my biggest cheerleader). Many of these images are his! I was overwhelmed with happiness seeing him do this with me. We are both so excited to see our new adventure grow! How great is it to work with your best friend!

Thank you Nate and Marianne for making us your wedding photographers. We are honored to have captured this day for you… forever!

xoxoxo… blog readers – just wait for the senior post on Thursday! LOVE, love, love the images!!! And… I might be a little biased, since it is my niece! 😀

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Mike and Allison – Wedding Day Portraits

This was such an incredible experience… I so enjoyed the entire day… thank you Misty and Nate for letting me tag along with you. I had so much fun and learned so much.

I wanted to share with you some of the images I was able to capture as a 3rd shooter tag-a-long. I am preparing for my first wedding shoot coming up this summer, unless someone books me before that! I have 3 booked so far for my special introductory price. Email me at ConnieRiggioPhotography@gmail.com for additional information and check out my wedding page above.

Allison was a stunning bride and went through the day with an amazing calmness. Maybe inside she was nervous, but from the outside she was calm and collected with a sweetness that was evident the first time I met her.

A man in uniform and with those dimples, no wonder she fell in love (I am sure there was more to it than that though :D).

Allison and Mike decided to do what a lot of couples are now finding is the best way to conduct the first sighting! Instead of waiting until the alter, they are meeting with just the 2 of them prior to the wedding. I highly recommend this! Much more intimate and provides that special time to fully appreciate and experience the moment… We arranged for Mike to be in the back of the church facing away until Allison was right behind him…

Then he turned around…

Having this special time together also allows for extra special images without the distraction of anyone else around.

We found a cool rustic garage nearby and borrowed it’s natural backdrop.

A year or so ago I would have told you that I do not do weddings and now, look, I am doing weddings :)! How exciting is that! I am not much of a risk taker, but this last year I have taken more risks than I have ever dreamed of and I am so glad I have. Living life in faith is much more freeing and satisfying than living in fear.

I love all of these!

One of Joe’s favorites. Very intimate. Click to enlarge, it really makes a difference.

God is the center of this marriage, brings such peace.

I had to get a shot with his cap and the beautiful church stained glass windows.

Details, details, details… there are always so many beautiful details in a wedding.

Laughter… it’s a beautiful thing… and abundant on wedding days!

Lovely, long lashes…

And a sparkle in her eyes…

Love this moment between dad and daughter before going down the isle… they adore each other.

I think the best part of the reception was when the bride and her dad broke out in a choreographed dance routine to “Butterfly Kisses” and “Everybody Wang Chung Tonight” (is that even the real title?)… But the most intimate moment was when the bride and groom had their first dance… I love that you can see her eyelashes in this image… this is one of my favorites…

Streamers and horns… the sendoff. Many times this happens so late at night that we don’t get to capture the images, but not this time!

The strength in the way they hold hands tells so much… they are ready to start a life together.

Thank you so much for letting me crash the party! Weddings… here I come!

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New for 2010 – Weddings

Well, after a year of declining wedding services I am finally going for it and have already booked some 2010 weddings. I have added a “Wedding” page, which also includes engagements and will be offering an introductory price this first year.

Please let me know if you are interested and if there is something you have seen elsewhere that you wish I offered… since I am still developing this service that kind of feedback would be great!

I have a post I will be doing tomorrow for a Kent senior, so stop by again then!

{{Hugs}}

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