Kelly Chandler

Sure, you can buy advertising space in magazines….but it is always a special honor to be selected and published in industry magazines for editorial content.  This Fall/Winter some of my photos are featured in an editorial piece on “Bride Ideas” in Seattle Bride magazine.  The article is about Lyndsey Deluca-Heinle’s beautiful up-do.  You might remember her from my blog as the stunningly sexy petite blond with her handsome husband Matt Heinle.  They were married in August at The Woodmark in an elegant affair.  I remember the day of their wedding thinking her hair was spectacular. 

Click on the photo below to read the entire article from their online magazine.

Meet Alli….one of the happiest people you’ll ever meet.  She is a bubble of friendliness and smiles.  You can’t help but find her energy contagious.  She was so excited to be getting married to Mike that she literally couldn’t stop grinning.

You never know what you are going to get with a spring wedding….but what a day we had.  Sunshine and warm all day long.  It was crazy though, the moment I got in my car that night to head home, the skies opened up and dumped rain…..and it didn’t stop for days.  Mike and Alli really know how to pick a wedding date.

Julie Borrud, owner of Bella Rugosa created the flowers.  She is one of my favorite floral designers and never disappoints!

There were touches of flowers everywhere…these were at the reception tucked into a little opening between pillars.

Mike and Alli selected New York Cupcakes in Bellevue to create a tiny little cake to go on top of their cupcake tower for guests to enjoy.

I always love it when the bride and groom spend time creating a special first dance.  Mike and Alli had clearly been practicing for their first dance.

So not only do Mike and Alli know how to pick a wedding date…they can also pick their honeymoon flight.  They returned from Ireland on a flight that departed 3 hours before the volcano in Iceland erupted.  Had they been a few hours later they would probably still be in Ireland grounded from their flight as the volcano played havoc on European skies.  Might have been nice to have an extended honeymoon….but I’m happy you traveled home safely!

Meet Shawn & Tiffany, an adorable couple that started my year off perfectly.  They were wed on January 2nd at Alderbrook Resort.  Complete with twinkle lights and holiday decor, this place looked magnificent.   Tiffany was the maid of honor in a wedding that I photographed in July ‘08 (see Ashley & Travis blog post).  It is always special for me to work with people I have met at previous weddings as wedding party.  I enjoy getting to know them on a deeper level as their wedding day approaches and then capturing their special moments too.

Tiffany’s attention to detail was super creative.  The zebra print purses with matching umbrellas were colorful and fun.  They came in handy when we got a little bit of drizzle on an otherwise spectacular January day.

Can you tell how excited Shawn is to be getting married.  He definitely jumped the highest!

I love the expression on both of their faces.

One final good night kiss.

 Thanks Tiffany & Shawn for starting off 2010 with such a delightful event!

 Sacha & Will were such a treat to work with on their wedding day.  Being a self professed fan of my blog, I know Sacha has anxiously been waiting for this post. 

I took Will and his boys across the street to the railroad tracks and got some really fun shots.  Will just simply looks proud to be getting married to this wonderful lady. 

Loved her flowers…delicate, stunning and tons of variety.

Off to Blessed Sacrament for a traditional Catholic wedding.

It was super windy that day.  We were down by the waterfront so add those two things together and you have a crazy adventure.  Sacha’s veil actually blew off in the wind and I had to run about 20 yards to catch it.  It was a very long veil so we wrapped her up in it both to keep it from blowing off and to help keep her warm.

YUM!  New Renaissance Cakes created this masterpiece.

Special thanks to Janel Schlitt - Occasions Wedding & Event Planning  for putting together an amazing event to photograph and to Tiara for doing such a beautiful job on the girls makeup.  Also thanks to April Greer for second shooting for me on this event. 

Scott and Lindsey had a black and white affair at Pravda Studios with elegant touches of the past.  There were cigar girls greeting you at the door with real or bubblegum cigars for the men and heart shaped compacts for the ladies as party treats.  Scott wore a tux with a bow tie.  The bridesmaids outfits were black, sexy and even had feathers and netting covering their eyes.  There were white feather plumes, crystals, candles and black accent frames (with their engagement photos) on the tables….the event was spectacular.   Even more spectacular was the beautiful couple. 

The fabulous Stacey Yuchaz was second shooting for me and caught this shot.  I love how the reflection in the floor to ceiling mirror shows the details on the back of her dress and accents her tiny figure.   Notice the chandeliers and billowing fabric that Lyndsey had added to help turn Pravda’s tall ceilings into a cozy room.

We got lucky and had a beautiful day….every other day before and after their wedding day had rain.  But they must be living right….it was sunshine and blue skies.

Lindsey had funky black shoes with pink soles.

The ladies were so fun!  Trying to pose them so their feathers didn’t end up in front of another bridesmaid’s face was challenging but we got it.

Not sure what the groomsmen were saying here…but clearly Scott was getting razzed.

As the evening turned dark the lights in the room became more colorful.  The entire room had gorgeous up-lighting from Travis Terry.  I highly recommend investing in this feature.  It adds such beautiful accents to photos. 

Congrats to Mr. and Mrs. Scott Schield! 

I met BriAnne Powell about 5 years ago when her she was a bridesmaid in her brother Josh’s wedding.  When she called to say she was engaged and she wanted me to photograph her wedding, I was thrilled.  The Powell family is one of the nicest group of people you will ever meet.  Gracious, loving, and very spiritual, this tight knit family was so excited to see BriAnne marry a man who shares those same wonderful qualities.  When I met Cameron and his family, I could see right away that they all fit together perfectly.

It helps make the wedding ceremony extra special when the person who performs it really knows the bride and groom well.  It adds that personal touch and makes a tremendous difference in the message.  So when Josh married BriAnne and Cameron, it was really special.  It was as if there were 200 people witnessing a personal conversation between friends about their commitment to each other, their marriage and to God.

It is a tradition that goes back generations in the Powell family that when the father of the bride walks his little girl down the aisle, he holds this family bible in one hand.  The bible is used during the wedding ceremony and then the groom brings it back down the aisle with his new wife.  I love Cameron’s expression of pride and BriAnne’s giddy smile right after they were pronounced Mr. and Mrs. Cameron Damskov.

A bubble filled send off ….

and more bubbles…..

Let the party begin….Inglewood Golf and Country Club was the scene for a party to remember.

Ceremony: Bastyr University Wedding Chapel    Reception: Inglewood Golf Club   Second Shooter: Stacey Y

 Wedding Event Design: Katy Leiser Unveiled Events 

Molly and Jim tied the knot at Villa Academy in Seattle.   Here she was full of anticipation, literally dancing down the aisle before seeing her groom.

This little cutie was all smiles, all day.  He watched from an upstairs window as the wedding party was getting photographs taken…..all this while eating snacks to keep his smiles and energy up.  At the reception, he said the cutest thing.  “Miss Kelly, can I follow you around?”  I told him he sure could.  After a few minutes of following my every step, he asked if he could take a photo of me….with my camera.  How could I say no.  So I carefully placed thousands of dollars worth of equipment around his little neck and showed him what to do.  He took a photo of me from about 3 feet away (so I could catch my gear if he dropped it).  He did pretty darn good for a 4 year old. 

I loved the natural lighting in the hallway before entering the church.  The warm light inside was so inviting as Molly and Jim walked into the church for a few moments of quiet before the guests began to arrive. 

A very proud father walked his little girl toward Jim.  Molly caught the loving gaze of her mother awaiting her at the end of the aisle.

It’s official, Mr. and Mrs. Lamb are officially married.  Congrats to you both!  Stacey and I had a blast photographing your day. 

I have been looking forward to Matt and Lyndsey’s wedding for a full year.  I met this adorable couple when I was photographing their friend’s wedding (Suzanne and Adam Jayne-Jensen 08.08.08).  I photographed Matt and Lyndsey’s engagement session last November and they were such fun.  I knew that their day would be full of classy, elegant details…not to mention they both are very comfortable in front of the camera! 

Lyndsey is the tiniest little thing…maybe 5 foot tall….and Matt must be 6 foot 5 or so.  Here her Mom is helping Lyndsey put on her super high heels.  They were sexy, gave her a few more inches of height to catch up with Matt…and Lyndsey said they were really comfortable.  Check out the calf muscles on this lady…now that is muscle definition.   

Okay, are they stunning together!?

LOVE the back of this dress.  If I had a consultation before the wedding to pick the PERFECT dress for Lyndsey, it would have been this one.  She pulls off a strapless dress like it was custom made just for her.

The Woodmark Hotel in Kirkland was the venue for their celebration.   Inside, outside…it just doesn’t matter.  Everything at this venue is beautiful.

We ventured out to a super bright and windy day.  Matt scooped up Lyndsey so she wouldn’t ruin her beautiful shoes on the docks.

Family and wedding party watched from the upstairs balcony…clearly approving of his decision to be chivalrous.

Now there are fun wedding parties and there are FUN wedding parties.  This group tipped the fun meter to SUPER FUN. 

I asked Matt to walk in front of his guys toward me.  I about fell over laughing as the guys started channeling the West Side Story boys in the background complete with side snapping and lots of laughter.

The very talented Stacey Yuchasz was second shooting for me and captured the girls getting a kick out of that scene. 

I love how Lyndsey is fighting back tears in this very emotional moment as she is about to be given away.   

After the ceremony, the wedding party retreated to a side room to toast the wedding.  You can’t script moments like this.  Here Matt enthusiastically shows off his new ring.  What followed was a tear filled toast to friendship, love, and a lifetime of happiness.

Matt and Lyndsey escaped the reception for a moment together at sunset.

Cheers to Mr. and Mrs. Matt Heinle.  What an event for everyone to remember.

It is always an honor to have photos used by other professional wedding vendors.  Brooke Arambula, owner of Event Envy, a wedding and event planning company, recently contacted me about using my photos on her new website.  If you click on the logo above, you will be taken to her website and can see some of my work.  Thanks Brooke for spreading the word about my photography.  I look forward to working with you often.

I had a blast with Dana and Jeff on their wedding day.  These two were so excited to be getting married.  Their enthusiasm was infectious to everyone around them.  We started out on Dana’s parents spectacular property on the water in Olympia.  I want to go back on a sunny day and play in the water there…such a great spot. 

I’d describe Dana in one word…spunky.  She is so full of life and a total delight to be around…the kind of girl you want to be friends with.  Jeff is a super guy too.  He can’t stop smiling and has so much love for Dana.  These two are forever.

The ceremony and reception were at the Olympia Golf and Country Club.  We hit the tide right and were able to do their group shots down on the beach. 

I went down later after the ceremony because I really wanted to take this shot.  The beach had shrunk from 20 yards to more like 2 feet from the break-wall.  I had to lay on the crushed shells to get this shot.   I was covered in shells when I stood up, but it was worth it.

Dana and Jeff released 50 Monarch Butterflies just after they were pronounced husband and wife.  They fluttered around everywhere!  All night long I was finding them inside and outside. 

Here one landed on Dana’s bouquet!

 Not fans of cake….who needs it.  How about 15 flavors and 10 toppings of Ben and Jerry’s Ice-cream….YUM!

One of the flower girls wanted Jeff and Dana to kiss her ice-cream. 

Dana and Jeff, thanks for your patience in getting this blog posted.  It has been a long time coming.  I have 4 more anxious brides and grooms waiting to see their weddings posted.  So keep checking….I’m slowly making progress on the processing of my photos from a crazy season.  Last night marked my last wedding for a few weeks.  So I’m hoping to catch up.  Wish I wasn’t so particular and could hand off the work to someone.  But I like to edit, crop, play with the photos.  It is like the reward for me after shooting an event.