Kelly Chandler

I had the immense pleasure of working with the super talented April Greer for one of her weddings in Chelan this past weekend.  I go to Chelan often for weddings but I have never photographed at the Tsillan Cellars Winery.  I was thrilled to work at this venue with April to photograph Brad and Kim on their wedding day.

I always love a challenge….this little ring barer moved faster than Flash Gordon.  His mom and dad were chasing him around all afternoon and into the evening.  At one point, he lost his shoe in the waterfall, never to be recovered.  So he walked around in just one tux shoe.

Kim’s father was so proud of his little girl.  You can see it on his face in these two photos where he is struggling to keep his composure to walk her down the aisle and give her away to Brad.

The ceremony was set overlooking Lake Chelan.  It was a spectacular view and an emotional ceremony complete with touching vows written by the bride and groom.

A few years ago, April photographed a night venue shot like this for me at one of my weddings.  I loved it so much that it inspired me to capture a beautiful night shot at each wedding I shoot.  Depending on the time of the wedding, I might not be at the venue to capture the precise moment when the sky is magnificently lit.  For this event, April and I were there until the DJ stopped playing so I was able to capture this shot.

These girls know how to PARTY!

April, it is always a pleasure to work with you!  Thanks for having me along on this event. 

I decided to look up the definition of BEAUTIFUL (byoot’e fel)….having beauty; very pleasing to the eye and mind.  That which has beauty or pleasure.  Those who are beautiful. 

Yes, that pretty much summed up the wedding of Mike and Elizabeth…..BEAUTIFUL.  Everything about their day was spectacular.  My team included the super talented April Greer and Breanna Meldrum.  We photographed 11 hours of coverage, but there were so many details and such terrific venues that we never tired.

This raven haired bride was sizzling & sexy and her groom was handsome & gracious.  Elizabeth had a classy and tasteful touch on everything throughout the day from her Luly Lang Couture shoes to the party favors.  A New Chapter wedding planning helped orchestrate the event so that Elizabeth’s vision could become a reality and she could just enjoy being the bride.  Mike delivered a touching speech in which he commended Elizabeth for planning the event of the year and promised Elizabeth’s parents he would take care of her forever.  Awww………his parents raised a true gentleman!

Holy Names Academy is always such a treat to photograph inside and out. The decor is ornate and the warm light that comes through the windows is inviting.   Mike’s Uncle flew into town to officiate the wedding.  He even did some of the service in Spanish. 

The flower-girl (Mike’s niece) was precious as she intently watched the bride and groom taking communion.

 They were off to the Seattle Tennis Club for a fantastic reception.  You can’t beat being on the water in Seattle on a day like this.

One of the guests offered $50 to these boys if they could keep their tongue’s on the ice sculpture for an hour…..I checked back in 20 minutes and they were still at it. 

I saw the boys walking around with blue tongues later in the evening. 

Mike and Elizabeth, enjoy your honeymoon.  April, Breanna and I had a blast photographing every last detail of your day.

Sabrina and Jared were a referral from a wedding last September.  When they came to me and talked about their wedding in Chelan Falls (10 minutes outside of Lake Chelan) I was super excited.  Not only are they a beautiful couple, but the electric energy between them is amazing.  These two are so smitten with each other it was beautiful to watch. 

The day before the wedding, I went to see the locations I’d be working with the next day.  I took the drive and scouted out fun spots for photos.  I LOVED the train tracks and trestle.  I talked to Sabrina and Jared about using this as one of our backgrounds for photos and they were game….despite the “Unauthorized Personnel Prohibited On Railroad Tracks and Bridge” sign that we passed getting onto the trestle.  What is the old saying, “Go for it and then ask for forgiveness”. 

At this point, we are all about 100 feet in the air over shallow water below.  It was freaky to look down between the rails and see fish swimming about.  I could barely look down without feeling sick.  While out in the middle of the bridge some crazy driver on the road that runs parallel to the tracks honked his horn right when he blew by me.  I about jumped out of my skin thinking it was a train.  It made for a good laugh after the fact. 

Back on land, I felt much more comfortable.  Thank goodness Sabrina was not in heels but rather in sparkly flip flops.  I had her trekking around like a mountain goat.  She was super adventurous and ready for anything to get a great photo.

Sometimes, the grungiest places make for the most interesting backgrounds.  When I was scouting out the sites, I came across an old abandoned warehouse that offered some edgy places to work with rich textures and great lighting. 

America’s Next Top Model could take some pointers from Sabrina.  She knew how to work the camera and posed like a pro!

Jared couldn’t stand back and watch anymore….he had to come get a squeeze!

The ceremony took place right along the water.  The weather was fantastic….a welcome change from the Seattle drizzle we have had all spring long!  Notice the little ring barer.  He decided to take a nap during the ceremony.  He even placed his head on ring-pillow he carried.  He laid there for a good 5 minutes before he sat up and played with his shoelaces. 

What a celebration.  The family and friends that gathered all clearly adored these two.  Their dog even came along to celebrate. 

Sabrina and Jared, thank you for the privilege of photographing your day.  You two are FABULOUS!

So what do you do if you want a winter wonderland wedding……put twinkle lights and crystal snowflakes everywhere!  Monica turned Lord Hill Farms into a magical setting for her wedding.  No matter which angle I shot from, the lights were magnificent!

Snowflakes sparkled as they hung over the dance floor from the beautiful exposed beams of the venue.

Even the cake was completely surrounded by lights.

These two love birds were so genuinely happy to be married.  They couldn’t stop smiling. 

Suzanne and Adam had a glorious wedding at Seattle University Chapel of St. Ignatius and Pravda Studios.  It was so fun to create their wedding album for them.  I had a really hard time choosing the photos for the book….these two are so photogenic, they simply look perfect in every shot.  I finally narrowed it down and wanted to share some of the pages of their album. 

A special thanks to the super talented April Greer who second shot with me on this wedding and helped to capture some of these beautiful images.

Okay, so I’ve taken beautiful photos for you, now what do you do with them?  Well, I’m here to help.  I have spent the last few days at client homes helping them discover fun ways to display their images.  Helping clients choose what photos should be grouped together, color vs. bw, canvas vs. print, what sizes they should be….what a blast!  

So if you have photos just waiting to be proudly displayed and yet you don’t know how to do it, I’d be happy to come spend a few hours at your home and help you out.  The design fee will be worth every dollar.  I’ll point you in the right direction for where to buy frames that will fit your home decor and instantly make your photos into displays of art! 

Shoot me an email info@kellychandler.com or call 425-836-0575 to schedule your home decor visit!

These two lovebirds celebrated their wedding day with stolen kisses whenever they got the chance.  They didn’t care which bus, car, or pedestrian was gawking at them.  It isn’t often that you see a bride and groom on the streets of Seattle on a Tuesday.  I even heard a few people passing by commenting that it must be a bridal fashion photo shoot.  Nope, Natania and Brady tied the knot the day before New Year’s Eve.

Their ceremony was at the LDS Temple followed by photos downtown Seattle.  After the previous week’s snow storm in which Seattle was covered in a foot of snow, we were all thrilled to have a relatively warm day and no snow on the ground.  Natania was a trouper and was willing to brave the cold for some fun urban shots despite her bare arms.  I took them inside their hotel to warm up and captured this beautiful image of Natania looking out the window.

The reception was at the World Trade Center and even in the late evening, they were willing to go outside and let me take advantage of the fun twinkle lights in the trees marking the holiday feeling on the Seattle waterfront.

Thanks for having such great attitudes Natania and Brady.  It paid off, your photos are beautiful.

When I first walked into Sahalee Golf Club, I found this dress hanging all alone on a door.  I quickly moved it to this glorious mirror and began to photograph it.  The dressing-room is always filled with ladies, bags, accessories, and such.  I knew this was my only chance to photograph this stunning gown before the room was all a buzz with people helping Teagan into her wedding gown.

I knew Teagan would be a beautiful bride….she was full of energy and amazing to work with.

I’ve said it before, I am all about the eyes….and Teagan has huge eyes that seem to light up her entire face.

Her something old was a beautiful pin that her grandfather gave her from when he was a young man.  I loved the old treasured box it was safely tucked inside.

Have you read Twilight?  I chuckle each time I look at this photo wondering if Anders feels like Edward…wanting a little nibble.

It is hard to believe that we were blessed with such a beautiful winter day in Seattle.  I had fully anticipated a wet, soggy, golf course that would prohibit us for taking photos on the grass.  I was shocked to find the day arrive with sunshine and not even so much as a damp morning dew remaining on the grass.  What a treat for December!

I love the romance that this photos evokes.  It is as if nobody else in the room matters. 

Matt & Lyndsey have been so patient with me as I know they have been super anxious to see the fun photos from their engagement session.  They booked their wedding for next summer and wanted an E-session right away before the weather turned and fall was gone.  I had no openings until January but squeezed them in with the understanding they would have to be patient as I work through processing all the holiday portraits and late fall/winter weddings.  So thanks again Matt & Lyndsey for waiting for your photos to be ready. 

I love Matt’s face in this photo.  You can almost read his mind…..”I’m one lucky man!”

Toward the end of our session, Lyndsey’s feet were starting to hurt.  I guess when you are a good foot shorter than your man, you need to wear heels often.  Matt scooped her up like a little doll and hiked her on his back as we strolled through Pike Place Market.

Smiles and lots of cuddles flowed easily between this adorable couple.  I can’t wait to work with you in August ‘09 for your wedding!

Andy and Carol were such fun during their engagement session that I could hardly wait for their wedding day.  This laid back, super cool couple was so relaxed on their wedding day.  They gave me all the time I needed to capture their beautiful downtown event.  We started outside the Mayflower Hotel….I love urban settings like this where the background gets lost and my subjects become so foreground.  Seattle’s fall weather has been amazing and they were blessed with a glorious day.  The lighting was spectacular. 

 It can get tricky shooting downtown and avoiding all the people in the background.  The hotel exterior offered some interesting details in the background for these shots.  I love the way the wind caught her dress here.

Andy stole a kiss in the elevator.

We were off to the church.  LOVE these fun red doors.

My favorite look that Carol does so well is this subtle smile…so sexy.  Andy just kept snuggling in and loving every moment he could be close to his bride.

The reception at the Palace Ballroom was ROCKING!  The Michael Benson Band always keeps the dance floor on fire.  They played at my wedding 12 years ago and every-time I get to see Michael it is a treat.  If you want to insure your dance floor is never empty at your wedding, Michael Benson is the man.

Over at the bar, I caught the fantastic MOB and MOG…that is Mother of the Bride and Mother of the Groom…toasting to the marriage of their kids with a Tequila shot.   

Andy and Carol, it was an honor to be your photographer.  Thank you for everything!  You are dream clients!