Kelly Chandler

Given the fact that we have an election in a few weeks….I thought this was a funny sign that encouraged people to Keep Right.  The sign is obviously a directional for cars on a private circular driveway.  I don’t know Dave and Sarah’s political views (nor was their wedding day a time to have a political discussion) so this photo is either really appropriate…..or really inappropriate.  Either way, I found great humor in it. 

 I loved the lighting in this shot.  We were fortunate to have a beautiful Fall day (the next day it poured rain).  Their outdoor wedding would have had a much different feeling if the wedding were just 24 hours later.  Dave and Sarah must be living right to get a day like this.

Their adorable little flower girls were smiling all day long and clearly loved their roles in the wedding.

 The reception menu was spectacularly unique.  There were fantastic appetizers, delicious salads and the main course was paella that was cooked perfectly by Ben at Azafron Catering.  Sarah even got in the fun and helped stir the dish.  It was entertaining to watch the meal grow more and more colorful and the resulting meal was crazy good!

Delicious!

I am totally behind on my blog posts and for those who visit regularly, forgive me!  I have had 3 beautiful weddings the past few weekends and I am up to my nose in processing their photos along with other client portrait work.  Here are a few favorites from Corry and Demico’s wedding at Newcastle.  I loved this spontaneous moment where Demico leaned back as if to thank the heavens for his beautiful bride.

Below Corry awaits the ceremony with a quiet moment on the deck.

Demico and his crew.

Newcastle at night…what a beautiful setting for a wedding.

Check back soon for more posts of the latest weddings.  Including a destination wedding in South Carolina.

Cory was a groomsman at his sisters wedding that I photographed a few years ago.  When he and Sheneil called to say they were engaged and wanted me to photograph their wedding I was super excited.  It is always an honor to capture family events and when you know some of the family it is all that much more personal.  The Kliewer family is  one of the nicest bunch of people you will ever meet.  I was thrilled to find that Sheneil also came from a great family. 

This year I started doing bridal portraits before the groom sees his lady.  It is the first time a bride is in her gown from veil to shoes with her hair and makeup done to perfection.  I take some shots, show them some of the images and it is a “WOW, IS THAT REALLY ME” moment.  Once brides see what I’m capturing it is smooth sailing.  I showed Sheneil a few of these shots and she instantly became so totally comfortable with herself.

Cory is an amazing man.  Not only is he smokin’ hot….but he is sensitive and kind.  He actually searched out Julie and I at the reception to personally thank us for doing such a great job capturing their day…and he hadn’t even seen a photo yet.  He said he knew when he watched me work at his sister’s wedding that when he and Sheneil were ready to tie the knot, I’d be the photographer there capturing their day.  For a guy who wasn’t even engaged at the time to recognize that was impressive.  And the fact that he took the time to come and thank me on his wedding day was even more impressive.   Lance and Lynn you should be proud of your son.  Sheneil, you have got yourself a keeper!

While photographing Cory, Sheneil’s maid of honor handed her a beer.  This classic shot of the beautiful bride with the Budweiser cracks me up.

Julie caught this moment while Sheneil was perched up on her Daddy’s vintage car.  I love it. 

Moments before walking down the aisle, Sheneil and her Dad took a deep breath and took in the moment that they both had anticipated in their dreams for years. 

Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Cory Kliewer.  Have fun on your honeymoon!

I was super excited for this engagement session.  After 3 reschedules (got to love the weather we have had this summer) we finally picked a great evening and went to Golden Gardens.  Elizabeth has this amazing energy with a smile that lights up her eyes.  Mike is very relaxed and so adorable with Elizabeth.  They are Bee U Tee Ful together!  I have the honor of photographing their wedding next May and I can’t wait!

What an amazing sunset!!! It almost looks fake….but honestly this is how it came out of my camera.  Glorious!

Business is crazy, I don’t have time to be posting blogs.  Yet I decided to stay up late and get some work done…when I was editing their photos, I just had to post a quick one.  Must run.  It is after midnight and I still have retouching and photo processing to do before I catch a wink of sleep and then I am back at it again tomorrow. 

After about 10 minutes of photographing Cyndi for her bridal portraits, I stopped and showed Cyndi a few of the beautiful images.  BAM that was it.  Once she saw what she really looked like, her inner “America’s Next Top Model” came through.  Cyndi was on FIRE!!!  Turn up the heat baby…and did she ever.   

She got her father’s eyes….big, beautiful, and really blue.

 Cyndi really lit up when she saw Kevin.  They are absolutely adorable together.  She cried big crocodile tears and Kevin was so happy to be with her.  I think this was about the only time I caught him not looking at his beautiful bride. I thought he looked rather GQ.

Look at those shoes.  Kevin wore checkered Vans and Cyndi wore gorgeous green heels.  I love the way they pulled their own personalities into their attire. 

Even the precious flower-girl had Vans on, but hers were PINK checkered. 

So I missed my son’s first ever tackle football game to be at Kevin and Cyndi’s wedding….my son scored FOUR touchdowns.  If I couldn’t be photographing him playing his game, I can’t think of any other place I would have rather been.  Thanks for making the day so fun for Julie and for me.  Kevin and Cyndi have a fantastic trip to Mexico and I’ll be in touch when you return to share the rest of your gorgeous images. 

The Chapel of St. Ignatius at Seattle University Campus is AMAZING to photograph in and around.  Now, add a beautiful bride and groom, a breathtaking dress and fun attitudes ready to get creative…and we have a day full of dreamy wedding photos.  The date was 08.08.08 which in itself is pretty unique.  The weather was perfect.  It was sunny but not too hot with a breeze that kept the veil moving.  April and I were in heaven.

Even on a rainy day, this church as so many windows and angles that the light reflects beautifully inside. 

Veils add a playfulness to wedding photography.  Often they get caught up in the breeze.  It helps create candid moments like this one where Suzanne reached up trying to prevent it from blowing into their faces. 

The wedding party was fun and ready to do whatever we suggested…including getting into the reflection pool. 

Father Jerry Cobb officiated the service.  He was Adam and Suzanne’s professor at Seattle University and knew them well.  The guests were captivated by his sermon where he spoke of many things including how Adam and Suzanne met, fell in love, and the significance of the 08.08.08 date being so symbolic.  Turn the 8 sideways and it is the symbol of eternity and looks remarkably like 2 rings intertwined.  It also happened to be the first day of the Olympics which is also symbolized by intertwined rings.  Clearly, Father Cobb had really thought through this wedding ceremony and personalized it perfectly to Adam and Suzanne.  I also liked that before the ceremony when I introduced myself he said, “Do what you need to get beautiful shots, no restrictions”.  I mean come on….who says that….that is so cool.  I have great equipment so I didn’t need to get in front of the guests to get my shots, but just the fact that he said that made me think WOW this guy is cool. 

Leaving the Chapel, it was off to Pravda Studios for a spectacular reception.

This beautiful cake topper is an antique and was used in Suzanne’s grandparent’s wedding on top of their cake.

Each guest was given a blown glass ball to take home. Larger ones were floating in the reflection pool outside the church. 

The best man made a hilarious toast.  It had the entire room in tears of laughter!

 Suzanne and Adam, I can’t wait to put your wedding album together.  Your wedding was spectacular.  To see some of the amazing images that April photographed of your day, visit her blog at www.aprilgreerblog.com and scroll down to her post date of 8/11.

Most of my business is created through referrals.  After years of photographing weddings, you begin to see many of the families again and again.  They are either having another wedding within their family or they are a guest at the event that they referred me to photograph.  At Wes and Leone’s wedding, I counted up the times I had photographed the wedding party.  Between just the people shown here, I have photographed them 7 times, 4 of their senior photos and 3 of the couples weddings….and that doesn’t even count the guests who were there that I’ve worked with because of the referrals from this wedding party.  It is always a treat to work with clients multiple times, I feel like part of the family.  Thank you for your continued support of my business.

If anyone needs to rent a flower girl, these little dolls are professionals…..and so sweet.  

Wes and Leone, there are lots of beautiful images coming your way soon. 

Details, details, details……WOW, did Erica wrap that one up in a bow!!  This wedding was so intimate and beautiful down to the very last detail.  Almost every one of the 60 or so guests flew into town to witness Erica and Greg tie the knot.  They were treated to a first class elegant affair.  I love the simple elegance of her flowers. 

Erica thought of everything, she even had a beautiful note of appreciation written to her parents.  They both got emotional when reading it.

Yummy…….

Even more Yummy!

Okay, I know I have been slacking lately….BIG TIME….and for those who visit my blog regularly, I apologize!!  I have been shooting like crazy.  Weddings, weddings, and MORE weddings…..  My portrait work is on fire while everyone tries to catch the warm weather that evaded us the first half of 2008.  And of course lots of babies are being born so it is like a nursery in my studio.  

After shooting, I’m soccer-carpool mom, baseball-carpool mom, and starting next week football-carpool mom 5 nights a week between both kids.  Thank God for my wonderful husband and grandparents.  I can’t be 2 places at once.  So again, forgive me for not posting some of the amazing images I’ve shot lately.  I promise I will! 

I fed this guy a carrot and when he realized I only had one, he got a little pissy with me.  Better his teeth than his other end coming at me though!

Check back soon……good stuff coming!

I met Ashley 2 years ago when she became my son’s Kindergarten teacher.  It was her first year teaching.  Rob and I went into the school year with our fingers crossed that she would be a good fit for our little man.  Well, she blew us away with her genuine interest in the kids academic and social growth, her engaging teaching style, and her dynamic personality.  Ashley quickly became one of our favorite people in the entire school. 

 Last year Ashley and Travis came to meet with me to talk about their wedding.  I was both excited and honored that they would entrust me with capturing their special day.  However, I did specify that if I was to take the job…..there was one rule.  Ashley had to leave the school teacher hat at school and bring her sexy little bride veil instead.  I told her that I needed her to trust me if I ask her to do something crazy because the results will be fantastic. What happens in Coeur D’Alene…stays in Coeur D’Alene.  But here is a little peek of the amazing event that April and I witnessed.  She was a totally sexy bride and completely in love with her man!

Not many brides are willing to lay down on the ground for a shot like this.  When I saw the carpet in the hotel, I knew it would be a phenomenal shot and that she would be up for it.  When I was taking these shots, I knew right then that these would be some of my favorites.  I was right….LOVE ‘EM.

Travis and I got to know each other better when he came with Ashley to some of my son’s baseball games.  It was so fun to see him all dressed up and looking fab. 

April was photographing Travis around the corner while I was working with Ashley on this cool black door.  Travis kept peeking around the corner for a glimpse of his beautiful lady.  He couldn’t keep his eyes off of her.

We had a blast with the wedding party.  We met in a bar….did some FUN shots like this one and then headed outside for more playful stuff.  Much like Travis and Ashley, they were up for anything!  It makes our job such fun to have creative freedom to be playful and not just stand people shoulder to shoulder.

Just before the ceremony a guest knocked over one of these candles and it rolled….still lit….down the aisle and under a pew.  Luckily, a groomsman was quick to duck and roll along with it under the pew.  He grabbed it and the wedding processional began.  Wow, that could have been a disaster!

At the reception, there was a surprise wedding crasher.  Ashley and Travis met at the Coug Pub in Pullman, both graduated from WSU, and as you can tell by the crimson and grey wedding colors….they are HUGE Coug fans.  They had no idea that Butch the WSU mascot was coming to their celebration.  Here Ashley planted a big kiss on Butch.   Don’t worry Travis, you are still her number one man.

This cat gets around.  I caught him dancing with every bridesmaid in the room….I think I even saw him cutting it up with grandma at one point.

Can you guess which groomsmen is the HUSKY?  He swore he’d never get his photo taken with Butch unless a few conditions were met.  Everyone who got their photo taken with Butch made a donation toward Travis and Ashley’s honeymoon “fun money”and they had to collect over $500.   Second, Travis had to agree to have his photo taken with the Husky mascot the next time they had the chance.  Well, $525 later Travis and Ashley will be enjoying some extra fun in Mexico…..and the photo I’m sure will end up in many of these guys offices and homes.  Go Dawgs!  (Had to throw that one in there).  

Well, Ashley and Travis, THANK YOU for a fantastic weekend.  I love you both and can’t wait to share the rest of your images with you when you get home from Mexico!

 To see some more fun shots from the weekend, visit April’s Blog.  Thanks for making the road trip with me Ape.  Your are a star.