joeynicole.com/blog

I was so excited when my Aunt Lori asked me to photograph her family this Fall. And even more excited when we designed the shoot around Matt’s passion – riding. What better to get a dad engaged in family photos than by asking him to bring one of his motorcycles along for the shoot? Mom and Dad arrived equipped with leather in all the right places, and son JD and their  mini schnauzer, Lexi, were in tow looking quite awesome as well. How many schnauzers do you know that sport a mohawk? Enjoy a few images from a gorgeous Fall day…

Not your average family portrait :)

JD and his pal, Lexi.

I love JD’s hair color against those yellow trees!

Lori gets more beautiful every day. It’s like she anti-ages :)

We found a few leaves to play with…

The wedding is TOMORROW. Tomorrow! And I’m just posting their engagement photos. They booked us so long ago, but life got busy and we didn’t end up doing the engagement shoot until last month. I think it’s so fun to get to photograph a couple in their real clothes, hanging out where they like to hang out, with no real time agenda. Gorgeous Lucy even joined us for a few photographs. (She’s the redhead.) We got really lucky with the weather this day – it was one of those “iffy” Seattle days, where it looked really gorgeous, but the forecast showed trouble brewing. And I just love myself a little trouble :) How else would we get such fun cloud shots? Enjoy a few from Addie and Matt’s engagement shoot, and stay tuned for the upcoming blog post about their wedding tomorrow!!

Addie and Matt – thank you for choosing us! We are so excited to share your day with you tomorrow :)

I was so excited when Michelle asked me to take a few photographs of her for her new website she’s putting together. Finally, I had the chance to return the favor.

Michelle, you see, is one fabulous PR gal. When I opened up my boudoir photography business, she’s the one who helped me get the word out. I hired her for her belief in my business and because she was one person I really felt understood what I wanted to do. She knows just about everybody in town, and within a couple of months helped spread the word about Boudoir better than I ever could have on my own.

Perhaps your business could use a bit of PR? Definitely check her out. She’s as smart as she is beautiful :)

“When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”

I don’t know the author of this quote, but I’ve heard it before and absolutely love it. Each time I hear it, it reminds me of how I felt the moment I knew I wanted to marry Jake.

This is also the quote on Katie’s Facebook wall. And while Katie and Casey won’t be officially wed until next May, I know it’s safe to say that they have already begun their journey together. We’re so excited to be the ones to document it for them as well. Enjoy a few of their downtown Seattle engagement photos. Their adorable pup, Lola, even joined in for a few :)

Hi friends! Welcome to the brand new Joey Nicole Photography BLOG!!! I am so excited to share this with you today. First & foremost – please note that there is a new (much more fitting) NEW BLOG ADDRESS: http://www.joeynicole.com/blog. Bookmark it, or subscribe to the RSS feed to receive new posts directly in your email.

I hope you enjoy the new layout… it’s fresh, clean and simple; and will allow you to browse and expand posts at YOUR preference. There are also some updated features that will easily allow you to share posts via twitter & facebook, because we’ve got to keep up with our social networking, right?!

I went ahead and moved a few posts over from the old blog, so that it didn’t look so empty to start, but the old blog will still be around if you wish to see an older post. I wasn’t able to move all the comments over, which is a bummer, so please feel free to drop new ones here when you’re inspired to do so!

In the spirit of keeping things fresh and current, please stay tuned – it’s been one crazy busy summer and we have lots more photos to share with you still :)

Also, you’ll notice that our logo had a little makeover – still the same fun font layout, but now it has a pretty vintage border around it, and we think it fits our photography style perfectly. So you’ll be seeing this around much more!

Thanks for all your love and support – it means the world to myself and Jake :) We love you just for stopping by!

Every once in awhile, I will take a photograph that I consider to be a distinct representation of our work. This image (above) is one of those images. When I finished editing it, I knew it was just perfect. I think I shouted down the hall to Jake that I just made magic happen, because I had given the perfect image the perfect finishing touch in photoshop. This photograph makes me all warm and fuzzy inside, and I know I will never tire of looking at it.

As a Wedding Photographer, I am so spoiled. I get to go to work and be in the presence of love. No matter what kind of weather we’re having, or chaos that weddings can bring, for several moments throughout the wedding day I get to feel a little piece of the love that brings our couples together.

From the fabulous toasts, to comments from friends and family that I overheard, I know that I am not the only one who feels the presence of love around Jackie and Zach. These two have the ability to just look at each other and let the world around them melt away.

Jackie and Zach… we adore you guys, and we are so happy to have had the opportunity to photograph your wedding. Until the rest are ready, please enjoy these :)

Zach waiting for Jackie, just before their First Look…

Often, I find myself striving so hard for the creative, when I am reminded that simple and straightforward is so timeless and beautiful. I adore this shot…

I mentioned this in Part 1, but the wedding took place at Twin Willow Garden in Snohomish. Just beautiful!

hey wrote their own vows… at trend we’re seeing much more often lately. Such a nice, personal touch to the ceremony.

Okay, this was interesting… the land owner wanted to show us the “Outdoor Bedroom” on the property. Hidden away, we had no idea what to expect. It used to have a gorgeous view of the valley, but has since been surrounded by tree growth. It turned out to be the perfect, private spot for Jackie and Zach to exchange some wedding love notes :)

Toasting was done at the most PERFECT time for lighting. I am still drooling over this light!

The first dance. My shot on the left, and Jake’s on the right. Such a bonus, having 2 photographers :)

Okay kids, smoking is BAD. But it looks sooooo cool in these photos, doesn’t it? :)

The getaway car!

Jackie and Zach had the most beautiful garden wedding this Summer. There were soooo many favorite images I wanted to blog, that I have decided to share them over two entirely different posts. Yes, there was just THAT much eye candy!

Jake and I were so spoiled… this was an entire outdoor wedding during one of the longest days of the year which means this was shot with 100% natural light. We don’t get that a lot in Seattle, so we soaked up every last minute of it!

Today, you will see the gorgeous details of their wedding at Twin Willow Gardens in Snohomish.

Several of these details are part of the natural setting at Twin Willow Gardens, and some are the details added from Bride and Groom.

I was in editing heaven while I worked on these… so many beautiful colors, lighting and textures to play with… I feel an exceptional sense of peace when I look at these. I hope you enjoy them too :)

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Zach made this sign by hand… when we arrived at the wedding, he was knee-deep in the ditch planting it here :)

The Bridal Bouquet…

Jake found the perfect spot for this image of Jackie’s stunning bridal gown…

Some cooling refreshments for a hot, Summer day…

The Groom himself made the cupcake stand! Cupcakes provided by Cupcake Royale…

You might remember Jayme and Jordan from their Engagement Shoot this Winter. A gorgeous, sunny day at Pike Place Market. And their wedding day this July was just as beautiful…. and a tad bit warmer :)

We took advantage of the fabulous Seattle summer, and took lots of photos outdoors. Jake and I just love ourselves a bride willing to build her wedding schedule around the photo opportunities, and Jayme did just that, allowing us lots of time for fun. Although the sun was super-bright mid-day, Jayme had found the perfect spot for photos, right underneath a gorgeous Willow tree at the park. The shade kept us all cool, and the drooping Willow branches provided the most beautiful varieties of green leaves as a backdrop. It tickled my senses thinking that nature provided us something so beautiful, for such a special occasion.

Jayme & Jordan’s wedding was so much fun to photograph, from a super sweet Bride and Groom, to an entertaining wedding party, lots of family love, and special vintage touches, I am so proud to show off a few of my favorite images.

Jayme and Jordan… thank you for being so comfortable in front of the camera, and for trusting us to take the shots as we saw them. I’m still so amazed at how naturally you both relax in front of our big lenses! We hope you enjoy the photos :)

Ceremony Venue: St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Medina
Reception Venue: Maggiano’s Little Italy
Flowers: Lawrence the Florist
Cake: Sweet Cakes
DJ: E-Rock Entertainment
Bridal & Bridesmaid Hair & Bridal Make Up: Gene Juarez Salons & Spas (Bellevue location)
Car Service: British Motor Coaches
Photography: Jake & Joey of Joey Nicole Photography

They wrote their own vows, their most intimate thoughts about each other, and read them in front of 175 of their closest friends and family. We’re seeing it more and more these days, but something about what Katie and Joel had to say about each other had me especially tingly. These two knew from the moment they met that their connection was so much more than they’d expected. And at the W Hotel Seattle this 4th of July, they promised forever to each other.

With a color palette of pinks and purples, and a carte blanche pass for the florist, the details at this wedding were nothing short of phenomenal. When we complimented the bride & groom on such a gorgeous wedding, she could only explain it as the result of her obsession with one too many wedding blogs. So thank you, fellow bloggers, for inspiring such a stunning wedding for our happy couple. Jake and I just love ourselves a little eye candy :)

I dedicate these photos to the following…

*A makeup artist, Frederick, who did SO much more than just apply the Bride’s makeup.
*The W Hotel Seattle’s coordinator, Gretchen Wiseman, for being present, helpful, and just plain awesome every single moment throughout the day.
*Really amazing Groomsmen who looked the part, did the job, were forever patient, and so very nice.
*Bridesmaids, who did more than just hold flowers and look pretty. The best friends a Bride could have.
*Jamie Hansen, Makeup artist, for enhancing the Bridesmaids’ already natural beauty.
The families, who trekked to the woods, in the rain, for some very important family photos.
*The Michael Benson Band, for bringing so much energy and life to the party. Anyone who can sound like the Black Eyed Peas and Journey all in one night are stars in my book :)
*Lea Czyzewski, owner of Florarama, for bringing Katie’s vision to life in such a beautiful way.
*And of course, Katie and Joel, who braved more than a mist of rain for some romantic photos, and for letting us be the ones to capture your most important day. We wish you the brightest future.

Maud, we love your boundless energy & love of life. Thank you for all you have sent our way :)

A special shout out and a Happy One-Year Anniversary go out to our adorable friends, Liz & Jeff (on the left here). It was at Liz and Jeff’s wedding on the Fourth of July 2009 where Katie and Joel found out about our photography. May you all have fabulous anniversaries filled with fireworks for the rest of your lives :)

She just laid there. Quiet. Unmoving. Practically comatose and completely unresponsive to my charm. Not my typical client at all. I was already starting to perspire. I had heated the studio up to 82 degrees or so, and we had the soft rhythm of womb sounds playing in the background. I was *this* close to laying down beside on the big fuzzy Pottery Barn blanket she had come in with…

I wasn’t sure what to do next. Like I said, not my typical client. She wasn’t nervously awaiting coaching from me, or wondering whether she should look at the lens or not for this shot, she just laid there. Quiet. Unmoving. Practically comatose. But I was already in love.

This was, by far, the most peaceful photo shoot I’ve ever done. Maybe that’s because mom and dad were there, and so attentive to her every need. With just 9 days of practice, they handled her with such care and love. I think I could get used to this.