The Sullivan Wedding

Mike and Angela's wedding. Oh, Man, what a day! This was my first time to heading to the top of Washington State, which is definitely one of the most beautiful locations on the planet. The ceremony itself was held at a private location. Mike's best man's pop's place. When I arrived at the house, Angela and her bridesmaids were getting ready on the lower level. Everyone was so laid back and down to Earth. Definitely my type of people. At one point I looped around outside to catch a shot of Angela with the Make-up artist. I wanted to get a nice shot through the window. If I remember correctly, I remembered to make sure Angela knew what I was up to, but the make-up artist had no clue. So of course, as I come creeping up outside and stick my lens on the glass, the make-up artist turns back and nearly jumps out of her shoes. Needless to say, that was a pretty good little laugh as soon as the artist realized a wasn't a serial axe murderer. The gents got ready down the hill a bit. I jumped in Mike's truck with the best man to get there and we collected the groom and groomsmen in the truck bed as we took the dirt road to the little forest shack Mike used to crash in. That little cruise down put me in the best mood. It reminded me of home with that small town feel. It didn't take long for the gents to get ready (never does), leaving plenty of time to grab a swig and catch a breather, so I jogged the dirt path back up to the house. The smell of wet dirt, trees, and moss made me want to stay outside, so after we grabbed some bridal shots and the buttoning of the dress, I made sure to head back out for some bridal shots through the window. I could tell that both Angela and Mike felt a bit camera shy, which I completely understand. I'm the same way, that's why I usually hide behind the camera. But it didn't take long before they opened up. With Angela, we did her bridal shots by the window. It was the first time I was grabbing shots that weren't candid, so posing was interesting at first. It didn't take long for her to get comfortable though, so we just talked, laughed and posed at the same time. All the smiles were genuine. When we eventually headed down to the weeping willow where the ceremony would take place, I walked with the ladies as they scooted along under the umbrellas. Under the tree, the ukelele played and the tears came pouring down. Seriously, you didn't think that was rain in the pictures? It's the PNW, that place is as dry as an AA meeting. Nope, only tears of joy. I won't get into depth about the ceremony itself, but it was perfect. Short and simple. Although, the vows did get a bit drenched. Luckily they made it through just fine. I heard they even got to kiss each other at the end. Ooo-hoo, scandalous. After the ceremony and group shots, Mike wanted to get a shot with the ferry that his grandpa was the captain of. They jumped in my car and we took off together. We drove the amazing backroad on the way into Anacortes, where we dropped by a docking area for our shots. While we waited, I got to chat with Mike and Angela for a bit, which was awesome. Any awkwardness that might have possibly existed at that point was definitely gone, like poofy hair and parachute pants (may they rest in peace). When the ferry passed by, we jumped out in the rain and worked quickly. I absolutely loved the shots we got. Best of all, nobody got lost or fell in the water. Mission accomplished! My mother would be proud. After our little creative venture, we were back in the car and on our way to the reception. Angela may or may not have taken a nap in the back seat. Mike and I chatted. Oh, what about? None of your beeswax. Moving forward. :) Reception time!! Dancing, food, mingling, food, cake, and drinks... did I mention food? Seriously though, It was some tasty grub. The venue gave a perfect vintage farm-style feel. I'm told that Angela and Mike's wedding was the first one at the venue, and Angela is actually the events manager. So... If you happen to be up in northern Washington and you're looking for a great venue, the Edison Granary is a killer place. Shoot me a message if you need contact information. The reception was very memorable. I think one of my favorite parts was the fact that there weren't many phones out. I always want to ninja kick people's phones out of their hands when they're drowning in it at an exciting event. Revolution of the cell phone zombie apocalypse! No, everyone seemed extremely happy and right where they wanted to be. I know I was. I even made a new friend, Lauren. The lighting was perfect, the people were stellar... even despite the wet weather, it never felt like there was a sad cloud in the sky. No bitterness, only sweetness. Mike and Angela joined on the dance floor, Angela's mom performed her speech with an acoustic guitar, followed by her dad, best man, and maid of honor. The best man balanced his baby, which was a crowd entertainer. I thought he might start juggling, but I think the baby respectfully declined. Food was devoured and the cake was massaged into facial pores. I mean, I always love a good cake fight. Mike pulled Angela in for a kiss and just cat rubbed his cake-laden beard all over her. Priceless. More dancing, sunset kisses, and tasty spirits kept the night alive for quite some time. I'm extremely grateful that I was brought out to capture the night. And now, feel free to check out 112 of the 776 shots captured. I hope you enjoy them! Cheers, Angela and Mike Sullivan!