Kristin + Pooji's Spurgeon Creek Wedding - Tenino, WA | Olympia Wedding Photographer

Hello, friends! Last month we celebrated the one year anniversary of Kristin + Pooji’s beautiful December wedding. Covid style of course! (Check out the sleek masks!)

Kristin + Pooji are such an amazing couple. I have had the pleasure of capturing their love on several occasions throughout their relationship and it’s been so fun to watch their love grow.

It wasn’t quite the Leavenworth winter wonderland they had been dreaming of but it didn’t rain, the florals were amazing, they were surrounded by their closest friends and family AND they got hitched so really it was a WIN! We have since joked about making their wedding an annual tradition, haha! I’m all in! Either way we need to adventure soon and go seek out some snow for a fun snowy couples session, you two!!

Venue: Spurgeon Creek Estates

DJ: Tony Garcia of Garcia Entertainment

Makeup & Hair: Heather Gilkey of Babelash Studio & Hair Designs

Flowers: Danielle Johnson of Velvet Petals Designs

Cake: R&G Baking Co.

Dress: BHLDN

P.S. If you’re wondering why Kristin + Pooji look so badass, it’s because they are. Just saying.

P.S.S. If you are getting married and need AMAZING DJ’s then call Pooji and Kristin!

DJ Pooji x Sunshine are a fantastic and entertaining DJ duo! Hit up quick, they book up fast!

Of course this all happened right before Bernie and his mittens at the 2021 Inauguration and someone just HAD to put add him in the fun. I hadn’t laughed that hard in quite some time. I can’t remember who did this but if you want credit message me!

XOXO,

Sarah

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Amanda + Craig's Center of Urban Horticulture Wedding | Olympia Wedding Photographer

Venue: Center of Urban Horticulture - Seattle, WA

Wedding Planner/Day of Coordintor - Mama Ernestien + Roz of My Perfect Wedding Assistant aka Bride’s B*tch

Officiant: Weston Lucas

Caterer: Pacific Northwest Catering

DJ: Robert Wade Music

Baker: CP Treats Seattle

Hair Stylist: Jacqueline Rocha of Georgetown IDOL

MakeUp: Ryann Brady Hair and Makeup

XOXO,

Sarah

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35 Ideas to Make Your Wedding Day Unique | Olympia Wedding Photographer

Customize your day, make it fun! Here are some ideas to make your wedding day unique!

1. Pay homage to the important details of your relationship… state you met, restaurant from your first date, favorite activity to do together etc by decorating your reception or cocktail hour space with details of these places.

2. Avoid some of the pre-ceremony jitters by getting ready together. Laugh and spend the morning with your love, then help each other get dressed. More fun, less stress.

3. Go paperless! Send out electronic invites or use embroidered hankies or cloth for napkins, menus and invites.

4. Choose a colorful dress and have your bridesmaids wear white.

5. Select mixed gender bridal parties. Man of Honor and Groomsmaid have a nice ring to them!

6. Opt for a non-traditional bouquet. Feather, greens, pine cones and dried flowers are all beautiful and unique. See some ideas for epic and non-traditional bouquets HERE.

7. Instead of the traditional unity ceremony with sand or candles build or buy a clock and start the time on it during your ceremony. This idea is different and you can display the clock in your home.

8. Don’t let mom feel left out! Have both your parents walk you down the aisle. You can also have someone very special like Grandma or your bestie do this!

9. Skip the bridal party introductions and go right to dinner! This gives you more time with your guests and everyone is ready to eat by then anyway.

10. Instead of a head table for the wedding party, set up round or square tables in the middle of your guests. Head tables put the wedding party on display while they eat!

11. Decorate your tables with small custom items rather than large floral arrangements. Tall vases block views of the other side of the table and limit conversation between table mates.

12. Instead of having everyone line up for posed family photos, schedule 20 or so minutes to socialize with them. Laugh, tell stories, hug, pray… and have your photographer capture these interactions without the pressure of posed photos.

13. During cocktail hour support local businesses and show off your city by setting up tasting stations with local cuisine. Seafood if you live near the water, appetizers with fresh veggies if you live in farm country etc.

14. Toss out the idea of doing a garter and bouquet toss and replace them with a fun game that includes all your guests, instead of just the single ones.

15. Who says the flower girl has to be a young girl? Anyone can be a flower girl, so designate your granny, bestie or even your college roomie!

16. Set up a confetti bar and let your guests custom make little bags of confetti to throw. Dried or fresh flowers, flower petals, herbs, leaves, leaf confetti are just some ideas of what to include. Think biodegradable for easy cleanup!

17. Guest books usually end up in a box in storage, never to be seen again. Instead of a traditional book choose a more useful item like a wall hanging, picture or wooden puzzle to be signed.

18. Instead of offering your guests small trinkets for coming to your wedding, make a donation to your favorite charity in their name.

19. Create a scavenger hunt of items that can be found at the wedding. This allows your guests to interact more on your big day and have some fun!

20. Send a map and a list of “must do’s” for your city to your guests that are coming from out of town. This extra step will make your guests feel welcome and help them see your city.

21. Custom wine bottle labels are a great way to add a unique touch to your big day and the bottles can be saved as souvenirs by guests.

22. Have your best friends or parents create a trivia quiz about you two. This can be light and fun and get guests laughing.

23. Create a circular ceremony location with curved rows of chairs that go nearly all around except for a path to get to and from the center.. This way guests can view the ceremony better and you will be surrounded by your loved ones, literally. LOL.

24. Instead of a traditional cake or cupcakes, have a ice cream or sno-cone bar for guests to indulge in.

25. Another idea for dessert is to have a “family recipes” theme and serve desserts that are important and familiar to you. Display the story and importance of each dish and set out copies of the recipes for your guests.

26. Write a sweet message to groom on the bottom of his dress shoe. This will be a cute little surprise for him when he is getting ready!

27. Skip the buffet and go for a family style meal. It’s more personable an intimate.

28. Stack piles of cheese, olives, crackers, jam and other finger foods on large wood slabs as a unique way to display your hors d'oeuvres rather than on separate plates.

29. Instead of tossing your bouquet to a crowd of single women call on one woman that has made a positive impact on your life and celebrate her with a few words and giving her your bouquet.

30. Serve featured cocktails! Each of you can choose your favorite drink and those will be featured as the special cocktails of the night.

31. Make each of your guests feel special with a DIY flower bar. Provide flowers, pins, ribbons and basic instructions to make corsages and boutonniere and let your guests make their own custom pieces to wear.

32 Set up a table full of items to entertain your smallest of guests. Games, puzzles, bubbles, coloring sheets and kid-friendly snacks are all ideas you can stock your kids table with.

33. People love options! A fully stocked champagne, bloody mary or sangria bar can be an amazing and fun addition to your wedding! For champagne you can include berries, flavored syrups and cotton candy. For bloody mary’s stock it with olives, celery, A1, shrimp, pickled beans and hot sauce. For sangria you can have cut fruit such as apples, oranges or limes.

34. Surprise your guests with and end of night food truck. Offer a few of your favorite foods to fill their belly’s and soak up any of the… uh..um, … liquid … sloshing around in their stomachs.

35. On a smaller scale, as the night is winding down offer a ‘midnight snack’ to your guests. Cookies and milk or hot cocoa are great ideas!

XOXO,

Sarah

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Serena + Javi's Center for Urban Horticulture Wedding | Olympia Wedding Photographer

Serena + Javier tied the knot at the Center for Urban Horticulture on a smokey day last August. The Center for Urban Horticulture is definitely one of my most favorite Seattle wedding venues so I was stoked that this was one of two weddings I had there last year! There is a beautiful ceremony location down in Marilou Goodfellow Grove, which is where Serena + Javi chose to do their ceremony, but there is also a beautiful greenhouse room to be used if it’s raining. This is also a great location for a reception and dancing (see reception photos below.) There is a decent sized room for reception seating as well. I love all these things but the thing I love the most is the garden and all the unique flowers and plants that are around the venue. They are all so unique and well laid out, they make for beautiful detail photos as well as backgrounds for portraits. The combination of colors and textures were very well put together. Another perk to this venue is that Yesler Swamp is directly next door and is a cute, somewhat private location to do a first look and some bride and groom portraits. It adds great variety to the wedding gallery and is only a short walk away.

Serena + Javi chose different shades of purple for the bridesmaids dresses and beautiful tones of red, orange and green for their flowers. I must say that this is one of the most stunning bouquets I have ever seen! The colors and textures chosen where so perfect and matched Serena’s red shoes. The ambiance of the whole day was warmer than normal due to the sun shining down through all the smoke and it was just perfect with the warm tones of the florals.

Overall the wedding was so beautiful and fun! So many smiling faces and happy memories made. Congrats Serena + Javi!

Venue: Center for Urban Horticulture

Day of Coordinator: Katrina Allen of Love Blooms Wedding and Event Design

Florist: Laurel's Floral Decor

Caterer: Bay Laurel Catering

Hair/Make-up: KLS Makeup Artistry

Rentals: Grand Event Rentals

Music: Irwin Shung

Second Shooter: Malory Larson Photography

XOXO,

Sarah

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Ashley + Codey's Trinity Tree Farm Wedding | Olympia Wedding Photographer

Ashley + Codey tied the knot on a beautiful but typical Pacific Northwest fall day in September. Although there was the occasional sprinkle, the rain held off during the ceremony and during all the pictures! Thank you Mother Nature, we appreciate you!

The day started off pretty relaxed as Ashley and Codey each got ready with their closest friends and family. Fun toasts, wedding party presents and lots of laughter were highlights that morning, along with a game or two of pool, of course. I’m fairly certain that Codey didn’t stop smiling all day! Ashley is stunning to begin with but also Sorrida Salon did such an amazing job on her hair and make-up that I walked right by her! Ashley, you are gorgeous and looked like you belonged in a high-end bridal magazine!

Let’s take a moment to talk about the venue too, The Lodge at Trinity Tree Farm. What a GORGEOUS venue!!! I loved that it was clean, modern, well-lit, and convenient. The layout is great and there are excellent spots for formal photos on site as well. One of my favorite parts of the venue is that it is a Christmas tree farm…… so trees! The perfectly aligned rows of trees and the quaint gravel driveway that winds through the trees are excellent for beautiful bride and groom photos (and my OCD). Let’s be real with such a gorgeous couple and such an amazing location I could have spent hours exploring and taking pictures of them in the trees! A Pacific Northwest wedding photographer’s dream! Getting Married at Trinity Tree Farm?? Hiiiiiire me, pleeeease and let’s go play in the trees!

Wedding Planner / Day of Coordinator: Colleen Stanton

Florist: Down to Earth Flowers

Cake/Desserts: Mike’s Amazing Cakes

DJ/Band: DJ Daron

Hair + Makeup: Sorrida Salon

Wedding Dress: Made With Love (Stevie)

Wedding Party's Dresses: Show Me Your Mumu

Shoes: Badgley Mischka

Jewelry/Rings: Robbins Brothers’

Suits + Ties: The Black Tux (Hugo Boss)

Catering: The Tall Chef

Venue: Trinity Tree Farm

Second Shooter: Alexis Rae Photography

XOXO,

Sarah

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Contact me today and lets document all those little moments that make life beautiful

Ingrid + Dan's Ballard Bay Club Wedding | Olympia Wedding Photographer

Ingrid + Dan tied the knot this summer in a lovely outdoor ceremony at the Ballard Bay Club. Surrounded by friends, family and beautiful weather the day was simply amazing!

The morning of the wedding, both Ingrid and Dan got ready with a handful of their closest friends. It was all laughs and smiles (and yummy snacks) as we prepared for the big day. We then met at the Ballard Locks for the first look. There happened to be a concert happening but we found a private little spot in the woods for Ingrid + Dan’s intimate first glance at each other.

After the first look and family and wedding party portraits we headed over to the main venue for the Ketubah signing. Ingrid + Dan found the MOST amazing Ketubah on Etsy, isn’t it amazing?!?! What a beautiful collision of tradition and modern art.

The ceremony went off without a hitch and the Rabbi Aaron kept the atmosphere light and fun. (Side note, if you need a Rabbi, check him out - he’s great!)

One nice thing about having a wedding at the Ballard Bay Club is that the ceremony, cocktail hour location and dinner area is all together. There is an outdoor patio area as well for those who prefer to be outside. Such a beautiful space!

The whole day was just lovely! Also, I’d like to give a shout out to Anne Marie Jostol, she just does florals as a hobby but holy cow did she do an amazing job. I was baffled when I found out she didn’t have a Wedding florals business cause she should!

First Look Location: The Ballard Locks

Venue: Ballard Bay Club

Wedding Coordinator: Bridget Boggiano of The Plan Wedding Planning & Design

Bride Makeup: Emily Oliver Beauty

Bridesmaid's Makeup: Robertmakesfaces

Hair: Jess Sandiforth

Wedding Shoes: Badgley Mischka

Bridesmaids Dresses: Azazie

Cake: Morfey's Cake

Invitations: Minted.

Personalized Cutting Board: Blushing Bull Branding + Design

Bride Ring: Ben Bridge

Florist: Ann Marie Jostol

Rabbi: Aaron Meyer

Band: Blue Wave Band

Second Shooter: Tammy Dalquist Photography

XOXO,

Sarah

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Contact me today and lets document all those little moments that make life beautiful

Jess + Jeff's Woodland Park Zoo Wedding | Olympia Wedding Photographer

Dress: Lillian West via I Do Bridal

Bride's Shoes: Steve Madden

Bouquet: Eco Flowers

Suit: Calvin Klein via Men's Warehouse

Church: Luther Memorial - Lutheran Church ELCA

Reception: Woodland Park Zoo

Catering/desserts: Lancer Catering

Second Shooter: Tammy Dalquist Photography

XOXO,

Sarah

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Contact me today and lets document all those little moments that make life beautiful

Travia's Ft. Steilacoom Bridal Session | Olympia Wedding Photographer

Oh briiiiiiiiiiiiides! I know I post lots of these bridal sessions, but I just LOVE doing them! Such a great way to get some beautiful images of yourself and by doing your session on a day other than your wedding day you'll be more relaxed and it won't be taking away time you could be spending with your guests.

“Work on being in love with the person in the mirror who has been through so much but is till standing.”

“Love yourself enough to set boundaries. Your time and energy are precious. You get to choose how you use it. You teach people how to treat you by deciding what you will and won’t accept.” – Anna Taylor

“To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.”

“Don’t ever allow yourself to forget how incredibly special you are, even for a single second. Without you, the world would not be as magnificent. Let yourself remember to love again, starting with you loving you.”

“You, yourself, as much as anybody else in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” “If you have the ability to love, love yourself first.” “Demonstrate love by giving it, unconditionally, to yourself. And as you do, you will attract others into your life who will love you without conditions.

Bouquet by A Moment in Time Floral Design

Check out more beautiful bridal sessions below!! Also if you are in need of hair, makeup or florals for your bridal session click HERE.

XOXO,

Sarah

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Contact me today and lets document all those little moments that make life beautiful

Terrianna's Bridal Session | Olympia Wedding Photographer

A little bit of beautiful, and rare, Washington winter sun, a breathetaking bride and the perfect bouquet really go a long way!

Epic floral masterpiece by A Moment in Time Floral Design

XOXO,

Sarah

Like what you see? To see more please like Sarah Gonia Photography's Facebook page, follow us on Instagram and check out our Pinterest page!

Contact me today and lets document all those little moments that make life beautiful

Nicole + Timothy's Pt. Defiance Rose Garden Wedding | Tacoma Wedding Photographer

Nicole + Timothy said 'I do' among all the flowers in the Pt. Defiance Rose Garden in Tacoma, Washington. 

XOXO,

Sarah

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Contact me today and lets document all those little moments that make life beautiful

Danny + Marcos' Port Gamble Wedding | Olympia Wedding Photographer

Danny + Marcos got married in the quaint little town of Port Gamble. The getting ready houses, church, park for photos and reception area are all situated within a few minutes walk from each other which was so convenient! Right in the middle of all the venues is downtown Port Gamble. With a variety of coffee shops, restaurants and little gift stores it's the perfect place to explore in between wedding events. The best part is the scenery! The Pavilion, park and guest houses are all right on Gamble bay, near the entrance of the hood canal. Nothing is better than a view of the water and the smell of the ocean!

I photographed Danny + Marcos' engagement session in July and right away I could see how special of a couple they are. Smart, funny, kind and 120% committed to each other! My favorite part of spending time with Danny + Marcos was the big smiles that appeared on their faces when they looked at each other. You know that big grin that you can't hide when you find someone that causes butterflies in your stomach at the mere thought of them? That smile you get when someone turns your world upside down and sideways in the best way possible? Ya, that grin! These two share a pretty special connection!

There is nothing better than finding that one other soul that you can conquer anything with!

Congrats Mr. + Mr Cuellar! Here's to many years of happiness, love and endless smiles!

Church: St. Paul's Church (Port Gamble Weddings + Events)

Reception Venue: Hood Canal Vista Pavillion (Port Gamble Weddings + Events)

Flowers/Day of Coordinator: Flora Blume Design

Rings: Sholdt Design

Officiant: Ryan Meeks - Eastlake Community Church

Donuts: TopPot Doughnuts

Caterer: Lora's LeGarmache Catering

Tux's: The Black Tux

Groomsmaids Dresses: Nordstrom Wedding Boutique

DJ: Gordon Sound

Personalized Cutting Board: Lee Six Laser + Design

Second Shooter: Meghann Prouse // Photographer

See Danny + Marcos' Pioneer Square Engagement Session HERE.

Amber + Sam Say 'I do' at Stocker Farms | Snohomish Wedding Photographer

Stocker Farms is a quaint little farm venue in Snohomish, Washington. A big, and beautifully redone, red barn acts as an indoor area for ceremony or reception location. For summer weddings there is an outdoor ceremony location with a beautiful archway and real wood pews. A beautiful setting to say "I do." For wedding portraits there are fields of corn, a variety of flowers, the barn, an old water tower, a wall of tall dark green trees and more! The setting sun peeking around the water tower and through the trees adds a bit of magic to your wedding day. My favorite park of the venue is the entertainment section. There is basketball and yard games and a giant bag style trampoline to jump on. I love capturing emotion, especially happiness, so watching Amber + Sam's wedding guests laugh and smile as they played in the yard was definitely a highlight!

Amber + Sam, lovingly referred to as Samber, are fun and sweet! Such a light-hearted and genuine couple. Their love for each other and their sweet little family is worn on their sleeves. I could FEEL the love that they have for their kids and family and it just made their wedding day even more special. As a wedding photographer, I try to capture the most raw and real emotions so I just love when couples are so genuine!

Thank you to Amber + Sam for trusting me to capture your wedding! I'm honored to have been a part of your big day and I hope these memories bring you joy and smiles every time you look at them.

Make-up: Kasi Doyle

Hair: Krysta Betenbough

Hair Clip: Nicole Carter of Regalia Designs

Florist: Amber Baker (Yes, this amazing bride is an artist and made all these stunning flowers!)

Dress: David's Bridal

Venue: Stocker Farms

Second Shooter: One Thousand Words

XOXO,

Sarah

Like what you see? To see more please like Sarah Gonia Photography's Facebook page, follow us on Instagram and check out our Pinterest page!

Contact me today and lets document all those little moments that make life beautiful