Emily and Carl at the Space Needle!

So much beauty and color and perfection in the middle of the sun-charged chaos of the annual Folk Life Festival at the Seattle Center! Perched high above in the Space Needle, overlooking the music and gaiety, was the touching, fun and festive celebration for Carl and Emily. Blue was the color of the day and the contrasting greens and reds made sure of it. Her flowers, from Bela Rugosa, the cake from A Tier Above and even her sweet/zippy signature drink, “The Emily” kept with the theme. Reverend Ray Van Winkle (one of our faves) performed the intimate but light-hearted ceremony which is the couple. The fun, personal speeches, great food and non-stop dancing and revelry competed nicely against the other worthy festival below!

The very first UW Dept of Global Health Graduation!

What an honor to be part of the Department of Global Health’s historic first graduation from this new, important and timely University of Washington department! Held for 150 proud graduates at the Foege Auditorium on the beautiful campus, our associate photographer, Toni Pinto, was there to capture it all!

Wine & Culinary week at Bellevue Square!

Those of us lucky enough to attend the fabulous and mostly free Culinary and Wine Showcase put on by the fun, contemporary and generous people of The Bellevue Collection were treated to seven savory, palate-expanding days of cooking and grilling demonstrations, wine tastings, pairings, specialty dinners, and classes with food and wine experts. A “Bite and Flight” was offered to allow samples of a large variety of culinary and wine pairings from many restaurants throughout the Bellevue Collection. Vino 100 celebrated Winemaker of the Year, Brian Carter with food pairings to his hand-crated wines, while 0/8 Seafood Grill hosted and paired complete meals with wines from Alexandria Nicole Cellars, as did Cypress for Andrew Will winery, and Maggiano’s Little Italy for Waterbrook Winery.

The Viking Cooking Stage at Bellevue Square’s Center Court spotlighted favorite dishes prepared by chefs from local resturants including 0/8 Seafood Grill, Z Tejas Grill, and Oh! Chocolate. It was surrounded by a Tasting Lounge with over 40 different Washington wines to pair with samples from a few Bellevue Square merchants like Oil and Vinegar and Godiva Chocolatier.

The Showcase event honored and served endless samplings from dozens of 2008 Washington Award winners, while another event gave Kathy Casey the chance to offer festive party tips and great menus to a crowd that packed the ballroom.

On the last day, John Sarich, Chateau Ste Michelle’s Culinary Director and local celebrity, led a cadre of local chefs in a “Grill Like a Pro” demonstration that attracted a large, inquisitive, note-taking crowd. It was a delicious week of tasting and learning!

Senator Murray’s Golden Tennis Shoe Awards

Senator Patty Murray’s annual awards to go to extraordinary Washingtonians who are doing amazing work and advocacy on behalf of others. Thursday’s Award event, held at the Washington State Convention Center was inspirational! A mother that cares for her son who was wounded and brain-injured in Iraq, now works tirelessly to ensure other war veterans receive the necessary care they deserve. Another who’s daughter developed and eventually succumbed to leukemia created an international organization that connects people to care and resources - many who live in remote parts of the world can now access services through her organization. Finally, another hard-working, selfless awardee coordinates Central Washington housing through local church congregations for the many people in need of places to stay.

Of equal note is the amazing life story of the event’s Keynote. Tammy Duckworth is currently the Director of Veterans’ Affairs for the State of Illinois but earlier, she served in Iraq as a Black Hawk helicopter pilot and as a result of rocket attack, lost both of her legs and partial use of one arm. She received many decorations for her service including the Purple Heart and the Air Medal and has dedicated her life to public service and serves as an advocate on behalf of other veterans. Tammy has testified before Congress regarding medical care and employment for returning veterans. (taken in part from the People for Patty Murray website)

Ali’s Bat Mitzvah

If you’re going to have a coming of age celebration on a lake overlooking Seattle, you oughta make sure the ceremony at Herzl Ner Tamid comes off without a hitch, all your family and favorite friends show up to enjoy themselves and it’s a nice day to make the most of both locations. Ali’s bat mitvah and party last Saturday couldn’t have been more perfect! The theme was “Paris” - her favorite vacation spot and Caterarts on Lake Union helped make it “lumeires et de fete” (fun and festive) Parisian-style. The placecards w/photos of French monuments, Eiffel Tower center-pieces and posters, and scrumptious crepe station easily set the tone. Dancing, smiles and laughter was non-stop! Besides Ali, the clear, beautiful, warm (finally!) spring day, were the toasts of the evening!

Nathan’s Bar Mitzvah

The Ohio State Buckeyes were in town! Or at least it seemed like that at Nathan’s Bar Mitzvah this weekend - scarlet and gray were out in full force! We had the pleasure of spending TWO days with the family–first the rehearsal at Herzl Ner Tamid, then the party to end all parties at the Bellevue Westin. The reception was full of fun friends and family, rockin’ dj’s and dancers from Premier Entertainment, a henna artist from Mendhi Madness, super food and our Studio-On-The-Go. Everyone proudly wore their Big-10, Buckeye best and OSU mementos were EVERYWHERE! Nathan and his teacher even gave a hip-hop lesson after their performance.

And did I mention they love the Buckeyes? Congratulations to Nathan and his BIG celebration!

Bianca

Senior portraits are always a great time and Bianca’s session was no different! We had a perfect spring evening and made good use of the warm weather. Bianca was a natural in front of the camera–her easy smile and energy was contagious! Look for her next year on the UW volleyball court!

Jules & Travis

Having seen our fashion photographs in a magazine last year, Jules and Travis were excited to win the photo session Red Fish Blue Fish donated to Overlake Service League’s auction. They were great fun to photograph especially after we found out their last portraits were from their wedding 10 years ago! The anniversary milestones - 5, 10, 15 years - should be official “photo occasions” after a wedding, and besides, a couple can never have too many cute photos of themselves! Since these two were cute to begin with, it made our job a whole lot easier

Naomi & Dave

The sun made a long-awaited appearance for Naomi & Dave’s engagement photos down at Myrtle Edwards and Olympic Sculpture parks. The location was extra special since it was the site of Dave’s proposal. (We even recreated the event on the very bench!) They looked fabulous as they giggled, nuzzled and smooched their way through our photo session.

Mary & Timmy

Their mom isn’t going to believe it–but Mary & Timmy DID slow down enough to be captured on camera. The kids were great! They were cute, funny and interested in everything–except getting their photo taken sometimes. No problem for us! We just followed and let them do their thing. Our outdoor studio gave them room to run and dirt to dig. Great moments always happen. We just need to be in the right place to capture them.