Tracie Howe Photography – Seattle Wedding Photographer | Seattle elopement photographer | Destination wedding and elopement photographer | Pacific Northwest wedding and elopement photographer | Family and lifestyle photographer | Travel photographer based in Seattle. » Seattle destination wedding and travel photographer. Specializing in documentary and candid photography for adventurous souls wanting a destination wedding or elopement. I love working with mountain-climbing, sea-loving, travel-wanderlusting free-spirits, and I hope you will contact me for your next adventure!

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This Golden Gardens wedding was very laid back, as beach weddings should be. Seattle is not known for it’s beautiful beaches, but there is one hidden gem of a beach that all Seattleites should know. I’m talking about Ballard’s Golden Gardens. Golden Gardens has it all: an adorable grove of trees, lots of tall beach grass, a sweet little pond with turtles and ducks, and a giant meadow, which is where Lisa and Kyle had their wedding ceremony. After their beautiful late summer/early fall wedding, we all retreated to a reception at the Bathhouse, a cool brick building just steps away from the beach.

Not a lot of fuss from this down to earth couple, even when the microphone suddenly stopped working in the middle of the ceremony. Just some chuckles and a quick adjustment to get things back on track. The laughs continued as Lisa and Kyle passed the microphone back and forth, sharing some pretty amusing vows. At the reception, things started off with a casual cocktail hour and toasts, followed by cake cutting and a little break for everyone to step outside and enjoy the beach sunset. After that, people started to loosen up even more. It is clear that people are having a good time when the bride and bridesmaid perform a rapping duet and too many people agree to break out into so many 80’s dance moves that you lose count. Now that’s a low-maintenance wedding with an emphasis on fun!

What a joy to be a part of their fun Golden Gardens wedding. And at such a gorgeous location!

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Golden Gardens wedding photographer: Tracie Howe

Ceremony & Reception Location: Golden Gardens

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  • November 26, 2013 - 7:15 pm

    Melissa Avey - These are really great!ReplyCancel

  • November 27, 2013 - 5:52 am

    SueAnn - These are beautiful! What a great wedding:)ReplyCancel

  • November 27, 2013 - 7:51 am

    Catherine - What a stunning wedding! You captured so many amazing moments. I especially love the dancing shots!ReplyCancel

  • November 28, 2013 - 12:15 pm

    Tim Poole - Many wedding photographers I know don’t like doing reception shots, but I like doing them as I think they really show the unbridled emotion after the seriousness of the ceremony, and the imbibing of many adult beverages. Yours are wonderful. But my favorite is the of the two drinking in the doorway as they can’t take alcohol past the door. Classic.ReplyCancel

    • November 28, 2013 - 12:34 pm

      traciehowe - Thanks! I’m enjoying reception shots more and more. And I’m glad you were able to read the sign despite some of it being cut off. Definitely classic!ReplyCancel

  • November 29, 2013 - 10:29 am

    Whitney Lane - I love the exposed brick at the reception location! Beautiful imagesReplyCancel

  • December 8, 2013 - 6:33 pm

    Pat Porter - Great photos! Great wedding! What a wonderful day!ReplyCancel

I’ve always been artsy, but I’ve never been very craftsy. Lately I’ve come to realize that I actually enjoy packaging, crafting, and putting together gifts. This revelation came about because of my clients. They are usually coming to me because of a special time in their lives and I want to celebrate that with more than just a disc of photos.

My business is an extension of me, so it’s very personal. I want to leave my mark with my branding, but I also make sure to put extra thought into each individual package. Every client is at least a little different from the next, and I make each package unique to them, often with something handmade. It’s fun though! I’m suddenly interested in twine and papers and craft projects! Who knew?

Here is one of my favorites from this summer…

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Box and thumb drive by Photoflashdrive

In the spirit of gift giving, and with the holidays right around the corner, I am now offering gift cards that can be used towards a mini session. At $150, this makes an affordable gift from the buyer, and the receiver can always upgrade to a full session if they choose to. Please inquire with me about the details.

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I just adore a Parsons Gardens wedding and I welcome any opportunity to shoot there. I was also very excited to work with Karen and Jason, a unique couple who was interested in celebrating their wedding day in their own special way. I really enjoy photographing small, intimate ceremonies, especially when they are done a little differently than your average wedding. It makes things more fun for everyone involved.

This one felt very Seattle to me: alternative couple getting married in a park, no wedding party, blue wedding dress, and a cafe reception. I love me some non-traditional weddings, so these guys were a good fit. Plus Parsons Gardens is so charming, how could I resist?

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  • November 1, 2013 - 6:03 pm

    Autumn Rudolph - Beautiful wedding, I love her dress! I agree unique, intimate weddings are the best.ReplyCancel

  • November 2, 2013 - 2:07 am

    Lauren Dunnington - Great photos! ReplyCancel

  • November 2, 2013 - 2:08 am

    Lauren Dunnington - Great photos! ReplyCancel

  • November 4, 2013 - 4:20 pm

    Catherine from Open Shutters Photography - I love intimate weddings too! And you captured it in such a way that the viewer can feel the importance of moments and relationships. It really is about the people surrounding the couple isn’t it! Lovely work! (And I love the donuts!)ReplyCancel

  • November 4, 2013 - 5:21 pm

    Kate - They are sweetness personified. Great work capturing their day their way.ReplyCancel

  • November 4, 2013 - 9:54 pm

    Stephanie Couture - Amazing work! I love your bride’s shoes!ReplyCancel

  • November 5, 2013 - 7:07 am

    Kacie Lynch - What a sweet intimate wedding! You did a lovely job of capturing it!ReplyCancel

  • November 6, 2013 - 6:40 am

    Ashlee Weaver - These are amazing! Good job!ReplyCancel

  • November 7, 2013 - 5:22 pm

    Larianne - How lovely! My favorite image is the third one, the one where they’re kissing in the park. I love her dress.ReplyCancel

  • November 11, 2013 - 3:39 pm

    Edith - Wow her shoes are to die for! I love these pictures!ReplyCancel

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While I don’t focus as much on the non-wedding side of my business, I still appreciate all of my family and portrait clients so much! They are the ones to keep my business running during the slower wedding months, and I couldn’t have gotten to where I am without them.

So to kick off the end of wedding season, I’m offering Fall Mini Sessions to Seattle families for the first time. I have already advertised them on my Facebook Page (where I’m not as bad at neglecting to post updates), but I am finally offering them here too.

Here are the deets for the $115 Fall Mini Sessions:

  • 30 minute sessions for families/kids only
  • A preselected location depending on the day.
  • 8 digital files from which you may print
  • Gallery of all images
  • Facebook Timeline of selected images
  • Optional add-ons and  upgrades available after session, including $30 holiday cards!

*** FYI, this is a 2013 post, but it may have popped up during your search! My 2014 fall mini sessions are posted here: https://www.traciehowe.com/seattle-fall-mini-sessions-are-back-for-2014/ ***

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Laura and Nate’s Magnolia UCC and Seattle Aquarium wedding was one I had been excited about photographing for a long time. Not only was I thrilled to photograph the reception at the Seattle Aquarium, but I was happy to be working with an awesome couple, who I had met somewhat randomly at the Aquarium a year prior. It all felt very serendipitous to us!

I was glad to be working with a laid back couple, because the day got pretty hectic at times. The limo got stuck at the First Look site, but my 2nd shooter, Mark Hopkins is always prepared with his reflective safety vest! Wish I had gotten a picture of that! Things calmed down a bit at the Magnolia United Church of Christ, and we were back on track for a ceremony full of laughs. There was a hilarious cake cutting fail where Angela, of Olive Juice Events, saved the day. Nonetheless, Laura and Nate took it all in stride. Love this couple!

Be sure to read more about their story in their own entertaining words, below the photos. And thanks to Mark Hopkins for his contributions. Safety vest and all! 🙂

 

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            •           Tell the one thing you love most about each other.

Laura: Nate is like me in so many ways that matter, but much more calm than I am.  He helps me keep things in perspective and see the bigger picture.  It’s an excellent balance!

Nate: Laura is very goal-oriented.  She keeps me focused on my goals, and is very supportive and patient with my tendency to take longer to make decisions.

 

•           If you feel comfortable, share something silly or quirky that the other person does.

Laura: Nate collects bicycles.  Until yesterday, he had six!  Now he just has four (to make our cross-country move easier), which I take to be a major sign of love and dedication on his part.

 

•           Besides getting married, what’s the one thing you’re looking forward to on your wedding day?

Laura: Cake!  Well, yes, but in all honesty, seeing all of our friends and family in one place.  We really can’t wait to have everyone come together from all over the country.

Nate: Also, sea otters and seeing my friends’ kids run around the Aquarium.

 

•           Besides the honeymoon, what’s the one thing you’re looking forward to when the wedding is over?

Laura: Can I say getting a dog?  Just kidding!  I will be spending a school year in England after the honeymoon, so we will have the “being together” part of marriage on a bit of a tape delay, but I cannot wait to be together, have weekends to go exploring, cook together, etc. — all of the little benefits of proximity that we have had to forgo for the better part of three years.

Nate: The conversations you have when no one else is around.

 

•           What’s your favorite wedding trend right now?

Laura: Photobooths.  I hope we can get one!

Nate: The progress that we have made towards marriage equality.  I feel very strongly that people should be able to get married, no matter who they love.

 

•           What inspired your décor or theme?

Laura: Sadly, we don’t have much of a theme.  “Whatever Laura likes?”

Nate: “Let’s get married?”

 

•           What’s one thing you wish you would have known earlier in regards to planning?

Laura and Nate: How expensive everything is!  We are happy to be getting married on a long weekend, so that our out-of-town guests will have an easier time getting to/ from the West Coast, but a holiday weekend really puts some things out of reach.

 

Ceremony venue: Magnolia United Church of Christ

Reception venue: Seattle Aquarium

Day-of Coordinator: Olive Juice Events

Hair & Makeup: An Off White Seattle

DJ: Terry Green

Cake: Izabella’s Sweet Creations

Transportation: Cordial Limousine
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  • October 10, 2013 - 9:40 pm

    Autumn Rudolph - So fun! Love the shots of them with the fish. It makes for a pretty blue backdrop!ReplyCancel

  • October 11, 2013 - 5:03 pm

    SueAnn - Looks like a fun wedding! Great pictures.ReplyCancel

  • October 11, 2013 - 6:53 pm

    Leslie Downs - Such a fun wedding and so wonderfully captured! ReplyCancel

  • October 12, 2013 - 3:28 am

    liesbeth from fresco fotografie - What a beautiful couple! A gorgeous wedding and venue as well, I love the aquarium (difficult lighting situation)! And you gotta love the ZZ Top socks! HeeheeReplyCancel

  • October 12, 2013 - 9:29 pm

    Debbie M - love the first imageReplyCancel

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