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I’m SO very close to reaching 500 Likes on my Facebook Page and I’m so very grateful to all of you that have helped me get this far! Assuming that I will be able to reach and surpass 500 Likes pretty soon, I wanted to celebrate the milestone with a contest for you! You can win your choice of two prizes: All you have to do is follow this link for a few more simple instructions: https://www.facebook.com/traciehowephotography?v=app_117217111818786 Happy winning!
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Karen and Jason are a unique couple wanting a non-traditional wedding, and Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood was perfect for providing a fitting and familiar backdrop for their engagement photography session. This engagement session was full of surprises for me, being relatively unfamiliar with the area. I was happy to take advantage of the various mural backgrounds offered by the longest wall I’ve ever seen. We also found the quintessential word, “LOVE”, painted on that wall, along with a giant “BOOM”. And Karen and Jason indulged me even more by visiting an ice cream truck that showed up. I’ve always wanted to photograph a couple with ice cream cones! Most of the cheesiness in this shoot is my fault, but they were good sports. 🙂 Thank goodness all of my couples are willing to have a little fun with their shoots!
What a bright and beautiful day for this Seattle engagement photography session with two equally bright and beautiful ladies! To quote one of their Facebook friends, they have that “exuberant love” that can’t help but be captured easily. So, yes, I had an easy time photographing these two and an even easier time hanging out and getting to know them better. They are such a delight and I can’t wait to photograph their wedding at the newish Fremont Mischief Distillery this summer!
Their story will be a long and beautiful one. Here it is, so far, in their words:
• How did you first meet? Kathryn’s version: “At the end of 2011 I was just finishing up an internship for school and contemplating when to close my online dating account before heading up to Bellingham for 3 months in the new year. As luck, no… as destiny would have it, before I’d gotten the chance to close the account I got a message from cute girl with a knack for writing her way into my heart before we’d even met. Fortunately for me, after meeting in person Jennifer proved to be 97 times more awesome than anyone could have ever described in words alone.” Jen’s version: “I saw Kathryn online. I thought she was beautiful, looked fun, looked happy, and had great dimples. So I invited her to meet me for a drink at a pub that turned out to be right around the corner from her house. I had such a good time that asked her out again even before the date ended (and even though I started out the date awkwardly… with a formal handshake).”
• If you feel comfortable, please tell a funny story that happened while you were dating. Kathryn: “I told Jen I loved her for the first time while we were dancing to… Wilson Philips.” Jen: “It wasn’t just that it was Wilson Philips, it was that it was the final scene of Bridesmaids.”
• When did you know he/she was the one? Was there something that he/she did or said? Kathryn: “Well yeah. She was willing to dance with me to Wilson Philips. And after many more months of dance parties, I knew I wanted many more years.” Jen: “I knew very early, but I knew I couldn’t tell Kathryn for a while because I figured it would probably freak her out. It wasn’t one thing in particular, it’s that Kathryn is the first person that I can totally be myself with and it feels awesome to know that my partner is such a great friend. I could see myself being with her for a very long time.”
• Please tell the story of the proposal. Jen: “I knew that it was coming, because we’d talked about the possibility, but I thought it was several months away. I definitely wasn’t expecting it that day. We had a casual day in Ballard, ate burgers – not the stuff you think of for a proposal. But then we started wandering around the Ballard locks at dusk, and suddenly she pulled out a speaker, started playing a song and proposed. I was so surprised and so excited. And then we had a dance party in the locks, which was pretty great. Maybe the best part, though, was immediately afterward, we went straight to our engagement party, which she had planned with some of our dearest friends. It was amazing to celebrate with them, especially since I was still in shock!” Kathryn: “I was lucky enough to have had Jen say yes to my proposal, so I definitely wasn’t expecting that several weeks later on a weekend trip to Bellingham, she would propose back to me. It was amazing to have the experience reciprocated, and part of me was just glad that everyone got to experience what it’s like to ask and be asked, because it’s so incredible.”
• What do you love about your engagement shoot locations(s)? Kathryn: “I love that there’s natural beautiful mixed with art, so there’s fun spaces to create the kind of wedding that we are going to have, which is with an urban feel as well as with a natural feel. And, I love that we were graced with a beautiful day, a day that we could stay out and have fun.” Jen: “One of our earliest dates was at our engagement shoot location, and it was a date during which Kathryn and I started opening up to each other and getting to know each other better. So, it’s a special location for me.”
Kathryn and Jennifer, I’m so looking forward to your wedding!
I feel so lucky to have met Laura and Nate. They are the best!! I hit it off with this East Coast couple right away, in front of the otter exhibit at Seattle’s Aquarium, and now I’ll be shooting their wedding! They flew back out to Seattle for some final wedding planning and managed to squeeze in a good amount of time with me for their engagement session. I knew they would be fun to shoot, and I was not disappointed! We started out at the Aquarium where we met and where they will be having their wedding reception. We then ventured out in the cold for some shots by the Seattle Great Wheel, but I tuckered out early from being sick. Fortunately they were available a few days later for our original engagement destination at Discovery Park.
I’m doing something new that I’m so excited to share! I’m getting stories directly from my couples to share along with their blog posts! Laura and Nate were the first to get back to me with their story, and I’m honored to be able to share it here:
• How did you first meet? Laura’s version: “We met at Dean and Deluca in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. on a sunny Sunday morning in August 2009. I had just gotten back from Ethiopia, so was jetlagged and up earlier than usual; Nate had just finished an early morning ride with his cycling team. They were sitting drinking coffee in front of me; I noticed his back (it was a good-looking back!) but didn’t think much of it. Yet one of his teammates had stashed his bike behind my chair; when they got up to leave, they had to ask me to move my chair. I was reading the New York Times and one of them started leaning over my shoulder to read it, too (spoiler: it was Nate!). We started talking and, two hours later, exchanged phone numbers. Of course, neither of us had much of an idea of what the other one looked like; we were both wearing sunglasses and sitting down the entire time. Thankfully, when we finally met up for dinner, we both passed muster!” Nate’s Version: “Dean and Deluca (D&D) is common meeting place for cyclists in Washington, D.C. as it sells both the coffee and the pastries favored by Europeans for pre- and post-ride sustenance. On Sunday, August 23, 2009, Nate returned to D&D after a ride to enjoy some coffee and to tell some of his teammates about the Mid-Atlantic Time trial Championship, which had taken place the day before. Nate heard Laura, whom he could not see, engage in a couple of conversations. Interested in who Laura was and why she drawing so much attention, he turned around and saw she was trying to read the Sunday New York Times. He also noticed that his teammate Bruce’s bike was directly behind her table. When his group parted company, he walked with Bruce to his bike and began talking to her (although he was temporarily distracted by her paper). They talked for a couple hours, got sunburned, and decided that they liked each other enough to go out again.”
• If you feel comfortable, please tell a funny story that happened while you were dating. Laura: “When I asked Nate what he wanted for his birthday in 2011, he said he would like us to sign up for an activity that we could do together. We are both endurance athletes (Nate bicycle, me running). Thus logical thing to do was a triathlon, though I told Nate that I didn’t know how to ride a bike. Not deterred, he built me a bike, complete with clipless pedals. When the bike was ready, we met some of Nate’s friends for an “easy ride” in a Washington, D.C. park. But I really didn’t know how to ride! They went off on their own as we stuck to the parking lot to learn how to balance. It eventually got a bit better, but I had repeated nightmares about bicycling all summer. Nate kept me going, tolerated my non-stop swearing, and incentivized me by promising ice cream after each practice ride.”
• When did you know he/she was the one? Was there something that he/she did or said? Laura: “I can’t say there was a particular moment, but Nate has stood by me, incredibly patiently, throughout my law school craziness. He has been supportive and kind, trustworthy and stable, for three years of long-distance. Not many people would have been able to do that!” Nate: “Very early on in our relationship, Laura took me to see a movie called “This Might Get Loud” about guitar players and their gear. A fascinating film for me, but probably boring to people who have never played guitar or listen to guitar-based music. The fact that Laura was so focused on what I’d be interested in made me happy.”
• Please tell the story of the proposal. Laura: “I was in Seattle for a summer job, and Nate came and visited the last week. On his last day in town, we took a drive to Mt. Rainier, where he proposed. I had a strong hunch it was coming; I knew there was a ring and his friends kept texting him to see if it had happened yet! On the way home, we stopped by Azteca for enchiladas and celebratory margaritas (my choice), a food choice that raised eyebrows among some of our more cultured friends but it fit us to a T. Nate: “Plus, Laura had already bought a wedding dress!”
• What do you love about your engagement shoot locations(s)? Laura: “We were able to do a two-part shoot, the first down at the Aquarium/ waterfront (where our wedding will be) and the second at Discovery Park. The first location was great because we were able to get a sense of what wedding day photos might be like; the second was meaningful because we both love the outdoors and I grew up playing in Discovery Park with my family. Plus, my dear aunt was able to join us at the second stop, and it was great to be able to involve her. (She came up from Portland another time to help me pick out my dress, too!)” Nate: “I am not very photogenic. I tend to be the guy who sneezes when someone takes a picture. The engagement shoot locations let me relax and be myself, which meant there were actually some good pictures of us.”
Laura and Nate, I can’t wait to shoot your wedding! You guys are too cute. And fellow goofballs, just like me. 🙂
I got the opportunity to do two maternity photography sessions with these guys. The first was a holiday/we’ve moved/we’re pregnant shoot. Out of respect for their privacy, I won’t post the ones that showed their address. However, I must show the silly idea that I had: The second shoot was more traditional and we just barely had time to schedule it. I’m glad it worked out, because these guys are too adorable and awesome!
I adore Mary and Rini, and I’m so super excited for them! I got word that they had their baby yesterday, and I can’t wait for his newborn shoot!
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