I thanked her and asked some questions about her wedding – and it turned out, it was on a weekend that I was still available. And I’m always up for traveling to new places… especially up in the Pacific Northwest! It was a bit of coordination, but we made it work, and I could not be happier.

Mary Lee and Dave had an *awesome* wedding. You know, the light is different up there. I don’t know if it’s the elevation – Yakima is closer to the sun than Wilmington – or if it’s the big clear mountain air, or what it is… but to my eye, it was noticeably different. It made the experience even more fun for me, working with a different quality of natural light. Plus, all the foliage up there is completely new to me, so I was obsessed with the details and the greenery. Basically, it was like a big party for my eyes. Yakima is surrounded by mountains in every direction (at least as far as I could tell), and I’m so in love with the mountains anyway, I had a hard time convincing myself that I don’t actually want to move there. It’s a really interesting place – great people, fantastic views, and so close to so many beautiful natural spots… sigh. I’d shoot another wedding up there in a heartbeat if I could.

Cascade Gardens did a magnificent job with the coordination of the day, and I loved working with everyone there. And I’m so incredibly thankful that Mary Lee found me and brought me out for her wedding – it was an experience I know I’ll never forget, in a beautiful place that I’m so glad I got to not only visit, but photograph as well.