We recently received this fantastic engagement photo session of Rachel and Sam from GH Kim Photography, one of our talented Seattle Junebug member photographers, and we love the way this couple chose such iconic Seattle backdrops for their shoot. They went to the beautiful Olympic Sculpture Park and took a ride on a ferry, and made these much-loved city locations totally their own.
“Rachel and Sam are high-school sweethearts, and have known each other for a long time, but still look at each other and treat each other like they just started dating”, says Grace. We have to agree, these two look madly in love and deliriously happy together!
While on the ferry boat during the second part of their shoot, Rachel and Sam were treated to an amazing surprise that only made the day feel even more quintessentially Seattle. The ship’s captain announced on the loudspeaker that there was an Orca whale and her baby sitting on the port side of the boat. “It was one of those bliss moments straight out of a movie with lots of oohs and aahs. So incredible.”
Such an adorable couple, we can feel the love jumping right off the page! For a behind-the-scenes look at this shoot (and a peek at those whales swimming in the Sound!), check out this great video from DvPixl Films as well.
Sarah and Raymond’s wedding in downtown Los Angeles was both classically elegant and super relaxed – a unique combination that fit this couple perfectly. Photographed by the amazing Caroline Tran, we love the sweet vibe and glamorous look of the bride and groom, they are simply gorgeous! Check out all the details from their special day below!
The Goals: When it came time to decide what was most important to them on their big day, Sarah and Raymond settled on incredible food and a location with gorgeous ambiance. Maguire Gardens and Cafe Pinot, in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, had both of these things in abundance. Their ceremony was held in a courtyard garden with a private, hidden feel, and the reception was held outdoors on the patio at Cafe Pinot. Surrounded by candlelight, twinkling Italian string lights and a view of the L.A. skyline, their wedding was an easy, elegant and romantic-style event with a vibrant city feel.
The Design: Planning the event themselves, Sarah and Raymond didn’t use a specific color palette, instead they simply chose looks that they loved. The venue was decorated with white orchids, and lit with candles and amber light, creating a clean and natural look. The bride carried a bouquet of dark red peonies, while the bridesmaids carried bouquets of dark red garden roses. The groom and groomsmen wore boutonnieres of dark red orchids and ranunculus.
The invitations, designed by the bride’s high-school age cousin and printed in Indonesia, included a booklet called “Where Are You Sitting?” with a cute seating chart, printed on heavy card stock. The bride loved this little extra because it gave the guests something to look over and talk about while they waited for the ceremony to begin.
Their three-layer wedding cake was all-white, and decorated with orchids, a fondant sash, and a swiss-dot design. The flavors were a tasty trio of red velvet, marbled chocolate and pistachio.
The Look: Sarah looked glamorous in her strapless lace dress from Monique Lhuillier, accessorized with a sophisticated up-do and floor-length veil, the perfect accompaniment to Raymond’s elegant slim tuxedo from Ralph Lauren. Bridesmaids wore long black gowns by Rachel Roy, and the groomsmen, tuxedos from Elite Tuxedo. The bride’s mother, and maid of honor, were distinct and lovely in long red gowns.
During the reception, Sarah changed into her grandmother’s Chinese cheongsam, a traditional dress in a deep burgundy and gold, that her grandmother had worn at Sarah’s parent’s wedding, Sarah’s sister had worn it at her own wedding, and now it was Sarah’s turn. Throughout the celebration, in both dresses, Sarah’s look was glamorous and timeless.
The Moments: One of the most memorable parts of Sarah and Raymond’s big day was a quiet lunch they shared together before the ceremony began. “We just closed the bedroom doors to the suite and relaxed for a bit while everyone else was running around in the hotel room, getting ready. I didn’t want to adhere to the rule of not seeing him on this day. He was the only person I really wanted to see.”
Sarah and Raymond chose to have a friend officiate their casual ceremony because they “trusted her words.” Says Sarah, “my favorite line of the ceremony was when we were exchanging rings and we said ‘wear it, think of me, and know that I love you.’ So simple, so sweet, so true.” As the couple said their vows, Sarah remembers, “Raymond cried more than I did, and his brother, the best man, cried more than both of us!”
At the reception, the couple had a ball dancing to “Most Beautiful Girl (In the Room)” from Flight of the Conchords, for their first dance. A joke song, it perfectly summed up the air of ease and relaxed, fun feeling of the wedding.
The Pros: To learn about all of the incredible wedding professionals who helped to make this wedding a reality, please visit our Real Weddings section.
Thank you so much for sharing your wedding with usSarah and Raymond! What a treat!
If you’re planning your own wedding in Southern California or Seattle, don’t miss our trusted Plan Your Wedding Hotlist!
Wedding cake designer Lori Hutchinson of Toronto’s The Caketress has been knocking me out lately with her incredible cake creations. With exquisite attention to detail, these fashion-inspired cakes are so pretty it’s hard to believe they’re not made of fabric, lace, ribbon and jewels! I love the white wedding cake above that was designed to match the bride’s wedding dress, and was recently featured on The Caketress blog – “The bride had great taste and wore a gorgeous jeweled belted gown, so we incorporated it into the chocolate truffle cake as the main sparkly focal point. The cake was hand sculpted to replicate the pleating and gathering of the dress and painted with an edible pearl dust.” Amazing! Check out The Caketress website and blog for lots more information, and jump over to the new Amy Atlas blog as well to see a beautiful dessert table photo shoot that Lori worked on with a team of super talented wedding professionals.
Junebug Weddings uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. We also use cookies to show advertising that is most relevant to you. If you continue you agree to the use of cookies on Junebug Weddings.
Terms & Conditions
.jpg "Photographers")
