Styled photo shoots are a fun way to collaborate with other wedding pros and create content for our online platforms. Sometimes they get published on blogs or in magazines. They can be a great creative outlet and an opportunity to try new things. Last December I had an idea that was about so much more than making pretty things and getting beautiful photos. It inspired me to put my creative energy toward bringing this vision to life. 

For a decade or so, Eric and I have been on a journey of growing our empathy by really listening to people who have stories that are different from ours. It’s amazing what you hear when you listen to understand rather than defend. We learned more than I can remotely manage to sum up in a blog post, but one key takeaway is that representation matters. Everyone needs to see themselves represented in the media. For some of us, representation is much easier to come by than it is for others.  

With Tony and Eric on board, we started assembling our team. Kelley Farm has become like a home away from home for us, and was the obvious choice for a venue.  We knew we wanted our photos to be bright and beautiful, so we had to get Lloyd Photo and Films on board. Once we had our vision refined, we assembled the rest of the team: Impress Ink for custom stationery and signage, The Meaningful Details for beautiful decor items, CORT for rentals, Wanna Cupcake for a gorgeous and delicious wedding cake, Korrine Claxton for makeup and styling, and Laser Customs for leather details. A successful styled shoot depends on having a team of professionals who are 100% on board and excited to be part of the project, and that is exactly the kind of team we had!

It was important to us to showcase a same sex couple to remove any guesswork for couples looking for vendors. We wanted to make it abundantly clear that all couples are welcome. Tony (one of our models) posted this on Facebook after the shoot, and it totally made me cry. “As Eric and I approach our 5 year wedding anniversary, I remember the awkward feelings I would get when I would call vendors and they would ask what my brides name was, or getting forms to fill out with name spots for “Bride” and “Groom,” and the struggle trying to find wedding “favors” that didn’t say his/her or bride and groom. But beyond that, the hardest part was calling the vendors and hoping we weren’t going to get the, “oh we don’t do those kind of weddings” response. So when this group of crazy talented vendors reached out to us  for this shoot we couldn’t say “YES!” fast enough. The amount of time, energy and resources they all devoted to this shoot so they could help others feel more included does not go unnoticed. You are all rockstars and we can’t thank you enough.”

The love that Tony and Eric have for each other shines through in every one of these photos.  And I’m here to tell you they are every bit as kind, warm, and loving on the inside as they are handsome on the outside.  I could not be more honored to have been part of this project with them.

One last thing. I’m dedicating this photoshoot (I don’t know if that’s a thing, but I’m making it a thing) to my brother Tom. Growing up as a gay kid in Enumclaw in the 90s was not easy for him, to say the least. I will always regret not being more supportive of him in those early days of him being out. I think I did the best I could at the time, but looking back still makes me cringe. But the only thing we can do about that is to grow. Like Maya Angelou said, “do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better.” This photo shoot is for my brother and all the other beautiful humans who have been made to feel like they are somehow “other.” You are loved and welcome here!

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