2013 in Review

Our first year in Seattle has been legen…wait for it…dary. 2013 was one of our best years yet thanks to friends & family who believed in us and supported us through it all.

Here are some highlights from our adventures and our work (this is definitely a year filled with firsts). Note: iPhone photos are mixed in too! If you're new to following us you can click on the linked blue words which will take you back in time on our blog...

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JANUARY

The beginning of 2013 found us unpacking our boxes and settling into our first Seattle apartment. While getting to know our neighborhood, getting lost, and enjoying delicious new restaurants we also photographed the sweetest baby girls, met our first Seattle bride who was totally cool with the rain on her wedding day (there have been many more since!), and had our first freezing cold engagement session on the waterfront (it was 30 and Cold), although you couldn't tell in the photographs the way they smiled.

FEBRUARY

In February we traveled to Forks with Erik's parents to show them the peninsula and where Edward & Jacob live (yes, in the winter, not the best decision we've ever made…but still awesome). We also photographed our first boudoir session with our gorgeous friend Hannah. Another first was photographing our friends, Roberto & Hisam, the first gay couple we've ever captured on film. Tackling our finances proved to be a huge education and financial success as we sold our second car and put ourselves on a strict budget!

MARCH

We feel so very lucky that we get to freeze moments in a person's life that they can cherish forever. March found us capturing Bill and his daughter through the F.I.L.M Project, certainly a moment we will never forget. We also finally made it skiing (our first time in Washington!), watched the cherry blossom trees in the arboretum turn bright pink, and Erik traveled to Japan with The Reign, the Seattle women's soccer team.

APRIL

Each year we like to visit friends and family in the midwest so we traveled to Chicago & North Carolina, only to find each other on the same returning flight back to the PNW! Erik became totally obsessed with Fuel coffee once he found that it was right around the corner from our apartment. We were honored to photograph our first Tacoma wedding and were surprised with an especially sweet project with kids and cookies! On the home front we decided to push ourselves and write each month about something we've learned as photographers or business owners, check them out under the category An Education.

MAY

With spring came the start of our busy wedding season! One we felt had to be mentioned was Ondrea & Alana's, our first gay wedding, and such a momentous occasion for these two who'd been together many years and were finally able to legally marry. May was the first month we ever used a huge ladder for a wedding and we saw our first Seahawks colored wedding gear (with blue eye shadow!). We also celebrated our 2 year wedding anniversary by kayaking in Lake Washington. Lastly, we had another first- our first ever fitness photo session.

JUNE

At the beginning of the summer we set aside some time for family, friends, and each other. June found us camping at Mount Rainier (yes, another first!), celebrating Erik's birthday at Lola's with coconut cream pie (hopefully the first of many - yum), a road trip to Portland with friends to try Voodoo doughnuts, and a much needed relaxing vacation on the beach surrounded by family.

JULY

In July, along with watching the fireworks off the lake we were able to see so many amazing couples marry the love of their life. We were also given the great honor of witnessing our friends' wedding in downtown Seattle- such a special moment and a true honor to be part of their lives and this change in our history.

AUGUST

It just got busier and busier for us by the end of the summer as the heat escalated in Seattle. We found ourselves moving apartments (unfortunately not a first for us!), meeting a pair of idols, JD & Jasmine Star at a photography workshop, and driving to the gorge and back in one night to see Dave Matthews (totally worth it, and a first for us at the gorge)! Traveling to Chicago to celebrate the wedding of our friends Mandy & Tim by dancing our buts off on the dance floor with their incredible live band was one of our favorite moments of the summer. Another favorite was our first time cheering live at a Seahawks game. We met some amazing couples who were giddily in love and saw our first groomsmen run away with the veil (he brought it back, don't worry).

SEPTEMBER

The start of our personal projects was born in September as we found a surprise story waiting for us while walking around with our camera (see bridge jumping post). Another workshop led us to meet some amazing photographers and teachers, Zach & Jody Gray. We saw our first wedding getaway convertible and became friends with many of our amazing couples.

OCTOBER

To get ready for 2014 we decided to rebrand, starting with our logo, photos, and then our entire website. We had an amazing time with our friends, Julianna & Nathan Rennard, capturing an updated look. Marissa traveled to San Francisco for her first reunion trip with high school friends and we ventured to Orcas Island for some epic hiking. We had our first bridal session and totally fell in love with McKenzi's images. Last but not least, we headed out dressed as highways to celebrate Marissa's birthday during Halloween weekend!

 NOVEMBER

We will remember November as the month everyone came calling for family photo sessions, and although we can't show them all here (it would take up the entire blog post) we had an amazing time taking advantage of our first snowy sessions while in Ohio for Thanksgiving. We also photographed our first author for her book cover and took a surprise trip to Vancouver (Marissa's birthday present). Nicole & Zac's beautiful orange, red, and yellow fall wedding followed by a trip to the Tacoma Museum of Glass with Erik's mom rounded out why we were very thankful for November.

DECEMBER

The last month of the year was jam-packed (like the holidays always seem to be) with engagement sessions, a winter wedding in Gig Harbor, plus our friends had a sweet new baby boy. We loved our first surprise wedding and capturing Brad & Terry's intimate day. Skiing with our friends Carey & Joe in Whistler was amazeballs as was as a visit to the Seahawks locker room (firsts!). Erik grew his first beard ever and I got bangs! We spent the holidays with family and rang in the new year with friends at a black & white party. We can't think of a better way to end an incredible year!

2013 was full of firsts in this new city of ours! Seattle, you've been good to us, let's keep it up for 2014 okay? Thanks again to all of our family and friends who keep life interesting.

Much love to you all in 2014! ~Erik & Marissa