I couldn't think of a better day to share our big news ... Azzura was voted the 2009 Best Photographer for by the Seattle Bride Vendor's Poll!  This is a huge honor, and Ken and I were nearly speechless when we found out.  Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of the wedding professionals who cast their vote and made this dream come true!

    The waterfront breeze made Ivy's dress come alive - she looked so cute with it swirling around her!     How cute is our little ringbearer, Logan?  He was one of the best 2-year-olds anyone could ask for!

The Supporting Cast:

Location: The Woodmark Hotel on Carillon Point
Day-of Coordinator: Laura Gram, Simplicity Events in Seattle, WA
Wedding Dress: Maggie Sottero 
Florist: Tanya Stone, Elements in Bloom 
Hair and Makeup:Salon Maison 
DJ: Tom Denman, A Sound Celebration 
Cake: Matt Jones, Starry Nights Catering 
Officiant: Rev. Patricia Stimac, A Heavenly Ceremony 
Linens: L&M Chair Covers 

Preston Bailey, Darcy Miller of Martha Stewart Weddings, the world-famous cake designer Sylvia Weinstock, and many other amazing talents were so open with their experience and insights.  I owe a special thank-you to Sean Low, who impressed me beyond measure with his business savvy and surprised me with kindness by sharing ideas on opportunities to make Azzura even better.  I'm hoping to bring Sean out to Seattle for some one-on-one consulting in the next year, so maybe we'll get to see more of him soon.

An unexpected benefit of the trip was getting to know Renee Metty from It's Eventful and Daniela Fagét from Bella Signature Design, both based in Seattle.  Although we knew each other from networking events and weddings this was really our first chance to relax and hang out together.  After closing down the farewell party thrown by the talented Jo-Anne Brown, we spent most of the night talking, laughing and encouraging each other. They are both amazing women, and I can't wait to work with them more!

At Daniela's urging, I took some photos of the farewell party.  They really just give you a glimmer of the design skill of the Celebrations team.  Believe it or not, this party was held in the hotel conference room!  The walls were basked floor-to-ceiling in beautifully lit draping, and white leather furniture was brought in to create a swanky club atmosphere.  

 The bar was created using a glass top perched on tall cylindrical vases filled with goldfish and lit from below using LED lights.  So clever! The centerpiece of the room was a 7-foot starfish adorned with gerbera daisies.  Can you imagine waking up one morning and thinking 'hmmm... I wonder where I can get an 8-foot block of styrofoam that I could carve a starfish out of for tonight's party?' 

In addition to the many wedding celebs, I got to meet Ken's cousin Karen who has lived on the island for many years with her husband Steve.  Karen reminded me alot of Ken - full of energy, loves animals, and overall just a really sweet person.  The ironic part is that she and Ken haven't seen each other in nearly 10 years, and it turns out she is coming to Seattle next week!  I'm trying to orchestrate a little family reunion so she can see her 'Kenny' again.

My favorite adventure of the trip was swimming with the stingrays.  The Grand Cayman has a crystal blue cove of waist-deep water brimming with rays and tourists anxious to get a glimpse of one another. Once I got used to being surrounded by four-foot wide rays I quickly fell in love with them.  They were the coolest animals you can imagine, with the friendly personality of bunnies and bellies that felt like portobello mushrooms. They loved to play, be petted, and even conceded to be held.  It was a magical experience, and I hope to return someday! 

According to island lore, kissing a stingray gives you seven years of good luck, so when in the Caymans ...

A special thanks to Jen from Jennnifer Driscoll Photography for the above photo! 

I'm pulling together some of my favorite photos from the Cayman trip (as well as our amazing weddings from this weekend), so stay tuned!

I create a collection of seven of my favorites (plus one for good luck) in celebration of their seven years together.  I hope you love them as much as I do - enjoy!

 This image of Rebecca with David's mother is so sweet!

Rebecca has the most captivating expressions - I love both of these images of her.  When I look at them, I see her gentleness mixed with her strength.  Such a beautiful combination!

 Nothing says 'celebrate' like a freshly popped bottle of champagne!

These last two are some of David's favorites.  There is something magical that happens when you truly 'let go' and embrace the moment - not the future, not the past, but the perfect present that you are in.  These images capture that spark, and they remind me to find the magic every day in my own life and the lives of those around me.   

The boys from Atlanta taught us all some new moves - the dance floor was packed all night, and even I was tempted to bust a move.  (Fortunately for the innocent guests I was able to control the urge, but just barely!)

The Supporting Cast:

Locations: First Presbyterian Church of Bellevue and The Harbor Club Bellevue 
Coordinator: Events in the City
Wedding Dress: Brides by Demetrios 
Florist: Aria Style and Express Yourself with Flowers 
DJ: Joshua Fields (aka DJ Skiy) 
Cake:  Mike's Amazing Cakes 
Linens: Seattle's Best Chair Covers 
Videographer: Bogle Video Productions 

Steve is a fairly stoic guy, but he melted when he saw Larissa. (If he tries to blame it on the 95 degree weather, don't believe him!)

These are two of my favorite photographs from the day - I love how you can see how comfortable they are together, and how much they embraced the joy and emotion of the day.

This is the scene as we drove up to the resort ... 

Larissa's suite was on an upper floor, and this is the view from just outside her room.  The weather report had predicted rain, but as you can see the day was crystal clear - which was quite a relief, considering the ceremony was on the beach! 

Larissa found her dress at La Belle Elaines, and it fit her perfectly.  My favorite touch was the sash, which created a slightly whimsical look that tied perfectly to Larissa's personality (no pun intended!) 

As soon as the dress was on, we decided to celebrate!  Larissa's mom popped a bottle of bubbly that Steve sent over as a pre-wedding gift, and the day began.  (Much to our surprise, Larissa's mom opened the bottle on the terrace, sending the cork flying into the courtyard ... fortunately no by-standers were hit and we all got a good laugh out of it!) 

Not every man can look good in mint and rose accessories, but Steve would have made James Bond proud!  Since it was 95 degrees in the shade, most of the day was spent sans coat and with a Corona in hand. 

Down to the last detail, Larissa did an amazing job of pulling together finishing touches that cleverly integrated her theme color of fuchsia.  The adorable clutch on the right was custom created for the event by Himi of 'David and Chiyo', and the feathers in her hair were dyed with a clever polka-dot pattern by Etsy designer Chelsea of 'Oh My Deer'.  So cute!

Steve's neices, Madison and Makenzine, were two of the best little flower girls anyone could ask for.    They were nearly inseparable all day, and I loved these photographs of them because you can really see how close they are as sisters.  (Check out their little sparkle shoes - adorable!)

Tomorrow I will share 'Part Dos' with some gorgeous photographs of Larissa and Steve, starting with their first glimpse.  :)