{"id":10836,"date":"2017-07-31T19:50:24","date_gmt":"2017-08-01T02:50:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.tomellisphoto.com\/blog\/?p=10836"},"modified":"2017-07-31T19:50:24","modified_gmt":"2017-08-01T02:50:24","slug":"rays-boathouse-wedding-seattle-wedding-photographer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tomellisphoto.com\/blog\/rays-boathouse-wedding-seattle-wedding-photographer\/","title":{"rendered":"Ray’s Boathouse Wedding, Seattle Wedding Photographer"},"content":{"rendered":"

Erin and Steve get married at Ray’s Boathouse<\/h1>\n

Getting ready in Fremont<\/h2>\n

On July 8 I had the good fortune to be the photographer at the wedding of two amazing people, Erin Schindler and Steve Saarinen. \u00a0The day began at their home in Fremont, where I met up with Erin and her attendants; Maid of Honor Kandis Clesson, and bridesmaids Lauren Beedle, TJ Saarinen and Sammy Saarinen. \u00a0I love having a chance to shoot photos as the bride and bridesmaids are going through the “getting ready” process, especially in a location like this where we had some great window lighting to help create really cool photos of the ladies as they worked on their hair and makeup.<\/p>\n

Once Erin was dressed we had a first look session for Erin and her father Rick on the roof of the house, which is a huge deck. \u00a0What a fantastic view! \u00a0We took a few photos of Erin and the bridesmaids, as well as some family photos with Erin and her father Rick, mother Janice and brother Collin (who was also one of the groomsmen). \u00a0Talk about a great spot for photos, the view looking south to\u00a0Seattle with Mt. Rainier in the background was wonderful, and the perfect blue sky and sunshine made for some great shots.<\/p>\n

Photos at Chittenden Locks Park<\/h2>\n

Next it was off to the park at the Chittenden Locks, where we would meet up with Steve, his family and the groomsmen. \u00a0This proved to be a bit more challenging than we would have liked. \u00a0the weather was so nice that the park was very busy, which meant that parking was very difficult to find. \u00a0Erin and her family and the bridesmaids ended up having to make a pretty long walk back to the park after finally finding a place to park. \u00a0I was a little luckier, but still ended up several hundred yards from the park entrance.<\/p>\n

Once we all managed to locate\u00a0each other we set up a first look session for Steve and Erin, who snuck up on him as he waited in a fairly quiet spot in a garden area. \u00a0After a few minutes for the soon-to-be newlyweds to greet each other we moved on to a nearby hill for photos with Best Man Nick Moeur and groomsmen Robbie Saarinen and Collin Schindler, as well as with the entire wedding party, finishing with\u00a0various combinations of family photos. \u00a0Steve’s parents arrived during this session, and we then got the entire group together and moved to another area for photos, a rose garden located very close to the the actual locks. \u00a0This garden is always one of my favorite spots at the Locks for photos during the summer, with some nice color not only from the flowers in the rose garden but also lots of other flowers in the immediate area.<\/p>\n

By this time TJ and Sammy were starting to get a little burned out on photos, but we moved on to one last spot for some more photos of Erin, Steve and the wedding party. \u00a0That is the problem with a place like the Locks, there are so many good possibilities for photos that it is really hard to get to all of them, and really hard to purposely skip a place that I know would give even more great shots. \u00a0But time was starting to get a little tight so we decided it was time to move on to the venue for the ceremony and reception, Ray’s Boathouse<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Wedding Ceremony at Ray’s Boathouse<\/h2>\n

The wedding venue, Ray’s Boathouse (or just Ray’s) is located very near the Locks, so it was just a short drive to get there – after a LONG walk back to our cars! \u00a0Once at Ray’s Erin and the ladies moved into the bride’s area\u00a0of the Ray’s Northwest Room, a separate building the sits right next to Ray’s main restaurant. \u00a0The chairs had already been set up for the ceremony, in the area that had once been used to store the fishing boats that gave Ray’s its name. \u00a0No boats are stored\u00a0there any longer, but the huge wood planked area gives an idea of just how many boats were once kept there. \u00a0The old boat hoist\u00a0is still in place, though it is likely no longer functional. \u00a0But the iconic neon “Rays” sign still sits on top of the old hoist and is in working order.<\/p>\n

While the wedding party hung out in the cool\u00a0of the Northwest Room, the guests began arriving and were directed to the ceremony area, which was located right next to the old boat lift and Ray’s sign. \u00a0Once all of the guests had arrived and were seated the ceremony began. \u00a0The officiant was Troy Meachum, who Steve had met playing Call of Duty some years before; after they met in person they became good friends.<\/p>\n

The ceremony went perfectly, and we\u00a0soon had a brand-new married couple!<\/p>\n

The Reception<\/h2>\n

Everyone now moved back to the Northwest Room for the reception. \u00a0With the perfect weather conditions almost everyone was out on the deck, munching on appetizers and enjoying a drink while Erin and Steve took care of signing the legal documents. \u00a0They then joined the crowd and greeted their friends until it was time to move inside for a fantastic dinner.<\/p>\n

As the dinner was wrapping up, toasts were made by several members of the wedding party and family. \u00a0It was just about time for sunset, and I managed to grab Steve and Erin long enough to make a short walk to a nearby beach for a few photos just after the sun had dropped below the horizon. \u00a0Then it was back to the NW Room for cake cutting and dancing.<\/p>\n

Enough of my yacking! \u00a0Now you can look at some photos from the day. \u00a0I tried to put up enough to give a good feel for the day, I hope that you think I did a good job!<\/p>\n

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