New Location!

You can now find our latest wedding news and photos here:

Family Affair Weddings

For portraits, Op Love and other photographs please visit our web site portfolio.

Thank you for visiting our blogs, we truly appreciate the time you take to look at our work.

What a GREAT Year!

I thought I would make this last post of the year to recognize all the couples that we were honored to be a part of their wedding day.

Forty-three amazing couples, as you can see by the photos below it was 43 beautiful & unique weddings, A special congratulations to all of them and best of luck on their life journey together! (Yes, we are FULL time photographers, not weekend warriors!)

2009 wedding dates are already being booked, we have over a dozen wedding dates booked in 2009. Call today to check your wedding dates availability and to setup your free personal consultation meeting!

Names below the photo, if you care to see more photos from a particular wedding just look for their name on the sidebar and click on it to see their preview.

                             Corina & Scott,                                                                                  Nicole & Robert                                                                                  Jeniffer & Justin,                                                                                     Amy & Bret,                                                                                             Mary & Anton,                                                                      Kassaundra & Mike,                                  Elizabeth & Christopher,                          Amber & Scott,                                                                                    Cece & John,                                                                                              Heather & Paul,                                                                                      Christine & Jason                         ,                                                                 Alana & Brian,                                                                                     Julie & Steve,                                                                        Breanna & Josh,                                          Sarah & Skyler,                                         Karen & Ravi,                                       Gabrielle & Brett,                                        Shannon & Ryan,                                                                                            Sarah & Jimmy,                                                                                     Kimberley & James,                                                           Sara & Robin,                                                                        Jennifer & Andrew,                                   Dawn & Brett,                                                                                              Saemi & Vincent,                                                        Amylynn & Wade,                                                                       Brittany & Andrew,                                                           Nicole & Adam,                                       Courtney & Ryan,                                                                               Diana & Ted                                         Beth & Dave,                                                                                                   Lauren & Robert,                                                        Julie & Alan (renewing vows)                                                         Mallery & Matthew,                                                                 Nikki & Jay,                                                                    Megan & Nate,                                                                             Jenessa & Cameron,                                                          Jennifer & Christopher,                                                                 Kara & Rob                                                                                    Jill & Scott,                                                                          Anne & Jaime,                                     Breanne & Dennis,                                                                                     Erica & Mike

Our last wedding in 2008 will be Tiffany & Joshua on New Years Eve. Their preview will be found in our new blog which can be found here: Family Affair Wedding Blog. Portraits, Op Love and general photographs can be found by going to our website: www.familyaffairphotography.com and looking under portfolio.

***** Be sure to check out our photo display at Borders in Tacoma, we have been selected as a featured artist for the month of January, we are looking forward to this exciting new start to 2009! *****

Genevieve & Family

Originally I had planned on posting this preview before Christmas. However, we had a small situation here in our home, we had NO heat in the new addition of the home and it was simply to cold to come work in here. The heat is now repaired and we are once again toasty warm and I'm able to get back to work.

We met with Genevieve (love that name!) and her family, I instantly fell in love with ALL the furry family members. There a few who didn't get their photo taken but, that certainly didn't make them any less special.

Thank you for allowing us to photograph your family right before Christmas we look forward to seeing you again very soon. The full gallery can be viewed here: Family Affair Galleries

Happy Holidays!

"We make a living by what we get but we make a life by what we give." 

Winston Churchill.

This month, I have allowed myself to take as much time off as possible. Sonny and I needed time to recoup from the busy year of weddings (over 50), the engagement portraits, family portraits, designing wedding albums and so much more.

It was simply time to take a break and recharge ourselves for the new year. We are READY! I couldn't let the holidays pass without stopping by to wish everyone a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS or HAPPY HANUKKAH from our house to yours! We look forward to many beautiful weddings in 2009.

Wedding Album

With our 2009 packages we officially started offering heirloom flush mount albums to our products offered. We couldn't be more excited to start this new service!

Today we received our first album that we shot and designed. Excitement has been mounting, each time we pull the album out the first sound out of the viewers mouths is "awwwwwwwwwww" or "ohhhhhhhhhhhh" all uttered with a delighted gleam in their eyes.

Our sample has a crystal cover with a vibrant metallic photograph. It's such an attention grabber. It's stunning and elegant.

I can imagine years down the road a young daughter looking at the album dreaming of having a wedding just like her parents as she thumbs through their wedding album.

The small album off on the right is a parent album that is also available to add on.

To view the inside of the album just click on this link -> GALLERY. Or better yet, give us a call and we will be happy to show you the album in person!

*** Past brides are welcome to have albums made. Grooms, they make a wonderful anniversary gift! We also offer payment plans for the albums or any wedding package.

December Anniversaries

Hard to believe we are at the end of another year!  This time of the year isn't really a busy time of the year for wedding photographers.  Though it's this time of the year we are busy meeting newly engaged couples and booking dates for the new year. 

We are eagerly looking forward to some of the new venues we will be shooting at in 2009 and I know we have some great couples that we look forward to photographing and sharing in their celebrations of love and marriage.

Below are some of our past couples who have anniversaries this month.  We of course wish them many more years of happiness and we enjoyed EVERY wedding.  How many people get to go to parties as part of  their job?

Justine & Ryan were married in November not December.  I forgot to wish them a happy anniversary in November!  Also not only is it a belated Happy Anniversary, they just had a BEAUTIFUL baby girl.  Congratulations on the birth of your daughter!

Lenticular Clouds

I was hoping the next set of photos I shared would be from a couple of family portrait shoots. However, they requested that I didn't post the photographs to the blog as they are to be used as a Christmas gift and how can I not honor that request?

So, instead of family portraits how about some photos of the lenticular clouds that were covering MT Rainier today? Did anyone else look out and see this awesome sight?

For your viewing pleasure ...

*** UPDATE:  Sonny has a photograph that is being featured over at Pictures, Poetry & Prose.  It's a beautiful blog featuring photographs and artwork with prompts for writers who come and share their writing using the photos provided.  Check it out here: Pictures, Poetry & Prose.

5 Steps for Success

Recently I had a visit from Jill who operates a photo booth business in AZ.  I being the nosey one that I am, went over to check out her business blog - the link is at the bottom.  I found this entry and asked if I could share it with my readers.  I hope this will help some of our Northwest brides!

Planning your wedding should be fun!

First - determine your wedding day budget.  I know - it should be a four letter word....but really, you need to know where you stand when it comes to moola.  We know there are certain necessities (dress, invites, etc). Make a list of necessities and wish list items. Determine what funds will be allocated where. If parents or loved ones are assisting in financing the wedding, be up front with your costs and budget.  Clear communication about finances when others are involved will make for a much less stressful wedding and keep relationships from harms way and bad feelings.

Second - secure your ceremony and reception locations. Venues book out fast, be flexible with your wedding date in order to secure the location you desire.  Ask about Friday, mid-week, or Sunday pricing as those days tend to book less often and you may be able to get a discount.    Many locations have open houses to display the many features they offer.  Compare apples to apples and make sure to ask what is included in package prices.  If you have particular vendors you want to bring in, make sure at the beginning the flexibility of having them at your wedding.  Typically this won't pose an issue, however it's good to make sure at the onset instead of a week before your wedding and you're trying to scramble for a caterer.

Third - Select your wedding dress. This is obviously the most fun part of getting married!!  This is something you're probably imagined from when you were little. Choices and styles can go on forever. Remember to take your wedding date and location into account and choose a gown that is appropriate. Try on as many dresses as possible, take your family and BFF's to get their opinions. Get your gown tailored - it will look amazing when it's made to fit your body.

Fourth - Research and Book your vendors. Word of mouth is the best way to find wedding vendors. Ask friends and loved ones that have recently had events - chances are they will love to tell you all the great (or horrible) things about their vendors.  Unless you are hiring a Wedding Consultant (also a great idea) you'll possibly need: an officiant, photographer (Family Affair Photography is a good choice!), videographer, entertainment (plug here for photo booth), transportation, caterer, cake, decor, linens, flowers, invitations & save the date, and anything else you may want.

Fifth - Plan the cocktail hour and logistics of your reception. Sit down with your DJ and consult on what will happen when.  It's nice to have an agenda and not feel like a chicken with it's head cut off.  When you nail down the logistics - you can sit back and relax.  Make sure to solicit the help of any additional professionals you may need to ensure a reception with great timing and lots of fun for everyone.

Although these are only five steps to assist in making the planning (and ultimately the wedding) run smoothly, remember that if you can't enjoy the process - it's hard to enjoy the result. Take time for yourself, relax, ask for help and know that, "yes" eventually it will all be over....

By Jill Smith

http://blog.a2zphotobooths.com/

A Northwest Road Trip

Every now and then, however, not often enough, Sonny and I take a road trip and enjoy some of the beauty of Washington. Recently we followed a scenic route in the southern part of the state that followed along the south fork of Lewis River.

There were many times we felt as if we were a world away from civilization. Meaning it was peaceful, serene, calm, soothing to the soul. In reality we were no more than 15 miles from dense population and about 30 miles NE (as the crow flies) of Portland, OR.

We hope you enjoyed these non wedding, non portrait photographs!

Mike & Erica ~ We Do!

Erica and Mike had an intimate wedding at the Divine Elegance Chapel near Pt Defiance Park in Tacoma. We customized a package to fit their needs. What was important was photographs of family (some flew in for the occasion) and of course the ceremony. It was a beautiful wedding filled with family and close friends.

** Family and friends can view the full gallery of photos here: Erica & Mike

November Round Robin Challenge

I haven't had the opportunity to participate in the Round Robin Photo Challenge in several months. Simply said, I've been busy with weddings and hadn't taken the time for other types of photography. ALL photography is FUN photography as far as I'm concerned.

The current challenge is "on my table". With Thanksgiving just past, I had the perfect opportunity to take a table shot. I've cheated a bit as it's not my table, we had dinner with my wonderful sister-in-law, Debbie. Below are a few photos of the Thanksgiving dinner table that is covered with butcher paper. We all color and leave each other messages. :-) Can we say colorful FUN?

Take a moment to visit the other photographers who have participated: Round Robin Challenge

Happy Thanksgiving

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."

-John Fitzgerald Kennedy

After a recent wedding as we were driving home, I looked up and saw this magnificent view of MT Rainier.  We had dark cloudy skies all day and there in front of me was this shimmering ray of light and MT Rainier giving us a peek at her  majestic beauty. 

It made me think that even though this Thanksgiving life may be 'stormy' for many.  Given a chance, hope can still shine through and promise a better tomorrow.

From Family Affair Photography to your family we wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!