I met Wonder & Marc playing on an Underdog dodgeball team. The point of any Underdog sports team, really, is less about winning the game, and more about grabbing a beer afterwards & making new friends! We bonded over our mutual love of exploring Seattle, one restaurant at a time & chatting about wedding plans since we were all just wide-eyed engaged couples when we met. Wonder & Marc ended up moving to the same floor of our apartment building, coincidently, which lead to evenings spent playing Settlers of Catan & watching The Bachelor.
Wonder & Marc are the kind of friends that made you want to grab life by the hiking boot straps – they are always out adventuring, exploring, experiencing life. I have to admit that I was a little intimidated by Wonder – on any given night she was taking a cooking class, or kayaking on Lake Washington or downward-dogging at yoga. My introverted self lived vicariously through her as we walked our pups together early in the morning & chatted about our (her) latest activities.
Marc is a wonderfully interesting person as well. He is equal parts deep conversation & equal parts tequila shots on the dance floor. Amazing high school history teacher, and Cross-Fitter. He is a die-hard Michigan State fan & I love listening to his stories about growing up in a small town in the mid-west. Marc’s dad owns a construction company back in Michigan so it was always the plan for him to return to take over the family business. In the back of their minds, there was always a bit of a ticking clock on their time in Seattle.
2016 arrived & time was up. I wanted to give them a session that could help them remember their love of the beautiful Pacific Northwest & the time they spent here together. Newly married, with bustling careers & making fast friends. The weather was dicey when we headed out to North Bend the morning of our session. I’d been wanting to shoot at Rattlesnake for ages & these two adventurous souls were happy to oblige. We rose early (really early), hoping to catch some soft morning light at the peak of Rattlesnake Ledge. Clouds rolled in and out, revealing bright sunny skies & conversely sprinkling showers. Being inside the cloud made for crazy dramatic photos and I couldn’t help but imagine them standing on a metaphorical precipice of the next chapter in the life. I love how Wonder’s fire-y red hair popped against the greens & grays surrounding them. Their bold pup, Leo, totally stole the show & was the perfect model.
These photos mean so much to me – I got to spend Wonder & Marc’s last morning in Seattle with them – I got to capture & celebrate their love. They arrived in South Haven this weekend & have already (no surprise) hit the ground running. I am going to miss these two SO much but know a visit to Michigan is in Kevin’s and my future. THANK YOU, Wonder & Marc for allowing me to tell your story. Congrats on the big move, new jobs & this crazy journey of life! Seattle loves you! xx
