Lizzie + Teron's Snowy Winter Elopement | Olympia Wedding Photographer

First blog of 2018, friends! Here's to 2017, I hope it was a positive and memorable year!

When it comes to a December wedding or elopement, the combination of rich dark green trees and soft white snow infiltrates the dreams of every pacific northwest wedding photographer. Lizzie + Teron's big day was just that! A dream transformed into reality.

The weather was pretty standard for a Washington winter. Rain, fog and cold! But it made for some epic scenery. Even a 'little' rain didn't stop us from having a great time and capturing some amazing photos!

Lizzie + Teron, you both are so sweet and it was such a pleasure to work with you! I love how you both set aside the unpleasant elements (brrrrrrrr) in order to make some amazing and adventurous portraits.

A HUGE shout out to the amazing vendors that helped make this experience amazing. Your contributions were all flawless and it was so easy working with you all! High-five!

Brides, if you are still looking for vendors for your 2018/2019 wedding contact these ladies! They are all top notch and I highly recommend them for their quality of customer service and beautiful work!

Hair + Make-up: Bethany Yackel Beauty

Floral Bouquet and Crown: A Moment in Time Floral Design

Cake: Turquoise Pink Sweets

Dinnerware/decor: Balancing Balloons

There are many epic locations around the world (that some day I'd love to shoot weddings at) but it's sessions like this that makes me realize how lucky I am to be a wedding photographer in the pacific northwest. I love the raw beauty that the scenery provides us here in Washington. That raw beauty combined with a good love story to capture is definitely my jam! I'm looking forward to all the adventure that 2018 brings!!

If you've got a story to tell and a hunger for adventure, message me and let's make your dreams into reality.

XOXO,

Sarah

Like what you see? To see more please like Sarah Gonia Photography's Facebook page, follow us on Instagram and check out our Pinterest page!

Contact me today and lets document all those little moments that make life beautiful

BabeSeattle: Styled Halloween Themed Wedding | Olympia Wedding Photographer

Here are a few of my favorite images from a fun Halloween themed styled wedding I did withsome super fun and talented photographers! Feels good to let loose and be creative.

What are your Halloween plans??

Got an idea for a fun or creative styled wedding?? Message me!!

Models: Kari Rae, Andy Rodriguez, Chalayia Fuller

Hair + Makeup: Urbanista Weddings
Florals: Busara Floral
Rentals: Balancing Balloons
Invitation Suite: Ink+Sable
Desserts: Scarlet Nantes

Coordinators: Beginning and End Photography, Jackie Rose Photography

XOXO,

Sarah

Like what you see? To see more please like Sarah Gonia Photography's Facebook page, follow us on Instagram and check out our Pinterest page!

Contact me today and lets document all those little moments that make life beautiful

Romantic + Moody Styled Winter Wedding | Tacoma Wedding Photographer

I recently joined a group of talented photographers and vendors to pull together a dreamy stylized winter wedding and what a great time we had! The original plan was to shoot outside at Auburn's Flaming Geyser Park but since we caught a standard Seattle winter day we were forced to switch to the Tacoma Graffiti Garages to stay dry. Although I missed the rich greens of the park the dramatic light of the Graffiti Garage set a very romantic and rich mood to the day.

One of my favorite parts of putting together this event was all the incredible vendors I was able to meet! There is so much local talent and creativity in the PNW that I am frequently in AWW at the amazing creations that I photograph. A custom ring box, carefully designed invitations, handmade barn tables and s'mores bar, elegant and detailed dresses, rich and textured floral arrangements, a unique and delicious cake, a rustic wooden sign and professional hair and makeup are just a few of the items designed and created for this event. We absolutely could not have pulled off such an amazing event without the help of these hard working companies. Special thanks to the following companies!!

Ring Box and Wood Decoration/Cake Toppers: Lee Six Laser & Design

Invitations, Menus, S'mores sign, Paper Table Decorations: Sandpaper Custom Stationary

Wooden Table, Benches, green goblets, S'mores Bar: Puget Sound Farm Tables

Wedding Dresses, Veils & Headband: Country Bridal

Flowers: JNJ Floral

Cake: Delicately Sweet Confections

Wooden Welcome Sign: Happy Heart Design Co

HMUA Couples: Alisa Clark

HMUA Single Bride: Brenda Beauty Guru

For more vendor information please see Sarah Gonia Photography's Preferred Vendor List or contact me if you have specific needs.

XOXO,

Sarah

Like what you see? To see more please like Sarah Gonia Photography's Facebook page, follow us on Instagram and check out our Pinterest page!

Contact me today and lets document all those little moments that make life beautiful

Bri + Chris' Owen Beach Elopement | Tacoma Elopement Photographer

As a Pacific Northwest wedding photographer the months of January and February can be a bit slow because of the cold and rain.....so, I try to make the best of my down time and set up fun stylized shoots like this dreamy beach elopement!

When you meet Bri she is just a ray of sunshine - beautiful, friendly and positive. Chris is quiet, easy and caring.  They are this dynamic yin and yang couple that compliment each other perfectly. My favorite thing to capture when I'm photographing a couple is the connection that they share, the deep and fierce love that is only shared between two lovers. It is immediately undeniable how much these two love one another. Their sweet connection is inspirational!

The gorgeous flowers from this event are from Floral Noir. I've been talking a lot about Floral Noir lately, but how can I not?! This is the second event that I have worked on with this company and I am thoroughly impressed! The rich textures, the color combination that melds together perfectly and the minty green of the foliage makes this bouquet hard to ignore. They have a knack for using just the right combination of flowers and foliage to really get the perfect look. This bouquet was completely designed by Shannon at Floral Noir off of a simple Pinterest mood board that was made to inspire this session. Shannon is an expert at putting together breathtaking floral arrangements no matter the circumstances. Thank you for working with us to pull off this amazing beach elopement! My wedding photographer heart is soaring in the clouds after this memorable event!

We chose the location of Owen's beach for it's size and prominently to Point Defiance Park. This was my first opportunity to shoot at Owen's and the fact that it was a beautiful evening made the experience pleasant.  The earthy tones and grey rocks make a perfect background for any color wardrobe and the light pinks and white of this session popped especially well. Owen's Beach is defiantly been added to the return to shoot list!

Loved working with all those involved and and I am looking forward to the next fun stylized shoot!

Thanks to Samantha Ek of Picturesque Art Photography for helping plan this amazing shoot!

XOXO,

Sarah

Like what you see? To see more please like Sarah Gonia Photography's Facebook page, follow us on Instagram and check out our Pinterest page!

Contact me today and lets document all those little moments that make life beautiful

Karrie + Zephan's Albee's Garden Parties Stylized Wedding | Olympia Wedding Photographer

Here's a little throwback to September 2015- A beautiful stylized wedding that was organized by two crazy talented photographers, Allison and Lori, and held at Albee's Garden Parties.

This was my first experience doing a big wedding event like this and it was my first stylized shoot. I loved seeing a new venue and working with new vendors, like Sugar Rush Cupcakes who made the delicious cake and Blooma Flora who designed all the amazing wedding floral arrangements! Also, I love so many of the pictures that I had a hard time narrowing down which ones to feature but looking back I realize how far I've come as a photographer. I was still a brand new photographer at this point and hadn't even opened my business let alone thought about becoming a full time wedding photographer. I love looking at these images because they remind me where I started and show how much I've grown. They remind me why I keep taking photography classes, attend workshops and practice new techniques as often as I can.

They remind me of why I LOVE being a wedding photographer!

When I think about my wedding day, the memories are a blur. There was so much going on at once, so many people to talk to and so much to keep track of that I have very few solid memories of that day. When I look at my wedding photos, it all comes rushing back AND I am grateful that my photographer captured so many behind the scenes and candid moments that I missed.  The flood of all these amazing memories and feelings is like having a little "vacation" from the routine of present day life and is a great reminder of how important good wedding photos are.

There is just something so special and magical about capturing all the love and raw emotions of a wedding day and solidifying it in history as a special little "vacation" for each couple. Add in the amazing summer sun, the dark green vegetation, and the beautiful landscape of Washington and you get just a few of the reasons I love being a Pacific Northwest Wedding photographer.

If you like this blog and want to see more, check out the blogs below

XOXO,

Sarah

Like what you see? To see more please like Sarah Gonia Photography's Facebook page, follow us on Instagram and check out our Pinterest page!

Contact me today and lets document all those little moments that make life beautiful

Marionette + Cory's Pt. Defiance Boho Elopement | Tacoma Wedding Photographer

When a session gets rescheduled and you have a day "off" what do you do? Collaborate with a fellow photographer and an AMAZING florist to set up a phenomenal stylized elopement!!! As a Pacific Northwest Wedding Photographer January and February are my slow months and setting up an event like this is a dream!!!

Samantha Ek of Picturesque Art and I decided to put out a model call to shoot a couple. Well, one Facebook post, two Pinterest boards and a message to a florist later and we were in business! Since both Sam and I love doing wedding that is exactly where our Pinterest mood boards took us and the results are just stunning!

I would like to talk about Shannon of Floral Noir for a moment and recognize what a talented florist she is. I worked with Shannon on another Wedding Shoot and not only was she super nice and personable but she brought these incredible floral arrangements that just took my breath away! I could not stop starring at them! Her use of texture and color gives every hand designed bouquet a wow factor that will command feelings of 'Awe' and 'Wonder.' I know this isn't the first time I've gushed over her work but she continues to surprise and impress me.....and as a wedding photographer I see a lot of flowers!!! To all you lovebirds getting married - if you want floral art instead of just flowers and you want them to be dreamy and Pinterest worthy - Send her a message!

Ok, Shannon, I'll stop talking about your wonderfulness now and get back to your part in the planning of this amazing stylized elopement. Shannon took one look at our Pinterest boards and the wheels were spinning! We left full control of the bouquet and floral crown in her hands and she completely nailed what we were looking for! Sam and I spent nearly a half an hour just photographing the flowers and if we didn't have the couple waiting for us it probably would have been longer. :) Shannon, you rock!

Seems that the date was a perfect pick too since we had clear skies and sunshine, how often does that happen in Washington in January?? A sunny Sunday is completely unheard of - I'm pretty sure Mother Nature has a sense of humor and only plans sunny day's on Monday's during the hours of 9 and 5 when everyone is at work. HAHA. Thanks for the sunshine MN, you're my girl, blue.

Both Sam and I wanted to explore Pt. Defiance Park more so location was an easy decision. From the Rose Garden to the Pagoda to the romantic wooded area and nearby Owens beach - Pt. Defiance is a diverse and ideal location to do portraits AND/OR get married. *hint hint* MESSAGE ME, I'm awesome lol!!! :)

Sam, you're a treasure. So glad to have a friend that shares the same tastes and loves to put together these events as much as I do. I can't believe how easily we rolled this all together and turned a rescheduled session into an amazing adventure.

Marionette + Cory - you two are so stinkin' cute! Thanks for getting all fancy and stepping in front of our cameras. It can be hard to relax when you have a camera in your face and let your true emotions shine but you two have such a strong connection that it made it easy to capture your love.

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“Do I love you? My God, if your love were a grain of sand, mine would be a universe of beaches.”

— William Goldman, The Princess Bride

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XOXO,

Sarah

Like what you see? To see more please like Sarah Gonia Photography's Facebook page, follow us on Instagram and check out our Pinterest page!

Contact me today and lets document all those little moments that make life beautiful

Bright + Colorful Fall Themed Ft. Steilacoom Park Stylized Wedding | Tacoma Wedding Photography

In October I joined a fabulous group of photographers and local vendors to so a Fall Stylized wedding, and it was absolutely amazing! All the details were so gorgeous and the couples did such a great job - as a Pacific Northwest Wedding Photographer, this is my FUN!! I love for these shoots.

I'd like to first mention the flowers....not that I have to, they speak for themselves but I was blown away by them so I want to talk about them. Guys! I'm so excited because I finally found a GO-TO florist! Shannon from Floral Noir has an amazing eye for color and texture. Her bouquets are absolutely stunning and a wedding photographer's dream! Take a minute to check out the flower pictures and REALLLLLY enjoy them. Just look how the colors go so well together and all the amazing textures. This is not your average bouquet! Brides, husbands, fathers, ladies.....if you are looking for flowers that will leave a lasting impression, for any occasion, contact Floral Noir (Keep an eye out for her website too, it's launching soon!!!)

Another lovely detail I'd like to mention about the day is the gorgeous dresses! They were supplied by Lace N Links. How perfect are they!! They are perfectly accented by gorgeous make-up done by Katie Horton of Bridal Esthetics By Katie. She did such an amazing job highlighting the features of the brides and she's currently booking for summer weddings so contact her if you need make-up done professionally.

Next, lets talk about this elegant wedding cake, it's simple and stunning and makes a statement. I love the accent of fall colored flowers and the wooden heart. This beauty was made by Stephanie Williams, thanks for spending time to make this for us Stephanie - it was perfect for the setting! The decor was tied together with an amazing sign and adorable little pumpkins made by Jennifer Lauer. Such sweet details that really pulled together the mood of this stylized fall wedding.

Thank you to all the vendors and the two lovely photographers who planned out this amazing shoot. Kellie and Jennifer, you rocked it!

XOXO,

Sarah

Like what you see? To see more please like Sarah Gonia Photography's Facebook page, follow us on Instagram and check out our Pinterest page!

Contact me today and lets document all those little moments that make life beautiful

In Lifestyle Tags Olympia Lifestyle Photographer, Candid Photography, Olympia Photographer, Newborn Lifestyle Photography