Terrianna's Bridal Session | Olympia Wedding Photographer

A little bit of beautiful, and rare, Washington winter sun, a breathetaking bride and the perfect bouquet really go a long way!

Epic floral masterpiece by A Moment in Time Floral Design

XOXO,

Sarah

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

Brenda + Sal's Cannon Beach Wedding Portraits | Olympia Wedding Photographer

Let's talk about Brenda + Sal's STUNNING bridal session at Cannon Beach! That light! That view! That bouquet! That gorgeous couple! This session is truly a PNW Wedding Photographer's dream come true!

Brenda + Sal have been married for a few years but planned this gorgeous bridal session in their last days in the PNW before moving home to Arizona. Such a great reminder of their time in the Pacific Northwest and a great little weekend adventure for their little family of three!

If these amazing pictures don't speak for themselves and you are wondering why you should do a bridal session, check out  8 Reasons You Should Plan a Bridal Session!

Flower: A Moment in Time Floral Design

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

Samantha + Nate's Couples Session | Olympia Wedding Photographer

Such a fun and sweet couple! These two are some of the nicest people I've met and they have a passion for life, their family, helping others.... and each other of course!

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

McKinley + James' Downtown Tacoma Anniversary Session | Olympia Wedding Photographer

Such a fun engagement shoot with McKinley + James!

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

Nicole + Timothy's Pt. Defiance Rose Garden Wedding | Tacoma Wedding Photographer

Nicole + Timothy said 'I do' among all the flowers in the Pt. Defiance Rose Garden in Tacoma, Washington. 

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

Rhiya's Bridal Portrait Session | Olympia Wedding Photographer

Dress and Veil: Bellevue Bridal

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

Jade Bridal Session | Olympia Wedding Photographer

Bride/HMUA: Jade Snider

Floral Art: A Moment in Time Floral Time

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

Rachel + Eric's Newcastle Golf Club Wedding | Olympia Wedding Photographer

Rachel + Eric tied the knot on January 6th as our first wedding of 2018 and what a way to start the year off! This wedding was by far our favorite of the year (haha I made myself giggle, but seriously I think it's going to stay that way!) Rachel + Eric are such genuine, sweet and talented humans and they were such a pleasure to work with. Just by spending one day with their friends and family I can totally see how loved and supported these two are. I almost forgot I was working because they made me feel so welcome which is a wonderful feeling.

One very special element to their big day is the time and love that went into making their wedding so beautiful! Rachel and Eric's friends and family members came together to create all the stunning floral arrangements and reception decorations that were all absolutely gorgeous. How special to have such support and involvement from the ones you love. My wedding was similar and it is some of the best memories of the day.

One more EXCELLENT note about the day is it was foggy out! I know, most people think foggy is kind of gloomy but as a Pacific Northwest wedding photographer I was stoked! It makes for a clean, interesting and serene background! As Washington winter days go we ended up getting pretty lucky! The raid held off for the most part with just a few drizzly spells here and there. Thankfully it stayed dry during wedding party and bride and groom portraits so we could do them outside and capture some of the view of the golf course. Those bride and groom photos with the foggy background! #dreamy #ilovefog #yaaaaas #hairgoals

Desserts: Midori Bakery

Dress: Nicole Miller via Blue Sky Bridal

Venue: Golf Club at Newcastle

Florals: Friends + Family

Live Entertainment: The bride and groom!!!!

Thanks to my second shooter Malory Larson Photography

Astelle + Allan's Mt. Rainier Elopement | A Little on Love | Olympia Wedding Photographer

Being in love is like existing in another universe.

Being in love is like flying without a parachute nor a single though of falling.

Being in love is letting your heart lead and your body and mind following blissfully.

There are many depictions of love all around us. Songs, poems, books, plays, pieces of art.... love is one constant that has run parallel with us throughout our existence. In many ways it IS our existence. We live for it, fight for it, spend our life searching for it. It makes us strong yet also weak. We are willing to die for it, we sometimes die without it. Love is a basic need; along with food, shelter and air it keeps our hearts beating and blood flowing. Love fills our souls and egos with every breath we take and washes away hate and despair with every breath we exhale. Love is powerful and for all these reasons and more I LOVE love.

My most favorite thing to capture is the connection between lovers. Composition, lighting and all other elements of a good photograph can all be present but without that connection the photograph is flat and unfeeling. Love gives each photos depth and soul. Astelle and Alan demonstrate this love and connection so classically. I must say, these are some of the all time favorite moments I've captured. 

A little shout out to the people behind the scenes. If you are in need of vendors for your wedding or elopement check them out!

Hair and Makeup by the lovely Bethany Yackel Beauty

STUNNING bouquet by A Moment in Time Floral Design

Videographer: Brooke Griffin of Griffin Studios LLC

Love, along with religion and war have historically governed humanity. A challenge that has no parallel is to let love outshine the hate and violence that exists all around us. Meet that challenge head on and let love guide your decisions and your existence. Love yourself, love life and when the time is right let yourself fall madly in love.

"Yours is the light by which my spirit's born; you are my sun, my moon, and all my stars." — E.E. Cummings

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

Romina + Brian's Romantic Deception Pass Elopement | Destination Wedding Photographer

Romina + Brian share many things, with the most important being their two beautiful little girls. The next strongest thing that they seem to share is their sense of adventure and love of the outdoors. They love packing up their two toddlers and just taking off and hiking to explore new places. When we talked at our initial meeting they shared their list of locations they wanted to visit as well as their desire to sell everything and go live abroad, exploring the world, for awhile. A lifestyle that I am also drawn to, so it will be amazing to follow them on their journey when they take it. For all of this, I'm not surprised that they wanted their elopement to be at a beautiful, adventurous location.

Their first choice was Diablo Lake (for obvious reasons cause #holyamazing) but due to weather conditions it wasn't accessible on their day. So, the night before after much research and thought they changed the location of their adventurous elopement to Rosario Beach in Deception Pass. It may not boast the blue waters of Diablo Lake but it makes up for that in other ways. There are cliffs and ledges to walk out on, a few beautiful beaches, evergreen trees, and an absolutely beautiful sunset!

We got lucky and caught a clear and sunshiny day despite Washington's normally cold and rainy November's. Despite a bit of a chill, the day was absolutely gorgeous! A beautiful location for an adventurous elopement and some beautiful bride and groom portraits.

At the end of the portraits we realized that their diamond ring had somehow gotten lost during the session. We looked up and down where we had been with no luck. Romina + Brian were so calm about it. They expressed to each other that the most important thing was that they were married and that physical possessions were not important to them. At first I was stressing and looking frantically for the ring, but after hearing their thoughts on it I nearly started crying. What a great wakeup call from an amazingly genuine couple to reevaluate what is REALLY important in our lives...

Hair + Makeup: Ann Timmss Makeup and Hair

Second Shooter: One Thousand Words

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

Jessica + Michael's Snowy Engagement Session | Olympia Wedding Photographer

Love, laughter and an engagement session in the snow? Yes please! Any day of the week!

For their engagement portraits, Jessica + Michael wanted to do something adventurous, fun and that would remind them of the Pacific Northwest since they will be moving to New York after the wedding. A foggy, snow covered lake in the mountains seemed like a perfect setting for their romantic engagement session, so we chose Gold Creek Pond! A backdrop to make any portrait session peaceful, serene and magical! Of course it was pretty chilly since we did their engagement photos in December, but Jessica + Michael (especially Jessica in the dress photos!!) toughed it out like champs. So glad they did and that we were able to capture some amazing moments between them and the epic background of Gold Creek Pond!

These two lovebirds are set to get married in July of 2018 and I can't wait!! The details they are planning along with the beautiful venue, Cabin Creek Lodge, they have chosen will be simply stunning. Cabin Creek Lodge is a majestic and woodsy venue in Easton, WA. A perfectly boho, romantic and peaceful setting to celebrate their big day. Surrounded by large evergreens and trails to explore, this diverse venue can sleep 40+ guests and has full amenities. What a great place to host family and friends for a weekend of relaxing, fun and the exchanging of vows.

I love the idea of renting a venue for the weekend and spending more time with your guests. Wedding days go by so fast and I personally felt like I didn't get enough time with my out of town friends and family. If I knew then what I know now this would be towards the top of the list of what I would do differently!

Of course, neither this beautiful venue nor the elegant details will outshine the beauty of this couple! Jessica, you are going to be a GORGEOUS bride and the love you have for each other just radiates around you! Seriously, I had so much fun with you and Mike, can't wait for your big day!

Perfect venue, perfect details, gorgeous couple... what more could a Pacific Northwest Wedding Photographer want!! *Swooooon*

Wintery Crown and Hoop: A Moment in Time Floral Design

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

Brooke's Scenic Anchorage Bridal Session | Alaska + PNW Wedding Photographer

Last May I was able to spend a few weeks in the homeland, beautiful Alaska. It had been several years since I'd been home so it was long over due. My husband and three kids and I flew home to Fairbanks, Alaska for my best friend's daughter's graduation. After a few days in Fairbanks, visiting friends and family, we took the beautiful 6 hour drive to Anchorage (which seems a lot longer than 6 hours with two toddlers and a baby.) The majority of my family still resides in Anchorage so we were all excited to play with cousins and explore the glaciers and mountains. We had a busy schedule with play dates and visits but I just HAD to shoot while I was home.

Rachel of Capture Alaska Photography and I had been chatting for a few months about setting up an adventurous bridal shoot while I was home and these were the results!! Rachel is an amazingly talented photographer and she is perceptive, sweet and loads of fun. She had known Brooke for quite some time and picked her to model for us, it was the perfect choice because the three of us worked so well together and we had a blast during this shoot! 

Brooke is so natural and real, she was such a pleasure to work with. My favorite thing about Brooke, besides her FABULOUS hair, is that laugh of hers! When she laughs, she laughs with her whole being and it's contagious. Smart, ambitious, talented - I just can't say enough good things about Brooke. What an amazing woman you are, Brooke! Also, CONGRATS on being crowned Miss Alaska USA 2018! May this year bring you everything your heart desires and may you find some amazing and positive ways to impact this world.

Model: Brooke Johnson, Miss Alaska USA 2018

Floral Bouquet: Rachel of Capture Alaska Photography

Location: Right outside of good ole A-town

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