I know I’m always shocked that another month has come to a close, but this is the sixth time I’ve published my favorite photo, which means it’s been about six months since I launched the blog. It’s been a blast so far, and I hope you’ve all enjoyed it.

There was no question when it came time to sit down and pick my favorite of the month. When this photo uploaded onto my computer, it almost took my breath away. Shannon was a peaceful bride, moving slowly and consciously through the ritual of getting dressed and getting her jewelry on. She was sitting on her parents’ bed, just above where her wedding was getting set up, and just then, a dark scary cloud moved out of the way and the sun streamed in through the window.

You are beautiful, Shannon!

Photo friends: this photo was taken with my Canon 50D and a 50mm f/1.4 lens at f/1.4. The shutter speed was 1/125 and ISO 400.

I got an e-mail from Emily just before her session, asking if her best friend could come along, and I was so excited. I love watching people interact with their friends, it’s energizing and fun. These two girls are so cool and you can tell they really are best friends who’ve known each other for a long time (since the sixth grade!)

Emily and Molly are new seniors at Westview this year, and they’re both so excited for their final year in high school.

One of my new favorite things to do during a senior session is to spin — it’s fun for everyone!

Thanks, Emily and Molly, for giving me a fun afternoon! Good luck in school this year and I can’t wait to see you both succeed.

Copenhagen has become one of our favorite spots — that might be because it’s awesome, and also might be because some of our dearest friends, Erika and Morten, live there. About a week ago, we got home from a nine-day trip to Copenhagen and it was lots of fun. Here are some photos from along the way.

Erika and Morten live in a great little town called Lyngby, about 20 minutes from Copenhagen by train.

Above is a Danish traditional lunch, smorrebrød, which was served in a unique way with breaded, fried herring.

One thing we really appreciated was how much time we got to spend outside the city this trip — we paddled and walked and even rode horses one day while we were there.

This is Vilde and Alma — they are sisters and Morten’s sister Louise is their mom.

What a great trip! I love Scandinavia so much and it was such a nice visit. Thanks Erika and Morten, as usual, for a really nice time.

Note: If you’re in Scandinavia and looking for a wedding photographer, give me a shout-out! I travel worldwide and really love it when I get a chance to do an international wedding.

Shannon and TJ’s wedding had Hawaiian touches all throughout, from this lei across the back of the newlyweds’ chairs to the Hawaiian juice drinks and necklaces for the bridesmaids (which I’ll show you later in this post).

I can honestly say that Shannon and TJ’s wedding cupcakes were some of the most delicious I’ve ever tasted — they came from Seattle’s Trophy Cupcakes, and they were beautiful as well as really yummy.

These are the bridesmaids’ necklaces, which all came from Hawaii: a mermaid, a starfish, a flower, a turtle and a pineapple.

Kristi, Shannon’s sister, made her some framed sketches of her gown and bridesmaids’ dresses as a wedding gift, which was so sweet.

This is Andrea and Paul (below), whose wedding I’m photographing in the Seattle area on Oct. 11. I can’t wait, you guys!

Shannon and TJ, it was seriously such a blast to be able to get to know you through this process and to be your wedding photographer. You guys inspire me and I can’t wait to see what married life has in store for you! Congratulations!

Shannon and TJ’s wedding was held in Shannon’s parents’ backyard in Bothell, Washington. They fixed the house and yard up so nicely for the party, and even brought in a tent when the weather looked like it might turn stormy. In the end, though, almost no rain on their wedding day.

I really loved that Shannon walked down the aisle with her dad and TJ. Like I said, no detail was forgotten — it was personal down to the small details.

Yum — I totally got a sugar high from their delicious candy buffet, all in shades of pink and purple.

This is Suzie, Shannon’s mom (below) who made all the bouquets herself and added countless touches to their wedding to make it really special.

I was totally in love with the bouquets — Shannon, can I have your mom be my personal flower lady?

One more day of Shannon and TJ’s beautiful backyard wedding tomorrow — be sure to check back!

I think the sweetest thing in the world is to be surrounded by people who love you. When I photographed Shannon and TJ’s backyard garden wedding on Labor Day weekend, it was so obvious that they like that too — they were surrounded by genuine and wonderful people who support them, because they are genuine and wonderful people. It has been such a treat working with them for the last several months.

This wedding was not only really personal and touching, but every detail was really beautiful. From the bouquets in vibrant pink and purple (which Shannon’s mom made herself) to the pink-and-purple candy bar and the bridesmaid dresses, nothing was forgotten.

Shannon is a really beautiful girl, and she made such a beautiful bride. She was so calm on her wedding day, not worrying about the threat of rain from dark clouds or anything else.

These are the Jersey boys. TJ is from New Jersey, so most of his groomsmen came out from the east coast to be with him. They were loads of fun — I sat next to them at the rehearsal dinner.

Shannon’s bridesmaids were awesome too — they had serious attitude. Who could blame them, though, in those fabulous dresses?

I love the look on Shannon’s face in the above photo — I think she was getting heckled by her bridesmaids behind me!

Aren’t they a great-looking couple? Check back tomorrow for more details and scenes from their wedding!

I love the anticipation in the air on the day of a rehearsal and rehearsal dinner — at TJ & Shannon’s, it was palpable.

Look at these two — they are seriously such wonderful, kind people.

Their dinner was held down on the water in Ballard at Chinook’s — the food was amazing and the view was even better.

I sat with the groomsmen — check out his game face showing off his tattoo.

Yay! For the rest of the week, I’ll be bringing you images from Shannon & TJ’s wedding, so stay tuned for the next three days to see all of the great details and sweet moments.

My husband Eric and I spent the last two weeks traveling in Iceland and Denmark, and we had such a blast. It was one of our favorite trips ever. I thought I’d share a few photos from our trip on the blog so you could see what beautiful places we got to visit!

Reykjavik, Iceland was such a cool place – it’s a small European city and such a unique spot. I would love to go back and explore more of the island — we only spent two days in the city on our way to Copenhagen to visit our good friends Erika and Morten.

Iceland has an abundance of geothermal features, including lots of thermal pools. This one, called the Blue Lagoon, was so much fun to swim in. They also have abundant free hot water and geothermal power, which was really impressive.

We really loved Iceland — for the rest of the week, I’ll be bringing you photos from Shannon and TJ’s wedding, but next Monday I’ll be sharing photos from Copenhagen! Stay tuned!

Sam and Ajax’s wedding was one of the few I’ve been to this year where the couple wrote their own vows, and they were really sweet (if a little hard to get through on the part of a teary bride). I loved that personal touch.

As if it could get any better, Sam and Ajax brought in Pizzicato to do their catering. Alyssa and I were so excited!

Once the sun went down, the lights hanging from the trees were twinkly and everyone sat around talking and enjoying each others’ company. It was such a pleasant evening.

Then, of course, they all got down. All these families and friends were serious party animals, and they made sure to party into the night.

Congratulations, Sam and Ajax! Your wedding was beautiful and it was such a treat to be able to be there.

Sam and Ajax got married in Battle Ground in the most beautiful spot. Apparently the whole family has been pitching in to make sure the landscaping was immaculate for their wedding. They even put antique doors out throughout the property, leaned up against trees. They made great photo backgrounds — check out yesterday’s post for more of that.

Sam was one of those stunning brides who has a gaggle of ravishing friends and sisters, too.

The three flower girls thought they stole the show on their way down the aisle, but Sam put them to shame. She was absolutely gorgeous.

Check back tomorrow for a few more from this fun backyard wedding!