As an Olympic Peninsula photographer, I was so excited for the chance to work at Mountain View Venue again to photograph Marie and Jason’s spring wedding! Mountain View Venue is a relatively new wedding venue about 30 minutes west of Port Angeles on the Olympic Peninsula in the picturesque Eden Valley, nestled between the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the north and the coastal range and the Olympic Mountains to the south.
We began the day at the nearby A Hidden Haven guest cottages where Marie got ready with her bridesmaids. Jason and Marie had their first look under two gorgeous flowering trees that were in full display and illuminated by the spring sunshine. The photos of Marie and her bridesmaids in their gorgeous navy gowns and incredible bouquets from Iilya Violet are some of my favorite bridesmaids photos ever! Jason and the gents looked great too in sharp suit jackets with pewter vests and deep red ties. Marie mentioned at one point to me that morning that she had chosen a more “unconventional” color palette for a spring wedding, but I thought the rich sapphire and garnet tones were particularly gorgeous. There were even pretty blue thistles and red hypericum berries nestled in Marie’s red and pink peony, rose, and eucalyptus bouquet.
After photos with the bridesmaids and groomsmen, we traveled another couple miles down the road to Mountain View Venue itself. There, the wedding ceremony was held on the main lawn, which features a spectacular panoramic vista of the mountains. As the bright spring sunshine began to deepen towards sunset, Marie and Jason took a few minutes for some jaw-dropping golden-hour photos in the hillside field at the north end of the property. Don’t miss those photos towards the end of the post!
The vendor team is always a major part of the success in every wedding day. Marie and Jason chose wonderful vendors to work with, from Mountain View Venue to That Takes the Cake to Best Made Videos and more. I make extra effort at every wedding to work well with all the vendors I interact with—as the photographer, I usually have a large part to play in the how the events unfold leading up to the ceremony and any photography time between ceremony and reception. After that point, I hand the reigns off to the DJ, who usually plays the part of Master of Ceremonies for the reception events. If there is a planner or day-of-coordinator involved, I make sure to be on the same page with them well before the wedding day dawns! And of course I work closely with videography throughout the day to make sure that everyone gets the shots, angles, and moments they need to tell the story of the day.
As the lead photographer, I sometimes play the role of heading up the “photo/video team,” which is an ad-hoc amalgam of myself, my assistant or second shooter, the lead videographer, and any assistants or additional shooters they may bring! It’s so important that Photography and Videography “play well” together — while anyone in our industry can tell you stories of weddings where the photo and video teams didn’t get along, I’m thankful to say that’s never been the case for me. I’ve found as long as I make sure to connect with the videographer in the days or weeks leading up to the wedding day and set the tone that I approach the day as a team effort between us, I’ve always had great experience working alongside videographers during weddings! I think it’s important to let the videographers know that I’m in their corner, I value their job for it’s importance to our mutual client, and we’ll get a lot more done working together than against one another.
Well, all that was to say, I had the best day at Marie and Jason’s wedding working with some vendors I already knew well and some who were new to me. Vanessa Thompson coordinated the day, and Mary Simmons served as the venue coordinator on behalf of Mountain View Venue. The Hair and Makeup team consisted of Jamie Chavarria Harper, Alysha Vogle, and Hair and Makeup by Jocelyn DeChenne. Marie’s dress came from my favorite Olympic Peninsula boutique, Black Diamond Bridal, and Iilya Violet Event Artistry created the incredible bridal party florals. At the reception, DJ Robotix provided the soundtrack, and the gorgeous cake came from That Takes the Cake. Reid of Best Made Videos worked alongside me throughout the day, and my gal Stephanie Gray second-shot the wedding day with me.
Venue | Mountain View Venue
Wedding Planner or Coordinator | Vanessa Thompson
Videography | Best Made Videos
Officiant | Tom Lotz (fun fact — Mr. Lotz was my 8th grade history teacher!)
Florist | Iilya Violet Event Artistry
Cake | That Takes the Cake
Gown | Black Diamond Bridal
Makeup | Jamie Chavarria Harper; Alysha Vogle of Sequim Beauty Salon
Hair Stylist | Jamie Chavarria Harper; Hair and Makeup by Jocelyn DeChenne
Bartender | Pour Girls and Some Guys
DJ | DJ Robotix
What did you think of this spring Mountain View Venue Wedding? If you loved this one, be sure to take a look at these too!
Tiffany & Brett’s Rustic Port Angeles Forest Wedding
Kim & Jesse’s Hurricane Ridge Anniversary Session
Malaika & Dave’s Sequim Hunter’s Gate Farm Wedding
Hey there! Welcome to my blog—Make yourself comfy and look around! As an Olympic Peninsula, Olympic National Park, San Juan Islands, Seattle, Whidbey Island, and destination wedding photographer, I want to be a resource for you as you put together your own wedding day. Browse around, have a look, and let me know your questions! I'm so happy you're here, and I hope you want to get in touch so we can chat about your wedding day.